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Köhne M, Diel E, Packeiser EM, Böttcher D, Tönissen A, Unruh C, Goericke-Pesch S, Ulrich R, Sieme H. Analysis of gene and protein expression in the endometrium for validation of an ex vivo model of the equine uterus using PCR, digital and visual histopathology. Theriogenology 2024; 221:38-46. [PMID: 38537320 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.03.015] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
In the past, most research in equine reproduction has been performed in vivo but the use of in vitro and ex vivo models has recently increased. This study aimed to evaluate the functional stability of an ex vivo hemoperfused model for equine uteri with molecular characterization of marker genes and their proteins. In addition, the study validated the respective protein expression and the aptness of the software QuPath for identifying and scoring immunohistochemically stained equine endometrium. After collection, uteri (n = 12) were flushed with preservation solution, transported to the laboratory on ice, and perfused with autologous blood for 6 h. Cycle stage was determined by examination of the ovaries for presence of Graafian follicles or corpora lutea and analysis of plasma progesterone concentration (estrus: n = 4; diestrus: n = 4; anestrus: n = 4). Samples were obtained directly after slaughter, after transportation, and during perfusion (240, 300, 360 min). mRNA expression levels of progesterone (PGR), estrogen (ESR1) and oxytocin (OXTR) receptor as well as of MKI67 (marker of cell growth) and CASP3 (marker of apoptosis) were analyzed by RT-qPCR, and correlation to protein abundance was validated by immunohistochemical staining. Endometrial samples were analyzed by visual and computer-assisted evaluation of stained antigens via QuPath. For PGR, effects of the perfusion and cycle stage on expression were found (P < 0.05), while ESR1 was affected only by cycle stage (P < 0.05) and OXTR was unaffected by perfusion and cycle stage. MKI67 was lower after 360 min of perfusion as compared to samples collected before perfusion (P < 0.05). For CASP3, differences in gene expression were found after transport and samples taken after 240 min (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining revealed effects of perfusion on stromal and glandular cells for steroid hormone receptors, but not for Ki-67 and active Caspase 3. OXTR was visualized in all layers of the endometrium and was unaffected by perfusion. Comparison of QuPath and visual analysis resulted in similar results. For most cell types and stained antigens, the correlation coefficient was r > 0.5. In conclusion, the isolated hemoperfused model of the equine uterus was successfully validated at the molecular level, demonstrating stability of key marker gene expression. The utility of computer-assisted immunohistochemical analysis of equine endometrial samples was also confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Köhne
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Emilia Diel
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Packeiser
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Denny Böttcher
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Tönissen
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Christin Unruh
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sandra Goericke-Pesch
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Reiner Ulrich
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Harald Sieme
- Unit for Reproductive Medicine, Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, 30559, Hannover, Germany
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DelaCuesta-Barrutia J, Hidema S, Caldwell HK, Nishimori K, Erdozain AM, Peñagarikano O. In need of a specific antibody against the oxytocin receptor for neuropsychiatric research: A KO validation study. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 173:260-270. [PMID: 38554622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Antibodies are one of the most utilized tools in biomedical research. However, few of them are rigorously evaluated, as there are no accepted guidelines or standardized methods for determining their validity before commercialization. Often, an antibody is considered validated if it detects a band by Western blot of the expected molecular weight and, in some cases, if blocking peptides result in loss of staining. Neither of these approaches are unquestionable proof of target specificity. Since the oxytocin receptor has recently become a popular target in neuropsychiatric research, the need for specific antibodies to be used in brain has arisen. In this work, we have tested the specificity of six commercially available oxytocin receptor antibodies, indicated by the manufacturers to be suitable for Western blot and with an available image showing the correct size band (45-55 KDa). Antibodies were first tested by Western blot in brain lysates of wild-type and oxytocin receptor knockout mice. Uterus tissue was also tested as control for putative differential tissue specificity. In brain, the six tested antibodies lacked target specificity, as both wild-type and receptor knockout samples resulted in a similar staining pattern, including the expected 45-55 KDa band. Five of the six antibodies detected a selective band in uterus (which disappeared in knockout tissue). These five specific antibodies were also tested for immunohistochemistry in uterus, where only one was specific. However, when the uterine-specific antibody was tested in brain tissue, it lacked specificity. In conclusion, none of the six tested commercial antibodies are suitable to detect oxytocin receptor in brain by either Western blot or immunohistochemistry, although some do specifically detect it in uterus. The present work highlights the need to develop standardized antibody validation methods, including a proper negative control, in order to grant quality and reproducibility of the generated data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon DelaCuesta-Barrutia
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Shizu Hidema
- Department of Obesity and Inflammation, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Heather K Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Ohio, 44242, USA
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Department of Obesity and Inflammation, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan
| | - Amaia M Erdozain
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, 48940, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, 48940, Spain.
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3
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Arakawa H, Tokashiki M, Higuchi Y, Konno T. Adolescent social isolation disrupts developmental tuning of neuropeptide circuits in the hypothalamus to amygdala regulating social and defensive behavior. Peptides 2024; 175:171178. [PMID: 38368908 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2024.171178] [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: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Engaging in positive social (i.e., prosocial) interactions during adolescence acts to modulate neural circuits that determine adult adaptive behavior. While accumulating evidence indicates that a strong craving for prosocial behavior contributes to sustaining neural development, the consequences of social deprivation during adolescence on social neural circuits, including those involving oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin (AVP), are poorly characterized. We evaluated adaptive behaviors in socially isolated mice, including anxiety-like, social, and defensive behaviors, along with OXT and AVP neural profiles in relevant brain regions. Social isolation from postnatal day (P-)22 to P-48 induced enhanced defensive and exploratory behaviors, in nonsocial and social contexts. Unlike OXT neurons, AVP+ cell density in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus increases with age in males. Social isolation also modulated gene expression in the medial amygdala (MeA), including the upregulation of OXT receptors in males and the downregulation of AVP1a receptors in both sexes. Socially isolated mice showed an enhanced defensive, anogenital approach toward a novel adult female during direct social interactions. Subsequent c-Fos mapping revealed diminished neural activity in restricted brain areas, including the MeA, lateral septum, and posterior intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus, in socially isolated mice. These data indicate that neural signals arising from daily social interactions invoke region-specific modification of neuropeptide expression that coordinates with altered defensiveness and neural responsivities, including OXT- and AVP-projecting regions. The present findings indicate an involvement of OXT and AVP circuits in adolescent neural and behavioral plasticity that is tuned by daily social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Arakawa
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, MI, USA.
| | - Mana Tokashiki
- Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yuki Higuchi
- Department of Systems Physiology, University of the Ryukyus Graduate School of Medicine, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Konno
- Department of Subtropical Agro-Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan; The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
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Sartorius AM, Rokicki J, Birkeland S, Bettella F, Barth C, de Lange AMG, Haram M, Shadrin A, Winterton A, Steen NE, Schwarz E, Stein DJ, Andreassen OA, van der Meer D, Westlye LT, Theofanopoulou C, Quintana DS. An evolutionary timeline of the oxytocin signaling pathway. Commun Biol 2024; 7:471. [PMID: 38632466 PMCID: PMC11024182 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06094-9] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide associated with both psychological and somatic processes like parturition and social bonding. Although oxytocin homologs have been identified in many species, the evolutionary timeline of the entire oxytocin signaling gene pathway has yet to be described. Using protein sequence similarity searches, microsynteny, and phylostratigraphy, we assigned the genes supporting the oxytocin pathway to different phylostrata based on when we found they likely arose in evolution. We show that the majority (64%) of genes in the pathway are 'modern'. Most of the modern genes evolved around the emergence of vertebrates or jawed vertebrates (540 - 530 million years ago, 'mya'), including OXTR, OXT and CD38. Of those, 45% were under positive selection at some point during vertebrate evolution. We also found that 18% of the genes in the oxytocin pathway are 'ancient', meaning their emergence dates back to cellular organisms and opisthokonta (3500-1100 mya). The remaining genes (18%) that evolved after ancient and before modern genes were classified as 'medium-aged'. Functional analyses revealed that, in humans, medium-aged oxytocin pathway genes are highly expressed in contractile organs, while modern genes in the oxytocin pathway are primarily expressed in the brain and muscle tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina M Sartorius
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jaroslav Rokicki
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Birkeland
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesco Bettella
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Medical Genetics, Division of Laboratory Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marit Haram
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexey Shadrin
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Adriano Winterton
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nils Eiel Steen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Hector Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Daniel S Quintana
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine and Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
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Goh KK, Kanahara N, Chiu YH, Lu ML. The impact of childhood trauma exposure on social functioning in schizophrenia: the moderated mediation role of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms. Psychol Med 2024; 54:980-992. [PMID: 37721215 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172300274x] [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] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood trauma has been linked to increased risk of schizophrenia and social dysfunction, and oxytocin and its receptor gene have been implicated in regulating social behavior. This study investigated the potential role of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in mediating the effects of childhood trauma on social functioning in schizophrenia. METHODS The study consisted of 382 patients with schizophrenia and 178 healthy controls who were assessed using the Taiwanese version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Social Functioning Scale (SFS), and plasma oxytocin levels. DNA was extracted to genotype the OXTR and ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs2254298, rs237885, rs237887, rs237899, rs53576, rs9840864, rs13316193, rs7632287, rs1042778, and rs237895) were selected. RESULTS Patients with schizophrenia showed higher CTQ-SF scores (t = 12.549, p < 0.001), lower SFS scores (t = -46.951, p < 0.001), and lower plasma oxytocin levels (t = -5.448, p < 0.001) compared to healthy controls. The study also found significant differences in OXTR SNPs between both groups, with risk alleles being more prevalent in patients with schizophrenia (t = 2.734, p = 0.006). Results indicated a significant moderated mediation effect, with oxytocin and the OXTR SNPs partially mediating the relationship between childhood trauma exposure and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia (index of mediation = 0.038, 95% CI [0.033-0.044]). CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that oxytocin and its receptor gene may be promising targets for interventions aimed at improving social functioning in patients with a history of childhood trauma and schizophrenia. However, further research is needed to fully understand these effects and the potential of oxytocin-based interventions in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kah Kheng Goh
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- The Innovative and Translational Research Center of Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nobuhisa Kanahara
- Division of Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yi-Hang Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mong-Liang Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Camerini L, Zurchimitten G, Bock B, Xavier J, Bastos CR, Martins E, Ardais AP, Dos Santos Motta JV, Pires AJ, de Matos MB, de Ávila Quevedo L, Pinheiro RT, Ghisleni G. Genetic Variations in Elements of the Oxytocinergic Pathway are Associated with Attention/Hyperactivity Problems and Anxiety Problems in Childhood. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:552-563. [PMID: 36087156 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01419-3] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Genetic alterations related to oxytocin system seem to influence the neurobiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety problems leading to greater functional, social and emotional impairment. Here, we analyzed the association of OXTR rs2254298 and CD38 rs6449182 variants with attention/hyperactivity problems and anxiety problems in children. The study enrolled 292 children and adjusted regression model revealed OXTR rs2254298 AA genotype as a risk factor for attention deficit/hyperactivity problems (PR: 2.37; PadjFDR = 0.006), attention problems (PR: 2.71; PadjFDR = 0.003) and anxiety problems (PR: 1.92; PadjFDR = 0.018). CD38 rs6449182 G allele showed as a risk factor for attention deficit/hyperactivity problems (PR: 1.56; PadjFDR = 0.028). Moreover, in silico approach for regulatory roles found markers that influence chromatin accessibility and transcription capacity. Together, these data provide genetic information of oxytocin in developmental and behavioral disorders opening a range of opportunities for future studies that clarify their neurobiology in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laísa Camerini
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Zurchimitten
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Bertha Bock
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Janaína Xavier
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Clarissa Ribeiro Bastos
- Department of Neurosciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Evânia Martins
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Ardais
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Andressa Jacondino Pires
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Mariana Bonati de Matos
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Luciana de Ávila Quevedo
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Tavares Pinheiro
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Gabriele Ghisleni
- Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
- Post-Graduation Program of Health and Behavior, Laboratory of Clinical Neuroscience, Catholic University of Pelotas - UCPel, Center of Health Science, Rua Gonçalves Chaves 373, sala 324, CEP 96010-280, Pelotas, RS, Brasil.
