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Machado-Santos AR, Loureiro-Campos E, Patrício P, Araújo B, Alves ND, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Correia JS, Morais M, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Rodrigues AJ, Oliveira JF, Pinto L. Beyond New Neurons in the Adult Hippocampus: Imipramine Acts as a Pro-Astrogliogenic Factor and Rescues Cognitive Impairments Induced by Stress Exposure. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030390. [PMID: 35159199 PMCID: PMC8834148 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a prevalent, socially burdensome disease. Different studies have demonstrated the important role of astrocytes in the pathophysiology of depression as modulators of neurotransmission and neurovascular coupling. This is evidenced by astrocyte impairments observed in brains of depressed patients and the appearance of depressive-like behaviors upon astrocytic dysfunctions in animal models. However, little is known about the importance of de novo generated astrocytes in the mammalian brain and in particular its possible involvement in the precipitation of depression and in the therapeutic actions of current antidepressants (ADs). Therefore, we studied the modulation of astrocytes and adult astrogliogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of rats exposed to an unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS) protocol, untreated and treated for two weeks with antidepressants—fluoxetine and imipramine. Our results show that adult astrogliogenesis in the DG is modulated by stress and imipramine. This study reveals that distinct classes of ADs impact differently in the astrogliogenic process, showing different cellular mechanisms relevant to the recovery from behavioral deficits induced by chronic stress exposure. As such, in addition to those resident, the newborn astrocytes in the hippocampal DG might also be promising therapeutic targets for future therapies in the neuropsychiatric field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Machado-Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Eduardo Loureiro-Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bruna Araújo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Dinis Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Sofia Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Mónica Morais
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana J Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João Filipe Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- IPCA-EST-2Ai, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Applied Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Campus of IPCA, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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Machado-Santos AR, Alves ND, Araújo B, Correia JS, Patrício P, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Loureiro-Campos E, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Pinto L. Astrocytic plasticity at the dorsal dentate gyrus on an animal model of recurrent depression. Neuroscience 2019; 454:94-104. [PMID: 31747562 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are now known to play crucial roles in the central nervous system, supporting and closely interacting with neurons and therefore able to modulate brain function. Both human postmortem studies in brain samples from patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and from animal models of depression reported numerical and morphological astrocytic changes specifically in the hippocampus. In particular, these studies revealed significant reductions in glial cell density denoted by a decreased number of S100B-positive cells and a decrease in GFAP expression in several brain regions including the hippocampus. To reveal plastic astrocytic changes in the context of recurrent depression, we longitudinally assessed dynamic astrocytic alterations (gene expression, cell densities and morphologic variations) in the hippocampal dentate gyrus under repeated exposure to unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS) and upon treatment with two antidepressants, fluoxetine and imipramine. Both antidepressants decreased astrocytic complexity immediately after stress exposure. Moreover, we show that astrocytic alterations, particularly an increased number of S100B-positive cells, are observed after recurrent stress exposure. Interestingly, these alterations were prevented at the long-term by either fluoxetine or imipramine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana R Machado-Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Nuno D Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Bruna Araújo
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Joana S Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - António Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Eduardo Loureiro-Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - João M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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Alves ND, Patrício P, Correia JS, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Machado-Santos AR, Loureiro-Campos E, Morais M, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Pinto L. Chronic stress targets adult neurogenesis preferentially in the suprapyramidal blade of the rat dorsal dentate gyrus. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 223:415-428. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1490-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Morais M, Patrício P, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Alves ND, Machado-Santos AR, Correia JS, Pereira J, Pinto L, Sousa N, Bessa JM. The modulation of adult neuroplasticity is involved in the mood-improving actions of atypical antipsychotics in an animal model of depression. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1146. [PMID: 28585931 PMCID: PMC5537642 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a prevalent psychiatric disorder with an increasing impact in global public health. However, a large proportion of patients treated with currently available antidepressant drugs fail to achieve remission. Recently, antipsychotic drugs have received approval for the treatment of antidepressant-resistant forms of major depression. The modulation of adult neuroplasticity, namely hippocampal neurogenesis and neuronal remodeling, has been considered to have a key role in the therapeutic effects of antidepressants. However, the impact of antipsychotic drugs on these neuroplastic mechanisms remains largely unexplored. In this study, an unpredictable chronic mild stress protocol was used to induce a depressive-like phenotype in rats. In the last 3 weeks of stress exposure, animals were treated with two different antipsychotics: haloperidol (a classical antipsychotic) and clozapine (an atypical antipsychotic). We demonstrated that clozapine improved both measures of depressive-like behavior (behavior despair and anhedonia), whereas haloperidol aggravated learned helplessness in the forced-swimming test and behavior flexibility in a cognitive task. Importantly, an upregulation of adult neurogenesis and neuronal survival was observed in animals treated with clozapine, whereas haloperidol promoted a downregulation of these processes. Furthermore, clozapine was able to re-establish the stress-induced impairments in neuronal structure and gene expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. These results demonstrate the modulation of adult neuroplasticity by antipsychotics in an animal model of depression, revealing that the atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine reverts the behavioral effects of chronic stress by improving adult neurogenesis, cell survival and neuronal reorganization.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Morais
