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Ritz NL, Brocka M, Butler MI, Cowan CSM, Barrera-Bugueño C, Turkington CJR, Draper LA, Bastiaanssen TFS, Turpin V, Morales L, Campos D, Gheorghe CE, Ratsika A, Sharma V, Golubeva AV, Aburto MR, Shkoporov AN, Moloney GM, Hill C, Clarke G, Slattery DA, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Social anxiety disorder-associated gut microbiota increases social fear. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308706120. [PMID: 38147649 PMCID: PMC10769841 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308706120] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a crippling psychiatric disorder characterized by intense fear or anxiety in social situations and their avoidance. However, the underlying biology of SAD is unclear and better treatments are needed. Recently, the gut microbiota has emerged as a key regulator of both brain and behaviour, especially those related to social function. Moreover, increasing data supports a role for immune function and oxytocin signalling in social responses. To investigate whether the gut microbiota plays a causal role in modulating behaviours relevant to SAD, we transplanted the microbiota from SAD patients, which was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing to be of a differential composition compared to healthy controls, to mice. Although the mice that received the SAD microbiota had normal behaviours across a battery of tests designed to assess depression and general anxiety-like behaviours, they had a specific heightened sensitivity to social fear, a model of SAD. This distinct heightened social fear response was coupled with changes in central and peripheral immune function and oxytocin expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. This work demonstrates an interkingdom basis for social fear responses and posits the microbiome as a potential therapeutic target for SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L. Ritz
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Marta Brocka
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Mary I. Butler
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Caitlin S. M. Cowan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Camila Barrera-Bugueño
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Christopher J. R. Turkington
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, CorkT12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Lorraine A. Draper
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, CorkT12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Thomaz F. S. Bastiaanssen
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Valentine Turpin
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Lorena Morales
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - David Campos
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Cassandra E. Gheorghe
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Anna Ratsika
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Virat Sharma
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, CorkT12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Anna V. Golubeva
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Maria R. Aburto
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Andrey N. Shkoporov
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, CorkT12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Gerard M. Moloney
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, CorkT12K8AF, Ireland
| | - Gerard Clarke
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt60528, Germany
| | - Timothy G. Dinan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
| | - John F. Cryan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, CorkT12YT20, Ireland
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Ottomana AM, Presta M, O'Leary A, Sullivan M, Pisa E, Laviola G, Glennon JC, Zoratto F, Slattery DA, Macrì S. A systematic review of preclinical studies exploring the role of insulin signalling in executive function and memory. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105435. [PMID: 37913873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105435] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Beside its involvement in somatic dysfunctions, altered insulin signalling constitutes a risk factor for the development of mental disorders like Alzheimer's disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder. While insulin-related somatic and mental disorders are often comorbid, the fundamental mechanisms underlying this association are still elusive. Studies conducted in rodent models appear well suited to help decipher these mechanisms. Specifically, these models are apt to prospective studies in which causative mechanisms can be manipulated via multiple tools (e.g., genetically engineered models and environmental interventions), and experimentally dissociated to control for potential confounding factors. Here, we provide a narrative synthesis of preclinical studies investigating the association between hyperglycaemia - as a proxy of insulin-related metabolic dysfunctions - and impairments in working and spatial memory, and attention. Ultimately, this review will advance our knowledge on the role of glucose metabolism in the comorbidity between somatic and mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Maria Ottomana
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; Neuroscience Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Parma, 43100 Parma, Italy
| | - Martina Presta
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany; Chair of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mairéad Sullivan
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Edoardo Pisa
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Laviola
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Francesca Zoratto
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Simone Macrì
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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3
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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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Brum M, Nieberler M, Kehrwald C, Knopf K, Brunkhorst-Kanaan N, Etyemez S, Allers KA, Bittner RA, Slattery DA, McNeill RV, Reif A, Kittel-Schneider S. Phase-and disorder-specific differences in peripheral metabolites of the kynurenine pathway in major depression, bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2023; 24:564-577. [PMID: 36648064 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2023.2169348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Kynurenine, kynurenic and quinolinic acid are important metabolites in tryptophan metabolism. Due to an involvement in glutamatergic neurotransmission and immune response, previous studies have investigated this pathway in mental disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) or schizophrenia (SCZ). Tryptophan and kynurenine have been shown to be decreased across disorders, hinting at the missing link how inflammation causes neurotoxicity and psychiatric symptoms. The main aim of our study was to investigate if individual catabolites could serve as diagnostic biomarkers for MDD, BD and SCZ. METHODS We measured plasma levels of tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, quinolinic acid and ratio of quinolinic acid/kynurenic acid using mass spectrometry in n = 175 participants with acute episodes and after remission, compared with controls. RESULTS Decreased levels of all tryptophan catabolites were found in the whole patient group, driven by the difference between BD and HC. Manic and mixed phase BD individuals displayed significantly lower kynurenine and kynurenic acid levels. We could not find significant differences between disorders. Upon reaching remission, changes in catabolite levels partially normalised. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggests an involvement of the kynurenine pathway in mental disorders, especially BD but disqualifying those metabolites as biomarkers for differential diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murielle Brum
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Matthias Nieberler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Kehrwald
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katrin Knopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nathalie Brunkhorst-Kanaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Semra Etyemez
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Current: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kelly A Allers
- CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Robert A Bittner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Ernst Struengmann Institute for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rhiannon V McNeill
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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5
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Gryksa K, Schmidtner AK, Masís-Calvo M, Rodríguez-Villagra OA, Havasi A, Wirobski G, Maloumby R, Jägle H, Bosch OJ, Slattery DA, Neumann ID. Selective breeding of rats for high (HAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behaviour: A unique model for comorbid depression and social dysfunctions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105292. [PMID: 37353047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105292] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Animal models of selective breeding for extremes in emotionality are a strong experimental approach to model psychopathologies. They became indispensable in order to increase our understanding of neurobiological, genetic, epigenetic, hormonal, and environmental mechanisms contributing to anxiety disorders and their association with depressive symptoms or social deficits. In the present review, we extensively discuss Wistar rats selectively bred for high (HAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behaviour on the elevated plus-maze. After 30 years of breeding, we can confirm the prominent differences between HAB and LAB rats in trait anxiety, which are accompanied by consistent differences in depressive-like, social and cognitive behaviours. We can further confirm a single nucleotide polymorphism in the vasopressin promotor of HAB rats causative for neuropeptide overexpression, and show that low (or high) anxiety and fear levels are unlikely due to visual dysfunctions. Thus, HAB and LAB rats continue to exist as a reliable tool to study the multiple facets underlying the pathology of high trait anxiety and its comorbidity with depression-like behaviour and social dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Gryksa
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Anna K Schmidtner
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Marianella Masís-Calvo
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Odir A Rodríguez-Villagra
- Centro de Investigación en Neurosciencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, Costa Rica.