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7
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Zheng X, Zhou F, Fu M, Xu L, Wang J, Li J, Li K, Sindermann C, Montag C, Becker B, Zhan Y, Kendrick KM. Patterns of neural activity in response to threatening faces are predictive of autistic traits: modulatory effects of oxytocin receptor genotype. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:168. [PMID: 38553454 PMCID: PMC10980722 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02889-w] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Autistic individuals generally demonstrate impaired emotion recognition but it is unclear whether effects are emotion-specific or influenced by oxytocin receptor (OXTR) genotype. Here we implemented a dimensional approach using an implicit emotion recognition task together with functional MRI in a large cohort of neurotypical adult participants (N = 255, male = 131, aged 17-29 years) to establish associations between autistic traits and neural and behavioral responses to specific face emotions, together with modulatory effects of OXTR genotype. A searchlight-based multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) revealed an extensive network of frontal, basal ganglia, cingulate and limbic regions exhibiting significant predictability for autistic traits from patterns of responses to angry relative to neutral expression faces. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a genotype interaction (OXTR SNPs rs2254298, rs2268491) for coupling between the orbitofrontal cortex and mid-cingulate during angry expression processing, with a negative association between coupling and autistic traits in the risk-allele group and a positive one in the non-risk allele group. Overall, results indicate extensive emotion-specific associations primarily between patterns of neural responses to angry faces and autistic traits in regions processing motivation, reward and salience but not in early visual processing. Functional connections between these identified regions were not only associated with autistic traits but also influenced by OXTR genotype. Thus, altered patterns of neural responses to threatening faces may be a potential biomarker for autistic symptoms although modulatory influences of OXTR genotype need to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiao Zheng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meina Fu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiayuan Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jialin Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- University of Stuttgart, Computational Digital Psychology, Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hongkong, Hongkong, China
| | - Yang Zhan
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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8
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Joel D, Smith CJ, Veenema AH. Beyond the binary: Characterizing the relationships between sex and neuropeptide receptor binding density measures in the rat brain. Horm Behav 2024; 159:105471. [PMID: 38128247 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105471] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences exist in numerous parameters of the brain. Yet, sex-related factors are part of a large set of variables that interact to affect many aspects of brain structure and function. This raises questions regarding how to interpret findings of sex differences at the level of single brain measures and the brain as a whole. In the present study, we reanalyzed two datasets consisting of measures of oxytocin, vasopressin V1a, and mu opioid receptor binding densities in multiple brain regions in rats. At the level of single brain measures, we found that sex differences were rarely dimorphic and were largely persistent across estrous stage and parental status but not across age or context. At the level of aggregates of brain measures showing sex differences, we tested whether individual brains are 'mosaics' of female-typical and male-typical measures or are internally consistent, having either only female-typical or only male-typical measures. We found mosaicism for measures showing overlap between females and males. Mosaicism was higher a) with a larger number of measures, b) with smaller effect sizes of the sex difference in these measures, and c) in rats with more diverse life experiences. Together, these results highlight the limitations of the binary framework for interpreting sex effects on the brain and suggest two complementary pathways to studying the contribution of sex to brain function: (1) focusing on measures showing dimorphic and persistent sex differences and (2) exploring the relations between specific brain mosaics and specific endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphna Joel
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
| | - Caroline J Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Neurobiology of Social Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
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Kageyama T, Seo J, Yan L, Fukuda J. Cinnamic acid promotes elongation of hair peg-like sprouting in hair follicle organoids via oxytocin receptor activation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4709. [PMID: 38409197 PMCID: PMC10897452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55377-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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Considerable global demand exists for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of alopecia. A recent report demonstrated that oxytocin promotes hair growth activity in human dermal papilla (DP) cells; however, its application in drugs or cosmetic products is challenging because rapid degradation and relatively large molecular weight prevent long-term topical administration on the scalp. Here, we examined cinnamic acid, a small molecule activator for oxytocin receptor (OXTR) expression. Treatment with cinnamic acid led to upregulation of OXTR and trichogenic gene expression in human DP cells. Furthermore, inhibition of OXTR with an antagonist, L-371,257, suppressed hair growth-related gene expression in DP cells. These findings suggest that cinnamic acid enhances the hair growth ability of DP cells via oxytocin signaling. Additionally, we tested the hair growth-promoting effects of cinnamic acid using hair follicle organoids in vitro and observed that cinnamic acid significantly promoted the growth of hair peg-like sprouting. These promising results may be useful for developing hair growth-promoting products targeting oxytocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuto Kageyama
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 3-2-1 Sakado Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 213-0012, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
- Institute of Advanced Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
| | - Jieun Seo
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
- Institute of Advanced Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
| | - Lei Yan
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 3-2-1 Sakado Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 213-0012, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
- Institute of Advanced Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan
| | - Junji Fukuda
- Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 3-2-1 Sakado Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 213-0012, Japan.
- Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan.
- Institute of Advanced Sciences, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 240-8501, Japan.
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Diaz-Marsá M, López-Villatoro JM, De la Torre-Luque A, MacDowell KS, Galvez-Merlin A, Gómez Del Barrio A, Ruiz-Guerrero F, Beato-Fernández L, Polo-Montes F, León-Velasco M, Martín-Hernández D, Carrasco-Diaz A, Leza JC, Carrasco JL. Decreased oxytocin plasma levels and oxytocin receptor expression associated with aggressive behavior in aggressive-impulsive disorders. J Psychiatr Res 2024; 170:200-206. [PMID: 38157667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.12.032] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aims to enhance the understanding of the association between the phenotypic and endophenotypic characteristics of impulsive-aggressive disorders, through the study of plasma oxytocin (OXT) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) levels in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and patients with eating disorders (ED), as well as to examine the relationship of OXT system with aggressive behavior in these disorders. METHODS 68 patients with BPD, 67 patients with ED and 57 healthy control subjects were examined for plasma oxytocin levels and protein expression of OXTR in blood mononuclear cells. Aggressive behavior was assessed using the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2). Other self and hetero-aggressive behaviors were also evaluated through interviews. RESULTS BPD and ED patients exhibited significantly lower plasma oxytocin levels than control subjects. Furthermore, BPD patients demonstrated significantly reduced expression of OXTR compared to controls. Plasma oxytocin levels negatively correlated with verbal aggression, while OXTR expression was inversely associated with the STAXI trait subscale. CONCLUSIONS The findings validate the existence of oxytocin system dysfunction in impulsive-aggressive disorders. They also support the link between low OXT levels in plasma and OXTR expression and the impulsive-aggressive behavior that characterizes these patients in both state and trait situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Diaz-Marsá
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - J M López-Villatoro
- Institute of Health Research, Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain.
| | - A De la Torre-Luque
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - K S MacDowell
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - A Galvez-Merlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
| | - A Gómez Del Barrio
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - F Ruiz-Guerrero
- Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Eating Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Santander, Spain; Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | | | | | | | - D Martín-Hernández
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | | | - J C Leza
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Institute of Health Research Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), University Institute of Research in Neurochemistry UCM, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - J L Carrasco
- Biomedical Research Networking Consortium for Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, UCM, Spain
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11
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Procyshyn TL, Leclerc Bédard LA, Crespi BJ, Bartz JA. CD38 genetic variation is associated with increased personal distress to an emotional stimulus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2571. [PMID: 38297097 PMCID: PMC10831108 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53081-5] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic variation in CD38-a putative oxytocin pathway gene-has been linked to higher oxytocin levels, empathy, and sensitive parenting, but also to more negative interpersonal outcomes (e.g., alienation from friends and family, poorer romantic relationship quality). To reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings, we drew upon the idea that CD38 variation may heighten social-emotional sensitivity and, consequently, make individuals prone to negative emotions in distressing interpersonal situations. To test this hypothesis, we performed a secondary analysis of a dataset including participants' (n = 171; 94 females) empathic concern ("sympathetic") and distress-related ("anxious") responses to an emotional video. Distress responses were higher for the CD38 rs3796863 AA/AC group vs. the CC group (p = 0.03, η2 = 0.027); however, there was no significant effect of genotype for empathic concern responses to the video or for indices of trait empathy. These findings provide preliminary evidence that, in the face of an interpersonal stressor, CD38 genetic variation may predict more self-focused, aversive emotional reactions. More broadly, this finding highlights the need to adopt a more nuanced perspective in which the influence of oxytocin system variation (assessed by oxytocin-related genetic variation) should be considered in light of the social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya L Procyshyn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Laury-Ann Leclerc Bédard
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Bernard J Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Bartz
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montreal, H3A 1G1, Canada
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12
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Ghamari R, Tahmaseb M, Sarabi-Jamab A, Etesami SA, Mohammadzadeh A, Alizadeh F, Tehrani-Doost M. Association of verbal and non-verbal theory of mind abilities with non-coding variants of OXTR in youth with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing individuals: a case-control study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:30. [PMID: 38191308 PMCID: PMC10773038 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05461-w] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to attribute mental states to others is called theory of mind (ToM) and is a substantial component of social cognition. This ability is abnormally developed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several studies over the past decade have identified the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and its variants as promising components for explaining the molecular mechanisms underlying Theory of Mind (ToM). The main aim of this study is to examine the association between rs2268498 and rs53576, two functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and verbal and non-verbal ToM in children and adolescents with ASD and a group of typically developing youth. METHODS The study involved 44 children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD aged 8 to 18 years old and 44 TD individuals who were matched on age and sex. In all participants, blood samples were collected and rs2268498 and rs53576 were genotyped. Happe's Strange Stories test and the moving shapes paradigm were used to measure verbal and non-verbal ToM in all participants. RESULTS The results of permutation tests and logistic regression suggested that in TD group, rs2268498 AA carriers showed significant higher scores in variables representing verbal ToM (ToM stories and appropriateness score) whereas, in ASD group, rs53576 AA carriers exhibited significant better performance in parameters related to non-verbal ToM (ToM general rule and intentionality score). The results of hierarchical clustering in both groups support the findings by distinguishing between language-related and language-independent aspects of ToM. CONCLUSIONS In the present study, we examined the association between rs2268498 and rs53576 and social functioning in individuals with ASD and TD group. We found preliminary evidence that rs2268498 and rs53576 are associated with ToM related abilities in healthy individuals as well as in autistic individuals. Accordingly, rs2268498 and rs53576 may play an important role in predicting ToM capabilities. It will be necessary to conduct further research to address the association of genetic variants with a deficit in ToM in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana Ghamari
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Tahmaseb
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atiye Sarabi-Jamab
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Azar Mohammadzadeh
- Research Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Roozbeh Psychiatry Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Alizadeh
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), School of Medicine, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Tehrani-Doost
- Research Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences, Roozbeh Psychiatry Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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13
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Proskynitopoulos PJ, Bleich S, Muschler MAN, Buchholz V, Frieling H, Glahn A, Rhein M. Methylation of the Oxytocin, Oxytocin Receptor, and Vasopressin Gene Promoters in Tobacco Use Disorder during Cessation. Neuropsychobiology 2024; 83:28-40. [PMID: 38185116 PMCID: PMC10871687 DOI: 10.1159/000535663] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) exert sex-specific effects on social pair bonding and stress reactions while also influencing craving in substance use disorders. In this regard, intranasal oxytocin (OT) and AVP antagonists present potential treatments for tobacco use disorder (TUD). Since transcription of both hormones is also regulated by gene methylation, we hypothesized sex-specific changes in methylation levels of the AVP, OT, and OT receptor (OXTR) gene during nicotine withdrawal. METHODS The study population consisted of 49 smokers (29 males, 20 females) and 51 healthy non-smokers (25 males, 26 females). Blood was drawn at day 1, day 7, and day 14 of smoking cessation. Craving was assessed with the questionnaire on smoking urges (QSU). RESULTS Throughout cessation, mean methylation of the OT promoter gene increased in males and decreased in females. OXTR receptor methylation decreased in females, while in males it was significantly lower at day 7. Regarding the AVP promoter, mean methylation increased in males while there were no changes in females. Using mixed linear modeling, CpG position, time point, sex, and the interaction of time point and sex as well as time point, sex, and QSU had a significant fixed effect on OT and AVP gene methylation. The interaction effect suggests that sex, time point, and QSU are interrelated, meaning that, depending on the sex, methylation could be different at different time points and vice versa. There was no significant effect of QSU on mean OXTR methylation. DISCUSSION We identified differences at specific CpGs between controls and smokers in OT and AVP and in overall methylation of the AVP gene. Furthermore, we found sex-specific changes in mean methylation levels of the mentioned genes throughout smoking cessation, underlining the relevance of sex in the OT and vasopressin system. This is the first study on epigenetic regulation of the OT promoter in TUD. Our results have implications for research on the utility of the AVP and OT system for treating substance craving. Future studies on both targets need to analyze their effect in the context of sex, social factors, and gene regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Bleich
