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Zhang N, Zhao S, Ma Y, Xiao Z, Xue B, Dong Y, Wang Q, Xu H, Zhang X, Wang Y. Hyperexcitation of ovBNST CRF neurons during stress contributes to female-biased expression of anxiety-like avoidance behaviors. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk7636. [PMID: 38728397 PMCID: PMC11086623 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) network in the oval nucleus of bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (ovBNST) is generally indicated in stress, but its role in female-biased susceptibility to anxiety is unknown. Here, we established a female-biased stress paradigm. We found that the CRF release in ovBNST during stress showed female-biased pattern, and ovBNST CRF neurons were more prone to be hyperexcited in female mice during stress in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Moreover, optogenetic modulation to exchange the activation pattern of ovBNST CRF neurons during stress between female and male mice could reverse their susceptibility to anxiety. Last, CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) mediated the CRF-induced excitation of ovBNST CRF neurons and showed female-biased expression. Specific knockdown of the CRFR1 level in ovBNST CRF neurons in female or overexpression that in male could reverse their susceptibility to anxiety. Therefore, we identify that CRFR1-mediated hyperexcitation of ovBNST CRF neurons in female mice encode the female-biased susceptibility to anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
- Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Sha Zhao
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yanqiao Ma
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zhixin Xiao
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Bao Xue
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Yuan Dong
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Qingyu Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao 266000, China
| | - Huamin Xu
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Institute of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Xavier FAC, Barbieri SS, Popoli M, Ieraci A. Short- and Long-Term Effects of Subchronic Stress Exposure in Male and Female Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Knock-In Val66Met Mice. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:303. [PMID: 38785785 PMCID: PMC11118886 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for the onset of anxiety and depression. The ability to cope with stressful events varies among different subjects, probably depending on different genetic variants, sex and previous life experiences. The Val66Met variant of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which impairs the activity-dependent secretion of BDNF, has been associated with increased susceptibility to the development of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Adult male and female wild-type Val/Val (BDNFV/V) and heterozygous Val/Met (BDNFV/M) mice were exposed to two sessions of forced swimming stress (FSS) per day for two consecutive days. The mice were behaviorally tested 1 day (short-term effect) or 11 days (long-term effect) after the last stress session. Protein and mRNA levels were measured in the hippocampus 16 days after the end of stress exposure. Stressed mice showed a higher anxiety-like phenotype compared to non-stressed mice, regardless of the sex and genotype, when analyzed following the short period of stress. In the prolonged period, anxiety-like behavior persisted only in male BDNFV/M mice (p < 0.0001). Interestingly, recovery in male BDNFV/V mice was accompanied by an increase in pCREB (p < 0.001) and Bdnf4 (p < 0.01) transcript and a decrease in HDAC1 (p < 0.05) and Dnmt3a (p = 0.01) in the hippocampus. Overall, our results show that male and female BDNF Val66Met knock-in mice can recover from subchronic stress in different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Antonio Costa Xavier
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre 90619-900, Brazil;
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Silvia Stella Barbieri
- Unit of Brain-Heart Axis: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms, Centro Cardiologico Monzino IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy;
| | - Maurizio Popoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Ieraci
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy
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Dimcea DAM, Petca RC, Dumitrașcu MC, Șandru F, Mehedințu C, Petca A. Postpartum Depression: Etiology, Treatment, and Consequences for Maternal Care. Diagnostics (Basel) 2024; 14:865. [PMID: 38732283 PMCID: PMC11083152 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics14090865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a disabling condition that has recently shown an increase in prevalence, becoming an essential public health problem. This study is a qualitative review summarizing the most frequent risk factors associated with PPD, evaluating molecular aspects of PPD and current approaches to detect and prevent PPD. The most prevalent risk factors were detected in the areas of economic and social factors, obstetrical history, lifestyle, and history of mental illness. Research on the genetic basis for PPD has taken place in recent years to identify the genes responsible for establishing targeted therapeutic methods and understanding its pathogenesis. The most frequently studied candidate gene was the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) associated with PPD. Among biological studies, antidepressants and psychological interventions provided the most evidence of successful intervention. The obstetrician can serve an essential role in screening for and treating PPD. Postpartum women with risk factors should be screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), but, at the moment, there are no prevention programs in Europe. In conclusion, data from this review increase concerns among this vulnerable population and can be used to design a screening tool for high-risk pregnant women and create a prevention program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiana Anne-Marie Dimcea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (D.A.-M.D.); (M.C.D.); (C.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Răzvan-Cosmin Petca
- Department of Urology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Urology, “Prof. Dr. Th. Burghele” Clinical Hospital, 050659 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihai Cristian Dumitrașcu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (D.A.-M.D.); (M.C.D.); (C.M.); (A.P.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Emergency Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florica Șandru
- Department of Dermatology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Dermatology, Elias University Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Claudia Mehedințu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (D.A.-M.D.); (M.C.D.); (C.M.); (A.P.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Filantropia Clinical Hospital, 011171 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aida Petca
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (D.A.-M.D.); (M.C.D.); (C.M.); (A.P.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Elias University Emergency Hospital, 011461 Bucharest, Romania
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Khanh Nguyen NP, Kwon JH, Kim MK, Tran KN, Huong Nguyen LT, Yang IJ. Antidepressant and anxiolytic potential of Citrus reticulata Blanco essential oil: a network pharmacology and animal model study. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1359427. [PMID: 38567354 PMCID: PMC10985240 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1359427] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Citrus reticulata Blanco essential oil (CBEO) has attracted increasing attention as a potential treatment for depression and anxiety in recent years. However, there is limited evidence regarding the active compounds responsible for its therapeutic effects. In addition, substantial amounts of CBEO and prolonged therapy are often required. This study aims to investigate the rapid acting antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of CBEO, identify the underlying composition as well as optimize its dosage and duration. Methods CBEO composition was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the corresponding targets were obtained from the SwissTargetPrediction database. Depression-related targets were collected from DisGeNET, GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. Subsequently, the overlap between CBEO and depression targets was utilized to build a network diagram depicting the relationship between the active ingredients and targets using Cytoscape software. The STRING database facilitated the construction of a protein-protein interaction network, and the Ma'ayan Laboratory Enrichment tool was employed for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Wiki pathway analyses. Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock Vina and Discovery Studio Visualizer. Topological analysis predicted the main antidepressant active ingredients in CBEO. A mixture of these compounds was prepared based on their relative GC-MS ratios. Tail suspension test, elevated plus maze, corticosterone-induced PC12 cells, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells were used to validate the antidepressant and anxiolytic potential of CBEO and CBEO's main bioactive constituents. Results CBEO contains 18 components that target 121 proteins. We identified 595 targets associated with depression; among them, 29 targets were located between essential oils and depression. Topological results revealed that linalool, p-cymene, α-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol were the major active compounds of CBEO in the management of depression. GO analysis identified G protein-coupled opioid receptor activity, phospholipase C-activating G protein-coupled receptor, and neuron projections that were mostly related to molecular functions, cellular components, and biological processes. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, chemical carcinogenesis, and calcium signaling pathways were the major pathways identified in KEGG analysis. Molecular docking showed that the main bioactive ingredients of CBEO had favorable binding affinities for Protein-Protein Interaction's hub proteins, including OPRM1, PTGS2, ESR1, SLC6A4, DRD2, and NR3C1. These five compounds were then mixed at 0.8:5:0.6:2:1 (w/w) ratio to form a CBEO antidepressant active compound mixture. An acute intranasal treatment of CBEO (25 mg/kg) only demonstrated an antidepressant effect, whereas the main bioactive compounds combination (12.5 mg/kg) illustrated both antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in mice. Linalool, p-cymene, and terpinene-4-ol exhibited neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammation in the in vitro study, while these effects were not observed for α-terpinene and α-terpineol. Conclusion Linalool, p-cymene, α-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol cymene might be mainly contributing to CBEO's antidepressant effect by regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, neuron projection, and receptor signaling pathway. A mixture of these compounds showed rapid antidepressant potential via intranasal administration, which was comparable to that of CBEO. The mixture also exhibited an anxiolytic effect while not seen in CBEO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhi Phuc Khanh Nguyen
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hye Kwon
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Kyung Kim
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Khoa Nguyen Tran
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ly Thi Huong Nguyen
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - In-Jun Yang
- Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Korean Medicine, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea
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Ryherd GL, Bunce AL, Edwards HA, Baumgartner NE, Lucas EK. Sex differences in avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in mice: Interactions between estrous cycle and genetic background. Horm Behav 2023; 156:105439. [PMID: 37813043 PMCID: PMC10810684 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105439] [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: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses worldwide, exhibit high heritability, and affect twice as many women as men. To evaluate potential interactions between genetic background and cycling ovarian hormones on sex differences in susceptibility to negative valence behaviors relevant to anxiety disorders, we assayed avoidance behavior and cued threat memory dynamics in gonadally-intact adult male and female mice across four common inbred mouse strains: C57Bl/6J, 129S1/SVlmJ, DBA/2J, and BALB/cJ. Independent of sex, C57Bl/6J mice exhibited low avoidance but high threat memory, 129S1/SvlmJ mice high avoidance and high threat memory, DBA/2J mice low avoidance and low threat memory, and BALB/cJ mice high avoidance but low threat memory. Within-strain comparisons revealed reduced avoidance behavior in the high hormone phase of the estrous cycle (proestrus) compared to all other estrous phases in all strains except DBA/2J, which did not exhibit cycle-dependent behavioral fluctuations. Robust and opposing sex differences in threat conditioning and extinction training were found in the C57Bl/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ lines, whereas no sex differences were observed in the DBA/2J or BALB/cJ lines. C57Bl/6J males exhibited enhanced acute threat memory, whereas 129S1/SvlmJ females exhibited enhanced sustained threat memory, compared to their sex-matched littermates. These effects were not mediated by estrous cycle stage or sex differences in active versus passive defensive behavioral responses. Our data demonstrate that core features of behavioral endophenotypes relevant to anxiety disorders, such as avoidance and threat memory, are genetically driven yet dissociable and can be influenced further by cycling ovarian hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garret L Ryherd
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Averie L Bunce
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Haley A Edwards
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Nina E Baumgartner
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Elizabeth K Lucas
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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Gaspar L, Bartman S, Coppotelli G, Ross JM. Effect of apparatus characteristics on anxiety-like behavior in young adult and old mice of both sexes assessed by the elevated plus maze assay. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1182661. [PMID: 37638110 PMCID: PMC10450508 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1182661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Incidence of anxiety-like disorders in humans has been shown to decrease with aging; however, it is still under debate whether there are similarities in mice, which would support the use of mouse models in understanding the neuronal network changes that regulate anxiety-like behavior in aging. One of the most common tests used to assess anxiety-like behavior in laboratory animals is the elevated plus maze (EPM). Although several variables, such as room brightness and width of the maze arms, have been shown to influence the spontaneous animal behavior during the EPM test, none of these variables have ever been evaluated in aging to understand their possible differential effect on younger and older mice. We therefore decided to investigate the effect of apparatus construction on young adult and old mice of both sexes on EPM test performance. Our results show that distance traveled during the test is the variable that is most affected by apparatus characteristics independent of age and sex. We also found that apparatus construction was key in demonstrating that old mice spent more time and had relatively more entries in the open arms as compared to young mice, suggesting a decrease in anxiety-like behavior with age. Taken together, our data demonstrate that EPM apparatus characteristics dramatically affect test outcome with a wider arm apparatus being more effective in revealing age-dependent changes in anxiety-like behavior, thus, suggesting the use of a wider arm EPM when conducting aging studies in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Gaspar
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Sydney Bartman
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Giuseppe Coppotelli
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Jaime M. Ross
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