| | - Andrea Havasi
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Gwendolyn Wirobski
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Rodrigue Maloumby
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Herbert Jägle
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss-Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstr. 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Yotova AY, Li LL, O’Leary A, Tegeder I, Reif A, Courtney MJ, Slattery DA, Freudenberg F. Embryonic and adult synaptic proteome perturbations after maternal immune activation: Identification of persistent changes relevant for early intervention. Res Sq 2023:rs.3.rs-3100753. [PMID: 37461513 PMCID: PMC10350178 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3100753/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Maternal infections during pregnancy pose an increased risk for neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders (NPDs) in the offspring. Here, we examined age- and sex-dependent dynamic changes of the hippocampal synaptic proteome after maternal immune activation (MIA) in embryonic and adult mice. Adult male and female MIA offspring exhibited social deficits and sex-specific depression-like behaviours, among others, validating the model. Furthermore, we observed dose-, age-, and sex-dependent synaptic proteome differences. Analysis of the embryonic synaptic proteome implicates sphingolipid and ketoacid metabolism pathway disruptions during neurodevelopment for NPD-pertinent sequelae. In the embryonic hippocampus, prenatal immune activation also led to changes in neuronal guidance, glycosphingolipid metabolism important for signalling and myelination, and post-translational modification of proteins that regulate intercellular interaction and developmental timing. In adulthood, the observed changes in synaptoneurosomes revealed a dynamic shift toward transmembrane trafficking, intracellular signalling cascades, and hormone-mediated metabolism. Importantly, 68 of the proteins with differential abundance in the embryonic brains of MIA offspring were also altered in adulthood, 75% of which retained their directionality. These proteins are involved in synaptic organisation, neurotransmitter receptor regulation, and the vesicle cycle. A cluster of persistently upregulated proteins, including AKT3, PAK1/3, PPP3CA, formed a functional network enriched in the embryonic brain that is involved in cellular responses to environmental stimuli. To infer a link between the overlapping protein alterations and cognitive and psychiatric traits, we probed human phenome-wise association study data for cognitive and psychiatric phenotypes and all, but PORCN were significantly associated with the investigated domains. Our data provide insights into the dynamic effects of an early prenatal immune activation on developing and mature hippocampi and highlights targets for early intervention in individuals exposed to such immune challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Y. Yotova
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Li-Li Li
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland; Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - Aet O’Leary
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Michael J Courtney
- Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland; Turku Brain and Mind Center, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - David A. Slattery
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Frankfurt, Germany
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Frankfurt, Germany
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7
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Gruber J, Hanssen R, Qubad M, Bouzouina A, Schack V, Sochor H, Schiweck C, Aichholzer M, Matura S, Slattery DA, Zopf Y, Borgland SL, Reif A, Thanarajah SE. Impact of insulin and insulin resistance on brain dopamine signalling and reward processing- an underexplored mechanism in the pathophysiology of depression? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105179. [PMID: 37059404 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes and major depressive disorder (MDD) are the leading causes of disability worldwide and have a high comorbidity rate with fatal outcomes. Despite the long-established association between these conditions, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. Since the discovery of insulin receptors in the brain and the brain's reward system, evidence has accumulated indicating that insulin modulates dopaminergic (DA) signalling and reward behaviour. Here, we review the evidence from rodent and human studies, that insulin resistance directly alters central DA pathways, which may result in motivational deficits and depressive symptoms. Specifically, we first elaborate on the differential effects of insulin on DA signalling in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) - the primary DA source region in the midbrain - and the striatum as well as its effects on behaviour. We then focus on the alterations induced by insulin deficiency and resistance. Finally, we review the impact of insulin resistance in DA pathways in promoting depressive symptoms and anhedonia on a molecular and epidemiological level and discuss its relevance for stratified treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Gruber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ruth Hanssen
- University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Policlinic for Endocrinology, Diabetology and Prevention Medicine, Germany
| | - Mishal Qubad
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Aicha Bouzouina
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Vivi Schack
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hannah Sochor
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carmen Schiweck
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Mareike Aichholzer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silke Matura
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yurdaguel Zopf
- Hector-Center for Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Department of Medicine 1, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Sharmili Edwin Thanarajah
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Candemir E, Fattakhov N, Leary AO, Slattery DA, Courtney MJ, Reif A, Freudenberg F. Disrupting the nNOS/NOS1AP interaction in the medial prefrontal cortex impairs social recognition and spatial working memory in mice. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 67:66-79. [PMID: 36513018 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.11.006] [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: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and its interacting protein NOS1AP have been linked to several mental disorders including schizophrenia and depression. An increase in the interaction between nNOS and NOS1AP in the frontal cortex has been suggested to contribute to the emergence of these disorders. Here we aimed to uncover whether disruption of their interactions in the frontal cortex leads to mental disorder endophenotypes. Targeting the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), we stereotaxically injected wild-type C57BL/6J mice with recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) expressing either full-length NOS1AP, the nNOS binding region of NOS1AP (i.e. NOS1AP396-503), or the nNOS amino-terminus (i.e. nNOS1-133), which was shown to disrupt the interaction of endogenous nNOS with PSD-95. We tested these mice in a comprehensive behavioural battery, assessing different endophenotypes related to mental disorders. We found no differences in anxiety-related and exploratory behaviours. Likewise, social interaction was comparable in all groups. However, social recognition was impaired in NOS1AP and NOS1AP396-503 mice. These mice, as well as mice overexpressing nNOS1-133 also displayed impaired spatial working memory (SWM) capacity, while spatial reference memory (SRM) remained intact. Finally, mice overexpressing NOS1AP and nNOS1-133, but not NOS1AP396-503, failed to habituate to the startling pulses in an acoustic startle response (ASR) paradigm, though we found no difference in overall startle intensity or prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the ASR. Our findings indicate a distinct role of NOS1AP/nNOS/PSD-95 interactions in the mPFC to contribute to specific endophenotypic changes observed in different mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esin Candemir
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Graduate School of Life Sciences, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nikolai Fattakhov
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aet O Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael J Courtney
- Neuronal Signalling Laboratory, Turku Bioscience Centre, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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9
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O’Leary A, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Gan G, Yang Y, Yotova AY, Kranz TM, Grünewald L, Freudenberg F, Antón-Galindo E, Cabana-Domínguez J, Harneit A, Schweiger JI, Schwarz K, Ma R, Chen J, Schwarz E, Rietschel M, Tost H, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Pané-Farré CA, Kircher T, Hamm AO, Burguera D, Mota NR, Franke B, Schweiger S, Winter J, Heinz A, Erk S, Romanczuk-Seiferth N, Walter H, Ströhle A, Fehm L, Fydrich T, Lueken U, Weber H, Lang T, Gerlach AL, Nöthen MM, Alpers GW, Arolt V, Witt S, Richter J, Straube B, Cormand B, Slattery DA, Reif A. Behavioural and functional evidence revealing the role of RBFOX1 variation in multiple psychiatric disorders and traits. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4464-4473. [PMID: 35948661 PMCID: PMC9734045 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01722-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Common variation in the gene encoding the neuron-specific RNA splicing factor RNA Binding Fox-1 Homolog 1 (RBFOX1) has been identified as a risk factor for several psychiatric conditions, and rare genetic variants have been found causal for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we explored the genetic landscape of RBFOX1 more deeply, integrating evidence from existing and new human studies as well as studies in Rbfox1 knockout mice. Mining existing data from large-scale studies of human common genetic variants, we confirmed gene-based and genome-wide association of RBFOX1 with risk tolerance, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Data on six mental disorders revealed copy number losses and gains to be more frequent in ASD cases than in controls. Consistently, RBFOX1 expression appeared decreased in post-mortem frontal and temporal cortices of individuals with ASD and prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia. Brain-functional MRI studies demonstrated that carriers of a common RBFOX1 variant, rs6500744, displayed increased neural reactivity to emotional stimuli, reduced prefrontal processing during cognitive control, and enhanced fear expression after fear conditioning, going along with increased avoidance behaviour. Investigating Rbfox1 neuron-specific knockout mice allowed us to further specify the role of this gene in behaviour. The model was characterised by pronounced hyperactivity, stereotyped behaviour, impairments in fear acquisition and extinction, reduced social interest, and lack of aggression; it provides excellent construct and face validity as an animal model of ASD. In conclusion, convergent translational evidence shows that common variants in RBFOX1 are associated with a broad spectrum of psychiatric traits and disorders, while rare genetic variation seems to expose to early-onset neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders with and without developmental delay like ASD, in particular. Studying the pleiotropic nature of RBFOX1 can profoundly enhance our understanding of mental disorder vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aet O’Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.10939.320000 0001 0943 7661Department of Neuropscyhopharmacology, Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Madrid, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Gabriela Gan