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Vanessa Buchholz
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Mathias Rhein
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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14
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Moerkerke M, Daniels N, Tibermont L, Tang T, Evenepoel M, Van der Donck S, Debbaut E, Prinsen J, Chubar V, Claes S, Vanaudenaerde B, Willems L, Steyaert J, Boets B, Alaerts K. Chronic oxytocin administration stimulates the oxytocinergic system in children with autism. Nat Commun 2024; 15:58. [PMID: 38167302 PMCID: PMC10762037 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44334-4] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Clinical efficacy of intranasal administration of oxytocin is increasingly explored in autism spectrum disorder, but to date, the biological effects of chronic administration regimes on endogenous oxytocinergic function are largely unknown. Here exploratory biological assessments from a completed randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed that children with autism (n = 79, 16 females) receiving intranasal oxytocin for four weeks (12 IU, twice daily) displayed significantly higher salivary oxytocin levels 24 hours after the last oxytocin nasal spray administration, but no longer at a four-week follow up session. Regarding salivary oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) epigenetics (DNA-methylation), oxytocin-induced reductions in OXTR DNA-methylation were observed, suggesting a facilitation of oxytocin receptor expression in the oxytocin compared to the placebo group. Notably, heightened oxytocin levels post-treatment were significantly associated with reduced OXTR DNA-methylation and improved feelings of secure attachment. These findings indicate that four weeks of chronic oxytocin administration stimulated the endogenous oxytocinergic system in children with autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthijs Moerkerke
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicky Daniels
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laura Tibermont
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tiffany Tang
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Margaux Evenepoel
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephanie Van der Donck
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Edward Debbaut
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jellina Prinsen
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Stephan Claes
- University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Vanaudenaerde
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Chronic Illness and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lynn Willems
- Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Department of Chronic Illness and Metabolism, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Wieting J, Jahn K, Bleich S, Frieling H, Deest M. A targeted long-read sequencing approach questions the association of OXTR methylation with high-functioning autism. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:195. [PMID: 38124130 PMCID: PMC10734107 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01616-4] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA sequence variation and altered epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) have been implicated in autism and autistic-like behaviors. While previous studies have examined subsegments of OXTR, nanopore Cas9-targeted sequencing (nCATS) allows deep characterization of entire genes with simultaneous assessment of epigenetic 5-methylcytosine (5mC) modification and without the need for prior DNA amplification or bisulfite conversion. This pilot study uses an nCATS approach to sequence the entire OXTR gene and its regulatory construct and screen for 5mC modification to compare results between individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA) and neurotypical controls (NC). METHODS Using DNA extracted from peripheral blood, OXTR (Hg38, chr3: 8750381-8770434, 20,054 base pairs) was analyzed by nCATS. 5mC modification probabilities were calculated and visualized across the gene and differential methylation analysis was performed. RESULTS Twenty adults with HFA (10 males, 10 females) and 20 age- and sex-matched NC (± 5 years) were included. There were no apparent group differences in the entire OXTR gene sequence, except for the intron variant rs918316, which was clustered in the HFA group. However, differential methylation analysis did not reveal a single significant group-dependent differentially methylated site among the 412 CpG sites captured. LIMITATIONS Limitations of this study include the small number of samples due to the pilot nature of the study, which particularly limits the relevance of the sequence variants found. It should also be noted that the use of peripheral blood material limits the ability to draw conclusions about central processes. CONCLUSIONS Previous findings of autism-associated OXTR epigenetic alterations were not reproducible with our method. In our opinion, this may lead to a reconsideration of the relevance of altered methylation at individual OXTR CpG positions in autism research. However, given the pilot nature of the study, these results need to be replicated in independent cohorts and with larger sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelte Wieting
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 35, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | - Kirsten Jahn
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 35, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Bleich
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 35, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Helge Frieling
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 35, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maximilian Deest
- Hannover Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 35, 30625, Hannover, Germany
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16
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El Heni H, Kemenesi-Gedei PB, Pálvölgyi L, Kozma-Szeredi ID, Kis G. Peripheral Branch Injury Induces Oxytocin Receptor Expression at the Central Axon Terminals of Primary Sensory Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:7. [PMID: 38203176 PMCID: PMC10779307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010007] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Considerable evidence suggests that oxytocin, as a regulatory nonapeptide, participates in modulatory mechanisms of nociception. Nonetheless, the role of this hypothalamic hormone and its receptor in the sensory pathway has yet to be fully explored. The present study performed immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and RT-qPCR analysis to assess changes in the expression of the neuronal oxytocin receptor in female rats following tight ligation of the sciatic nerve after 1, 3, and 7 days of survival. Oxytocin receptor immunoreactivity was present in both dorsal root ganglia and lumbar spinal cord segments, but not accumulated at the site of the ligation of the peripheral nerve branch. We found a time-dependent change in the expression of oxytocin receptor mRNA in L5 dorsal root ganglion neurons, as well as an increase in the level of the receptor protein in the lumbar segment of the spinal cord. A peak in the expression was observed on day 3, which downturned slightly by day 7 after the nerve ligation. These results show that OTR expression is up-regulated in response to peripheral nerve lesions. We assume that the importance of OTR is to modify spinal presynaptic inputs of the sensory neurons upon injury-induced activation, thus to be targets of the descending oxytocinergic neurons from supraspinal levels. The findings of this study support the concept that oxytocin plays a role in somatosensory transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heni El Heni
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Bátor Kemenesi-Gedei
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Laura Pálvölgyi
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ivett Dorina Kozma-Szeredi
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyi Kis
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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17
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Penrod RD, Taniguchi M, Kearns AM, Hopkins JL, Reichel CM. Differential Roles of Oxytocin Receptors in the Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens on Cocaine Self-Administration and Reinstatement of Cued Cocaine Seeking in Male Rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:817-827. [PMID: 37875346 PMCID: PMC10726405 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad059] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the specific roles of cortical and accumbal oxytocin receptors in drug use disorders. To better understand the importance of the endogenous oxytocin system in cocaine relapse behavior, we developed an adeno-associated viral vector-expressing short hairpin (sh) RNAs to selectively degrade the rat oxytocin receptor (OxyR) mRNA in vivo. METHODS Male (Sprague-Dawley) rats received bilateral infusions of the shRNA for the oxytocin receptor (shOxyR) or an shRNA control virus into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) or the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). Rats self-administered cocaine on an escalating FR ratio for 14 days, lever responding was extinguished, and rats were tested for cued and cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug seeking. RESULTS OxyR knockdown in the PFC delayed the acquisition of lever pressing on an fixed ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement. All rats eventually acquired the same level of lever pressing and discrimination, and there were no differences in extinction. OxyR knockdown in the NAc had no effect during acquisition. In both the PFC and NAc, the shOxyR decreased cued reinstatement relative to shRNA control virus but was without effect during drug-primed reinstatement. OxyR knockdown in the PFC increased chamber activity during a social interaction task. CONCLUSIONS This study provides critical new information about how endogenous OxyRs function to affect drug seeking in response to different precipitators of relapse. The tool developed to knockdown OxyRs in rat could provide important new insights that aid development of oxytocin-based therapeutics to reduce return-to-use episodes in people with substance use disorder and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D Penrod
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Angela M Kearns
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Jordan L Hopkins
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Carmela M Reichel
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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18
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Annunzi E, Cannito L, Bellia F, Mercante F, Vismara M, Benatti B, Di Domenico A, Palumbo R, Adriani W, Dell'Osso B, D'Addario C. Mild internet use is associated with epigenetic alterations of key neurotransmission genes in salivary DNA of young university students. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22192. [PMID: 38092954 PMCID: PMC10719329 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49492-5] [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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The potentially problematic use of the Internet is a growing concern worldwide, which causes and consequences are not completely understood yet. The neurobiology of Internet addiction (IA) has attracted much attention in scientific research, which is now focusing on identifying measurable biological markers. Aim of this study was to investigate epigenetic and genetic regulation of oxytocin receptor (OXTR), dopamine transporter (DAT1) and serotonin transporter (SERT) genes using DNA obtained from saliva samples of young university students: the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) was administered to evaluate the potential existence and intensity of IA. Significant changes in DNA methylation levels at OXTR, DAT1 and SERT genes were observed in the 30 < IAT < 49 group (mild-risk internet users) compared to the IAT < 29 subjects (complete control of internet use) and IAT > 50 subjects (considered as moderately addicted). Moreover, epigenetic markers were significantly correlated, either directly (for OXTR and DAT1) or inversely (OXTR and DAT1 versus SERT), to the psychometric properties. Our data confirmed the association of OXTR, DAT1 and SERT genes in processes related to behavioural addictions and might be of relevance to suggest possible biological predictors of altered behaviours and the eventual vulnerability to develop an IA. Different other genetic pathways have been suggested to play a role in IA and research is ongoing to better define them, in order to help in the early diagnosis as well as in the development of new potential treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Annunzi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Loreta Cannito
- Department of Humanities, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Fabio Bellia
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100, Teramo, Italy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Francesca Mercante
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100, Teramo, Italy
| | - Matteo Vismara
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20019, Milan, Italy
| | - Beatrice Benatti
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20019, Milan, Italy
- "Aldo Ravelli" Center for Nanotechnology and Neurostimulation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Di Domenico
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Riccardo Palumbo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Chieti, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, 20019, Milan, Italy
- "Aldo Ravelli" Center for Nanotechnology and Neurostimulation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudio D'Addario
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100, Teramo, Italy.
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, 10316, Stockholm, Sweden.
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19
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Bakoev SY, Korobeinikova AV, Mishina AI, Kabieva SS, Mitrofanov SI, Ivashechkin AA, Akinshina AI, Snigir EA, Yudin SM, Yudin VS, Getmantseva LV, Anderzhanova EA. Genomic Signatures of Positive Selection in Human Populations of the OXT, OXTR, AVP, AVPR1A and AVR1B Gene Variants Related to the Regulation of Psychoemotional Response. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2053. [PMID: 38002996 PMCID: PMC10670988 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112053] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological systems of maintenance and control of behavioral responses result from natural selection. We have analyzed the selection signatures for single nucleotide variants (SNV) of the genes of oxytocin (OXT, OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP, AVPR1A, AVPR1B) systems, which are associated with the regulation of social and emotional behavior in distinct populations. The analysis was performed using original WGS (whole genome sequencing) data on Eastern Slavs (SlEast), as well as publicly available data from the 1000 Genomes Project on GBR, FIN, IBR, PUR, BEB, CHB, and ACB populations (the latter were taken as reference). To identify selection signatures, we rated the integrated haplotype scores (iHS), the numbers of segregating sites by length (nSl), and the integrated haplotype homozygosity pooled (iHH12) measures; the fixation index Fst was implemented to assess genetic differentiation between populations. We revealed that the strongest genetic differentiation of populations was found with respect to the AVPR1B gene, with the greatest differentiation observed in GRB (Fst = 0.316) and CHB (Fst = 0.325) in comparison to ACB. Also, high Fst values were found for SNVs of the AVPR1B gene rs28499431, rs33940624, rs28477649, rs3883899, and rs28452187 in most of the populations. Selection signatures have also been identified in the AVP, AVPR1A, OXT, and OXTR genes. Our analysis shows that the OXT, OXTR, AVP, AVPR1A, and AVPR1B genes were subject to positive selection in a population-specific process, which was likely contributing to the diversity of adaptive emotional response types and social function realizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siroj Yu. Bakoev
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Centre for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Bld. 1, 119121 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (A.I.M.); (S.S.K.); (S.I.M.); (A.A.I.); (A.I.A.); (E.A.S.); (S.M.Y.); (V.S.Y.); (L.V.G.); (E.A.A.)