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - P Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - N D Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A R Machado-Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J S Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J Pereira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - L Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - N Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B’s—PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal,Life and Health Science Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. E-mail:
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Alves ND, Correia JS, Patrício P, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Machado-Santos AR, Loureiro-Campos E, Morais M, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Pinto L. Adult hippocampal neuroplasticity triggers susceptibility to recurrent depression. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1058. [PMID: 28291258 PMCID: PMC5416672 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent and recurrent neuropsychiatric disorder associated with alterations in emotional and cognitive domains. Neuroplastic phenomena are increasingly considered central to the etiopathogenesis of and recovery from depression. Nevertheless, a high number of remitted patients experience recurrent episodes of depression, remaining unclear how previous episodes impact on behavior and neuroplasticity and/or whether modulation of neuroplasticity is important to prevent recurrent depression. Through re-exposure to an unpredictable chronic mild stress protocol in rats, we observed the re-appearance of emotional and cognitive deficits. Furthermore, treatment with the antidepressants fluoxetine and imipramine was effective to promote sustained reversion of a depressive-like phenotype; however, their differential impact on adult hippocampal neuroplasticity triggered a distinct response to stress re-exposure: while imipramine re-established hippocampal neurogenesis and neuronal dendritic arborization contributing to resilience to recurrent depressive-like behavior, stress re-exposure in fluoxetine-treated animals resulted in an overproduction of adult-born neurons along with neuronal atrophy of granule neurons, accounting for an increased susceptibility to recurrent behavioral changes typical of depression. Strikingly, cell proliferation arrest compromised the behavior resilience induced by imipramine and buffered the susceptibility to recurrent behavioral changes promoted by fluoxetine. This study shows that previous exposure to a depressive-like episode impacts on the behavioral and neuroanatomical changes triggered by subsequent re-exposure to similar experimental conditions and reveals that the proper control of adult hippocampal neuroplasticity triggered by antidepressants is essential to counteract recurrent depressive-like episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- N D Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J S Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - P Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - A R Machado-Santos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - E Loureiro-Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - M Morais
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - J M Bessa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - N Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - L Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal,ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal,Dr L Pinto, Life and Health Sciences Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal. E-mail:
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Mateus-Pinheiro A, Patrício P, Alves ND, Machado-Santos AR, Morais M, Bessa JM, Sousa N, Pinto L. The Sweet Drive Test: refining phenotypic characterization of anhedonic behavior in rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:74. [PMID: 24639637 PMCID: PMC3945942 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring anhedonic behavior in rodents is a challenging task as current methods display only moderate sensitivity to detect anhedonic phenotype and, consequently, results from different labs are frequently incongruent. Herein we present a newly-developed test, the Sweet Drive Test (SDT), which integrates food preference measurement in a non-aversive environment, with ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) recording. Animals were placed in a soundproofed black arena, under red light illumination, and allowed to choose between regular and sweet food pellets. During the test trials, 50 KHz USVs, previously described to be associated with positive experiences, were recorded. In a first experimental approach, we demonstrate the ability of SDT to accurately characterize anhedonic behavior in animals chronically exposed to stress. In a subsequent set of experiments, we show that this paradigm has high sensitivity to detect mood-improving effects of antidepressants. The combined analysis of both food preference and the number of 50 KHz vocalizations in the SDT provides also a valuable tool to discriminate animals that responded to treatment from non-responder animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- António Mateus-Pinheiro
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno D Alves
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana R Machado-Santos
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Monica Morais
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - João M Bessa
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Luisa Pinto
- School of Health Sciences, Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), University of Minho Braga, Portugal ; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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