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Carrier M, Hui CW, Watters V, Šimončičová E, Picard K, González Ibáñez F, Vernoux N, Droit A, Desjardins M, Tremblay MÈ. Behavioral as well as hippocampal transcriptomic and microglial responses differ across sexes in adult mouse offspring exposed to a dual genetic and environmental challenge. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 116:126-139. [PMID: 38016491 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A wide range of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms compose the clinical presentation of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disorder in which genetic and environmental risk factors interact for a full emergence of the disorder. Infectious challenges during pregnancy are a well-known environmental risk factor for schizophrenia. Also, genetic variants affecting the function of fractalkine signaling between neurons and microglia were linked to schizophrenia. Translational animal models recapitulating these complex gene-environment associations have a great potential to untangle schizophrenia neurobiology and propose new therapeutic strategies. METHODS Given that genetic variants affecting the function of fractalkine signaling between neurons and microglia were linked to schizophrenia, we compared the outcomes of a well-characterized model of maternal immune activation induced using the viral mimetic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) in wild-type versus fractalkine receptor knockout mice. Possible behavioral and immune alterations were assessed in male and female offspring during adulthood. Considering the role of the hippocampus in schizophrenia, microglial analyses and bulk RNA sequencing were performed within this region to assess the neuroimmune dynamics at play. Males and females were examined separately. RESULTS Offspring exposed to the dual challenge paradigm exhibited symptoms relevant to schizophrenia and unpredictably to mood disorders. Males displayed social and cognitive deficits related to schizophrenia, while females mainly presented anxiety-like behaviors related to mood disorders. Hippocampal microglia in females exposed to the dual challenge were hypertrophic, indicative of an increased surveillance, whereas those in males showed on the other end of the spectrum blunted morphologies with a reduced phagocytosis. Hippocampal bulk-RNA sequencing further revealed a downregulation in females of genes related to GABAergic transmission, which represents one of the main proposed causes of mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS Building on previous results, we identified in the current study distinctive behavioral phenotypes in female mice exposed to a dual genetic and environmental challenge, thus proposing a new model of neurodevelopmentally-associated mood and affective symptoms. This paves the way to future sex-specific investigations into the susceptibility to developmental challenges using animal models based on genetic and immune vulnerability as presented here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaël Carrier
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Chin W Hui
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Valérie Watters
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Eva Šimončičová
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Katherine Picard
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Département de médecine moléculaire, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Fernando González Ibáñez
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Département de médecine moléculaire, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie Vernoux
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Arnaud Droit
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Département de médecine moléculaire, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Michèle Desjardins
- Department of Physics, Physical Engineering and Optics, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada; Oncology Axis, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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Song BL, Zhou J, Jiang Y, Li LF, Liu YJ. Dopamine D2 receptor within the intermediate region of the lateral septum modulate social hierarchy in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2023; 241:109735. [PMID: 37788799 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine (DA) system has long been involved in social hierarchies; however, the specific mechanisms have not been elucidated. The lateral septum (LS) is a limbic brain structure that regulates various emotional, motivational, and social behaviors. DA receptors are abundantly expressed in the LS, modulating its functions. In this study, we evaluated the functions of DA receptors within different subregions of the LS in social dominance using a confrontation tube test in male mice. The results showed that mice living in social groups formed linear dominance hierarchies after a few days of cohousing, and the subordinates showed increased anxiety. Fos expressions was elevated in the entire LS after a confrontation tube test in the subordinates. However, DA neurons were more activated in the dominates within the ventral tegmental area and the dorsal raphe nucleus. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that D2 receptor (D2R) within the intermediate region of the LS (LSi) were elevated in the subordinate. In the following pharmacological studies, we found simultaneous D2R activation in the dominants and D2R inhibition in the subordinates switched the original dominant-subordinate relationship. The aforementioned results suggested that D2R within the LSi plays an important role in social dominance in male mice. These findings improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the social hierarchy, which is closely related to our social life and happiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
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Li LF, Li ZL, Song BL, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Zou HW, Yao LG, Liu YJ. Dopamine D2 receptors in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex modulate social hierarchy in male mice. Curr Zool 2023; 69:682-693. [PMID: 37876636 PMCID: PMC10591156 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoac087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchy greatly influences behavior and health. Both human and animal studies have signaled the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as specifically related to social hierarchy. Dopamine D1 receptors (D1Rs) and D2 receptors (D2Rs) are abundantly expressed in the mPFC, modulating its functions. However, it is unclear how DR-expressing neurons in the mPFC regulate social hierarchy. Here, using a confrontation tube test, we found that most adult C57BL/6J male mice could establish a linear social rank after 1 week of cohabitation. Lower rank individuals showed social anxiety together with decreased serum testosterone levels. D2R expression was significantly downregulated in the dorsal part of mPFC (dmPFC) in lower rank individuals, whereas D1R expression showed no significant difference among the rank groups in the whole mPFC. Virus knockdown of D2Rs in the dmPFC led to mice being particularly prone to lose the contests in the confrontation tube test. Finally, simultaneous D2R activation in the subordinates and D2R inhibition in the dominants in a pair switched their dominant-subordinate relationship. The above results indicate that D2Rs in the dmPFC play an important role in social dominance. Our findings provide novel insights into the divergent functions of prefrontal D1Rs and D2Rs in social dominance, which may contribute to ameliorating social dysfunctions along with abnormal social hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai-Fu Li