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20
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Delikishkina E, Cohen-Zimerman S, Kachian ZR, Krueger F, Gordon B, Grafman J. Understanding altruistic behavior: The joint role of prefrontal damage and OXTR genotype. Neuropsychologia 2023; 190:108686. [PMID: 37741549 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108686] [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: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Altruism is a type of prosocial behavior that is carried out in the absence of personal benefit or even at an expense to self. Trait altruism varies greatly across individuals, and the reasons for this variability are still not fully understood. Growing evidence suggests that altruism may be partly determined by the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, which regulates the emotions underlying altruistic attitudes, such as empathy and trust. Neuroimaging and lesion studies have also implied several higher-order brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, in altruistic behaviors. Yet the existing reports are contradictory and suggest that the top-down control exercised by the prefrontal cortex may promote both altruistic and self-interested behaviors and, thus, could obscure one's natural proclivity towards altruism encoded by OXTR. Here, we hypothesized that extensive prefrontal damage would result in an increased influence of the OXTR genotype on one's altruistic attitudes and actions. To test this hypothesis, we recruited 115 male combat veterans with penetrating traumatic brain injury to the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions, as well as 35 demographically matched control subjects without brain injury. Participants completed a self-report altruism questionnaire and were genotyped for four OXTR single nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in prosocial behavior, including rs53576, rs1042778, rs2254298 and rs7632287. Consistent with the previous studies, we found that individuals homozygotic for the G allele of rs53576 and rs7632287 were significantly more altruistic than carriers of at least one "vulnerable" A allele. Remarkably, in patients with prefrontal cortex damage, greater lesion extent was associated with significantly lower altruism scores in carriers of the A allele of rs7632287, but not in G-homozygotes, suggesting that significant disruption of the prefrontal cortex increased the influence of genetic polymorphisms on prosocial behavior. This study presents the first account of an interaction effect between the OXTR genotype and the location and extent of brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Delikishkina
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
| | - Shira Cohen-Zimerman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Zachary R Kachian
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, 68161, Germany
| | - Barry Gordon
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA; Department of Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Brain Injury Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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21
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Cerrito P, Spear JK. Lack of evidence for coevolution between oxytocin receptor N-terminal variants and monogamy in placental mammals. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105437. [PMID: 37806189 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105437] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) is a neurohypophyseal hormone that influences a wide range of affiliative behaviors, such as pair-bonding and infant care, across mammals. The effects of OXT depend significantly on an adequate interaction with its receptor, OXTR. OXTR belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor family. The extracellular N-terminal domain of OXTR interacts with the linear C-terminal tail of OXT and is required for OXT binding. Across mammalian species there is a genetic diversity in OXTR terminal sequence. Previous work on primates has shown an association between OXTR phylogeny and monogamy. However, it is not clear whether this variation coevolved with either mating system (monogamy) or infant care behaviors (such as allomaternal care). Here, we take a phylogenetic comparative and evolutionary modeling approach across a wide range of placental mammals (n = 60) to test whether OXTR N-terminal variants co-evolved with either monogamy or allomaternal care behaviors. Our results indicate that the diversity in OXTR N-terminal region is unlikely to provide the underlying genetic bases for variation in mating system and/or allomaternal behavior as we find no evidence for co-evolution between protein sequence and affiliative behaviors. Hence, the role played by OXT in influencing affiliative behaviors is unlikely to be mediated by the genetic diversity of its receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA; Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
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22
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Abid F, Ahmed S, Noushad S, Farhat S, Fatima SS. Relationship Between Genetic Variant Of OXTR (Rs53576) And MTNR1B (Rs1387153) And Symptoms Of Psychological Stress In Females With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. J PAK MED ASSOC 2023; 73:2209-2213. [PMID: 38013530 DOI: 10.47391/jpma.10096] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Objective To assess the association of oxytocin receptor (rs53576) and melatonin hormone receptor 1B (rs1387153) gene single nucleotide polymorphisms with psychological symptoms in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. METHODS The case-control study was conducted from May 1 to June 1, 2022, at the Department of Physiology, University of Karachi, in collaboration with the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. Fifty gestational diabetic pregnant women and ninety healthy pregnant women were recruited. Sanger sequencing was performed to assess the genotypic frequency and polymorphic variation of all subjects. Perceived stress scale and diabetes-related distress scale were used to assess the stress levels. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. RESULTS Of the 140 subjects, 90 (64.3%) were controls with mean age 24.96±4.35 years, and 50 (35.7%) were cases with mean age 28.78±5.25 (p<0.05). Mean body weight and mean gestational age were not significantly different between the groups (p>0.05). Melatonin hormone receptor 1B rs1387153 frequency was significantly different between the groups (p<0.05). Among the cases, a significant mean difference for regimen distress scores between AA and GG was observed for oxytocin receptor rs53576 (p=0.04). A significant mean difference in sum of PSS, diabetes-related stress, total diabetes- related stress and emotional distress was noted between CC and TT genotypes for melatonin hormone receptor 1B rs1387153 (p=0.001). Conclusion MTNR1B rs1387153 genotypes were associated with perceived stress, diabetes-related stress, diabetic distress, and emotional burden, while OXTR rs53576 genotypes were associated with regimen distress in GDM women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Abid
- Department of Physiology, Sindh Medical College, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sadaf Ahmed
- Department of Physiology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Shamoon Noushad
- Advance Educational Institute and Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Sabah Farhat
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Syeda Sadia Fatima
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
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23
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Winter J, Meyer M, Berger I, Royer M, Bianchi M, Kuffner K, Peters S, Stang S, Langgartner D, Hartmann F, Schmidtner AK, Reber SO, Bosch OJ, Bludau A, Slattery DA, van den Burg EH, Jurek B, Neumann ID. Chronic oxytocin-driven alternative splicing of Crfr2α induces anxiety. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4742-4755. [PMID: 34035479 PMCID: PMC10914602 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01141-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [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: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) has generated considerable interest as potential treatment for psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and autism spectrum disorders. However, the behavioral and molecular consequences associated with chronic OXT treatment and chronic receptor (OXTR) activation have scarcely been studied, despite the potential therapeutic long-term use of intranasal OXT. Here, we reveal that chronic OXT treatment over two weeks increased anxiety-like behavior in rats, with higher sensitivity in females, contrasting the well-known anxiolytic effect of acute OXT. The increase in anxiety was transient and waned 5 days after the infusion has ended. The behavioral effects of chronic OXT were paralleled by activation of an intracellular signaling pathway, which ultimately led to alternative splicing of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 2α (Crfr2α), an important modulator of anxiety. In detail, chronic OXT shifted the splicing ratio from the anxiolytic membrane-bound (mCRFR2α) form of CRFR2α towards the soluble CRFR2α (sCRFR2α) form. Experimental induction of alternative splicing mimicked the anxiogenic effects of chronic OXT, while sCRFR2α-knock down reduced anxiety-related behavior of male rats. Furthermore, chronic OXT treatment triggered the release of sCRFR2α into the cerebrospinal fluid with sCRFR2α levels positively correlating with anxiety-like behavior. In summary, we revealed that the shifted splicing ratio towards expression of the anxiogenic sCRFR2α underlies the adverse effects of chronic OXT treatment on anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Winter
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena Meyer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ilona Berger
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Royer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Marta Bianchi
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Kuffner
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Peters
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Simone Stang
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Finn Hartmann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anna K Schmidtner
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Anna Bludau
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Erwin H van den Burg
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Jurek
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Anatomy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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24
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Santos TDO, Cruz-Filho JD, Costa DM, Silva RPD, Anjos-Santos HCD, Santos JRD, Reis LC, Kettelhut ÍDC, Navegantes LC, Camargo EA, Lauton-Santos S, Badauê-Passos D, Mecawi ADS, Lustrino D. Non-canonical Ca 2+- Akt signaling pathway mediates the antiproteolytic effects induced by oxytocin receptor stimulation in skeletal muscle. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 217:115850. [PMID: 37832795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115850] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Although it has been previously demonstrated that oxytocin (OXT) receptor stimulation can control skeletal muscle mass in vivo, the intracellular mechanisms that mediate this effect are still poorly understood. Thus, rat oxidative skeletal muscles were isolated and incubated with OXT or WAY-267,464, a non-peptide selective OXT receptor (OXTR) agonist, in the presence or absence of atosiban (ATB), an OXTR antagonist, and overall proteolysis was evaluated. The results indicated that both OXT and WAY-267,464 suppressed muscle proteolysis, and this effect was blocked by the addition of ATB. Furthermore, the WAY-induced anti-catabolic action on protein metabolism did not involve the coupling between OXTR and Gαi since it was insensitive to pertussis toxin (PTX). The decrease in overall proteolysis induced by WAY was probably due to the inhibition of the autophagic/lysosomal system, as estimated by the decrease in LC3 (an autophagic/lysosomal marker), and was accompanied by an increase in the content of Ca2+-dependent protein kinase (PKC)-phosphorylated substrates, pSer473-Akt, and pSer256-FoxO1. Most of these effects were blocked by the inhibition of inositol triphosphate receptors (IP3R), which mediate Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum to the cytoplasm, and triciribine, an Akt inhibitor. Taken together, these findings indicate that the stimulation of OXTR directly induces skeletal muscle protein-sparing effects through a Gαq/IP3R/Ca2+-dependent pathway and crosstalk with Akt/FoxO1 signaling, which consequently decreases the expression of genes related to atrophy, such as LC3, as well as muscle proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiane de Oliveira Santos
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - João da Cruz-Filho
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Daniely Messias Costa
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Raquel Prado da Silva
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Hevely Catharine Dos Anjos-Santos
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - José Ronaldo Dos Santos
- Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Luís Carlos Reis
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ísis do Carmo Kettelhut
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry & Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Luiz Carlos Navegantes
- Department of Physiology and Biochemistry & Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Enilton Aparecido Camargo
- Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Sandra Lauton-Santos
- Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - Daniel Badauê-Passos
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil
| | - André de Souza Mecawi
- Department of Biophysics, São Paulo Medical School, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Danilo Lustrino
- Laboratory of Basic and Behavioral Neuroendocrinology (LANBAC), Department of Physiology, Center for Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil.