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Yunbo Yang
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anna Y. Yotova
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.7839.50000 0004 1936 9721Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thorsten M. Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lena Grünewald
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ester Antón-Galindo
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Madrid, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Judit Cabana-Domínguez
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Madrid, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Anais Harneit
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Janina I. Schweiger
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Kristina Schwarz
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ren Ma
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Junfang Chen
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane A. Pané-Farré
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany ,grid.5603.0Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alfons O. Hamm
- grid.5603.0Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Demian Burguera
- grid.4491.80000 0004 1937 116XDepartment of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nina Roth Mota
- grid.10417.330000 0004 0444 9382Department of Human Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- grid.10417.330000 0004 0444 9382Department of Human Genetics and Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Susann Schweiger
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Mainz University Medical Center, Institute of Human Genetics, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jennifer Winter
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Mainz University Medical Center, Institute of Human Genetics, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Erk
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Ströhle
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lydia Fehm
- grid.7468.d0000 0001 2248 7639Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Fydrich
- grid.7468.d0000 0001 2248 7639Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ulrike Lueken
- grid.7468.d0000 0001 2248 7639Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heike Weber
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany ,grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Lang
- grid.15078.3b0000 0000 9397 8745Christoph-Dornier-Foundation for Clinical Psychology, Institute for Clinical Psychology Bremen; Bremen, Germany and Department for Psychology & Methods, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Alexander L. Gerlach
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus M. Nöthen
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Georg W. Alpers
- grid.5601.20000 0001 0943 599XDepartment of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Volker Arolt
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Witt
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jan Richter
- grid.5603.0Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany ,grid.9463.80000 0001 0197 8922Department of Experimental Psychopathology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior - CMBB, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bru Cormand
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Department de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB); Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Madrid, Spain; Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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10
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Butlen-Ducuing F, Balkowiec-Iskra E, Dalla C, Slattery DA, Ferretti MT, Kokras N, Balabanov P, De Vries C, Mellino S, Santuccione Chadha A. Implications of sex-related differences in central nervous system disorders for drug research and development. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 20:881-882. [PMID: 34226696 DOI: 10.1038/d41573-021-00115-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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11
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Slattery DA, Cryan JF. Membrane molecules for mood. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:602-604. [PMID: 34053679 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
According to the decades-old neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, the delayed actions of antidepressants are purported to be due to their downstream effects on neuronal plasticity. In a recent study, Casarotto et al. reveal that antidepressants can in fact directly bind to the neurotrophin TRKB receptor and exert their effects through this mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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Chruścicka B, Cowan CSM, Wallace Fitzsimons SE, Borroto-Escuela DO, Druelle CM, Stamou P, Bergmann CA, Dinan TG, Slattery DA, Fuxe K, Cryan JF, Schellekens H. Molecular, biochemical and behavioural evidence for a novel oxytocin receptor and serotonin 2C receptor heterocomplex. Neuropharmacology 2020; 183:108394. [PMID: 33188842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The complexity of oxytocin-mediated functions is strongly associated with its modulatory effects on other neurotransmission systems, including the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system. Signalling between oxytocin (OT) and 5-HT has been demonstrated during neurodevelopment and in the regulation of specific emotion-based behaviours. It is suggested that crosstalk between neurotransmitters is driven by interaction between their specific receptors, particularly the oxytocin receptor (OTR) and the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor (5-HTR2C), but evidence for this and the downstream signalling consequences that follow are lacking. Considering the overlapping central expression profiles and shared involvement of OTR and 5-HTR2C in certain endocrine functions and behaviours, including eating behaviour, social interaction and locomotor activity, we investigated the existence of functionally active OTR/5-HTR2C heterocomplexes. Here, we demonstrate evidence for a potential physical interaction between OTR and 5-HTR2Cin vitro in a cellular expression system using flow cytometry-based FRET (fcFRET). We could recapitulate this finding under endogenous expression levels of both receptors via in silico analysis of single cell transcriptomic data and ex vivo proximity ligation assay (PLA). Next, we show that co-expression of the OTR/5-HTR2C pair resulted in a significant depletion of OTR-mediated Gαq-signalling and significant changes in receptor trafficking. Of note, attenuation of OTR-mediated downstream signalling was restored following pharmacological blockade of the 5-HTR2C. Finally, we demonstrated a functional relevance of this novel heterocomplex, in vivo, as 5-HTR2C antagonism increased OT-mediated hypoactivity in mice. Overall, we provide compelling evidence for the formation of functionally active OTR/5-HTR2C heterocomplexes, adding another level of complexity to OTR and 5-HTR2C signalling functionality. This article is part of the special issue on Neuropeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Chruścicka
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Kjell Fuxe
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Harriët Schellekens
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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13
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14
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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15
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Slattery DA, Young JW. Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity. Neuropharmacology 2019; 156:107665. [PMID: 31176758 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive MC 0804, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0804, USA; Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
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16
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Martinetz S, Meinung CP, Jurek B, von Schack D, van den Burg EH, Slattery DA, Neumann ID. De Novo Protein Synthesis Mediated by the Eukaryotic Elongation Factor 2 Is Required for the Anxiolytic Effect of Oxytocin. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:802-811. [PMID: 30826070 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) mediates its actions, including anxiolysis, via its G protein-coupled OXT receptor. Within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), OXT-induced anxiolysis is mediated, at least in part, via activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway following calcium influx through transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 2 channels. In the periphery, OXT activates eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), an essential mediator of protein synthesis. METHODS In order to study whether OXT activates eEF2 also in neurons to exert its anxiolytic properties in the PVN, we performed in vivo and cell culture experiments. RESULTS We demonstrate that OXT, in a protein kinase C-dependent manner, activates eEF2 both in a hypothalamic cell line and in vivo within the PVN. Next, we reveal that OXT stimulates de novo protein synthesis, while inhibition of protein synthesis within the PVN prevents the anxiolytic effect of OXT in male rats. Moreover, activation of eEF2 within the PVN conveyed an anxiolytic effect supporting a role of OXT-induced eEF2 activation and protein synthesis for its anxiolysis. Finally, we show that one of the proteins that is upregulated by OXT is the neuropeptide Y receptor 5. Infusion of a specific neuropeptide Y receptor 5 agonist into the PVN consequently led to decreased anxiety-related behavior, while pretreatment with a neuropeptide Y receptor 5 antagonist prevented the anxiolytic effect of OXT. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results show that OXT recruits several intracellular signaling cascades to induce protein synthesis, which mediates the anxiolytic effects of OXT within the PVN and suggests that eEF2 represents a novel target for anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Martinetz
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Carl-Philipp Meinung
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Jurek
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David von Schack
- Biotherapeutics Clinical Research and Development, Precision Medicine, New York, New York