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Zi-Lin Li
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Bai-Lin Song
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Hua-Wei Zou
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Lun-Guang Yao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- Henan Key Laboratory of Insect Biology in Funiu Mountain, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Insect Biology, College of Life Science and Agricultural Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
- Research Center of Henan Provincial Agricultural Biomass Resource Engineering and Technology, College of Life Science and Agriculture, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, Henan, China
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Noh K, Cho WH, Lee BH, Kim DW, Kim YS, Park K, Hwang M, Barcelon E, Cho YK, Lee CJ, Yoon BE, Choi SY, Park HY, Jun SB, Lee SJ. Cortical astrocytes modulate dominance behavior in male mice by regulating synaptic excitatory and inhibitory balance. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1541-1554. [PMID: 37563296 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01406-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Social hierarchy is established as an outcome of individual social behaviors, such as dominance behavior during long-term interactions with others. Astrocytes are implicated in optimizing the balance between excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) neuronal activity, which may influence social behavior. However, the contribution of astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex to dominance behavior is unclear. Here we show that dorsomedial prefrontal cortical (dmPFC) astrocytes modulate E/I balance and dominance behavior in adult male mice using in vivo fiber photometry and two-photon microscopy. Optogenetic and chemogenetic activation or inhibition of dmPFC astrocytes show that astrocytes bidirectionally control male mouse dominance behavior, affecting social rank. Dominant and subordinate male mice present distinct prefrontal synaptic E/I balance, regulated by astrocyte activity. Mechanistically, we show that dmPFC astrocytes control cortical E/I balance by simultaneously enhancing presynaptic-excitatory and reducing postsynaptic-inhibitory transmission via astrocyte-derived glutamate and ATP release, respectively. Our findings show how dmPFC astrocyte-neuron communication can be involved in the establishment of social hierarchy in adult male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyungchul Noh
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Hyun Cho
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Hun Lee
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Wook Kim
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo Sung Kim
- Department of Molecular Biology, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Keebum Park
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minkyu Hwang
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ellane Barcelon
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Kyung Cho
- Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Bo-Eun Yoon
- Department of Molecular Biology, Dankook University, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Young Choi
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Yoon Park
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sang Beom Jun
- Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program in Smart Factory, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Joong Lee
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Tran I, Gellner AK. Long-term effects of chronic stress models in adult mice. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:1133-1151. [PMID: 36786896 PMCID: PMC10460743 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02598-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders, such as major depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, tend to be long-term conditions in whose development and maintenance stress are central pathogenic factors. Translational mouse models are widely used in neuropsychiatric research, exploiting social and non-social stressors to investigate the mechanisms underlying their detrimental effects. However, most studies focus on the short-term consequences of chronic stress, whereas only a few are interested in the long-term course. This is counterintuitive given the human conditions that preclinical models are designed to mimic. In this review, we have summarized the limited work to date on long-term effects of chronic stress in mice models. First, the different models are presented and a definition of short- vs. long-term sequelae is proposed. On this basis, behavioral, endocrine, and vegetative effects are addressed before examining data on cellular and molecular alterations in the brain. Finally, future directions for research on the long-term effects of stress are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inès Tran
- Institute of Physiology II, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anne-Kathrin Gellner
- Institute of Physiology II, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Bellini B, Perrotti G, Gambolò L, Baglioni V, Faedda N, Natalucci G, Pezzuti L, Ardizzone I, Guidetti V. Prolonged Social Withdrawal During Adolescence: Transdiagnostic Syndrome or a New Psychiatric Entity? Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01513-0. [PMID: 36884181 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The Japanese term Hikikomori is used to describe a clinical condition in which young people present a prolonged social withdrawal and isolation. Hikikomori syndrome represents an emergent worldwide phenomenon but is still poorly reported and often misdiagnosed. This study investigates and describes an Italian hikikomori adolescent group. Socio-demographic and psychopathological profiles and the relationship between hikikomori and psychopathological conditions were analyzed. No gender difference, a medium-high intellectual level, and no correlation with socioeconomic status were highlighted among the clinical group. The relationship between social withdrawal and social anxiety was significant while no correlation was found with depressive symptoms. The presence of Hikikomori syndrome was also significant in Italian adolescents, suggesting that hikikomori is not a culture-bound syndrome related to the Japanese cultural context, but rather a syndrome occurring in the upper-medium class.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luca Gambolò
- University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
- , St Malchioda 92, 29121, Piacenza, PC, Italy.