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25
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Souza MS, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Zaparte A, Baptista T, Nagai MA, Mangone FR, Pavanelli AC, Viola TW, Grassi-Oliveira R. Cocaine use disorder effects on blood oxytocin levels and OXTR DNA methylation. Neurosci Lett 2023; 816:137506. [PMID: 37778686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137506] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorders have been associated with alterations in the oxytocinergic system, but few studies have investigated both the peptide and epigenetic mechanisms potentially implicated in the regulation of oxytocin receptor. In this study, we compared plasma oxytocin and blood DNA methylation in the OXTR gene between people with and without cocaine use disorder (CUD). We measured the oxytocin levels of 51 people with CUD during acute abstinence and of 30 healthy controls using an enzyme immunoassay. The levels of DNA methylation in four CpG sites at exon III of the OXTR gene were evaluated in a subsample using pyrosequencing. The Addiction Severity Index was used to assess clinical characteristics. We found higher oxytocin levels in men with CUD (56.5 pg/mL; 95% CI: 48.2-64.7) than in control men (33.6 pg/mL; 95% CI: 20.7-46.5), while no differences between women with and without CUD were detected. With a moderate effect size, the interaction effect between group and sex remained significant when controlling for height, weight and age data. A positive correlation in the CUD sample was found between oxytocin levels and days of psychological suffering prior to treatment enrollment. No group differences were observed regarding DNA methylation data. This suggests that CUD is associated with higher peripheral oxytocin levels in men during acute abstinence. This finding may be considered in future studies that aim at using exogenous oxytocin as a potential treatment for cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manassés Soares Souza
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Breno Sanvicente-Vieira
- Laboratory of Individual Differences and Psychopathology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Aline Zaparte
- LSU Pulmonary, Critical Care & Immunology, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University of Health Sciences, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Talita Baptista
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Nagai
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology (LIM-24), Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Comprehensive Center for Precision Oncology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávia Rotea Mangone
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology (LIM-24), Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Comprehensive Center for Precision Oncology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Pavanelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology (LIM-24), Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, Comprehensive Center for Precision Oncology, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thiago Wendt Viola
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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26
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Marzoratti A, Liu ME, Krol KM, Sjobeck GR, Lipscomb DJ, Hofkens TL, Boker SM, Pelphrey KA, Connelly JJ, Evans TM. Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with child-parent neural synchrony during competition. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101302. [PMID: 37734257 PMCID: PMC10518595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101302] [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: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) occurs when neural electrical activity temporally aligns between individuals during social interactions. It has been used as a metric for interpersonal closeness, often during naturalistic child-parent interactions. This study evaluated whether other biological correlates of social processing predicted the prevalence of INS during child-parent interactions, and whether their observed cooperativity modulated this association. Child-parent dyads (n = 27) performed a visuospatial tower-building task in cooperative and competitive conditions. Neural activity was recorded using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, and experimenters coded video-recordings post-hoc for behavioral attunement. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) was measured, an epigenetic modification associated with reduced oxytocin activity and socioemotional functioning. Greater INS during competition was associated with lower child OXTRm, while greater behavioral attunement during competition and cooperation was associated with higher parent OXTRm. These differential relationships suggest that interpersonal dynamics as measured by INS may be similarly reflected by other biological markers of social functioning, irrespective of observed behavior. Children's self-perceived communication skill also showed opposite associations with parent and child OXTRm, suggesting complex relationships between children's and their parents' social functioning. Our findings have implications for ongoing developmental research, supporting the utility of biological metrics in characterizing interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analia Marzoratti
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Megan E Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Gus R Sjobeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Daniel J Lipscomb
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tara L Hofkens
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Steven M Boker
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tanya M Evans
- School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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27
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Sharma K, Govar AA, Ghimire B, Nishimori K, Hammock E, Teruyama R. Sexually dimorphic oxytocin receptor-expressing (OXTR) neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) in the postpartum female mouse are involved in maternal behavior. J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13337. [PMID: 37784240 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13337] [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: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Maternal care is crucial for the survival and development of offspring. Oxytocin modulates maternal behavior by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) in various parts of the brain. Previously, we showed that OXTRs are expressed in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of female, but not male mice. Because the AVPV is involved in the regulation of maternal behavior and oxytocin enhances its induction, this finding leads to the hypothesis that the female specific population of OXTR neurons in the AVPV regulates maternal behavior. To address this hypothesis, OXTR-Venus reporter mice were used to assess if expression levels of OXTR in the AVPV are changed during the postpartum period. The total number of OXTR-Venus neurons was significantly greater in postpartum dams compared to virgin females. To assess efferent projections of the AVPV-OXTR neurons, a Cre-dependent fluorescent protein (tdTomato) expressing a viral vector was injected into one side of the AVPV of female OXTR-Cre mice. Fibers expressing tdTomato were found in hypothalamic areas containing oxytocin neurons (the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei) and the midbrain areas (the ventral tegmental area and periaqueductal gray) that are involved in the regulation of maternal motivation. To assess if activity of the AVPV-OXTR neurons is involved in the regulation of maternal behaviors, a chemogenetic approach was employed. Specific inhibition of activity of AVPV-OXTR neurons completely abolished pup retrieval and nest building behaviors. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that AVPV-OXTR neurons in postpartum female mice constitute an important node in the neural circuitry that regulates maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaustubh Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Armita A Govar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Bandana Ghimire
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Obesity and Internal Inflammation, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Elizabeth Hammock
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Ryoichi Teruyama
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
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Wen YX, Fan LY, Yang AY, Zhang YC, Xu C, Wang ZH, Xie WJ, Lu Y, Zhang XY, Zhu JN, Sun A, Li L, Zhang QP. Oxytocinergic neurons, but not oxytocin, are crucial for male penile erection. Neuropharmacology 2023; 235:109576. [PMID: 37164226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109576] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The cumulative evidence suggests that oxytocin is involved in the male sexual behaviors. However, no significant sexual impairments were observed in oxytocin gene knock-out (KO) mice, suggesting that oxytocin is not necessary for sexual behavior in male mice. To better understand the role of oxytocin in male erection, two types of oxytocin gene KO mice were created. In the first type, the oxytocin gene was deleted in the zygote, while in the second type, the oxytocin gene was mutated in adulthood by injecting the CRISPR/Cas9 AAVs. The results showed that disrupting the oxytocin gene at either the embryonic or adult stage did not affect erection, indicating that oxytocin is not necessary for penile erection. Pharmacologically, injecting oxytocin receptor agonist Carbetocin into the VTA of the oxytocin gene KO mice still evoked penile erection. By employing the Oxt-Ires-Cre mice, we found that specifically activating oxytocinergic neurons through chemogenetics strongly induced penile erection, while inhibiting these neurons blocked the erection responses. Furthermore, ablating PVN oxytocinergic neurons abolished the male erection response. In conclusion, although the neuropeptide oxytocin is not essential for male erection, the activity of oxytocinergic neurons is required. Our results might reflect the redundancy in the central nerve system in the sense that many signals contribute to the activation of oxytocinergic neurons to evoke penile erection during sexual behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Xiang Wen
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lin-Yao Fan
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - An-Yong Yang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yan-Chufei Zhang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chang Xu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zi-Hui Wang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wen-Jiong Xie
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yang Lu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiao-Yang Zhang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jing-Ning Zhu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Anyang Sun
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases & Molecular Imaging, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Shanghai, 201318, China.
| | - Liang Li
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Qi-Peng Zhang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology, NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS), NJU Institute of AI Biomedicine and Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Institute for Brain Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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29
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Malone CL, Rieger NS, Spool JA, Payette A, Riters LV, Marler CA. Behavioral convergence in defense behaviors in pair bonded individuals correlates with neuroendocrine receptors in the medial amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2023; 452:114556. [PMID: 37356669 PMCID: PMC10644349 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114556] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Monogamous, pair-bonded animals coordinate intra-pair behavior for spatially separated challenges including territorial defense and nest attendance. Paired California mice, a monogamous, territorial and biparental species, approach intruders together or separately, but often express behavioral convergence across intruder challenges. To gain a more systems-wide perspective of potential mechanisms contributing to behavioral convergence across two conspecific intruder challenges, we conducted an exploratory study correlating behavior and receptor mRNA (Days 10 and 17 post-pairing). We examined associations between convergence variability in pair time for intruder-oriented behaviors with a pair mRNA index for oxytocin (OXTR), androgen (AR), and estrogen alpha (ERα) receptors within the medial amygdala (MeA) and the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), brain regions associated with social behavior. An intruder behavior index revealed a bimodal distribution of intruder-related behaviors in Challenge 1 and a unimodal distribution in Challenge 2, suggesting population behavioral convergence, but no significant correlations with neuroendocrine measures. However, OXTR, AR, and ERα mRNA in the MeA were positively associated with convergence in individual intruder-related behaviors, suggesting multiple mechanisms may influence convergence. Mice could also occupy the nest during intruder challenges and convergence in nest attendance was positively correlated with MeA OXTR. At an individual level, nest attendance was positively associated with MeA ERα. Vocalizations were positively associated with AR and ERα mRNA. No positive associations were found in the AON. Overall, neuroendocrine receptors were implicated in convergence of a monogamous pair's defense behavior, highlighting the potential importance of the MeA as part of a circuit underlying convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice L Malone
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Nathaniel S Rieger
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Washington-Seattle, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jeremy A Spool
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA; University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Alexis Payette
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Lauren V Riters
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Integrative Biology, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Catherine A Marler
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, Madison, WI, USA.
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30
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Howarth ERI, Szott ID, Witham CL, Wilding CS, Bethell EJ. Genetic polymorphisms in the serotonin, dopamine and opioid pathways influence social attention in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288108. [PMID: 37531334 PMCID: PMC10395878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Behaviour has a significant heritable component; however, unpicking the variants of interest in the neural circuits and molecular pathways that underpin these has proven difficult. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between known and new candidate genes from identified pathways and key behaviours for survival in 109 adult rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Eight genes involved in emotion were analysed for variation at a total of nine loci. Genetic data were then correlated with cognitive and observational measures of behaviour associated with wellbeing and survival using MCMC-based Bayesian GLMM in R, to account for relatedness within the macaque population. For four loci the variants genotyped were length polymorphisms (SLC6A4 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter length-polymorphic repeat (5-HTTLPR), SLC6A4 STin polymorphism, Tryptophan 5-hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) and Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)) whilst for the other five (5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A), Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4), Oxytocin receptor (OXTR), Arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1a), Opioid receptor mu(μ) 1 (OPRM1)) SNPs were analysed. STin genotype, DRD4 haplotype and OXTR haplotype were significantly associated with the cognitive and observational measures of behaviour associated with wellbeing and survival. Genotype for 5-HTTLPR, STin and AVPR1a, and haplotype for HTR2A, DRD4 and OXTR were significantly associated with the duration of behaviours including fear and anxiety. Understanding the biological underpinnings of individual variation in negative emotion (e.g., fear and anxiety), together with their impact on social behaviour (e.g., social attention including vigilance for threat) has application for managing primate populations in the wild and captivity, as well as potential translational application for understanding of the genetic basis of emotions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmeline R. I. Howarth
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle D. Szott
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Claire L. Witham
- Centre for Macaques, Harwell Institute, Medical Research Council, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Craig S. Wilding
- Biodiversity and Conservation Group, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J. Bethell
- Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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31
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Müller S, Sicorello M, Moser D, Frach L, Limberg A, Gumpp AM, Ramo-Fernandez L, Köhler-Dauner F, Fegert JM, Waller C, Kumsta R, Kolassa IT. The DNA methylation landscape of the human oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR): data-driven clusters and their relation to gene expression and childhood adversity. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:265. [PMID: 37479681 PMCID: PMC10362059 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02548-6] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) is of interest when investigating the effects of early adversity on DNA methylation. However, there is heterogeneity regarding the selection of the most promising CpG sites to target for analyses. The goal of this study was to determine functionally relevant clusters of CpG sites within the OXTR CpG island in 113 mother-infant dyads, with 58 of the mothers reporting childhood maltreatment (CM). OXTR DNA methylation was analyzed in peripheral/umbilical blood mononuclear cells. Different complexity reduction approaches were used to reduce the 188 CpG sites into clusters of co-methylated sites. Furthermore, associations between OXTR DNA methylation (cluster- and site-specific level) and OXTR gene expression and CM were investigated in mothers. Results showed that, first, CpG sections differed strongly regarding their statistical utility for research of individual differences in DNA methylation. Second, cluster analyses and Partial Least Squares (PLS) suggested two clusters consisting of intron1/exon2 and the protein-coding region of exon3, respectively, as most strongly associated with outcome measures. Third, cross-validated PLS regression explained 7% of variance in CM, with low cross-validated variance explained for the prediction of gene expression. Fourth, substantial mother-child correspondence was observed in correlation patterns within the identified clusters, but only modest correspondence outside these clusters. This study makes an important contribution to the mapping of the DNA methylation landscape of the OXTR CpG island by highlighting clusters of CpG sites that show desirable statistical properties and predictive value. We provide a Companion Web Application to facilitate the choice of CpG sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Müller
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Maurizio Sicorello
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dirk Moser
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Leonard Frach
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, WC1H 0AP, United Kingdom
| | - Alicia Limberg
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany
| | - Anja M Gumpp
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Laura Ramo-Fernandez
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Franziska Köhler-Dauner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Jörg M Fegert
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christiane Waller
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm, 89075, Ulm, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Paracelsus Medical Private University of Nueremberg, 90419, Nueremberg, Germany
| | - Robert Kumsta
- Department of Genetic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr Universität Bochum, 44801, Bochum, Germany.