| | | | - David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, Regensburg Center of Neuroscience, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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Candemir E, Post A, Dischinger US, Palme R, Slattery DA, O'Leary A, Reif A. Limited effects of early life manipulations on sex-specific gene expression and behavior in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 2019; 369:111927. [PMID: 31034851 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to childhood adversity is associated with increased vulnerability to stress-related disorders in adulthood which has been replicated in rodent stress models, whereas environmental enrichment has been suggested to have beneficial effects. However, the exact neurobiological mechanisms underlying these environment influences on adult brain and behavior are not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the long-term effects of maternal separation (MS) or environmental enrichment (EE) in male and female CD1 mice. We found clear sex-specific effects, but limited influence of environmental manipulations, on adult behavior, fecal corticosterone metabolite (FCM) levels and stress- and plasticity related gene expression in discrete brain regions. In detail, adult females displayed higher locomotor activity and FCM levels compared to males and EE resulted in attenuation in both measures, but only in females. There were no sex- or postnatal manipulation-dependent differences in anxiety-related behaviors in either sex. Gene expression analyses revealed that adult males showed higher Fkbp5 mRNA levels in hippocampus, hypothalamus and raphe nuclei, and higher hippocampal Nos1 levels. Interestingly, MS elevated Nos1 levels in hippocampus but reduced Fkbp5 expression in hypothalamus of males. Finally, we also found higher Maoa expression in the hypothalamus of adult females, however no differences were observed in the expression levels of Bdnf, Crhr1, Nr3c1 and Htr1a. Our findings further contribute to sex-dependent differences in behavior, corticosterone and gene expression and reveal that the effects of postnatal manipulations on these parameters in outbred CD1 mice are limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esin Candemir
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Antonia Post
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Severin Dischinger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aet O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Neuropsychopharmacology, Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Jacobson LH, Vlachou S, Slattery DA, Li X, Cryan JF. The Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid B Receptor in Depression and Reward. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:963-976. [PMID: 29759132 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The metabotropic gamma-aminobutyric acid B (GABAB) receptor was the first described obligate G protein-coupled receptor heterodimer and continues to set the stage for discoveries in G protein-coupled receptor signaling complexity. In this review, dedicated to the life and work of Athina Markou, we explore the role of GABAB receptors in depression, reward, and the convergence of these domains in anhedonia, a shared symptom of major depressive disorder and withdrawal from drugs of abuse. GABAB receptor expression and function are enhanced by antidepressants and reduced in animal models of depression. Generally, GABAB receptor antagonists are antidepressant-like and agonists are pro-depressive. Exceptions to this rule likely reflect the differential influence of GABAB1 isoforms in depression-related behavior and neurobiology, including the anhedonic effects of social stress. A wealth of data implicate GABAB receptors in the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. We focus on nicotine as an example. GABAB receptor activation attenuates, and deactivation enhances, nicotine reward and associated neurobiological changes. In nicotine withdrawal, however, GABAB receptor agonists, antagonists, and positive allosteric modulators enhance anhedonia, perhaps owing to differential effects of GABAB1 isoforms on the dopaminergic system. Nicotine cue-induced reinstatement is more reliably attenuated by GABAB receptor activation. Separation of desirable and undesirable side effects of agonists is achievable with positive allosteric modulators, which are poised to enter clinical studies for drug abuse. GABAB1 isoforms are key to understanding the neurobiology of anhedonia, whereas allosteric modulators may offer a mechanism for targeting specific brain regions and processes associated with reward and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura H Jacobson
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Styliani Vlachou
- School of Nursing and Human Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin
| | - David A Slattery
- Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Freudenberg F, O’Leary A, Aguiar DC, Slattery DA. Challenges with modelling anxiety disorders: a possible hindrance for drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2017; 13:279-281. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2018.1418321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Aet O’Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Division of Neuropsychopharmacology, Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Daniele C. Aguiar
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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Perani CV, Langgartner D, Uschold-Schmidt N, Füchsl AM, Neumann ID, Reber SO, Slattery DA. Adrenal gland plasticity in lactating rats and mice is sufficient to maintain basal hypersecretion of corticosterone. Stress 2017; 20:303-311. [PMID: 28460556 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1325462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased basal glucocorticoid secretion and a reduced glucocorticoid response during acute stress, despite only minor changes in the secretion of the major secretagogue adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), have been documented in the peripartum period in several species. We recently showed that the adrenal gland, the site of glucocorticoid synthesis, undergoes substantial postpartum-associated plasticity in the rat at mid-lactation. Here, we asked the question whether adrenal changes already take place around parturition in the rat and in another species, namely the mouse. After demonstrating that several components of the adrenal machinery mediating cholesterol supply for steroidogenesis, including protein levels of hormone-sensitive lipase, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and scavenger receptor class-B type-1 (SRB1), are upregulated, while hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) is downregulated in the lactating rat one day after delivery, as previously observed at mid-lactation, we demonstrated profound changes in the mouse. In detail, protein expression of LDLR, SRB1, HMGCR and adrenal lipid store density were increased in the mouse adrenal one day after parturition as tested via western blot analysis and oil-red lipid staining, respectively. Moreover, using in vitro culture techniques, we observed that isolated adrenal explants from lactating mice secreted higher levels of corticosterone under basal conditions, but showed impaired responsiveness to ACTH, mimicking the in vivo scenario. These results suggest that mechanisms of adaptation in the maternal adrenal after delivery, namely increased cholesterol availability and decreased ACTH sensitivity, are crucial for the basal increase in circulating glucocorticoids and maternal stress hyporesponsiveness that are typical of this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara V Perani
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- b Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Laboratory for Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine , University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Hamburg , Germany
| | - Dominik Langgartner
- c Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy , University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- d Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Andrea M Füchsl
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- c Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy , University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- c Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy , University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- a Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology , University of Regensburg , Regensburg , Germany
- e Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Frankfurt , Frankfurt , Germany
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21
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Slattery DA, Cryan JF. Modelling depression in animals: at the interface of reward and stress pathways. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1451-1465. [PMID: 28224183 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4552-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Despite substantial research efforts the aetiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) remains poorly understood, which is due in part to the heterogeneity of the disorder and the complexity of designing appropriate animal models. However, in the last few decades, a focus on the development of novel stress-based paradigms and a focus on using hedonic/anhedonic behaviour have led to renewed optimism in the use of animal models to assess aspects of MDD. OBJECTIVES Therefore, in this review article, dedicated to Athina Markou, we summarise the use of stress-based animal models for studying MDD in rodents and how reward-related readouts can be used to validate/assess the model and/or treatment. RESULTS We reveal the use and limitations of chronic stress paradigms, which we split into non-social (i.e. chronic mild stress), social (i.e. chronic social defeat) and drug-withdrawal paradigms for studying MDD and detail numerous reward-related readouts that are employed in preclinical research. Finally, we finish with a section regarding important factors to consider when using animal models. CONCLUSIONS One of the most consistent findings following chronic stress exposure in rodents is a disruption of the brain reward system, which can be easily assessed using sucrose, social interaction, food, drug of abuse or intracranial self-stimulation as a readout. Probing the underlying causes of such alterations is providing a greater understanding of the potential systems and processes that are disrupted in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Slattery
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Heinrich-Hoffmann-Str. 10, 60528, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - J F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Institute, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Slattery DA, Hillerer KM. The maternal brain under stress: Consequences for adaptive peripartum plasticity and its potential functional implications. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 41:114-28. [PMID: 26828151 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The peripartum period represents a time during which all mammalian species undergo substantial physiological and behavioural changes, which prepare the female for the demands of motherhood. In addition to behavioural and physiological alterations, numerous brain regions, such as the medial prefrontal cortex, olfactory bulb, medial amygdala and hippocampus are subject to substantial peripartum-associated neuronal, dendritic and synaptic plasticity. These changes, which are temporally- and spatially-distinct, are strongly influenced by gonadal and adrenal hormones, such as estrogen and cortisol/corticosterone, which undergo dramatic fluctuations across this period. In this review, we describe our current knowledge regarding these plasticity changes and describe how stress affects such normal adaptations. Finally, we discuss the mechanisms potentially underlying these neuronal, dendritic and synaptic changes and their functional relevance for the mother and her offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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23