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Shemesh Y, Chen A. A paradigm shift in translational psychiatry through rodent neuroethology. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:993-1003. [PMID: 36635579 PMCID: PMC10005947 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01913-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Mental disorders are a significant cause of disability worldwide. They profoundly affect individuals' well-being and impose a substantial financial burden on societies and governments. However, despite decades of extensive research, the effectiveness of current therapeutics for mental disorders is often not satisfactory or well tolerated by the patient. Moreover, most novel therapeutic candidates fail in clinical testing during the most expensive phases (II and III), which results in the withdrawal of pharma companies from investing in the field. It also brings into question the effectiveness of using animal models in preclinical studies to discover new therapeutic agents and predict their potential for treating mental illnesses in humans. Here, we focus on rodents as animal models and propose that they are essential for preclinical investigations of candidate therapeutic agents' mechanisms of action and for testing their safety and efficiency. Nevertheless, we argue that there is a need for a paradigm shift in the methodologies used to measure animal behavior in laboratory settings. Specifically, behavioral readouts obtained from short, highly controlled tests in impoverished environments and social contexts as proxies for complex human behavioral disorders might be of limited face validity. Conversely, animal models that are monitored in more naturalistic environments over long periods display complex and ethologically relevant behaviors that reflect evolutionarily conserved endophenotypes of translational value. We present how semi-natural setups in which groups of mice are individually tagged, and video recorded continuously can be attainable and affordable. Moreover, novel open-source machine-learning techniques for pose estimation enable continuous and automatic tracking of individual body parts in groups of rodents over long periods. The trajectories of each individual animal can further be subjected to supervised machine learning algorithms for automatic detection of specific behaviors (e.g., chasing, biting, or fleeing) or unsupervised automatic detection of behavioral motifs (e.g., stereotypical movements that might be harder to name or label manually). Compared to studies of animals in the wild, semi-natural environments are more compatible with neural and genetic manipulation techniques. As such, they can be used to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying naturalistic behavior. Hence, we suggest that such a paradigm possesses the best out of classical ethology and the reductive behaviorist approach and may provide a breakthrough in discovering new efficient therapies for mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Shemesh
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel.
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804, Munich, Germany.
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Aggression Results in the Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in the Nucleus Accumbens and the Dephosphorylation of mTOR in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Female Syrian Hamsters. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021379. [PMID: 36674893 PMCID: PMC9862940 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Like many social behaviors, aggression can be rewarding, leading to behavioral plasticity. One outcome of reward-induced aggression is the long-term increase in the speed in which future aggression-based encounters is initiated. This form of aggression impacts dendritic structure and excitatory synaptic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region well known to regulate motivated behaviors. Yet, little is known about the intracellular signaling mechanisms that drive these structural/functional changes and long-term changes in aggressive behavior. This study set out to further elucidate the intracellular signaling mechanisms regulating the plasticity in neurophysiology and behavior that underlie the rewarding consequences of aggressive interactions. Female Syrian hamsters experienced zero, two or five aggressive interactions and the phosphorylation of proteins in reward-associated regions was analyzed. We report that aggressive interactions result in a transient increase in the phosphorylation of extracellular-signal related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the nucleus accumbens. We also report that aggressive interactions result in a transient decrease in the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the medial prefrontal cortex, a major input structure to the nucleus accumbens. Thus, this study identifies ERK1/2 and mTOR as potential signaling pathways for regulating the long-term rewarding consequences of aggressive interactions. Furthermore, the recruitment profile of the ERK1/2 and the mTOR pathways are distinct in different brain regions.