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, Laboratory for Stress and Gene-Environment Interplay, University of Luxemburg, Porte des Sciences L-4366, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxemburg.
| | - Iris-Tatjana Kolassa
- Department of Clinical & Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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32
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Vogt C, Floegel M, Kasper J, Gispert-Sánchez S, Kell CA. Oxytocinergic modulation of speech production-a double-blind placebo-controlled fMRI study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad035. [PMID: 37384576 PMCID: PMC10348401 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad035] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Many socio-affective behaviors, such as speech, are modulated by oxytocin. While oxytocin modulates speech perception, it is not known whether it also affects speech production. Here, we investigated effects of oxytocin administration and interactions with the functional rs53576 oxytocin receptor (OXTR) polymorphism on produced speech and its underlying brain activity. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 52 healthy male participants read sentences out loud with either neutral or happy intonation, a covert reading condition served as a common baseline. Participants were studied once under the influence of intranasal oxytocin and in another session under placebo. Oxytocin administration increased the second formant of produced vowels. This acoustic feature has previously been associated with speech valence; however, the acoustic differences were not perceptually distinguishable in our experimental setting. When preparing to speak, oxytocin enhanced brain activity in sensorimotor cortices and regions of both dorsal and right ventral speech processing streams, as well as subcortical and cortical limbic and executive control regions. In some of these regions, the rs53576 OXTR polymorphism modulated oxytocin administration-related brain activity. Oxytocin also gated cortical-basal ganglia circuits involved in the generation of happy prosody. Our findings suggest that several neural processes underlying speech production are modulated by oxytocin, including control of not only affective intonation but also sensorimotor aspects during emotionally neutral speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Vogt
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Mareike Floegel
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Johannes Kasper
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Suzana Gispert-Sánchez
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
- Experimental Neurology, Department of Neurology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
| | - Christian A Kell
- Department of Neurology and Brain Imaging Center Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Schleusenweg 2-16, Frankfurt am Main 60528, Germany
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Olazábal DE, Bertoni B, Grandi G, Musetti D, Rey G, Sandberg N, Fernández L, Laporte G, Medici F, Nicolaisen-Sobesky E. Oxytocin system polymorphisms rs237887 and rs2740210 variants increase the risk of depression in pregnant women with early abuse. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22400. [PMID: 37338248 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22400] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Prepartum depression is associated with early adversity, pregnancy complications, preterm delivery, postpartum depression, and long-term effects on child neurodevelopment. The oxytocin (OXT) system is affected by early adverse experiences and has been associated with depression. In the current study, we investigated risk factors for prenatal depressive symptoms, mainly the effects of early childhood and adolescence trauma, in combination with the presence of certain variants of polymorphisms of OXT and OXT receptor (OXTR) genes. We hypothesized that early childhood and adolescence trauma has higher negative effects in carriers of genetic variants of the OXT/OXTR system, increasing their risk for depression. Early in pregnancy (8-14 weeks), 141 pregnant women from a Uruguayan population were asked to provide DNA samples and complete questionnaires that assessed their experience of child abuse, depression symptoms, and other variables that included demographic information. Our results showed that 23.5% of pregnant women had depressive symptoms. Several OXT and OXTR genetic variants were associated with higher risk of prepartum depression only in those pregnant women who suffered emotional abuse during infancy or adolescence. Logistic regression (Nagelkerke's R2 = .33) revealed that women who suffered early abuse and were carriers of the variants CC of rs2740210 (OXT) or AA of rs237887 (OXTR) had significantly higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms. Antecedents of psychiatric disorders also contributed to the risk of depression. We conclude that emotional abuse contributes to the risk of depression in different ways in women carrying different OXT and OXTR genetic variants. Early detection and closer follow-up of women with child abuse and certain OXT genetic variants, among other risk factors, could reduce the long-term impact of prepartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ernesto Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Bernardo Bertoni
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Dora Musetti
- Asociación de Psicopatología y Psiquiatría de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Grazzia Rey
- Hospital de Clínicas Manuel Quintela, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Natalia Sandberg
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucia Fernández
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | | | - Eliana Nicolaisen-Sobesky
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7: Brain and Behaviour), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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Boender AJ, Boon M, Albers HE, Eck SR, Fricker BA, Kelly AM, LeDoux JE, Motta SC, Shrestha P, Taylor JH, Trainor BC, Triana-Del Rio R, Young LJ. An AAV-CRISPR/Cas9 strategy for gene editing across divergent rodent species: Targeting neural oxytocin receptors as a proof of concept. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadf4950. [PMID: 37256960 PMCID: PMC10413677 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A major issue in neuroscience is the poor translatability of research results from preclinical studies in animals to clinical outcomes. Comparative neuroscience can overcome this barrier by studying multiple species to differentiate between species-specific and general mechanisms of neural circuit functioning. Targeted manipulation of neural circuits often depends on genetic dissection, and use of this technique has been restricted to only a few model species, limiting its application in comparative research. However, ongoing advances in genomics make genetic dissection attainable in a growing number of species. To demonstrate the potential of comparative gene editing approaches, we developed a viral-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 strategy that is predicted to target the oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) gene in >80 rodent species. This strategy specifically reduced OXTR levels in all evaluated species (n = 6) without causing gross neuronal toxicity. Thus, we show that CRISPR/Cas9-based tools can function in multiple species simultaneously. Thereby, we hope to encourage comparative gene editing and improve the translatability of neuroscientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen J. Boender
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Marina Boon
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - H. Elliott Albers
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Samantha R. Eck
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Aubrey M. Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joseph E. LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY, USA
| | - Simone C. Motta
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Prerana Shrestha
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jack H. Taylor
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian C. Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Larry J. Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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35
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Kenkel WM, Kingsbury MA, Reinhart JM, Cetinbas M, Sadreyev RI, Carter CS, Perkeybile AM. Lasting consequences on physiology and social behavior following cesarean delivery in prairie voles. Horm Behav 2023; 150:105314. [PMID: 36731301 PMCID: PMC10023354 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Cesarean delivery is associated with diminished plasma levels of several 'birth-signaling' hormones, such as oxytocin and vasopressin. These same hormones have been previously shown to exert organizational effects when acting in early life. For example, our previous work found a broadly gregarious phenotype in prairie voles exposed to oxytocin at birth. Meanwhile, cesarean delivery has been previously associated with changes in social behavior and metabolic processes related to oxytocin and vasopressin. In the present study, we investigated the long-term neurodevelopmental consequences of cesarean delivery in prairie voles. After cross-fostering, vole pups delivered either via cesarean or vaginal delivery were studied throughout development. Cesarean-delivered pups responded to isolation differently in terms of their vocalizations (albeit in opposite directions in the two experiments), huddled in less cohesive groups under warmed conditions, and shed less heat. As young adults, we observed no differences in anxiety-like or alloparental behavior. However, in adulthood, cesarean-delivered voles of both sexes failed to form partner preferences with opposite sex conspecifics. In a follow-up study, we replicated this deficit in partner-preference formation among cesarean-delivered voles and were able to normalize pair-bonding behavior by treating cesarean-delivered vole pups with oxytocin (0.25 mg/kg) at delivery. Finally, we detected minor differences in regional oxytocin receptor expression within the brains of cesarean-delivered voles, as well as microbial composition of the gut. Gene expression changes in the gut epithelium indicated that cesarean-delivered male voles have altered gut development. These results speak to the possibility of unintended developmental consequences of cesarean delivery, which currently accounts for 32.9 % of deliveries in the U.S. and suggest that further research should be directed at whether hormone replacement at delivery influences behavioral outcomes in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Kenkel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States of America.
| | - Marcy A Kingsbury
- Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - John M Reinhart
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States of America
| | - Murat Cetinbas
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America; Department of Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Ruslan I Sadreyev
- Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - C Sue Carter
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
| | - Allison M Perkeybile
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
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36
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Tsuchiya H, Fujinoki M, Azuma M, Koshimizu TA. Vasopressin V1a receptor and oxytocin receptor regulate murine sperm motility differently. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201488. [PMID: 36650057 PMCID: PMC9846835 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Specific receptors for the neurohypophyseal hormones, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin, are present in the male reproductive organs. However, their exact roles remain unknown. To elucidate the physiological functions of pituitary hormones in male reproduction, this study first focused on the distribution and function of one of the AVP receptors, V1a. In situ hybridization analysis revealed high expression of the Avpr1a in Leydig cells of the testes and narrow/clear cells in the epididymis, with the expression pattern differing from that of the oxytocin receptor (OTR). Notably, persistent motility and highly proportional hyperactivation were observed in spermatozoa from V1a receptor-deficient mice. In contrast, OTR blocking by antagonist atosiban decreased hyperactivation rate. Furthermore, AVP stimulation could alter the extracellular pH mediated by the V1a receptor. The results highlight the crucial role of neurohypophyseal hormones in male reproductive physiology, with potential contradicting roles of V1a and OTR in sperm maturation. Our findings suggest that V1a receptor antagonists are potential therapeutic drugs for male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyoshi Tsuchiya
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Masakatsu Fujinoki
- Research Center for Laboratory Animals, Comprehensive Research Facilities for Advanced Medical Science, School of Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Japan
| | - Morio Azuma
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Taka-Aki Koshimizu
- Division of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
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37
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Berendzen KM, Sharma R, Mandujano MA, Wei Y, Rogers FD, Simmons TC, Seelke AMH, Bond JM, Larios R, Goodwin NL, Sherman M, Parthasarthy S, Espineda I, Knoedler JR, Beery A, Bales KL, Shah NM, Manoli DS. Oxytocin receptor is not required for social attachment in prairie voles. Neuron 2023; 111:787-796.e4. [PMID: 36708707 PMCID: PMC10150797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Prairie voles are among a small group of mammals that display long-term social attachment between mating partners. Many pharmacological studies show that signaling via the oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) is critical for the display of social monogamy in these animals. We used CRISPR mutagenesis to generate three different Oxtr-null mutant prairie vole lines. Oxtr mutants displayed social attachment such that males and females showed a behavioral preference for their mating partners over a stranger of the opposite sex, even when assayed using different experimental setups. Mothers lacking Oxtr delivered viable pups, and parents displayed care for their young and raised them to the weanling stage. Together, our studies unexpectedly reveal that social attachment, parturition, and parental behavior can occur in the absence of Oxtr signaling in prairie voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen M Berendzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ruchira Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Yichao Wei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Forrest D Rogers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Trenton C Simmons
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Adele M H Seelke
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jessica M Bond
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Rose Larios
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 95158, USA
| | - Nastacia L Goodwin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michael Sherman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Srinivas Parthasarthy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Isidero Espineda
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph R Knoedler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Annaliese Beery
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Nirao M Shah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Devanand S Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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38
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Powell JM, Inoue K, Wallace KJ, Seifert AW, Young LJ, Kelly AM. Distribution of vasopressin 1a and oxytocin receptor protein and mRNA in the basal forebrain and midbrain of the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:413-431. [PMID: 36271259 PMCID: PMC9974677 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02581-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The nonapeptide system modulates numerous social behaviors through oxytocin and vasopressin activation of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and vasopressin receptor (AVPR1A) in the brain. OXTRs and AVPR1As are widely distributed throughout the brain and binding densities exhibit substantial variation within and across species. Although OXTR and AVPR1A binding distributions have been mapped for several rodents, this system has yet to be characterized in the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Here we conducted receptor autoradiography and in situ hybridization to map distributions of OXTR and AVPR1A binding and Oxtr and Avpr1a mRNA expression throughout the basal forebrain and midbrain of male and female spiny mice. We found that nonapeptide receptor mRNA is diffuse throughout the forebrain and midbrain and does not always align with OXTR and AVPR1A binding. Analyses of sex differences in brain regions involved in social behavior and reward revealed that males exhibit higher OXTR binding densities in the lateral septum, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and anterior hypothalamus. However, no association with gonadal sex was observed for AVPR1A binding. Hierarchical clustering analysis further revealed that co-expression patterns of OXTR and AVPR1A binding across brain regions involved in social behavior and reward differ between males and females. These findings provide mapping distributions and sex differences in nonapeptide receptors in spiny mice. Spiny mice are an excellent organism for studying grouping behaviors such as cooperation and prosociality, and the nonapeptide receptor mapping here can inform the study of nonapeptide-mediated behavior in a highly social, large group-living rodent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne M Powell