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Sikes-Keilp C, Rubinow DR. GABA-ergic Modulators: New Therapeutic Approaches to Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. CNS Drugs 2023; 37:679-693. [PMID: 37542704 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-023-01030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is characterized by the predictable onset of mood and physical symptoms secondary to gonadal steroid fluctuation during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Although menstrual-related affective dysfunction is responsible for considerable functional impairment and reduction in quality of life worldwide, currently approved treatments for PMDD are suboptimal in their effectiveness. Research over the past two decades has suggested that the interaction between allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid derivative of progesterone, and the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system represents an important relationship underlying symptom genesis in reproductive-related mood disorders, including PMDD. The objective of this narrative review is to discuss the plausible link between changes in GABAergic transmission secondary to the fluctuation of allopregnanolone during the luteal phase and mood impairment in susceptible individuals. As part of this discussion, we explore promising findings from early clinical trials of several compounds that stabilize allopregnanolone signaling during the luteal phase, including dutasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor; isoallopregnanolone, a GABA-A modulating steroid antagonist; and ulipristal acetate, a selective progesterone receptor modulator. We then reflect on the implications of these therapeutic advances, including how they may promote our knowledge of affective regulation more generally. We conclude that these and other studies of PMDD may yield critical insight into the etiopathogenesis of affective disorders, considering that (1) symptoms in PMDD have a predictable onset and offset, allowing for examination of affective state kinetics, and (2) GABAergic interventions in PMDD can be used to better understand the relationship between mood states, network regulation, and the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Sikes-Keilp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Hospitals, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Hospitals, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA
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Singh S, Fereshetyan K, Shorter S, Paliokha R, Dremencov E, Yenkoyan K, Ovsepian SV. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in perinatal depression: Side show or pivotal factor? Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103467. [PMID: 36528281 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal depression is the most common psychiatric complication of pregnancy, with its detrimental effects on maternal and infant health widely underrated. There is a pressing need for specific molecular biomarkers, with pregnancy-related decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the blood and downregulation of TrkB receptor in the brain reported in clinical and preclinical studies. In this review, we explore the emerging role of BDNF in reproductive biology and discuss evidence suggesting its deficiency as a risk factor for perinatal depression. With the increasing evidence for restoration of serum BDNF levels by antidepressant therapy, the strengthening association of perinatal depression with deficiency of BDNF supports its potential as a surrogate endpoint for preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saumya Singh
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Katarine Fereshetyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University of M. Heratsi, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Susan Shorter
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Ruslan Paliokha
- Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eliyahu Dremencov
- Centre of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Konstantin Yenkoyan
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Cobrain Center, Yerevan State Medical University of M. Heratsi, 0025, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Saak V Ovsepian
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Greenwich London, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
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Islas-Preciado D, Splinter TFL, Ibrahim M, Black N, Wong S, Lieblich SE, Liu-Ambrose T, Barha CK, Galea LAM. Sex and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism matter for exercise-induced increase in neurogenesis and cognition in middle-aged mice. Horm Behav 2023; 148:105297. [PMID: 36623432 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105297] [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: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Females show greater benefits of exercise on cognition in both humans and rodents, which may be related to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the Val66Met polymorphism, within the human BDNF gene, causes impaired activity-dependent secretion of neuronal BDNF and impairments to some forms of memory. We evaluated whether sex and BDNF genotype (Val66Met polymorphism (Met/Met) versus wild-type (Val/Val)) influenced the ability of voluntary running to enhance cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. Middle-aged C57BL/6J (13 months) mice were randomly assigned to either a control or an aerobic training (AT) group (running disk access). Mice were trained on the visual discrimination and reversal paradigm in a touchscreen-based technology to evaluate cognitive flexibility. BDNF Met/Met mice had fewer correct responses compared to BDNF Val/Val mice on both cognitive tasks. Female BDNF Val/Val mice showed greater cognitive flexibility compared to male mice regardless of AT. Despite running less than BDNF Val/Val mice, AT improved performance in both cognitive tasks in BDNF Met/Met mice. AT increased neurogenesis in the ventral hippocampus of BDNF Val/Val mice of both sexes and increased the proportion of mature type 3 doublecortin-expressing cells in the dorsal hippocampus of female mice only. Our results indicate AT improved cognitive performance in BDNF Met/Met mice and increased hippocampal neurogenesis in BDNF Val/Val mice in middle age. Furthermore, middle-aged female mice may benefit more from AT than males in terms of neuroplasticity, an effect that was influenced by the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dannia Islas-Preciado
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada; Dajavad Mowifaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada; Lab de Neuropsicofarmacología, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México 14370, México
| | | | - Muna Ibrahim
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Natasha Black
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sarah Wong
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Canada; Dajavad Mowifaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cindy K Barha
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Canada; Dajavad Mowifaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Canada; Dajavad Mowifaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Liu L, Yang W, Lu Y, Wang J, Zheng Y, Gu S. Clinical Efficacy of Tandospirone on Functional Dyspepsia Patients with Anxiety: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Dig Dis Sci 2023; 68:521-528. [PMID: 36383269 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-022-07717-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional dyspepsia (FD) is characterized with multiple symptoms of indigestion and often accompanied with anxiety. However, there is currently an absence of effective treatment. Tandospirone is commonly used to treat generalized anxiety disorders. Whether tandospirone can improve the clinical symptoms of FD remain unknown. AIMS The present study was designed to explore the pharmacological effect of tandospirone on FD patient with anxiety, and the potential mechanisms were also elucidated. METHODS FD patients with anxiety were randomly divided into placebo and tandospirone treatment groups. Healthy volunteers were simultaneously recruited as control group. The gastrointestinal symptom score (GIS) and Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) were performed before and after treatments with placebo or tandospirone. The serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and multiple inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin (IL)-6, IL-4, IL-1β, and IL-10 were determined. Regression analyses relating BDNF levels and gastrointestinal symptoms were performed. RESULTS Tandospirone significantly alleviated the gastrointestinal and anxiety symptoms of FD patient, as evidenced by reductions of GIS index and HAM-A scores. Compared with the healthy volunteers, FD patients had lower BDNF and IL-10 levels, but higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α. Importantly, tandospirone increased serum BDNF and IL-10 and decreased IL-6 levels in FD patients. Relative analysis revealed that BDNF level was negatively associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in FD patients. CONCLUSION Tandospirone effectively improved both anxiety and gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with FD, and these therapeutic effects may be associated with the modulation of BDNF and inflammatory cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China
| | - Ya Lu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China
| | - Yan Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China
| | - Sai Gu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No.1, Youyi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 40016, China.