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Reber SO, Slattery DA. Editorial: Using Stress-Based Animal Models to Understand the Mechanisms Underlying Psychiatric and Somatic Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:192. [PMID: 27990126 PMCID: PMC5130986 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan O Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt , Frankfurt am Main , Germany
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Jurek B, Slattery DA, Hiraoka Y, Liu Y, Nishimori K, Aguilera G, Neumann ID, van den Burg EH. Oxytocin Regulates Stress-Induced Crf Gene Transcription through CREB-Regulated Transcription Coactivator 3. J Neurosci 2015; 35:12248-60. [PMID: 26338335 PMCID: PMC4556790 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1345-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [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: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The major regulator of the neuroendocrine stress response in the brain is corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), whose transcription is controlled by CREB and its cofactors CRTC2/3 (TORC2/3). Phosphorylated CRTCs are sequestered in the cytoplasm, but rapidly dephosphorylated and translocated into the nucleus following a stressful stimulus. As the stress response is attenuated by oxytocin (OT), we tested whether OT interferes with CRTC translocation and, thereby, Crf expression. OT (1 nmol, i.c.v.) delayed the stress-induced increase of nuclear CRTC3 and Crf hnRNA levels in the paraventricular nucleus of male rats and mice, but did not affect either parameter in the absence of the stressor. The increase in Crf hnRNA levels at later time points was parallel to elevated nuclear CRTC2/3 levels. A direct effect of Thr(4) Gly(7)-OT (TGOT) on CRTC3 translocation and Crf expression was found in rat primary hypothalamic neurons, amygdaloid (Ar-5), hypothalamic (H32), and human neuroblastoma (Be(2)M17) cell lines. CRTC3, but not CRCT2, knockdown using siRNA in Be(2)M17 cells prevented the effect of TGOT on Crf hnRNA levels. Chromatin-immunoprecipitation demonstrated that TGOT reduced CRTC3, but not CRTC2, binding to the Crf promoter after 10 min of forskolin stimulation. Together, the results indicate that OT modulates CRTC3 translocation, the binding of CRTC3 to the Crf promoter and, ultimately, transcription of the Crf gene. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The neuropeptide oxytocin has been proposed to reduce hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation during stress. The underlying mechanisms are, however, elusive. In this study we show that activation of the oxytocin receptor in the paraventricular nucleus delays transcription of the gene encoding corticotropin releasing factor (Crf), the main regulator of the stress response. It does so by sequestering the coactivator of the transcription factor CREB, CRTC3, in the cytosol, resulting in reduced binding of CRTC3 to the Crf gene promoter and subsequent Crf gene expression. This novel oxytocin receptor-mediated intracellular mechanism might provide a basis for the treatment of exaggerated stress responses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Jurek
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040, Germany
| | - Yuichi Hiraoka
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city 981-8555, Miyagi-pref, Japan, and
| | - Ying Liu
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Katsuhiko Nishimori
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Aoba-ku, Sendai-city 981-8555, Miyagi-pref, Japan, and
| | - Greti Aguilera
- Section on Endocrine Physiology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040, Germany,
| | - Erwin H van den Burg
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg 93040, Germany
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Abstract
The wide spectrum of disruptions that characterizes major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) highlights the difficulties researchers are posed with as they try to mimic these disorders in the laboratory. Nonetheless, numerous attempts have been made to create rodent models of mood disorders or at least models of the symptoms of MDD and BD. Present antidepressants are all descendants of the serendipitous findings in the 1950s that the monoamine oxidase inhibitor iproniazid and the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine were effective antidepressants. Thus, the need for improved animal models to provide insights into the neuropathology underlying the disease is critical. Such information is in turn crucial for identifying new antidepressants and mood stabilisers. Currently, there is a shift away from traditional animal models to more focused research dealing with an endophenotype-style approach, genetic models, and incorporation of new findings from human neuroimaging and genetic studies. Such approaches are opening up more tractable avenues for understanding the neurobiological and genetic bases of these disorders. Further, such models promise to yield better translational animal models and hence more fruitful therapeutic targets. This overview focuses on such animal models and tests and how they can be used to assess MDD and BD in rodents.
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Langgartner D, Füchsl AM, Uschold-Schmidt N, Slattery DA, Reber SO. Chronic subordinate colony housing paradigm: a mouse model to characterize the consequences of insufficient glucocorticoid signaling. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:18. [PMID: 25755645 PMCID: PMC4337237 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic, in particular chronic psychosocial, stress is a burden of modern societies and known to be a risk factor for numerous somatic and affective disorders (in detail referenced below). However, based on the limited existence of appropriate, and clinically relevant, animal models for studying the effects of chronic stress, the detailed behavioral, physiological, neuronal, and immunological mechanisms linking stress and such disorders are insufficiently understood. To date, most chronic stress studies in animals employ intermittent exposure to the same (homotypic) or to different (heterotypic) stressors of varying duration and intensity. Such models are only of limited value, since they do not adequately reflect the chronic and continuous situation that humans typically experience. Furthermore, application of different physical or psychological stimuli renders comparisons to the mainly psychosocial stressors faced by humans, as well as between the different stress studies almost impossible. In contrast, rodent models of chronic psychosocial stress represent situations more akin to those faced by humans and consequently seem to hold more clinical relevance. Our laboratory has developed a model in which mice are exposed to social stress for 19 continuous days, namely the chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) paradigm, to help bridge this gap. The main aim of the current review article is to provide a detailed summary of the behavioral, physiological, neuronal, and immunological consequences of the CSC paradigm, and wherever possible relate the findings to other stress models and to the human situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Langgartner
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Andrea M. Füchsl
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan O. Reber
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychosomatics, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Bosch OJ, Slattery DA, Neumann ID. The 5th parental brain conference. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:625-6. [PMID: 25074685 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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28
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Galea LA, Leuner B, Slattery DA. Hippocampal plasticity during the peripartum period: influence of sex steroids, stress and ageing. J Neuroendocrinol 2014; 26:641-8. [PMID: 25039797 PMCID: PMC4170229 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The peripartum period is accompanied by dramatic changes in hormones and a host of new behaviours in response to experience with offspring. Both maternal experience and maternal hormones can have a significant impact upon the brain and behaviour. This review outlines recent studies demonstrating modifications in hippocampal plasticity across the peripartum period, as well as the putative hormonal mechanisms underlying these changes and their modulation by stress. In addition, the impact of reproductive experience upon the ageing hippocampus is discussed. Finally, we consider how these changes in hippocampal structure may play a role in postpartum cognitive function and mood disorders, as well as age-related cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa A.M. Galea
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CANADA
| | - Benedetta Leuner
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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29
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Perani CV, Slattery DA. Using animal models to study post-partum psychiatric disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2014; 171:4539-55. [PMID: 24527704 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The post-partum period represents a time during which all maternal organisms undergo substantial plasticity in a wide variety of systems in order to ensure the well-being of the offspring. Although this time is generally associated with increased calmness and decreased stress responses, for a substantial subset of mothers, this period represents a time of particular risk for the onset of psychiatric disorders. Thus, post-partum anxiety, depression and, to a lesser extent, psychosis may develop, and not only affect the well-being of the mother but also place at risk the long-term health of the infant. Although the risk factors for these disorders, as well as normal peripartum-associated adaptations, are well known, the underlying aetiology of post-partum psychiatric disorders remains poorly understood. However, there have been a number of attempts to model these disorders in basic research, which aim to reveal their underlying mechanisms. In the following review, we first discuss known peripartum adaptations and then describe post-partum mood and anxiety disorders, including their risk factors, prevalence and symptoms. Thereafter, we discuss the animal models that have been designed in order to study them and what they have revealed about their aetiology to date. Overall, these studies show that it is feasible to study such complex disorders in animal models, but that more needs to be done in order to increase our knowledge of these severe and debilitating mood and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- C V Perani