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The influence of perceived government corruption on depressive symptoms with social status as a moderator. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20743. [PMID: 36456849 PMCID: PMC9713743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25371-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Perceived government corruption is an important indicator of depressive symptoms. Recent studies have explored the relationship between perceived government corruption and depressive symptoms in a cross-cultural context, but the underlying mechanisms need further research. This paper examines the impact of perceived government corruption on depressive symptoms in China and the moderating role of social status. Based on the 2018 wave of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS2018), 14,116 respondents aged between 16 and 96 were selected. The results revealed: (1) Perceived government corruption was significantly positively correlated with depressive symptoms. (2) Social class had an inhibitory effect in moderating the relationship between perceived government corruption and depressive symptoms. (3) The moderating effect was only significant for respondents who received education between junior high school and a bachelor's degree. The findings provide policy implications for developing countries and transitional societies like China. To build a more psychologically healthy society, we need to strengthen anti-corruption, stimulate social mobility, and improve people's sense of gain in the future.
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Orsolini L, Bellagamba S, Volpe U, Kato TA. Hikikomori and modern-type depression in Italy: A new phenotypical trans-cultural characterization? Int J Soc Psychiatry 2022; 68:1010-1017. [PMID: 35723190 DOI: 10.1177/00207640221099408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hikikomori is a Japanese term etymologically derived from 'hiku' (i.e. 'to pull back') and 'komoru' (i.e. 'seclude oneself'), which identifies those subjects who deliberately withdraw themselves by social life, remaining confined into their own home/room. The phenomenon is widely diffused in Japan, even though it is currently spread outside the Japanese culture. However, a universally shared and cross-cultural adaptation of Hikikomori definition, phenomenological and psychopathological characterization is still missing. METHODOLOGY An expert-guided opinion paper was here provided to clinical characterize the Hikikomori-like social withdrawal in the Italian context, by considering the transformation from a family-based society to a 'fluid' digital-structured culture, also discussing the concept of modern-type depression. This was provided deepening the principal current studies available in literature and giving an interpretation based on clinical experience in the Italian society. The work was supervised through a consensus by the most international expert of Japanese Hikikomori syndrome. RESULTS Current individual, family and social trajectories may potentially act as a mediator in favouring the occurrence of Hikikomori-like social withdrawal also in western countries, including Italy. Despite the differences between Japanese and Italian society and culture, the recent shaping of family structure and intra-familial dynamics, typical of the current post-modern society, may potentially influence the emergence of psychopathologies not typical of Italian culture. Unemployment and 'Not in Employment Education or Training' (NEET) conditions may represent another potential risk factor for economical/social marginalization of youngsters, together with the recent dramatic emergence of web-based psychopathologies. CONCLUSION A diagnostic culturally-adapted flow-chart is proposed for clinical characterizing Hikikomori in Italian context, which may help in proposing preventive strategies, ensuring early identification and prompt therapeutic interventions, particularly among youngsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Orsolini
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellagamba
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Umberto Volpe
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neurosciences/DIMSC, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Takahiro A Kato
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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Spatial working memory is disparately interrelated with social status through different developmental stages in rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113547. [PMID: 34437940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Social life necessitates cognitive competence to meet the dynamic demands of social development. The formation of dominance hierarchy is a general phenomenon in social groups. As an essential element of executive and cognitive function, working memory could influence and be influenced by social status in a dominance hierarchy. However, the direction and degree of the association between them through different developmental stages remain unclear. To address this issue and clarify the "cause or consequence" problem, we investigated the spatial working memory performance in a Y-maze and Morris water maze in home-caged sibling Wistar rats (N = 26 cages, three rats/cage) through three stages of their life: before (week 7), during (week 10), and after (week 20) assumed timings of the social dominance hierarchy formation (SDHF). We used the social dominance tube test during the assumed time of hierarchy formation (weeks 9-11) to measure the relative dominance status in each cage. Here, we found that higher working memory index before SDHF could be predictive of later acquisition of higher social status. Working memory performance declined for all animals during SDHF, in which agonistic conflicts are increased. However, living within an established hierarchical social network for several weeks deteriorated the working memory performance of dominant and middle-ranked animals, while the performance of subordinates improved and got significantly better than higher-ranked animals. In conclusion, while working memory and social status were correlated positively before dominance hierarchy formation, there was a trade-off between them after the formation of it. In contrast to the common view, these results highlight the adverse effect of higher social status on cognitive behavior.