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Ma K, Taylor C, Williamson M, Newton SS, Qin L. Diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling differentially causes autism-like behavioral deficits in male and female mice. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1182472. [PMID: 37205980 PMCID: PMC10189061 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1182472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with strong genetic heterogeneity and more prevalent in males than females. Recent human genetic studies have identified multiple high-risk genes for ASD, which produce similar phenotypes, indicating that diverse genetic factors converge to common molecular pathways. We and others have hypothesized that activity-dependent neural signaling is a convergent molecular pathway dysregulated in ASD. However, the causal link between diminished activity-dependent neural signaling and ASD remains unclear. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key molecule mediating activity-dependent neural signaling. We therefore hypothesize that diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling could confer autism-like behavioral deficits. Here, we investigated the effect of diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling on autism-like behavioral deficits by using mice with genetic knock-in of a human BDNF methionine (Met) allele, which has decreased activity-dependent BDNF release without altering basal BDNF level. Compared with wild-type (WT) controls, diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling similarly induced anxiety-like behaviors in male and female mice. Notably, diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling differentially resulted in autism-like social deficits and increased self-grooming in male and female mice, and male mice were more severe than female mice. Again, sexually dimorphic spatial memory deficits were observed in female BDNF+/Met mice, but not in male BDNF+/Met mice. Our study not only reveals a causal link between diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling and ASD-like behavioral deficits, but also identifies previously underappreciated sex-specific effect of diminished activity-dependent BDNF signaling in ASD. These mice with genetic knock-in of the human BDNF Met variant provide a distinct mouse model for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying diminished activity-dependent neural signaling, the common molecular pathway dysregulated in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaijie Ma
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Connie Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
| | - Mark Williamson
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design Core, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, United States
| | - Samuel S. Newton
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - Luye Qin
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
- *Correspondence: Luye Qin,
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Kundakovic M, Rocks D. Sex hormone fluctuation and increased female risk for depression and anxiety disorders: From clinical evidence to molecular mechanisms. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 66:101010. [PMID: 35716803 PMCID: PMC9715398 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Women are at twice the risk for anxiety and depression disorders as men are, although the underlying biological factors and mechanisms are largely unknown. In this review, we address this sex disparity at both the etiological and mechanistic level. We dissect the role of fluctuating sex hormones as a critical biological factor contributing to the increased depression and anxiety risk in women. We provide parallel evidence in humans and rodents that brain structure and function vary with naturally-cycling ovarian hormones. This female-unique brain plasticity and associated vulnerability are primarily driven by estrogen level changes. For the first time, we provide a sex hormone-driven molecular mechanism, namely chromatin organizational changes, that regulates neuronal gene expression and brain plasticity but may also prime the (epi)genome for psychopathology. Finally, we map out future directions including experimental and clinical studies that will facilitate novel sex- and gender-informed approaches to treat depression and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Devin Rocks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
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Zemba Cilic A, Zemba M, Cilic M, Strbe S, Ilic S, Vukojevic J, Zoricic Z, Filipcic I, Kokot A, Smoday IM, Rukavina I, Boban Blagaic A, Tvrdeic A, Duplancic B, Stambolija V, Marcinko D, Skrtic A, Seiwerth S, Sikiric P. BPC 157, L-NAME, L-Arginine, NO-Relation, in the Suited Rat Ketamine Models Resembling “Negative-Like” Symptoms of Schizophrenia. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071462. [PMID: 35884767 PMCID: PMC9313087 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We attempted throughout the NO-system to achieve the particular counteraction of the ketamine-induced resembling “negative-like” schizophrenia symptoms in rats using pentadecapeptide BPC 157, and NO-agents, NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME), and/or L-arginine, triple application. This might be the find out the NO-system organized therapy (i.e., simultaneously implied NO-system blockade (L-NAME) vs. NO-system over-stimulation (L-arginine) vs. NO-system immobilization (L-NAME+L-arginine)). The ketamine regimen (intraperitoneally/kg) included: 3 mg (cognitive dysfunction, novel object recognition test), 30 mg (anxiogenic effect (open field test) and anhedonia (sucrose test)), and 8 mg/3 days (social withdrawal). Medication (mg/kg intraperitoneally) was L-NAME (5), L-arginine (100), and BPC 157 (0.01), alone and/or together, given immediately before ketamine (L-NAME, L-arginine, and combination) or given immediately after (BPC 157 and combinations). BPC 157 counteracted ketamine-cognition dysfunction, social withdrawal, and anhedonia, and exerted additional anxiolytic effect. L-NAME (antagonization, social withdrawal) and L-arginine (antagonization, cognitive dysfunction, anhedonia) both included worsening cognitive dysfunction, anhedonia, and anxiogenic effect (L-NAME), social withdrawal, and anxiogenic effect (L-arginine). Thus, ketamine-induced resembling “negative-like” schizophrenia symptoms were “L-NAME non-responsive, L-arginine responsive” (cognition dysfunction), “L-NAME responsive, L-arginine non-responsive” (social withdrawal), “L-NAME responsive, L-arginine responsive, opposite effect” (anhedonia) and “L-NAME responsive, L-arginine responsive, parallel effect” (both anxiogening). In cognition dysfunction, BPC 157 overwhelmed NO-agents effects. The mRNA expression studies in brain tissue evidenced considerable overlapping of gene overexpression in healthy rats treated with ketamine or BPC 157. With the BPC 157 therapy applied immediately after ketamine, the effect on Nos1, Nos2, Plcg1, Prkcg, and Ptgs2 (increased or decreased expression), appeared as a timely specific BPC 157 effect on ketamine-specific targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Zemba Cilic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Mladen Zemba
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Matija Cilic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Sanja Strbe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Clinical Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.S.); (I.F.); (D.M.)
| | - Spomenko Ilic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Jaksa Vukojevic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Zoran Zoricic
- University Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Igor Filipcic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Clinical Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.S.); (I.F.); (D.M.)
| | - Antonio Kokot
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia;
| | - Ivan Maria Smoday
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Iva Rukavina
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Alenka Boban Blagaic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | - Ante Tvrdeic
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
| | | | - Vasilije Stambolija
- Department of Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Darko Marcinko
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, University Clinical Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (S.S.); (I.F.); (D.M.)
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (P.S.); Tel.: +385-1-4566-980 (A.S.); +385-1-4566-833 (P.S.); Fax: +385-1-4920-050 (A.S. & P.S.)
| | - Sven Seiwerth
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Predrag Sikiric
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.Z.C.); (M.Z.); (M.C.); (S.I.); (J.V.); (I.M.S.); (I.R.); (A.B.B.); (A.T.)
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (P.S.); Tel.: +385-1-4566-980 (A.S.); +385-1-4566-833 (P.S.); Fax: +385-1-4920-050 (A.S. & P.S.)
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Wolff BS, Allen HR, Feng LR, Saligan LN. BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Reduces the Fatigue-Like Effects of 5-Fluorouracil on Voluntary Wheel-Running Activity in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:880969. [PMID: 35558437 PMCID: PMC9087735 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.880969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is a persistent and debilitating symptom following cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Recent clinical studies have suggested a common single-nucleotide polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Val66Met (rs6265), may be related to the severity of fatigue following cancer treatment. In this study, we tested transgenic mice homozygous for the human Val66Met BDNF gene and wild-type controls. We injected three doses of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) as a model of chemotherapy treatment, and we used changes in voluntary wheel running activity (VWRA) as a measure of fatigue-like behavior. Prior to 5FU injection, we found that during the baseline wheel-running period, the Val66Met mice lost more weight than WT controls. We next administered 5FU and saw a robust fatigue-like phenotype that lasted about 2 weeks. During the first week, the fatigue-like phenotype was less severe in the Val66Met mice and unrelated to the age of the mice. In contrast, during the second week after 5FU treatment, the fatigue-like phenotype was unrelated to the BDNF genotype but was more severe in middle aged mice compared to young mice. We conclude that the BDNF polymorphism may play a direct, protective role against chemotherapy-induced fatigue.