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Peters S, Slattery DA, Uschold-Schmidt N, Reber SO, Neumann ID. Dose-dependent effects of chronic central infusion of oxytocin on anxiety, oxytocin receptor binding and stress-related parameters in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 42:225-36. [PMID: 24636519 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is a recognized risk factor for various affective and somatic disorders. In an established murine model of chronic psychosocial stress, exposure to chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC) results in an alteration of physiological, behavioral, neuroendocrine and immunological parameters, including a long-lasting increase in anxiety, adrenal hypertrophy and thymus atrophy. Based on the stress-protective and anxiolytic properties of oxytocin (OXT) after acute administration in rodents and humans, the major aims of our study were to assess whether chronic administration of OXT dose-dependently affects the behavior and physiology of male mice, as for therapeutic use in humans, mostly chronic treatment approaches will be used. Further, we studied, whether chronic administration during CSC prevents stress-induced consequences. Our results indicate that chronic intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of OXT (15 days) at high (10ng/h), but not at low (1ng/h) dose, induces an anxiogenic phenotype with a concomitant reduction of OXT receptor (OXTR) binding within the septum, the basolateral and medial amygdala, as well as the median raphe nucleus. Further, we demonstrate that chronic ICV infusion of OXT (1ng/h) during a 19-day CSC exposure prevents the hyper-anxiety, thymus atrophy, adrenal hypertrophy, and decreased in vitro adrenal ACTH sensitivity. Thus, given both negative, but also beneficial effects seen after chronic OXT treatment, which appear to be dose-dependent, a deeper understanding of long-lasting treatment effects is required before OXT can be considered for long-term therapeutic use for the treatment of psychopathologies such as autism, schizophrenia or anxiety-disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Peters
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Uschold-Schmidt
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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Hillerer KM, Neumann ID, Couillard-Despres S, Aigner L, Slattery DA. Lactation-induced reduction in hippocampal neurogenesis is reversed by repeated stress exposure. Hippocampus 2014; 24:673-83. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M. Hillerer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK); Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
| | - Inga D. Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
| | - Sebastien Couillard-Despres
- Institute of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
| | - Ludwig Aigner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
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Abstract
Social fear and avoidance of social situations represent the main behavioral symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SAD), a disorder that is poorly elucidated and has rather unsatisfactory therapeutic options. Therefore, animal models are needed to study the underlying etiology of the disorder and possible novel treatment approaches. However, the current paradigms modeling SAD-like symptoms in rodents are not specific, as they induce numerous other behavioral deficits in addition to social fear and avoidance. Here, we describe the protocol for the social fear conditioning paradigm, an animal model of SAD that specifically induces social fear of unfamiliar con-specifics without potentially confounding alterations in other behavioral measures. Theoretical and practical considerations for performing the social fear conditioning paradigm in both rats and mice, as well as for the analysis and interpretation of the obtained data, are described in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Toth
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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33
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Hillerer KM, Neumann ID, Couillard-Despres S, Aigner L, Slattery DA. Sex-dependent regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis under basal and chronic stress conditions in rats. Hippocampus 2013; 23:476-87. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Peters S, Slattery DA, Flor PJ, Neumann ID, Reber SO. Differential effects of baclofen and oxytocin on the increased ethanol consumption following chronic psychosocial stress in mice. Addict Biol 2013; 18:66-77. [PMID: 23126471 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress is known to enhance the susceptibility for addiction disorders including alcoholism. While these findings have been recapitulated in animal models, the majority of these studies have utilized non-social rather than social stress paradigms; the latter of which are believed to be more relevant to the human situation. Therefore, the major aim of this study was to investigate, if 14 days of chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC), a pre-clinically validated psychosocial stress paradigm relevant for human psychiatric and somatic disorders, enhances ethanol (EtOH) consumption in male mice. To assess this, we employed the well-established two-bottle free-choice paradigm where mice were given access to water and 2, 4, 6 and 8% EtOH solutions (with the concentrations increasing each fourth day) following termination of the stress procedure. After 14 days of CSC, stressed mice consumed significantly more EtOH at all concentrations tested and displayed increased EtOH preference at concentrations of 6 and 8%. This effect was not due to an altered taste preference in CSC mice as assessed by saccharine- and quinine-preference tests, but was accompanied by increased anxiety-related behavior. Systemic administration of baclofen (2.5 mg/kg) or oxytocin (OXT; 10 mg/kg) reduced the EtOH intake in single housed control (baclofen, OXT) and CSC (baclofen) mice, whereas intracerebroventricular OXT (0.5 μg/2 μl) was ineffective in both groups. Taken together, these results suggest that (i) chronic psychosocial stress enhances EtOH consumption, and (ii) baclofen and OXT differentially affect EtOH intake in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Peters
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg; Germany
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg; Germany
| | - Peter J. Flor
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg; Germany
| | - Inga D. Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg; Germany
| | - Stefan O. Reber
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology; University of Regensburg; Regensburg; Germany
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Bartlang MS, Neumann ID, Slattery DA, Uschold-Schmidt N, Kraus D, Helfrich-Förster C, Reber SO. Time matters: pathological effects of repeated psychosocial stress during the active, but not inactive, phase of male mice. J Endocrinol 2012; 215:425-37. [PMID: 23001029 DOI: 10.1530/joe-12-0267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Recent findings in rats indicated that the physiological consequences of repeated restraint stress are dependent on the time of day of stressor exposure. To investigate whether this is also true for clinically more relevant psychosocial stressors and whether repeated stressor exposure during the light phase or dark phase is more detrimental for an organism, we exposed male C57BL/6 mice to social defeat (SD) across 19 days either in the light phase between Zeitgeber time (ZT)1 and ZT3 (SDL mice) or in the dark phase between ZT13 and ZT15 (SDD mice). While SDL mice showed a prolonged increase in adrenal weight and an attenuated adrenal responsiveness to ACTH in vitro after stressor termination, SDD mice showed reduced dark phase home-cage activity on observation days 7, 14, and 20, flattening of the diurnal corticosterone rhythm, lack of social preference, and higher in vitro IFNγ secretion from mesenteric lymph node cells on day 20/21. Furthermore, the colitis-aggravating effect of SD was more pronounced in SDD than SDL mice following dextran sulfate sodium treatment. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrate that repeated SD effects on behavior, physiology, and immunology strongly depend on the time of day of stressor exposure. Whereas physiological parameters were more affected by SD during the light/inactive phase of mice, behavioral and immunological parameters were more affected by SD during the dark phase. Our results imply that repeated daily SD exposure has a more negative outcome when applied during the dark/active phase. By contrast, the minor physiological changes seen in SDL mice might represent beneficial adaptations preventing the formation of those maladaptive consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela S Bartlang
- Department of Neurobiology and Genetics, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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36
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Jurek B, Slattery DA, Maloumby R, Hillerer K, Koszinowski S, Neumann ID, van den Burg EH. Differential contribution of hypothalamic MAPK activity to anxiety-like behaviour in virgin and lactating rats. PLoS One 2012; 7:e37060. [PMID: 22615888 PMCID: PMC3355176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [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: 01/26/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The c-Raf – MEK1/2 – ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) intracellular signalling cascade in neurons plays important roles in the control of a variety of behaviours, including social behaviours and anxiety. These roles partially overlap with those described for oxytocin (OXT), and it has been shown that OXT activates the MAPK pathway in the hypothalamus (of male), and hippocampus (of female) rats. Here, by combining behavioural (light/dark box) and biochemical analyses (western blotting), we tested two hypotheses: (i) that OXT is anxiolytic within the hypothalamus of females, and (ii) that this effect, as well as that of lactation-associated anxiolysis, depends on the recruitment of the MAPK pathway. We found that, when injected bilaterally into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), OXT decreased anxiety-like behaviour in virgins, and that this effect depended on phosphorylation of MEK1/2. MAPK pathway activation in lactation was evident by high phosphorylated (p) MEK1/2 levels, and nuclear translocation of ERK1. The high pMEK1/2 levels were necessary for the anxiolytic phenotype typically observed during lactation. Interestingly, exogenous OXT in lactating rats reduced pMEK1/2 levels without a concomitant effect on anxiety, indicating that OXT receptor activation can lead to recruitment of additional intracellular pathways to modulate MEK activity. Still other pathways could include MEK, but without subsequent activation of ERK, as we did not observe any increase in OXT-induced ERK phosphorylation. Together the results demonstrate that the MAPK pathway, especially MEK1/2, is critically involved in the regulation of anxiety-like behaviour in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Jurek
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David A. Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rodrigue Maloumby
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Hillerer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sophie Koszinowski
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D. Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- * E-mail: Inga
| | - Erwin H. van den Burg
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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37
