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Dollish HK, Tsyglakova M, McClung CA. Circadian rhythms and mood disorders: Time to see the light. Neuron 2024; 112:25-40. [PMID: 37858331 PMCID: PMC10842077 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The importance of time is ever prevalent in our world, and disruptions to the normal light/dark and sleep/wake cycle have now become the norm rather than the exception for a large part of it. All mood disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BD), are strongly associated with abnormal sleep and circadian rhythms in a variety of physiological processes. Environmental disruptions to normal sleep/wake patterns, light/dark changes, and seasonal changes can precipitate episodes. Moreover, treatments that target the circadian system have proven to be therapeutic in certain cases. This review will summarize much of our current knowledge of how these disorders associate with specific circadian phenotypes, as well as the neuronal mechanisms that link the circadian clock with mood regulation. We also discuss what has been learned from therapies that target circadian rhythms and how we may use current knowledge to develop more individually designed treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K Dollish
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 223, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Mariya Tsyglakova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 223, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 450 Technology Drive, Suite 223, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
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2
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Smiley KO, Munley KM, Aghi K, Lipshutz SE, Patton TM, Pradhan DS, Solomon-Lane TK, Sun SED. Sex diversity in the 21st century: Concepts, frameworks, and approaches for the future of neuroendocrinology. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105445. [PMID: 37979209 PMCID: PMC10842816 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Sex is ubiquitous and variable throughout the animal kingdom. Historically, scientists have used reductionist methodologies that rely on a priori sex categorizations, in which two discrete sexes are inextricably linked with gamete type. However, this binarized operationalization does not adequately reflect the diversity of sex observed in nature. This is due, in part, to the fact that sex exists across many levels of biological analysis, including genetic, molecular, cellular, morphological, behavioral, and population levels. Furthermore, the biological mechanisms governing sex are embedded in complex networks that dynamically interact with other systems. To produce the most accurate and scientifically rigorous work examining sex in neuroendocrinology and to capture the full range of sex variability and diversity present in animal systems, we must critically assess the frameworks, experimental designs, and analytical methods used in our research. In this perspective piece, we first propose a new conceptual framework to guide the integrative study of sex. Then, we provide practical guidance on research approaches for studying sex-associated variables, including factors to consider in study design, selection of model organisms, experimental methodologies, and statistical analyses. We invite fellow scientists to conscientiously apply these modernized approaches to advance our biological understanding of sex and to encourage academically and socially responsible outcomes of our work. By expanding our conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches to the study of sex, we will gain insight into the unique ways that sex exists across levels of biological organization to produce the vast array of variability and diversity observed in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina O Smiley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 639 North Pleasant Street, Morrill IVN Neuroscience, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 3695 Cullen Boulevard, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Krisha Aghi
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Sara E Lipshutz
- Department of Biology, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
| | - Tessa M Patton
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 West Sheridan Road, LSB 317, Chicago, IL 60660, USA.
| | - Devaleena S Pradhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Mail Stop 8007, Pocatello, ID 83209, USA.
| | - Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Scripps, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna Colleges, 925 North Mills Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711, USA.
| | - Simón E D Sun
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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Demas GE, Munley KM, Jasnow AM. A seasonal switch hypothesis for the neuroendocrine control of aggression. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2023; 34:799-812. [PMID: 37722999 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2023.08.015] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Aggression is a well-studied social behavior that is universally exhibited by animals across a wide range of contexts. Prevailing knowledge suggests gonadal steroids primarily mediate aggression; however, this is based mainly on studies of male-male aggression in laboratory rodents. When males and females of other species, including humans, are examined, a positive relationship between gonadal steroids and aggression is less substantiated. For instance, hamsters housed in short 'winter-like' days show increased aggression compared with long-day housed hamsters, despite relatively low circulating gonadal steroids. These results suggest alternative, non-gonadal mechanisms controlling aggression. Here, we propose the seasonal switch hypothesis, which employs a multidisciplinary approach to describe how seasonal variation in extra-gonadal steroids, orchestrated by melatonin, drives context-specific changes in aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience, and Program in Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Aaron M Jasnow
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29209, USA