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Kiyoshi Inoue
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Kelly J Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ashley W Seifert
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, 101 Morgan Building, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Aubrey M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Jung JW, Park SY, Seo EJ, Jang IH, Park Y, Lee D, Kim D, Kim JM. Functional expression of oxytocin receptors in pulp-dentin complex. Biomaterials 2023; 293:121977. [PMID: 36580714 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Dental pulp-derived stromal cells (DPSCs) are a crucial cell population for maintaining the tissue integrity of the pulp-dentin complex. The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily, plays versatile roles in diverse biological contexts. However, the role of OXTR in dental pulp has not yet been fully understood. Here, we demonstrate the biological functions and significance of OXTR in DPSCs through a multidisciplinary approach. Microarray data of 494 GPCR genes revealed high OXTR expression in human DPSCs (hDPSCs). Blocking OXTR activity increased the expression of osteogenic and odontogenic marker genes, promoting hDPSC differentiation. Additionally, we found that OXTR is involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling through the regulation of the gene expression related to ECM homeostasis. We further demonstrated that these genetic changes are mediated by trascriptional activity of Yes-associated protein (YAP). Based on the results, a preclinical experiment was performed using an animal model, demonstrating that the application of an OXTR inhibitor to damaged pulp induced significant hard tissue formation. These results provide new insight into the oxytocin-OXTR system in the regenerative process of pulp-dentin complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Won Jung
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Park
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Jin Seo
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Il Ho Jang
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea; Dental and Life Science Institute, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeji Park
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Science Research Center, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Dasun Lee
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Science Research Center, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyun Kim
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Oral Science Research Center, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jin Man Kim
- Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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40
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Johnson CE, Hammock EAD, Dewan AK. Vasopressin receptor 1a, oxytocin receptor, and oxytocin knockout male and female mice display normal perceptual abilities towards non-social odorants. Horm Behav 2023; 148:105302. [PMID: 36628861 PMCID: PMC10067158 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105302] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Genetic knockouts of the vasopressin receptor 1a (Avpr1a), oxytocin receptor (Oxtr), or oxytocin (Oxt) gene in mice have helped cement the causal relationship between these neuropeptide systems and various social behaviors (e.g., social investigation, recognition, and communication, as well as territoriality and aggression). In mice, these social behaviors depend upon the olfactory system. Thus, it is critical to assess the olfactory capabilities of these knockout models to accurately interpret the observed differences in social behavior. Prior studies utilizing these transgenic mice have sought to test for baseline deficits in olfactory processing; predominantly through use of odor habituation/dishabituation tasks, buried food tests, or investigation assays using non-social odorants. While informative, these assays rely on the animal's intrinsic motivation and locomotor behavior to measure olfactory capabilities and thus, often yield mixed results. Instead, psychophysical analyses using operant conditioning procedures and flow-dilution olfactometry are ideally suited to precisely quantify olfactory perception. In the present study, we used these methods to assess the main olfactory capabilities of adult male and female Avpr1a, Oxtr, and Oxt transgenic mice to volatile non-social odorants. Our results indicate that homozygous and heterozygous knockout mice of all three strains have the same sensitivity and discrimination ability as their wild-type littermates. These data strongly support the hypothesis that the observed social deficits of these global knockout mice are not due to baseline deficits of their main olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Elise Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
| | - Elizabeth Anne Dunn Hammock
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
| | - Adam Kabir Dewan
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
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41
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Bous J, Fouillen A, Orcel H, Granier S, Bron P, Mouillac B. Structures of the arginine-vasopressin and oxytocin receptor signaling complexes. Vitam Horm 2023; 123:67-107. [PMID: 37718002 DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2022.12.003] [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] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Arginine-vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are neurohypophysial hormones which share a high sequence and structure homology. These are two cyclic C-terminally amidated nonapeptides with different residues at position 3 and 8. In mammals, AVP and OT exert their multiple biological functions through a specific G protein-coupled receptor family: four receptors are identified, the V1a, V1b, V2 receptors (V1aR, V1bR and V2R) and the OT receptor (OTR). The chemical structure of AVP and OT was elucidated in the early 1950s. Thanks to X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, it took however 70 additional years to determine the three-dimensional structures of the OTR and the V2R in complex with their natural agonist ligands and with different signaling partners, G proteins and β-arrestins. Today, the comparison of the different AVP/OT receptor structures gives structural insights into their orthosteric ligand binding pocket, their molecular mechanisms of activation, and their interfaces with canonical Gs, Gq and β-arrestin proteins. It also paves the way to future rational drug design and therapeutic compound development. Indeed, agonist, antagonist, biased agonist, or pharmacological chaperone analogues of AVP and OT are promising candidates to regulate different physiological functions and treat several pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Bous
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France; CBS (Centre de Biologie Structurale), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélien Fouillen
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France; CBS (Centre de Biologie Structurale), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Hélène Orcel
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Sébastien Granier
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Patrick Bron
- CBS (Centre de Biologie Structurale), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Bernard Mouillac
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
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Wei F, Xian D, He Y, Yan Z, Deng X, Chen Y, Zhao L, Zhang Y, Li W, Ma B, Zhang J, Jing Y. Effects of maternal deprivation and environmental enrichment on anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors correlate with oxytocin system and CRH level in the medial-lateral habenula. Peptides 2022; 158:170882. [PMID: 36150631 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2022.170882] [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: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The medial-lateral habenula (LHbM)'s role in anxiety and depression behaviors in female mice remains unclear. Here, we used neonatal maternal deprivation (MD) and post-weaning environmental enrichment (EE) to treat female BALB/c offspring and checked anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors as well as the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), oxytocin receptor (OTR), estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) levels in their LHbM at adulthood. We found that MD enhanced state anxiety-like behaviors in the elevated plus-maze test, and EE caused trait anxiety-like behaviors in the open field test and depression-like behaviors in the tail suspension test. The immunochemistry showed that MD reduced OT immunoreactive neuron numbers in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus but increased OTR levels in the LHbM; EE increased CRH levels in the LHbM but decreased OTR levels in the LHbM. The additive effects of EE and MD maintained the behavioral parameters, OT-ir neuronal numbers, CRH levels, and OTR levels similar to the additive of non-MD and non-EE. The correlation analysis showed that CRH levels correlated with synaptic connection levels, OTR levels correlated with nucleus densities, and ERβ levels correlated with Nissl body levels and body weights in female mice. Neither MD nor EE affected ERβ levels in the LHbM. Together, the study revealed the relationships between behaviors and neuroendocrine and neuronal alterations in female LHbM and the effects of experiences including MD and EE on them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengmei Wei
- Department of Physiology and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China; Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China.
| | - Donghua Xian
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Yunqing He
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Ziqing Yan
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Xiao Deng
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Yajie Chen
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Long Zhao
- Department of Orthopedics, Lanzhou University First Affiliated Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu Province 730000, PR China
| | - Yishu Zhang
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Wenhao Li
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Bo Ma
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China
| | - Junfeng Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy & Shanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shanxi, 710021, PR China.
| | - Yuhong Jing
- Institute of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, Neuroscience, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, PR China.
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Inoue K, Ford CL, Horie K, Young LJ. Oxytocin receptors are widely distributed in the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) brain: Relation to social behavior, genetic polymorphisms, and the dopamine system. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2881-2900. [PMID: 35763609 PMCID: PMC9474670 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin regulates social behavior via direct modulation of neurons, regulation of neural network activity, and interaction with other neurotransmitter systems. The behavioral effects of oxytocin signaling are determined by the species-specific distribution of brain oxytocin receptors. The socially monogamous prairie vole has been a useful model organism for elucidating the role of oxytocin in social behaviors, including pair bonding, response to social loss, and consoling. However, there has been no comprehensive mapping of oxytocin receptor-expressing cells throughout the prairie vole brain. Here, we employed a highly sensitive in situ hybridization, RNAscope, to construct an exhaustive, brain-wide map of oxytocin receptor mRNA-expressing cells. We found that oxytocin receptor mRNA expression was widespread and diffused throughout the brain, with specific areas displaying a particularly robust expression. Comparing receptor binding with mRNA revealed that regions of the hippocampus and substantia nigra contained oxytocin receptor protein but lacked mRNA, indicating that oxytocin receptors can be transported to distal neuronal processes, consistent with presynaptic oxytocin receptor functions. In the nucleus accumbens, a region involved in oxytocin-dependent social bonding, oxytocin receptor mRNA expression was detected in both the D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing subtypes of cells. Furthermore, natural genetic polymorphisms robustly influenced oxytocin receptor expression in both D1 and D2 receptor cell types in the nucleus accumbens. Collectively, our findings further elucidate the extent to which oxytocin signaling is capable of influencing brain-wide neural activity, responses to social stimuli, and social behavior. KEY POINTS: Oxytocin receptor mRNA is diffusely expressed throughout the brain, with strong expression concentrated in certain areas involved in social behavior. Oxytocin receptor mRNA expression and protein localization are misaligned in some areas, indicating that the receptor protein may be transported to distal processes. In the nucleus accumbens, oxytocin receptors are expressed on cells expressing both D1 and D2 dopamine receptor subtypes, and the majority of variation in oxytocin receptor expression between animals is attributable to polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiyoshi Inoue
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Charles L Ford
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kengo Horie
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Sun Y, Deng G, Fan J, Feng F, Ge Q, Song Y, Kang X. Associations of air PM 2.5 level with gut microbiota in Chinese Han preschoolers and effect modification by oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism. Environ Res 2022; 214:114123. [PMID: 35995218 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114123] [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: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Variations in the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the oxytocin receptors (OXTR) indicate individual differences in stress response, social behavior, and psychopathology, but very few paper mentioned OXTR as part of the mechanism linking exposure to air pollution and poor social interactions. The authors investigated the moderating role of Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism in the relationship between PM2.5 level and gut microbiota in children, in an attempt to provide some reference for the evidence linking biological and environmental factors to children brain development. The study included 86 healthy Chinese preschoolers (50 males, 36 females) from two campuses of a kindergarten with different air PM2.5 levels. Atmospheric PM2.5 values released by air quality monitoring stations where the two campuses are located were collected for 30 days. The genotypes of OXTR rs53576 were determined by PCR and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The gut microbiota situation was evaluated by determining urinary concentrations of short-chain fatty acids. Urinary levels of cortisone and cortisol were determined to assess the impact of air pollution on the HPA axis. Urinary 2'-Deoxy-7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine were measured to evaluate the oxidative stress state. The genotype distribution frequency of rs53576 polymorphism was consistent with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The average urinary concentrations of cortisone, cortisol and 8-OHdG in high pollution campus preschoolers were significantly higher than those in low pollution campus preschoolers, while situations were opposite for acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid and valeric acid. The interaction between OXTR rs53576 and air pollution had a significant effect on urinary acetic acid. Allele G of rs53576 may be a risk factor for gut microbiota disorder caused by air pollution, and children with GA/GG genotype may be more susceptible than those with AA genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Sun
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Guozhe Deng
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Jinhui Fan
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Fulin Feng
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Qinyu Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yuan Song
- Division of Child Care, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Xuejun Kang
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.