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15
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Corticosterone induces discrete epigenetic signatures in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus that depend upon sex and genotype: focus on methylated Nr3c1 gene. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:109. [PMID: 35296634 PMCID: PMC8927334 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01864-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The genomic effects of circulating glucocorticoids are particularly relevant in cortico-limbic structures, which express a high concentration of steroid hormone receptors. To date, no studies have investigated genomic differences in hippocampal subregions, namely the dorsal (dHPC) and ventral (vHPC) hippocampus, in preclinical models treated with exogenous glucocorticoids. Chronic oral corticosterone (CORT) in mouse is a pharmacological approach that disrupts the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, increases affective behavior, and induces genomic changes after stress in the HPC of wildtype (WT) mice and mice heterozygous for the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met (hMet), a variant associated with genetic susceptibility to stress. Using RNA-sequencing, we investigated the genomic signatures of oral CORT in the dHPC and vHPC of WT and hMet male and female mice, and examined sex and genotype differences in response to oral CORT. Males under CORT showed lower glycemia and increased anxiety- and depression-like behavior compared to females that showed instead opposite affective behavior in response to CORT. Rank-rank-hypergeometric overlap (RRHO) was used to identify genes from a continuous gradient of significancy that were concordant across groups. RRHO showed that CORT-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in WT mice and hMet mice converged in the dHPC of males and females, while in the vHPC, DEGs converged in males and diverged in females. The vHPC showed a higher number of DEGs compared to the dHPC and exhibited sex differences related to glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-binding genes and epigenetic modifiers. Methyl-DNA-immunoprecipitation in the vHPC revealed differential methylation of the exons 1C and 1F of the GR gene (Nr3c1) in hMet females. Together, we report behavioral and endocrinological sex differences in response to CORT, as well as epigenetic signatures that i) differ in the dHPC and vHPC,ii) are distinct in males and females, and iii) implicate differential methylation of Nr3c1 selectively in hMet females.
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16
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Behavioral phenotyping of a rat model of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism reveals selective impairment of fear memory. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:93. [PMID: 35256586 PMCID: PMC8901920 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01858-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The common brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with reduced activity-dependent BDNF release and increased risk for anxiety disorders and PTSD. Here we behaviorally phenotyped a novel Val66Met rat model with an equivalent valine to methionine substitution in the rat Bdnf gene (Val68Met). In a three-day fear conditioning protocol of fear learning and extinction, adult rats with the Met/Met genotype demonstrated impaired fear memory compared to Val/Met rats and Val/Val controls, with no genotype differences in fear learning or extinction. This deficit in fear memory occurred irrespective of the sex of the animals and was not seen in adolescence (4 weeks of age). There were no changes in open-field locomotor activity or anxiety measured in the elevated plus maze (EPM) nor in other types of memory measured using the novel-object recognition test or Y-maze. BDNF exon VI expression in the dorsal hippocampus was higher and BDNF protein level in the ventral hippocampus was lower in female Val/Met rats than female Val/Val rats, with no other genotype differences, including in total BDNF, BDNF long, or BDNF IV mRNA. These data suggest a specific role for the BDNF Met/Met genotype in fear memory in rats. Further studies are required to investigate gene-environment interactions in this novel animal model.
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17
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Gomes MGS, Tractenberg SG, Orso R, Viola TW, Grassi-Oliveira R. Sex differences in risk behavior parameters in adolescent mice: Relationship with brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the medial prefrontal cortex. Neurosci Lett 2022; 766:136339. [PMID: 34762979 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is as a period of development characterized by impulsive and risk-seeking behaviors. Risk behaviors (RB) involves exposure to dangerous or negative consequences to achieve goal-directed behaviors, such as reward-seeking. On the other hand, risk aversion/assessment behaviors allow the individual to gather information or avoid potentially threatening situations. Evidence has suggested that both behavioral processes, RB and risk assessment (RA), may have sex-differences. However, sex-specific behavioral patterns implicated in RB and RA are not fully understood. To address that, we investigated sex differences in risk-behavioral parameters in a decision-making task developed for rodents. In addition, we investigated the potential role of sex-dependent differences in gene expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exon IV in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which has been implicated to mediate PFC-related behavioral dysfunctions. Male and female C57BL/6J adolescent mice were evaluated in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) to assess anxiety-like behaviors and in the predator-odor risk taking (PORT) task. The PORT task is a decision-making paradigm in which a conflict between the motivation towards reward pursuit and the threat elicited by predatory olfactory cues (coyote urine) is explored. After behavioral testing, animals were euthanized and BDNF exon IV gene expression was measured by RT-qPCR. Comparative and correlational analyses for behavioral and molecular parameters were performed for both sexes. We observed that female mice spent more time exploring the middle chamber of the PORT apparatus in the aversive condition, which is an indicative of avoidance behavior. Female mice also had a higher latency to collect the reward than male mice and presented less time exploring the open arms of the EPM. BDNF exon IV gene expression was higher among females, and there was a positive correlation between the BDNF and PORT behavioral parameters. Our findings suggest sex-dependent effects in the PORT task. Females presented higher RA and avoidance behavior profile and expressed higher levels of BDNF exon IV in the mPFC. Moreover, higher BDNF expression was correlated with RA behaviors, which suggests that adolescent females tend to evaluate the risks more than adolescent males and that BDNF gene expression may be mediating decision-making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco G S Gomes
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical University Catholic of Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Saulo G Tractenberg
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical University Catholic of Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Orso
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical University Catholic of Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Thiago W Viola
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical University Catholic of Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical University Catholic of Rio Grande Do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.
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18
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Luo J. Association between migraine and anxiety symptoms: Results from the study of women's health across the nation. J Affect Disord 2021; 295:1229-1233. [PMID: 34706437 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.036] [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] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to examine the relationship between migraine and anxiety in US midlife women. METHODS This study was conducted on the baseline data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multi-site longitudinal population-based study of the US midlife women. Logistic regression was performed to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between migraine and anxiety, adjusting for the main potential confounders. RESULTS A total of 3,302 midlife women aged from 42 to 52 with complete assessment of migraine and anxiety were enrolled. In both the crude model (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.19-1.82, p < 0.001) and model 1 (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04-1.64, p = 0.022) indicated that anxiety was positive associated with migraine. After adjustment for age, ethnicity, family income, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, menopausal status, estradiol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, follicle-stimulating hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone, and thyroid stimulating hormone in full adjusted model 2, the association between migraine and anxiety remained statistically significant (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.01-1.61, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION Migraine may be positively associated with anxiety in middle-aged women. Further large-scale prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the causality between migraine and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Luo
- Department of Clinical and Public Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, Jiangsu 223300, China.