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Zubizarreta L, Jalabert C, Silva AC, Soma KK, Quintana L. Brain and circulating steroids in an electric fish: Relevance for non-breeding aggression. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289461. [PMID: 37816021 PMCID: PMC10564164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Steroids play a crucial role in modulating brain and behavior. While traditionally it is thought that the brain is a target of sex steroids produced in endocrine glands (e.g. gonads), the brain itself produces steroids, known as neurosteroids. Neurosteroids can be produced in regions involved in the regulation of social behaviors and may act locally to regulate social behaviors, such as reproduction and aggression. Our model species, the weakly electric fish Gymnotus omarorum, displays non-breeding aggression in both sexes. This is a valuable natural behavior to understand neuroendocrine mechanisms that differ from those underlying breeding aggression. In the non-breeding season, circulating sex steroid levels are low, which facilitates the study of neurosteroids. Here, for the first time in a teleost fish, we used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify a panel of 8 steroids in both plasma and brain to characterize steroid profiles in wild non-breeding adult males and females. We show that: 1) systemic steroid levels in the non-breeding season are similar in both sexes, although only males have detectable circulating 11-ketotestosterone, 2) brain steroid levels are sexually dimorphic, as females display higher levels of androstenedione, testosterone and estrone, and only males had detectable 11-ketotestosterone, 3) systemic androgens such as androstenedione and testosterone in the non-breeding season are potential precursors for neuroestrogen synthesis, and 4) estrogens, which play a key role in non-breeding aggression, are detectable in the brain (but not the plasma) in both sexes. These data are consistent with previous studies of G. omarorum that show non-breeding aggression is dependent on estrogen signaling, as has also been shown in bird and mammal models. Overall, our results provide a foundation for understanding the role of neurosteroids, the interplay between central and peripheral steroids and potential sex differences in the regulation of social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Zubizarreta
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología Celular y Sináptica, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cecilia Jalabert
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ana C. Silva
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Kiran K. Soma
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Quintana
- Departamento de Neurofisiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Munley KM, Sinkiewicz DM, Szwed SM, Demas GE. Sex and seasonal differences in neural steroid sensitivity predict territorial aggression in Siberian hamsters. Horm Behav 2023; 154:105390. [PMID: 37354601 PMCID: PMC10527453 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Many animals display marked changes in physiology and behavior on a seasonal timescale, including non-reproductive social behaviors (e.g., aggression). Previous studies from our lab suggest that the pineal hormone melatonin acts via steroid hormones to regulate seasonal aggression in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), a species in which both males and females display increased non-breeding aggression. The neural actions of melatonin on steroids and aggressive behavior, however, are relatively unexplored. Here, we housed male and female hamsters in long-day photoperiods (LDs, characteristic of breeding season) or short-day photoperiods (SDs, characteristic of non-breeding season) and administered timed melatonin (M) or control injections. Following 10 weeks of treatment, we quantified aggressive behavior and neural steroid sensitivity by measuring the relative mRNA expression of two steroidogenic enzymes (aromatase and 5α-reductase 3) and estrogen receptor 1 in brain regions associated with aggression or reproduction [medial preoptic area (MPOA), anterior hypothalamus (AH), arcuate nucleus (ARC), and periaqueductal gray (PAG)] via quantitative PCR. Although LD-M and SD males and females displayed increased aggression and similar changes in gene expression in the ARC, there were sex-specific effects of treatment with melatonin and SDs on gene expression in the MPOA, AH, and PAG. Furthermore, males and females exhibited different relationships between neural gene expression and aggression in response to melatonin and SDs. Collectively, these findings support a role for melatonin in regulating seasonal variation in neural steroid sensitivity and aggression and reveal how distinct neuroendocrine responses may modulate a similar behavioral phenotype in male and female hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen M Munley
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - David M Sinkiewicz
- Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Sydney M Szwed
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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Kissmann AK, Rosenau F, Herwig A, Diedrich V. Short Photoperiod-Dependent Enrichment of Akkermansia spec. as the Major Change in the Intestinal Microbiome of Djungarian Hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076605. [PMID: 37047584 PMCID: PMC10095574 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Djungarian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) is a prominent model organism for seasonal acclimatization, showing drastic whole-body physiological adjustments to an energetically challenging environment, which are considered to also involve the gut microbiome. Fecal samples of hamsters in long photoperiod and again after twelve weeks in short photoperiod were analyzed by 16S-rRNA sequencing to evaluate seasonal changes in the respective gut microbiomes. In both photoperiods, the overall composition was stable in the major superordinate phyla of the microbiota, with distinct and delicate changes of abundance in phyla representing each <1% of all. Elusimicrobia, Tenericutes, and Verrucomicrobia were exclusively present in short photoperiod hamsters. In contrast to Elusimicrobium and Aneroplasma as representatives of Elusimicrobia and Tenericutes, Akkermansia muciniphila is a prominent gut microbiome inhabitant well described as important in the health context of animals and humans, including neurodegenerative diseases and obesity. Since diet was not changed, Akkermansia enrichment appears to be a direct consequence of short photoperiod acclimation. Future research will investigate whether the Djungarian hamster intestinal microbiome is responsible for or responsive to seasonal acclimation, focusing on probiotic supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kathrin Kissmann