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Slattery DA, Uschold N, Magoni M, Bär J, Popoli M, Neumann ID, Reber SO. Behavioural consequences of two chronic psychosocial stress paradigms: anxiety without depression. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:702-14. [PMID: 21962377 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress, in particular chronic psychosocial stress, is a risk factor in the aetiology of various psychopathologies including anxiety- and depression-related disorders. Therefore, recent studies have focussed on the development of social-stress paradigms, which are believed to be more relevant to the human situation than non-social-stress paradigms. The majority of these paradigms have been reported to increase both anxiety- and depression-related behaviour in rats or mice. However, in order to dissect the mechanisms underlying anxiety or depression, animal models are needed, which specifically induce one, or the other, phenotype. Here, we study both short- (1d after stressor termination) and long-term (4d or 7d after stressor termination) behavioural and physiological consequences of two well-validated chronic psychosocial stress models: social-defeat/overcrowding (SD/OC) and chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC). We demonstrate that SD/OC and CSC result in different physiological alterations: SD/OC more strongly affecting body-weight development, whereas CSC more strongly affects adrenal and pituitary morphology. Both stressors were shown to flatten circadian locomotor activity immediately after stress termination, which normalized 7d later in SD/OC group but reversed to hyperactivity during the dark phase in the CSC group. Importantly, neither stress paradigm resulted in an increase in depression-related behaviour as assessed using the forced swim test, tail suspension test and saccharin preference test at any time-point. However, both stress paradigms lead to an anxiogenic phenotype; albeit with different temporal profiles and not towards a novel con-specific (social anxiety). CSC exposure elevates anxiety-related behaviour immediately after stressor termination, which lasts for at least 1 wk. In contrast, the anxiogenic phenotype only develops 1 wk after SD/OC termination. In conclusion, both models are unique for uncovering the molecular underpinnings of anxiety-related behaviour without conflicting depression-based alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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38
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Wegener G, Finger BC, Elfving B, Keller K, Liebenberg N, Fischer CW, Singewald N, Slattery DA, Neumann ID, Mathé AA. Neuropeptide S alters anxiety, but not depression-like behaviour in Flinders Sensitive Line rats: a genetic animal model of depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2012; 15:375-87. [PMID: 21708052 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145711000678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide S (NPS) and its receptor (NPSR) have been implicated in the mediation of anxiolytic-like behaviour in rodents. However, little knowledge is available regarding the NPS system in depression-related behaviours, and whether NPS also exerts anxiolytic effects in an animal model of psychopathology. Therefore, the aim of this work was to characterize the effects of NPS on depression- and anxiety-related parameters, using male and female rats in a well-validated animal model of depression: the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL), their controls, the Flinders Resistant Line (FRL), and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. We found that FSL showed greater immobility in the forced swim test (FST) than FRL, confirming their phenotype. However, NPS did not affect depression-related behaviour in any rat line. No significant differences in baseline anxiety levels between the FSL and FRL strains were observed, but FSL and FRL rats displayed less anxiety-like behaviour compared to SD rats. NPS decreased anxiety-like behaviour on the elevated plus-maze in all strains. The expression of the NPSR in the amygdala, periventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and hippocampus was equal in all male strains, although a trend towards reduced expression within the amygdala was observed in FSL rats compared to SD rats. In conclusion, NPS had a marked anxiolytic effect in FSL, FRL and SD rats, but did not modify the depression-related behaviour in any strain, in spite of the significant differences in innate level between the strains. These findings suggest that NPS specifically modifies anxiety behaviour but cannot overcome/reverse a genetically mediated depression phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregers Wegener
- Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Beate C Finger
- School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Betina Elfving
- Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Keller
- Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nico Liebenberg
- Centre for Psychiatric Research, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology & Centre of Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Austria
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Aleksander A Mathé
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Hillerer KM, Neumann ID, Slattery DA. From stress to postpartum mood and anxiety disorders: how chronic peripartum stress can impair maternal adaptations. Neuroendocrinology 2012; 95:22-38. [PMID: 22042058 DOI: 10.1159/000330445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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: 03/14/2011] [Accepted: 06/25/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The peripartum period, in all mammalian species, is characterised by numerous adaptations at neuroendocrine, molecular and behavioural levels that prepare the female for the challenges of motherhood. These changes have been well characterised and, while they are necessary to ensure the survival and nurturance of the offspring, there is growing belief that they are also required for maternal mental health. Thus, while increased calmness and attenuated stress responsivity are common characteristics of the peripartum period, it also represents a time of increased susceptibility to mood disorders. While a number of risk factors for these disorders are known, their underlying aetiology remains poorly understood, due at least in part to a lack of appropriate animal models. One translatable risk factor is stress exposure during the peripartum period. In the following review we first describe common peripartum adaptations and the impact postpartum mood disorders have on these. We then discuss the known consequences of peripartum stress exposure on such maternal adaptations that have been described in basic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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40
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Hillerer KM, Reber SO, Neumann ID, Slattery DA. Exposure to chronic pregnancy stress reverses peripartum-associated adaptations: implications for postpartum anxiety and mood disorders. Endocrinology 2011; 152:3930-40. [PMID: 21846798 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [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] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Maternal adaptations, such as decreased anxiety and attenuated stress responsiveness, are necessary to enable successful postnatal development of the offspring. However, there is growing evidence that they are also required to protect the mental health of the mother and that exposure to chronic stress during pregnancy may prevent such adaptations. Overcrowding stress (24 h) and restraint stress (2 × 1 h) were employed on alternate days between pregnancy d 4-16 to examine the impact of chronic pregnancy stress on relevant behavioral, neuroendocrine, and neuronal peripartum adaptations. To determine whether the chronic stress-induced alterations were specific to the peripartum period, we included virgins as controls. Validating the stress procedure, we demonstrated decreased body-weight gain and increased adrenal weight in stressed dams, relative to their nonstressed controls. Chronic stress prevented a number of peripartum adaptations, including basal plasma hypercorticosterone levels, increased oxytocin mRNA expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, and anxiolysis. However, chronic stress did not prevent the peripartum-associated decrease in CRH mRNA expression or attenuate corticosterone response to an acute stressor, nor did it affect hypothalamic vasopressin mRNA expression. Illustrating the specificity of these stress-induced changes to the peripartum period, none of these parameters were affected in stressed virgins. Although chronic stress did not alter depression-related behavior, it reversed the response to acute imipramine treatment and increased active maternal behavior in lactation. Thus, prevention of the peripartum-associated increases in basal corticosterone and oxytocin system activity by pregnancy stress reveal two alterations that may increase the risk of postpartum psychiatric disorders, particularly anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Dept. of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Lukas M, Toth I, Reber SO, Slattery DA, Veenema AH, Neumann ID. The neuropeptide oxytocin facilitates pro-social behavior and prevents social avoidance in rats and mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:2159-68. [PMID: 21677650 PMCID: PMC3176581 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 294] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Social avoidance and social phobia are core symptoms of various psychopathologies but their underlying etiology remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aims to reveal pro-social effects of the neuropeptide oxytocin (OT), under both basal and stress-induced social avoidance conditions in rodents using a social preference paradigm. We initially show that intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) application of an OT receptor antagonist (OTR-A) in naïve male rats (0.75 μg/5 μl), or mice (20 μg/2 μl), reduced social exploration of a novel con-specific indicative of attenuated social preference. Previous exposure of male rats to a single social defeat resulted in loss of their social preference and social avoidance, which could be restored by i.c.v. infusion of synthetic OT (0.1 μg/5 μl) 20 min before the social preference test. Although the amygdala has been implicated in both social and OT-mediated actions, bilateral OTR-A (0.1 μg/1 μl) or OT (0.01 μg/1 μl) administration into various subnuclei of the amygdala did not affect basal or stress-induced social preference behavior, respectively. Finally, we demonstrate the social specificity of these OT-mediated effects by showing that neither an arginine vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist (0.75 μg/5 μl, i.c.v.) nor the anxiogenic drug pentylenetetrazol (15 mg/kg, i.p.) altered social preference, with OTR-A not affecting non-social anxiety on the elevated plus-maze. Overall, the data indicate that the basal activity of the endogenous brain OT system is sufficient to promote natural occurring social preference in rodents while synthetic OT shows potential to reverse stress-induced social avoidance and might thus be of use for treating social phobia and social dysfunction in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Lukas
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Iulia Toth
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan O Reber
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Alexa H Veenema