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19
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Carmichael J, Hicks AJ, Spitz G, Gould KR, Ponsford J. Moderators of gene-outcome associations following traumatic brain injury. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 130:107-124. [PMID: 34411558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The field of genomics is the principal avenue in the ongoing development of precision/personalised medicine for a variety of health conditions. However, relating genes to outcomes is notoriously complex, especially when considering that other variables can change, or moderate, gene-outcome associations. Here, we comprehensively discuss moderation of gene-outcome associations in the context of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a common, chronically debilitating, and costly neurological condition that is under complex polygenic influence. We focus our narrative review on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of three of the most studied genes (apolipoprotein E, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and catechol-O-methyltransferase) and on three demographic variables believed to moderate associations between these SNPs and TBI outcomes (age, biological sex, and ethnicity). We speculate on the mechanisms which may underlie these moderating effects, drawing widely from biomolecular and behavioural research (n = 175 scientific reports) within the TBI population (n = 72) and other neurological, healthy, ageing, and psychiatric populations (n = 103). We conclude with methodological recommendations for improved exploration of moderators in future genetics research in TBI and other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jai Carmichael
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
| | - Amelia J Hicks
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Gershon Spitz
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Kate Rachel Gould
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Jennie Ponsford
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth HealthCare, Melbourne, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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Greening DW, Notaras M, Chen M, Xu R, Smith JD, Cheng L, Simpson RJ, Hill AF, van den Buuse M. Chronic methamphetamine interacts with BDNF Val66Met to remodel psychosis pathways in the mesocorticolimbic proteome. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:4431-4447. [PMID: 31822818 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0617-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (Meth) abuse has reached epidemic proportions in many countries and can induce psychotic episodes mimicking the clinical profile of schizophrenia. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is implicated in both Meth effects and schizophrenia. We therefore studied the long-term effects of chronic Meth exposure in transgenic mice engineered to harbor the human BDNFVal66Met polymorphism expressed via endogenous mouse promoters. These mice were chronically treated with an escalating Meth regime during late adolescence. At least 4 weeks later, all hBDNFVal66Met Meth-treated mice exhibited sensitization confirming persistent behavioral effects of Meth. We used high-resolution quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics to biochemically map the long-term effects of Meth within the brain, resulting in the unbiased detection of 4808 proteins across the mesocorticolimbic circuitry. Meth differentially altered dopamine signaling markers (e.g., Dat, Comt, and Th) between hBDNFVal/Val and hBDNFMet/Met mice, implicating involvement of BDNF in Meth-induced reprogramming of the mesolimbic proteome. Targeted analysis of 336 schizophrenia-risk genes, as well as 82 growth factor cascade markers, similarly revealed that hBDNFVal66Met genotype gated the recruitment of these factors by Meth in a region-specific manner. Cumulatively, these data represent the first comprehensive analysis of the long-term effects of chronic Meth exposure within the mesocorticolimbic circuitry. In addition, these data reveal that long-term Meth-induced brain changes are strongly dependent upon BDNF genetic variation, illustrating how drug-induced psychosis may be modulated at the molecular level by a single genetic locus.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Greening
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Molecular Proteomics, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Notaras
- Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maoshan Chen
- Australian Centre for Blood Diseases (ACBD), Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joel D Smith
- Biological Research Unit, Racing Analytical Services Ltd, Flemington, VIC, Australia
| | - Lesley Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard J Simpson
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew F Hill
- Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
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21
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Portelli J, Farokhnia M, Deschaine SL, Battista JT, Lee MR, Li X, Ron D, Leggio L. Investigating the link between serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and behavioral measures in anxious alcohol-dependent individuals. Alcohol 2020; 89:75-83. [PMID: 32798692 PMCID: PMC7722014 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a role in different neurophysiological processes, including those involved in alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors. Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that chronic excessive alcohol use leads to a downregulation of BDNF production in the periphery and in the brain. In addition, a decrease in BDNF concentrations in the blood has been reported to be associated with increased anxiety levels. Non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals with high trait anxiety were studied to assess whether serum BDNF concentrations may be linked to self-reported levels of alcohol drinking, anxiety, and other behavioral measures. Participants had a current diagnosis of alcohol dependence, high trait anxiety score, and were not seeking treatment for alcohol dependence or anxiety. A fasting blood sample was collected from each participant and serum BDNF was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Behavioral data were collected on the same day, including measures of alcohol drinking, craving, dependence severity, and anxiety. Bivariate correlations were run between BDNF levels and behavioral measures. Serum BDNF concentrations were negatively correlated with average drinks per drinking days (r = -0.41, p = 0.02) and positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive drinking scale (r = 0.48, p = 0.007) and state-trait anxiety inventory (r = 0.52, p = 0.003) scores. These findings shed light on the possible role of the BDNF system in the neurobiology of alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanelle Portelli
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mehdi Farokhnia
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sara L Deschaine
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jillian T Battista
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mary R Lee
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Xiaobai Li
- Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Bethesda, MD, United States; Center on Compulsive Behaviors, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
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22
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Neurobiology of BDNF in fear memory, sensitivity to stress, and stress-related disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2251-2274. [PMID: 31900428 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is widely accepted for its involvement in resilience and antidepressant drug action, is a common genetic locus of risk for mental illnesses, and remains one of the most prominently studied molecules within psychiatry. Stress, which arguably remains the "lowest common denominator" risk factor for several mental illnesses, targets BDNF in disease-implicated brain regions and circuits. Altered stress-related responses have also been observed in animal models of BDNF deficiency in vivo, and BDNF is a common downstream intermediary for environmental factors that potentiate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. However, BDNF's broad functionality has manifested a heterogeneous literature; likely reflecting that BDNF plays a hitherto under-recognized multifactorial role as both a regulator and target of stress hormone signaling within the brain. The role of BDNF in vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a prominent example where inconsistent effects have emerged across numerous models, labs, and disciplines. In the current review we provide a contemporary update on the neurobiology of BDNF including new data from the behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychiatry literature on fear memory consolidation and extinction, stress, and PTSD. First we present an overview of recent advances in knowledge on the role of BDNF within the fear circuitry, as well as address mounting evidence whereby stress hormones interact with endogenous BDNF-TrkB signaling to alter brain homeostasis. Glucocorticoid signaling also acutely recruits BDNF to enhance the expression of fear memory. We then include observations that the functional common BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates stress susceptibility as well as stress-related and stress-inducible neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in both man and mouse. We conclude by proposing a BDNF stress-sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that disruption of endogenous BDNF activity by common factors (such as the BDNF Val66Met variant) potentiates sensitivity to stress and, by extension, vulnerability to stress-inducible illnesses. Thus, BDNF may induce plasticity to deleteriously promote the encoding of fear and trauma but, conversely, also enable adaptive plasticity during extinction learning to suppress PTSD-like fear responses. Ergo regulators of BDNF availability, such as the Val66Met polymorphism, may orchestrate sensitivity to stress, trauma, and risk of stress-induced disorders such as PTSD. Given an increasing interest in personalized psychiatry and clinically complex cases, this model provides a framework from which to experimentally disentangle the causal actions of BDNF in stress responses, which likely interact to potentiate, produce, and impair treatment of, stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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23