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Frank Rosenau
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Annika Herwig
- Institute of Neurobiology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Victoria Diedrich
- Institute of Neurobiology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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Karimi S, Jalili C, Mansouri K, Bahremand F, Gholami MR. Effect of melatonin on steroidogenesis-related enzymes expression and testosterone synthesis following CoCl 2-induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2023; 26:1041-1046. [PMID: 37605723 PMCID: PMC10440132 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2023.69570.15152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Objectives This study examined the effects of melatonin treatment on steroidogenesis dysfunction and testosterone impairment, following CoCl2-induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells. Materials and Methods The TM3 cells were divided into four groups. The first group received no treatment. The MLT group was treated with a concentration of 1 mM melatonin. In the CoCl2 group, 0.2 mM CoCl2 was added to the medium to induce Hif1α overexpression. The MLT+CoCl2 group received 0.2 mM CoCl2 and 1 mM melatonin. After 24 hr treatment, the cells and supernatants were collected and used for further determination. The MTT assay was performed to estimate the decrease in cell viability throughout the CoCl2 and melatonin treatment. The mRNA and the protein levels were evaluated using Real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The ELISA assay kit was used to detect the testosterone content. Results CoCl2 treatment caused Hif1α overexpression in TM3 Leydig cells. Moreover, CoCl2 treatment of these cells led to considerable downregulation of Star, Hsd3b1, and Gata4 well as Mtnr1a and Mtnr1b mRNA/protein expression coupled with testosterone content repression in the cell culture medium. Melatonin administration in cells treated with CoCl2, decreased Hif1α mRNA/protein expression, but had no significant effect on Star, Hsd3b1, Gata4, Mtnr1a mRNA/protein expression, and the testosterone level in the cell culture medium. Melatonin caused recovery of decrease in the Mtnr1b gene and protein expression. Conclusion There was no significant effect on steroidogenesis-related genes, proteins, and testosterone synthesis in the absence of gonadotropin treatment plus melatonin following CoCl2-induced hypoxia in TM3 Leydig cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shokooh Karimi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Cyrus Jalili
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Kamran Mansouri
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Fariborz Bahremand
- Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Gholami
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Stevenson TJ. An introduction to the Special Issue on seasonal rhythms in birds and mammals. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A: ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:871-872. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Stevenson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
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George EM, Rosvall KA. Bidirectional relationships between testosterone and aggression: a critical analysis of four predictions. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac100. [PMID: 35759399 PMCID: PMC9494517 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimentally elevated testosterone (T) often leads to enhanced aggression, with examples across many different species, including both males and females. Indeed, the relationship between T and aggression is among the most well-studied and fruitful areas of research at the intersection of behavioral ecology and endocrinology. This relationship is also hypothesized to be bidirectional (i.e., T influences aggression, and aggression influences T), leading to four key predictions: (1) Individuals with higher T levels are more aggressive than individuals with lower T. (2) Seasonal changes in aggression mirror seasonal changes in T secretion. (3) Aggressive territorial interactions stimulate increased T secretion. (4) Temporary elevations in T temporarily increase aggressiveness. These predictions cover a range of timescales, from a single snapshot in time, to rapid fluctuations, and to changes over seasonal timescales. Adding further complexity, most predictions can also be addressed by comparing among individuals or with repeated sampling within-individuals. In our review, we explore how the spectrum of results across predictions shapes our understanding of the relationship between T and aggression. In all cases, we can find examples of results that do not support the initial predictions. In particular, we find that predictions 1-3 have been tested frequently, especially using an among-individual approach. We find qualitative support for all three predictions, though there are also many studies that do not support predictions 1 and 3 in particular. Prediction 4, on the other hand, is something that we identify as a core underlying assumption of past work on the topic, but one that has rarely been directly tested. We propose that when relationships between T and aggression are individual-specific or condition-dependent, then positive correlations between the two variables may be obscured or reversed. In essence, even though T can influence aggression, many assumed or predicted relationships between the two variables may not manifest. Moving forward, we urge greater attention to understanding how and why it is that these bidirectional relationships between T and aggression may vary among timescales and among individuals. In doing so, we will move towards a deeper understanding on the role of hormones in behavioral adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M George
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Center for the Integrated Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Kimberly A Rosvall
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
- Center for the Integrated Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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