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Pekarek BT, Kochukov M, Lozzi B, Wu T, Hunt PJ, Tepe B, Hanson Moss E, Tantry EK, Swanson JL, Dooling SW, Patel M, Belfort BDW, Romero JM, Bao S, Hill MC, Arenkiel BR. Oxytocin signaling is necessary for synaptic maturation of adult-born neurons. Genes Dev 2022; 36:1100-1118. [PMID: 36617877 PMCID: PMC9851403 DOI: 10.1101/gad.349930.122] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuit plasticity and sensory response dynamics depend on forming new synaptic connections. Despite recent advances toward understanding the consequences of circuit plasticity, the mechanisms driving circuit plasticity are unknown. Adult-born neurons within the olfactory bulb have proven to be a powerful model for studying circuit plasticity, providing a broad and accessible avenue into neuron development, migration, and circuit integration. We and others have shown that efficient adult-born neuron circuit integration hinges on presynaptic activity in the form of diverse signaling peptides. Here, we demonstrate a novel oxytocin-dependent mechanism of adult-born neuron synaptic maturation and circuit integration. We reveal spatial and temporal enrichment of oxytocin receptor expression within adult-born neurons in the murine olfactory bulb, with oxytocin receptor expression peaking during activity-dependent integration. Using viral labeling, confocal microscopy, and cell type-specific RNA-seq, we demonstrate that oxytocin receptor signaling promotes synaptic maturation of newly integrating adult-born neurons by regulating their morphological development and expression of mature synaptic AMPARs and other structural proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon T Pekarek
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Mikhail Kochukov
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Brittney Lozzi
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Timothy Wu
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Patrick J Hunt
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Burak Tepe
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hanson Moss
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Evelyne K Tantry
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Jessica L Swanson
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Sean W Dooling
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Mayuri Patel
- Development, Disease Models, and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin D W Belfort
- Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Juan M Romero
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Suyang Bao
- Development, Disease Models, and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Matthew C Hill
- Development, Disease Models, and Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
| | - Benjamin R Arenkiel
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA
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Shima T, Jesmin S, Onishi H, Yoshikawa T, Saitoh R. Physical activity associates empathy in Japanese young adults with specific gene variations of oxytocin receptor and vasopressin V1B receptor. Physiol Behav 2022; 255:113930. [PMID: 35905808 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113930] [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: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy, consisting of cognitive empathy and affective empathy, is essential for creating relationships with others. Since the genetic polymorphism of oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and arginine-vasopressin V1B receptor (AVPR1B) relate to prosocial behavior and empathy, it would need to innovate strategies for treating human empathy by considering individual genetic variations. Physical activity is expected as a possible strategy; here, we investigated the influences of genetic polymorphisms in OXTR SNP rs53576 and AVPR1B SNP rs28373064, on the relationships of self-reported empathy with physical activity. METHODS The saliva is collected from a hundred Japanese college students for determining the individual polymorphism of OXTR SNP rs53576 (AA, AG, or GG genotype) and AVPR1B SNP rs28373064 (TT, TC, or CC genotype). In addition, the participants' self-reported cognitive and affective empathy, amounts of physical activity, and sitting time were evaluated with questionaries. RESULTS The participants with OXTR SNP rs53576 GG genotype showed a significant negative correlation between sitting time and cognitive empathy adjusted by age, gender, and sports experience. Further, there was a trend to correlate between physical activity amounts and cognitive empathy in the participants carrying the G variant in OXTR SNP rs53576 (AG or GG). As for AVPR1B SNP rs28373064, the persons with TT genotype exhibited a negative correlation trend between sitting time and cognitive empathy. CONCLUSIONS There are possible correlations between the self-reported cognitive empathy and physical activity amounts in the persons carrying the G variant of OXTR rs53576 or with the TT genotype for AVPR1B SNP rs28373064.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeru Shima
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Cooperative Faculty of Education, Gunma University, 4-2 Aramaki-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan.
| | - Subrina Jesmin
- Faculty of Medicine, Toho University Graduate School of Medicine, 5-21-16 Omorinishi, Ota-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hayate Onishi
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Cooperative Faculty of Education, Gunma University, 4-2 Aramaki-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan
| | - Tomonori Yoshikawa
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Cooperative Faculty of Education, Gunma University, 4-2 Aramaki-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan
| | - Rikako Saitoh
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Cooperative Faculty of Education, Gunma University, 4-2 Aramaki-machi, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan
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Tonoike A, Otaki KI, Terauchi G, Ogawa M, Katayama M, Sakata H, Miyasako F, Mogi K, Kikusui T, Nagasawa M. Identification of genes associated with human-canine communication in canine evolution. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6950. [PMID: 35680934 PMCID: PMC9184530 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The dog (Canis familiaris) was the first domesticated animal and hundreds of breeds exist today. During domestication, dogs experienced strong selection for temperament, behaviour, and cognitive ability. However, the genetic basis of these abilities is not well-understood. We focused on ancient dog breeds to investigate breed-related differences in social cognitive abilities. In a problem-solving task, ancient breeds showed a lower tendency to look back at humans than other European breeds. In a two-way object choice task, they showed no differences in correct response rate or ability to read human communicative gestures. We examined gene polymorphisms in oxytocin, oxytocin receptor, melanocortin 2 receptor, and a Williams-Beuren syndrome-related gene (WBSCR17), as candidate genes of dog domestication. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms on melanocortin 2 receptor were related to both tasks, while other polymorphisms were associated with the unsolvable task. This indicates that glucocorticoid functions are involved in the cognitive skills acquired during dog domestication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Tonoike
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Otaki
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Go Terauchi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Misato Ogawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Maki Katayama
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Hikari Sakata
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Fumina Miyasako
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Mogi
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
- Center for Human and Animal Symbiosis Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
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Ye Q, Nunez J, Zhang X. Oxytocin Receptor-Expressing Neurons in the Paraventricular Thalamus Regulate Feeding Motivation through Excitatory Projections to the Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3949-3964. [PMID: 35387870 PMCID: PMC9097779 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2042-21.2022] [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: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin receptors (OTR) have been found in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) for the regulation of feeding and maternal behaviors. However, the functional projections of OTR-expressing PVT neurons remain largely unknown. Here, we used chemogenetic and optogenetic tools to test the role of OTR-expressing PVT neurons and their projections in the regulation of food intake in both male and female OTR-Cre mice. We found chemogenetic activation of OTR-expressing PVT neurons promoted food seeking under trials with a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Using Feeding Experimentation Devices for real-time meal measurements, we found chemogenetic activation of OTR-expressing PVT neurons increased meal frequency but not cumulative food intake because of a compensatory decrease in meal sizes. In combination with anterograde neural tracing and slice patch-clamp recordings, we found optogenetic stimulation of PVT OTR terminals excited neurons in the posterior basolateral amygdala (pBLA) and nucleus accumbens core (NAcC) as well as local PVT neurons through monosynaptic glutamatergic transmissions. Photostimulation of OTR-expressing PVT-NAcC projections promoted food-seeking, whereas selective activation of PVT-pBLA projections produced little effect on feeding. In contrast to selective activation of OTR terminals, photostimulation of a broader population of glutamatergic PVT terminals exerted direct excitation followed by indirect lateral inhibition on neurons in both NAcC and anterior basolateral amygdala. Together, these results suggest that OTR-expressing PVT neurons are a distinct population of PVT glutamate neurons that regulate feeding motivation through projections to NAcC.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The paraventricular thalamus plays an important role in the regulation of feeding motivation. However, because of the diversity of paraventricular thalamic neurons, the specific neuron types promoting food motivation remain elusive. In this study, we provide evidence that oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons are a specific group of glutamate neurons that primarily project to the nucleus accumbens core and posterior amygdala. We found that activation of these neurons promotes the motivation for food reward and increases meal frequency through projections to the nucleus accumbens core but not the posterior amygdala. As a result, we postulate that oxytocin receptor-expressing neurons in the paraventricular thalamus and their projections to the nucleus accumbens core mainly regulate feeding motivation but not food consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiying Ye
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Jeremiah Nunez
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
| | - Xiaobing Zhang
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306
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Al-Ali Z, Yasseen AA, Al-Dujailli A, Al-Karaqully AJ, McAllister KA, Jumaah AS. The oxytocin receptor gene polymorphism rs2268491 and serum oxytocin alterations are indicative of autism spectrum disorder: A case-control paediatric study in Iraq with personalized medicine implications. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265217. [PMID: 35316293 PMCID: PMC8939799 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Impairment of social functioning skills is a key hallmark of autism. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is a blood-based biomarker of social functioning, and a candidate for individualized treatment of ASD. The effects of OXT on the social brain are mediated by the OXT receptor (OXTR). This study assessed the clinical utility of blood OXT serum levels and the OXT receptor (OXTR) genotype as biomarkers of autism and its severity in a pediatric population in Iraq.
Methods
Blood samples were collected from patients with a clinical diagnosis of ASD (n = 60) and corresponding age and gender matched healthy controls (n = 60). All clinical samples were processed at the Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa in Iraq. Blood serum was assayed for OXT by sandwich ELISA. Receiver operator analysis (ROC) determined area under the curve (AUC), cutoff values, and sensitivity and specificity of OXT values for accuracy of diagnosis of ASD. Isolated genomic DNA was genotyped for the OXTR gene rs2268491(C/T) SNP using allele-specific PCR. The significance of genotype (CC, CT, and TT) and allele (C and T) distributions in different patient groups was assessed using odd ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and the Chi-square test. All statistical analysis was performed used SPSS software.
Results
Study characteristics in the ASD population revealed a high level of consanguinity (36.66%), and ASD recurrence rate (11.66%) and family history (28.33%). OXT levels in patients with ASD (157.58±28.81 pg/ml) were significantly higher (p = 0.003) compared to controls (75.03±6.38 pg/ml). Within stratified ASD severity groups—OXT levels were significantly different (P = 0.032). ROC analysis determined similar AUC values for overall ASD (0.807), and stratified mild (0.793), moderate (0.889), and severe categories (0.795). The best cutoff for diagnosis of ASD was 83.8 pg/ml OXT with a sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 72.1% respectively. OXTR gene rs2268491(C/T) genotyping found that ASD patients have significantly lower (p = 0.021) genotype CC frequency and a significantly higher (p = 0.04) occurrence of the heterozygous CT genotype relative to controls. ASD subjects produced highest OXT levels with the TT genotype. T allele distribution was higher in ASD males. ASD males had significantly lower distribution of the CC genotype (48.89%) compared to females (80%) (Chi-square test: χ2 = 4.43, df = 1, p = 0.035). Whereas distribution of the CT genotype was significantly higher in autistic males (44.45%) compared to females (13.33%) (Chi-square test: χ2 = 4.68, df = 1, p = 0.03).
Conclusion
Peripheral OXT levels and OXTR genetic alterations are potential biomarkers of social functioning in the ASD patient setting. The stratification of patients with ASD into severity categories shows significant differences both in OXT levels and OXTR (rs2268491, C/T) genotype and allele distributions, that can be sex dependent. OXT based therapies will require personalized medicine tactics to correctly identify patients with ASD who require neuropeptide boosting in social settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zainab Al-Ali
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kerbala, Kerbala, Kerbala Governorate, Iraq
| | - Akeel Abed Yasseen
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq
| | - Arafat Al-Dujailli
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Kufa, Najaf Governorate, Iraq
| | - Ahmed Jafar Al-Karaqully
- Head of Psychiatric Department, Alhussain Teaching Hospital, Kerbala City, Kerbala Governorate, Iraq
| | | | - Alaa Salah Jumaah
- Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq
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Choe KY, Bethlehem RAI, Safrin M, Dong H, Salman E, Li Y, Grinevich V, Golshani P, DeNardo LA, Peñagarikano O, Harris NG, Geschwind DH. Oxytocin normalizes altered circuit connectivity for social rescue of the Cntnap2 knockout mouse. Neuron 2022; 110:795-808.e6. [PMID: 34932941 PMCID: PMC8944915 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The neural basis of abnormal social behavior in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) remains incompletely understood. Here we used two complementary but independent brain-wide mapping approaches, mouse resting-state fMRI and c-Fos-iDISCO+ imaging, to construct brain-wide activity and connectivity maps of the Cntnap2 knockout (KO) mouse model of ASD. At the macroscale level, we detected reduced functional coupling across social brain regions despite general patterns of hyperconnectivity across major brain structures. Oxytocin administration, which rescues social deficits in KO mice, strongly stimulated many brain areas and normalized connectivity patterns. Notably, chemogenetically triggered release of endogenous oxytocin strongly stimulated the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a forebrain nucleus implicated in social reward. Furthermore, NAc-targeted approaches to activate local oxytocin receptors sufficiently rescued their social deficits. Our findings establish circuit- and systems-level mechanisms of social deficits in Cntnap2 KO mice and reveal the NAc as a region that can be modulated by oxytocin to promote social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Y Choe
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Richard A I Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Martin Safrin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hongmei Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Elena Salman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research for Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim 68159, Germany
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Laura A DeNardo
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vizcaya 48940, Spain
| | - Neil G Harris
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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