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Chari T, Griswold S, Andrews NA, Fagiolini M. The Stage of the Estrus Cycle Is Critical for Interpretation of Female Mouse Social Interaction Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:113. [PMID: 32714163 PMCID: PMC7340104 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Female animals in biomedical research have traditionally been excluded from research studies due to the perceived added complexity caused by the estrus cycle. However, given the importance of sex differences in a variety of neurological disorders, testing female mice is critical to identifying sex-linked effects in diseases. To determine the susceptibility of simple behaviors to hormonal fluctuations in the estrus cycle, we studied the effects of sex and the estrus cycle on a variety of behavioral tasks commonly used in mouse phenotyping laboratories. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were tested in a small battery of short duration tests and, immediately on completion of each test, females were classified using cytology of vaginal lavages as sexually-receptive (proestrus and estrus) or non-receptive (NR; metestrus and diestrus). We showed that there was a significant difference in 3-chamber social interaction (SI) between female mice at different stages of their estrus cycle, with sexually-receptive mice showing no preferential interest in a novel female mouse compared with an empty chamber. NR female mice showed the same level of preference for a novel female mouse as male mice did for a novel male mouse. No differences between or within sexes were found for tests of anxiety elevated plus maze (EPM; Hole board), working memory [Novel object recognition (NOR)], and motor learning (repeated tests on rotarod). We conclude that the stage of the estrus cycle may impact SI between same-sex conspecifics, and does not impact performance in the elevated plus-maze, hole board, NOR, and rotarod.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishala Chari
- Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sophie Griswold
- Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Nick A Andrews
- Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michela Fagiolini
- Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
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24
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Liu J, Meng F, Dai J, Wu M, Wang W, Liu C, Zhao D, Wang H, Zhang J, Li C. The BDNF-FoxO1 Axis in the medial prefrontal cortex modulates depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredictable stress in postpartum female mice. Mol Brain 2020; 13:91. [PMID: 32532322 PMCID: PMC7291536 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00631-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious psychiatric disorder, affecting not only the childbearing women but also the health of their offsprings. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene is an important target gene for the study of depression and antidepressant therapy. FoxO1, belonging to the FoxO subfamily is involved in the development of major depressive disorders. However, the role of BDNF and its functional brain regions involved in PPD remains unknown. Here, we report that chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) can produce depression-associated behaviors in postpartum female mice. CUS can decrease total Bdnf mRNA and exon specific mRNAs in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), accompanied by reduced protein levels, that were correlated with depression-related behaviors. Moreover, postpartum, not virgin female mice showed increased susceptibility to subthreshold stress-induced depression-related behaviors. Selective deletion of BDNF in the mPFC induced anhedonia as indicated by reduced sucrose preference and increased latency to food in the novelty suppressed food test in postpartum, but not in virgin female mice. Furthermore, we found that FoxO1 is also decreased in CUS-treated postpartum female mice with a significant correlation with depression-related behaviors. BDNF-specific knockout in the mPFC decreased FoxO1 expression in female mice. Our results indicate that the BDNF-FoxO1 axis in mPFC can regulate depression-related behaviors and stress vulnerability in postpartum female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Fantao Meng
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Juanjuan Dai
- Cancer Research Institute, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Min Wu
- Neurosurgery, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Wentao Wang
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Cuilan Liu
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Di Zhao
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Hongcai Wang
- Department of Neurology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Jingyan Zhang
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China
| | - Chen Li
- Institute for Metabolic & Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, No. 661 Huanghe 2nd Road, Binzhou, 256603, Shandong, China.
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25
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Dubol M, Epperson CN, Lanzenberger R, Sundström-Poromaa I, Comasco E. Neuroimaging premenstrual dysphoric disorder: A systematic and critical review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100838. [PMID: 32268180 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine organizational and activational influences on cognitive and affective circuits are likely critical to the development of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a sex-specific hormone-dependent mood disorder. An overview of the anatomical and functional neural characterization of this disorder is presented here by means of neuroimaging correlates, identified from eighteen publications (n = 361 subjects). While white matter integrity remains uninvestigated, greater cerebellar grey matter volume and metabolism were observed in patients with PMDD, along with altered serotonergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. Differential corticolimbic activation in response to emotional stimuli distinguishes the PMDD brain, namely enhanced amygdalar and diminished fronto-cortical function. Thus far, the emotional distress and dysregulation linked to PMDD seem to be defined by structural, chemical and functional brain signatures; however, their characterization remains sparsely studied and somewhat inconsistent. Clear and well-replicated neurobiological features of PMDD are needed to promote timely diagnoses and inform development of prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Dubol
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Family Medicine, University of Colorado, School of Medicine-Anschutz Medical Campus, United States
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Erika Comasco
- Department of Neuroscience, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
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26
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Marrocco J, Einhorn NR, Petty GH, Li H, Dubey N, Hoffman J, Berman KF, Goldman D, Lee FS, Schmidt PJ, McEwen BS. Epigenetic intersection of BDNF Val66Met genotype with premenstrual dysphoric disorder transcriptome in a cross-species model of estradiol add-back. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:572-583. [PMID: 30356121 PMCID: PMC7042769 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0274-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects over 5% of women, with symptoms similar to anxiety and major depression, and is associated with differential sensitivity to circulating ovarian hormones. Little is known about the genetic and epigenetic factors that increase the risk to develop PMDD. We report that 17β-estradiol (E2) affects the behavior and the epigenome in a mouse model carrying a single-nucleotide polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF Val66Met), in a way that recapitulates the hallmarks of PMDD. Ovariectomized mice heterozygous for the BDNF Met allele (Het-Met) and their matched wild-type (WT) mice were administered estradiol or vehicle in drinking water for 6 weeks. Using the open field and the splash test, we show that E2 add-back induces anxiety-like and depression-like behavior in Het-Met mice, but not in WT mice. RNA-seq of the ventral hippocampus (vHpc) highlights that E2-dependent gene expression is markedly different between WT mice and Het-Met mice. Through a comparative whole-genome RNA-seq analysis between mouse vHpc and lymphoblastoid cell line cultures from control women and women with PMDD, we discovered common epigenetic biomarkers that transcend species and cell types. Those genes include epigenetic modifiers of the ESC/E(Z) complex, an effector of response to ovarian steroids. Although the BDNF Met genotype intersects the behavioral and transcriptional traits of women with PMDD, we suggest that these similarities speak to the epigenetic factors by which ovarian steroids produce negative behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Marrocco
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Nathan R. Einhorn
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Gordon H. Petty