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany,Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany, Tel: +49 941 943 3053, Fax: +49 941 943 3052, E-mail:
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42
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Abstract
Affective disorders are among the main causes of disability worldwide, yet the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Recently, landmark neuroimaging studies have shown increased metabolic activity in Brodmann Area 25 (BA25) in depressed patients. Moreover, functional inactivation of this region using deep brain stimulation alleviated depressive symptoms in severely depressed patients. Thus, we examined the effect of a similar manipulation, pharmacological inactivation of the infralimbic cortex, the rodent correlate of BA25, in an animal model of antidepressant activity: the modified rat forced swim test. Transient inactivation of the infralimbic cortex using muscimol reduced immobility, an antidepressant-like effect in the test. Importantly, this activity was not the result of a general increase in locomotor activity. Activation of the infralimbic cortex using bicuculline did not alter behaviour. Finally, we examined the effect of muscimol in animals bred for high anxiety-related behaviour, which also display elevated depression-related behaviour. Transient inactivation of the infralimbic cortex decreased the high inborn depression-like behaviour of these rats. These results show that it is possible to replicate findings from a clinical trial in a rodent model. Further, they support the use of the forced swim test to gain greater understanding of the neurocircuitry involved in depression and antidepressant-action.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Neuroscience Research, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
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Reber SO, Peters S, Slattery DA, Hofmann C, Schölmerich J, Neumann ID, Obermeier F. Mucosal immunosuppression and epithelial barrier defects are key events in murine psychosocial stress-induced colitis. Brain Behav Immun 2011; 25:1153-61. [PMID: 21397685 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2011.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is a risk factor for many affective and somatic disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases. In support chronic subordinate colony housing (CSC, 19 days), an established mouse model of chronic psychosocial stress, causes the development of spontaneous colitis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of such stress-induced colitis are poorly understood. Assessing several functional levels of the colon during the initial stress phase, we show a pronounced adrenal hormone-mediated local immune suppression, paralleled by impaired intestinal barrier functions, resulting in enhanced bacterial load in stool and colonic tissue. Moreover, prolonged treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics revealed the causal role of these early maladaptations in the development of stress-induced colitis. Together, we demonstrate that translocation of commensal bacteria is crucial in the initiation of stress-induced colonic inflammation. However, aggravation by the immune-modulatory effects of fluctuating levels of adrenal hormones is required to develop this into a full-blown colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan O Reber
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Neuroscience Centre, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany.
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44
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Neumann ID, Wegener G, Homberg JR, Cohen H, Slattery DA, Zohar J, Olivier JDA, Mathé AA. Animal models of depression and anxiety: What do they tell us about human condition? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2011; 35:1357-75. [PMID: 21129431 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2010] [Revised: 10/24/2010] [Accepted: 11/19/2010] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
While modern neurobiology methods are necessary they are not sufficient to elucidate etiology and pathophysiology of affective disorders and develop new treatments. Achievement of these goals is contingent on applying cutting edge methods on appropriate disease models. In this review, the authors present four rodent models with good face-, construct-, and predictive-validity: the Flinders Sensitive rat line (FSL); the genetically "anxious" High Anxiety-like Behavior (HAB) line; the serotonin transporter knockout 5-HTT(-/-) rat and mouse lines; and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) model induced by exposure to predator scent, that they have employed to investigate the nature of depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- I D Neumann
- Dept of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Biology and Preclinical Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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45
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Hillerer K, Bayerl D, Maloumby R, Neumann ID, Slattery DA. Towards a better understanding of maternal mental health: the effect of chronic stress on peripartum adaptations. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2010. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1267027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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46
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Slattery DA, Neumann ID. Oxytocin and Major Depressive Disorder: Experimental and Clinical Evidence for Links to Aetiology and Possible Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2010; 3:702-724. [PMID: 27713275 PMCID: PMC4033976 DOI: 10.3390/ph3030702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2010] [Revised: 02/24/2010] [Accepted: 03/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Affective disorders represent the most common psychiatric diseases, with substantial co-morbidity existing between major depressive disorders (MDD) and anxiety disorders. The lack of truly novel acting compounds has led to non-monoaminergic based research and hypotheses in recent years. The large number of brain neuropeptides, characterized by discrete synthesis sites and multiple receptors, represent likely research candidates for novel therapeutic targets. The present review summarises the available preclinical and human evidence regarding the neuropeptide, oxytocin, and its implications in the aetiology and treatment of MDD. While the evidence is not conclusive at present additional studies are warranted to determine whether OXT may be of therapeutic benefit in subsets of MDD patients such as those with comorbid anxiety symptoms and low levels of social attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr 31, Regensburg D-93053, Germany.
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstr 31, Regensburg D-93053, Germany
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Cryan JF, Slattery DA. GABAB Receptors and Depression: Current Status. GABABReceptor Pharmacology - A Tribute to Norman Bowery 2010; 58:427-51. [DOI: 10.1016/s1054-3589(10)58016-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Hillerer K, Slattery DA, Neumann ID. Chronic gestational stress affects behaviour in lactating rats and has implications on the physiology of the offspring. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2008. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1096339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
The time around birth is accompanied by behavioural and physiological adaptations of the maternal brain, which ensure reproductive functions, maternal care and the survival of the offspring. In addition, profound neuroendocrine and neurobiological adaptations have been described with respect to behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responsiveness in rodents and human mothers. Thus, the hormonal response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the response of the sympathetic nervous system to emotional and physical stressors are severely attenuated. Moreover, anxiety-related behaviour and emotional responsiveness to stressful stimuli are reduced with the result of general calmness. These complex adaptations of the maternal brain are likely to be a consequence of an increased activity of brain systems with inhibitory effects on the HPA axis (such as the oxytocin and prolactin systems) and of a reduced activity of excitatory pathways (noradrenaline (norepinephrine), corticotrophin-releasing factor and opioids). Experimental manipulation of these systems using complementary approaches indeed demonstrates their importance in these maternal brain adaptations. Maternal stress adaptations are not only important for the healthy prenatal development of the offspring by preventing excessive glucocorticoid responses and in the promotion of postnatal maternal behaviour, but are also vital for the well-being of the mother and her mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Slattery
- Department of Behavioural & Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Bosch OJ, Müsch W, Bredewold R, Slattery DA, Neumann ID. Prenatal stress increases HPA axis activity and impairs maternal care in lactating female offspring: implications for postpartum mood disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2007; 32:267-78. [PMID: 17337328 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2006.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [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: 10/25/2006] [Revised: 12/15/2006] [Accepted: 12/18/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress is believed to constitute a risk factor for the development of mood disorders later in life. In the present study, we hypothesized that prenatal stress (PS) exerts long-lasting effects in female rat offspring, resulting in impaired adaptations to stress during lactation and, as such, may be a contributory factor to postpartum mood disorders. PS increased anxiety in adult virgin females compared with controls. During lactation, PS dams nursed significantly less and spent less time with pups compared with controls, whereas dams did not differ in pup retrieval or maternal aggression. HPA axis reactivity was elevated in response to a mild stressor in PS dams compared to their controls, but not in virgins, with the delta corticosterone response returning to the higher level seen in virgins. Moreover, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression within the parvocellular region of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was increased in both virgins and dams exposed to PS compared with the relative controls, while the attenuation in expression in lactating controls was abolished following PS. In addition, arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA was increased in the parvocellular, but not magnocellular part of the PVN, in both PS-exposed virgins and lactating dams compared with their relative controls; although expression was also higher in controls during lactation compared with virgins. Thus, the present study demonstrates that exposure to PS results in long-lasting behavioural and neuroendocrine alterations in the female offspring, which are manifested during the lactation period. Furthermore, it implicates PS as a potential risk factor for the development of postpartum mood disorders, and that alterations in the HPA axis reactivity, at least partially, are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Bosch
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany
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