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Wu N, Sun T, Wu X, Chen H, Zhang Z. Modulation of GABA B receptors in the insula bidirectionally affects associative memory of epilectic rats in both spatial and non-spatial operant tasks. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1042227. [PMID: 36688127 PMCID: PMC9846148 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1042227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Stimulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity through GABA receptor agonists is the basic mechanism of many anticonvulsant drugs. Nevertheless, many of these GABergic drugs have adverse cognitive effects. We previously found that GABAB receptors (GABABRs) in the insula regulate operant associative memory in healthy rats. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of GABABR modulation in the insula on operant associative memory in epileptic rats, along with the underlying mechanisms. Methods The lithium-pilocarpine model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was established in male Sprague-Dawley rats. A 22-gauge stainless-steel guide cannula was surgically implanted into the granular insula cortex of the epileptic rats. Baclofen (125 ng/μl, 1 μl), CGP35348 (12.5 μg/μl, 1 μl), or saline (1 μl) was slowly infused through the guide cannula. The Intellicage automated behavioral testing system was used to evaluate operant associative memory of the epileptic rats, including non-spatial operant tasks (basic nosepoke learning and skilled nosepoke learning) and spatial operant tasks (chamber position learning). The expression of the GABABR subunits GB1 and GB2 in the insula was examined by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Results The Intellicage tests demonstrated that baclofen significantly impaired basic nosepoke learning, skilled nosepoke learning and chamber position learning of the epileptic rats, while CGP35348 boosted these functions. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that GB1 and GB2 were expressed in the insula of the epileptic rats, and Western blotting analysis showed that baclofen enhanced while CGP35348 inhibited the expression of these subunits. Conclusion GABABRs in the insula bidirectionally regulate both spatial and non-spatial operant associative memory of epileptic rats. Effects of GABABRs on cognition should be taken into account when evaluating new possible treatments for people with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital of Tianjin University), Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Hongguang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong, China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai, Shandong, China,*Correspondence: Zhen Zhang,
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Cisbani G, Poggini S, Laflamme N, Pons V, Tremblay MÈ, Branchi I, Rivest S. The Intellicage system provides a reproducible and standardized method to assess behavioral changes in cuprizone-induced demyelination mouse model. Behav Brain Res 2020; 400:113039. [PMID: 33279637 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by myelin loss in the brain parenchyma. To mimic the disease, mice are fed a cuprizone-supplemented diet for 5 weeks, which leads to demyelination of white and grey matter regions, with the corpus callosum being the most susceptible to cuprizone intoxication. Although this model is highly exploited, classical behavioural tests showed inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE In our study, we aimed to use the automated system Intellicage to phenotype the behaviour of cuprizone-fed mice. METHODS Mice were continuously monitored during the 5 weeks of intoxication in their home cages, with minimal interference from the experimenter. Mice were assessed for spontaneous activity, fine movements, and impulsivity. RESULTS Consistently, cuprizone-fed mice showed reduced activity and impulsivity throughout the test period. These behavioral results were confirmed by repeating the battery of behavioral tests in a second cohort of cuprizone-fed mice. Our results suggest that the behavioural phenotyping of cuprizone-fed mice using Intellicage is reproducible and sensitive enough to detect changes normally missed in standard behavioral test batteries. CONCLUSION Using a reproducible and standardized method to assess behavioral changes in mice intoxicated with cuprizone is crucial to better understand the disease as well as the functional outcome of treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Cisbani
- CHU de Québec Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boul., Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Silvia Poggini
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Roma, Italy
| | - Nataly Laflamme
- CHU de Québec Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boul., Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Vincent Pons
- CHU de Québec Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boul., Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- CHU de Québec Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boul., Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada; Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Igor Branchi
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Roma, Italy
| | - Serge Rivest
- CHU de Québec Research Center and Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boul., Québec City, QC, G1V 4G2, Canada.
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Wu N, Wang F, Jin Z, Zhang Z, Wang LK, Zhang C, Sun T. Effects of GABA B receptors in the insula on recognition memory observed with intellicage. Behav Brain Funct 2017; 13:7. [PMID: 28416021 PMCID: PMC5392977 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-017-0125-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insular function has gradually become a topic of intense study in cognitive research. Recognition memory is a commonly studied type of memory in memory research. GABABR has been shown to be closely related to memory formation. In the present study, we used intellicage, which is a new intelligent behavioural test system, and a bilateral drug microinjection technique to inject into the bilateral insula, to examine the relationship between GABABR and recognition memory. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, Sham, Nacl, baclofen and CGP35348 groups. Different testing procedures were employed using intellicage to detect changes in rat recognition memory. The expression of GABABR (GB1, GB2) in the insula of rats was determined by immunofluorescence and western blotting at the protein level. In addition, the expression of GABABR (GB1, GB2) was detected by RT-PCR at the mRNA level. RESULTS The results of the intellicage test showed that recognition memory was impaired in terms of position learning, punitive learning and punitive reversal learning by using baclofen and CGP35348. In position reversal learning, no significant differences were found in terms of cognitive memory ability between the control groups and the CGP and baclofen groups. Immunofluorescence data showed GABABR (GB1, GB2) expression in the insula, while data from RT-PCR and western blot analysis demonstrated that the relative expression of GB1 and GB2 was significantly increased in the baclofen group compared with the control groups. In the CGP35348 group, the expression of GB1 and GB2 was significantly decreased, but there was no significant difference in GB1 or GB2 expression in the control groups. CONCLUSIONS GABABR expression in the insula plays an important role in the formation of recognition memory in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wu
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Zhe Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Lian-Kun Wang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Chun Zhang
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Ningxia Key Laboratory of Cerebrocranial Disease, Incubation Base of National Key Laboratory, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China. .,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China.
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