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Zou HW, Li ZL, Jing XY, Wang Y, Liu YJ, Li LF. The GABA(B1) receptor within the infralimbic cortex is implicated in stress resilience and vulnerability in mice. Behav Brain Res 2021; 406:113240. [PMID: 33727046 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Resilience is the capacity to maintain normal psychological and physical functions in the face of stress and adversity. Understanding how one can develop and enhance resilience is of great relevance to not only promoting coping mechanisms but also mitigating maladaptive stress responses in psychiatric illnesses such as depression. Preclinical studies suggest that GABA(B) receptors (GABA(B1) and GABA(B2)) are potential targets for the treatment of major depression. In this study, we assessed the functional role of GABA(B) receptors in stress resilience and vulnerability by using a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model in mice. As the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in the top-down modulation of stress responses, we focused our study on this brain structure. Our results showed that only approximately 41.9% of subjects exhibited anxiety- or despair-like behaviors after exposure to CUS. The vulnerable mice showed higher c-Fos expression in the infralimbic cortex (IL) subregion of the mPFC when exposed to a social stressor. Moreover, the expression of GABA(B1) but not GABA(B2) receptors was significantly downregulated in IL subregion of susceptible mice. Finally, we found that intra-IL administration of baclofen, a GABA(B) receptor agonist, rapidly relieved the social avoidance symptoms of the "stress-susceptible" mice. Taken together, our results show that the GABA(B1) receptor within the IL may play an important role in stress resilience and vulnerability, and thus open an avenue to develop novel, personalized approaches to promote stress resilience and treat stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Wei Zou
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Zi-Lin Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Jing
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Yan Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China
| | - Ying-Juan Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
| | - Lai-Fu Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang, 473061, China.
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Becker M, Pinhasov A, Ornoy A. Animal Models of Depression: What Can They Teach Us about the Human Disease? Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:123. [PMID: 33466814 PMCID: PMC7830961 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11010123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is apparently the most common psychiatric disease among the mood disorders affecting about 10% of the adult population. The etiology and pathogenesis of depression are still poorly understood. Hence, as for most human diseases, animal models can help us understand the pathogenesis of depression and, more importantly, may facilitate the search for therapy. In this review we first describe the more common tests used for the evaluation of depressive-like symptoms in rodents. Then we describe different models of depression and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. These models can be divided into several categories: genetic models, models induced by mental acute and chronic stressful situations caused by environmental manipulations (i.e., learned helplessness in rats/mice), models induced by changes in brain neuro-transmitters or by specific brain injuries and models induced by pharmacological tools. In spite of the fact that none of the models completely resembles human depression, most animal models are relevant since they mimic many of the features observed in the human situation and may serve as a powerful tool for the study of the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of depression, especially since only few patients respond to acute treatment. Relevance increases by the fact that human depression also has different facets and many possible etiologies and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Becker
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Albert Pinhasov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
| | - Asher Ornoy
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel;
- Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
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14
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Borland JM, Kim E, Swanson SP, Rothwell PE, Mermelstein PG, Meisel RL. Effect of Aggressive Experience in Female Syrian Hamsters on Glutamate Receptor Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:583395. [PMID: 33328919 PMCID: PMC7719767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.583395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our social relationships determine our health and well-being. In rodent models, there is now strong support for the rewarding properties of aggressive or assertive behaviors to be critical for the expression and development of adaptive social relationships, buffering from stress and protecting from the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression. However, due to the false belief that aggression is not a part of the normal repertoire of social behaviors displayed by females, almost nothing is known about the neural mechanisms mediating the rewarding properties of aggression in half the population. In the following study, using Syrian hamsters as a well-validated and translational model of female aggression, we investigated the effects of aggressive experience on the expression of markers of postsynaptic structure (PSD-95, Caskin I) and excitatory synaptic transmission (GluA1, GluA2, GluA4, NR2A, NR2B, mGluR1a, and mGluR5) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate putamen and prefrontal cortex. Aggressive experience resulted in an increase in PSD-95, GluA1 and the dimer form of mGluR5 specifically in the NAc 24 h following aggressive experience. There was also an increase in the dimer form of mGluR1a 1 week following aggressive experience. Aggressive experience also resulted in an increase in the strength of the association between these postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors, supporting a common mechanism of action. In addition, 1 week following aggressive experience there was a positive correlation between the monomer of mGluR5 and multiple AMPAR and NMDAR subunits. In conclusion, we provide evidence that aggressive experience in females results in an increase in the expression of postsynaptic density, AMPARs and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, and an increase in the strength of the association between postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors. This suggests that aggressive experience may result in an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission in the NAc, potentially encoding the rewarding and behavioral effects of aggressive interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan M. Borland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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15
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Macht V, Elchert N, Crews F. Adolescent Alcohol Exposure Produces Protracted Cognitive-Behavioral Impairments in Adult Male and Female Rats. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110785. [PMID: 33126417 PMCID: PMC7692738 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Binge drinking is common in adolescence. Rodent studies modeling adolescent binge drinking find persistent effects on the brain's physiology, including increased expression of neuroimmune genes, impaired neurogenesis, and changes in behavioral flexibility. This study used females and males to investigate the effects of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) on a battery of behaviors assessing spatial navigation using a radial arm water maze, working memory using the Hebb-Williams maze, non-spatial long-term memory using novel object recognition, and dominance using a tube dominance test. Results indicate that AIE impairs adult acquisition in spatial navigational learning with deficits predominantly driven by females. Surprisingly, AIE slowed the transition from random to serial search strategies in both sexes, suggesting AIE impairs flexibility in problem-solving processing. In the Hebb-Williams maze working memory task, adult AIE rats exhibited deficits in problem solving, resulting in more errors across the 12 maze configurations, independent of sex. Conversely, AIE decreased dominance behaviors in female rats, and at 7 months post-alcohol, female AIE rats continued to exhibit deficits in novel object recognition. These results suggest that cognitive-behavioral alterations after adolescent binge drinking persist well into middle age, despite abstinence. Future studies should focus on intervening treatment strategies in both females and males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Macht
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (V.M.); (N.E.)
| | - Natalie Elchert
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (V.M.); (N.E.)
| | - Fulton Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; (V.M.); (N.E.)
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-919-966-5678
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16
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Roza TH, Spritzer DT, Lovato LM, Passos IC. Multimodal treatment for a Brazilian case of hikikomori. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 42:455-456. [PMID: 32401871 PMCID: PMC7430380 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-0804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thiago H Roza
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE) and Centro de Pesquisa Clínica (CPC), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniel T Spritzer
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas M Lovato
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, HCPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Ives C Passos
- Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental (CPE) and Centro de Pesquisa Clínica (CPC), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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17
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Komori T, Makinodan M, Kishimoto T. Social status and modern-type depression: A review. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01464. [PMID: 31743626 PMCID: PMC6908884 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Revised: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Social hierarchy is one of the most influential social structures employed by social species. While dominants in such hierarchies can preferentially access rich resources, subordinates are forced into lower social statuses and lifestyles with inferior resources. Previous studies have indicated that the social rank regulates social behaviors and emotion in a variety of species, whereby individual organisms live within the framework of their ranks. However, in human societies, people, particularly young men, who cannot accept their own social status may show social withdrawal behaviors such as hikikomori to avoid confronting their circumstances. METHODS This article reviews the neural mechanisms underlying social status identified in animal studies with rodents and primates, and assesses how social rank affects animal's social behaviors and emotion which may be relevant to modern type depression. RESULTS Several brain regions such as medial prefrontal cortex are implicated in the formation of animal's social status, which leads to the differences in vulnerability and resilience to social stress. CONCLUSION On the basis of these findings, we propose that physical interventions such as voluntary exercise, diet, transcranial direct current stimulation, and psychotherapy, rather than psychotropic drugs, may be useful therapeutic approaches for modern type depression, which is a typical example of social status conflict and a phenotype of adjustment disorder to the traditional hierarchical social order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Komori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Kishimoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Japan
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