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
| | - Howard Li
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Neelima Dubey
- grid.440681.fDr. D. Y. Patil Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Institute, Pune, India
| | - Jessica Hoffman
- 0000 0001 0421 5525grid.265436.0Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Karen F. Berman
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - David Goldman
- 0000 0004 0481 4802grid.420085.bLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- 000000041936877Xgrid.5386.8Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY USA
| | - Peter J. Schmidt
- 0000 0004 0464 0574grid.416868.5Behavioral Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Bruce S. McEwen
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY USA
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27
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Wang C, Zhang Y, Shao S, Cui S, Wan Y, Yi M. Ventral Hippocampus Modulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in Male But Not Female C57BL/6 J Mice. Neuroscience 2019; 418:50-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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28
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Wheeler AL, Felsky D, Viviano JD, Stojanovski S, Ameis SH, Szatmari P, Lerch JP, Chakravarty MM, Voineskos AN. BDNF-Dependent Effects on Amygdala-Cortical Circuitry and Depression Risk in Children and Youth. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:1760-1770. [PMID: 28387866 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is critical for brain development, and the functional BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is implicated in risk for mood disorders. The objective of this study was to determine how the Val66Met polymorphism influences amygdala-cortical connectivity during neurodevelopment and assess the relevance for mood disorders. Age- and sex-specific effects of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on amygdala-cortical connectivity were assessed by examining covariance of amygdala volumes with thickness throughout the cortex in a sample of Caucasian youths ages 8-22 that were part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (n = 339). Follow-up analyses assessed corresponding BDNF genotype effects on resting-state functional connectivity (n = 186) and the association between BDNF genotype and major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 2749). In adolescents, amygdala-cortical covariance was significantly stronger in Met allele carriers compared with Val/Val homozygotes in amygdala-cortical networks implicated in depression; these differences were driven by females. In follow-up analyses, the Met allele was also associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents and increased likelihood of MDD in adolescent females. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may confer risk for mood disorders in females through effects on amygdala-cortical connectivity during adolescence, coinciding with a period in the lifespan when onset of depression often occurs, more commonly in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Wheeler
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
| | - Daniel Felsky
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
| | - Joseph D Viviano
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
| | - Sonja Stojanovski
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4
| | - Stephanie H Ameis
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4.,Child Youth and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4.,Child Youth and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 0A4.,Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1L7
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4H 1R3.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 rue University Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4
| | - Aristotle N Voineskos
- Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8.,Child Youth and Emerging Adult Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
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29
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McLaughlin KA, DeCross SN, Jovanovic T, Tottenham N. Mechanisms linking childhood adversity with psychopathology: Learning as an intervention target. Behav Res Ther 2019; 118:101-109. [PMID: 31030002 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to childhood adversity is common and a powerful risk factor for many forms of psychopathology. In this opinion piece, we argue for greater translation of knowledge about the developmental processes that are influenced by childhood adversity into targeted interventions to prevent the onset of psychopathology. Existing evidence has consistently identified several neurodevelopmental pathways that serve as mechanisms linking adversity with psychopathology. We highlight three domains in which these mechanisms are well-established and point to clear targets for intervention: 1) threat-related social information processing biases; 2) heightened emotional reactivity and difficulties with emotion regulation; and 3) disruptions in reward processing. In contrast to these established pathways, knowledge of how childhood adversity influences emotional learning mechanisms, including fear and reward learning, is remarkably limited. We see the investigation of these mechanisms as a critical next step for the field that will not only advance understanding of developmental pathways linking childhood adversity with psychopathology, but also provide clear targets for behavioral interventions. Knowledge of the mechanisms linking childhood adversity with psychopathology has advanced rapidly, and the time has come to translate that knowledge into clinical interventions to prevent the onset of mental health problems in children who have experienced adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Stephanie N DeCross
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 3901 Chrysler Dr, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, 49 Jesse Hill Jr Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 5501 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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30
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Goodwill HL, Manzano-Nieves G, Gallo M, Lee HI, Oyerinde E, Serre T, Bath KG. Early life stress leads to sex differences in development of depressive-like outcomes in a mouse model. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:711-720. [PMID: 30188513 PMCID: PMC6372611 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0195-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma and neglect influence emotional development and increase the risk for and severity of mental illness. Women have a heightened susceptibility to the effects of early life stress (ELS) and are twice as likely as men to develop debilitating, stress-associated disorders later in life, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Until now, mouse models of depression have been largely unsuccessful at replicating the diverse symptomatology of this disease and the sex bias in vulnerability. From P4 to P11, a limited bedding model that leads to fragmented maternal care, was used to induce ELS. Early adolescent and young adult mice were tested on an array of assays to test for depressive-like behavior. This included our newly developed automated home cage behavioral recognition system, where the home cage behavior of ELS and control mice could be monitored over a continuous 5-10 day span. ELS females, but not males, exhibited depressive-like behaviors on traditional assays. These effects emerged during adolescence and became more severe in adulthood. Using the novel home cage video monitoring method, we identified robust and continuous markers of depressive-like pathology in ELS females that phenocopy many of the behavioral characteristics of depression in humans. ELS effects on home cage behavior were rapidly rescued by ketamine, a fast-acting antidepressant. Together, these findings highlight that limited bedding ELS (1) produces an early emerging, female-specific depressive phenotype that responds to a fast-acting antidepressant and (2) this model has the potential to inform sex-selective risk for the development of stress-induced mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley L. Goodwill
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Gabriela Manzano-Nieves
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Meghan Gallo
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Hye-In Lee
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Esther Oyerinde
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Thomas Serre
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Kevin G. Bath
- 0000 0004 1936 9094grid.40263.33Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
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31
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Ho IH, Liu X, Zou Y, Liu T, Hu W, Chan H, Tian Y, Zhang Y, Li Q, Kou S, Chan CS, Gin T, Cheng CH, Wong SH, Yu J, Zhang L, Wu WK, Chan MT. A Novel Peptide Interfering with proBDNF-Sortilin Interaction Alleviates Chronic Inflammatory Pain. Theranostics 2019; 9:1651-1665. [PMID: 31037129 PMCID: PMC6485195 DOI: 10.7150/thno.29703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a key mediator in the development of chronic pain. Sortilin is known to interact with proBDNF and regulate its activity-dependent secretion in cortical neurons. In a rat model of inflammatory pain with intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), we examined the functional role of proBDNF-sortilin interaction in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Methods: Expression and co-localization of BDNF and sortilin were determined by immunofluorescence. ProBDNF-sortilin interaction interface was mapped using co-immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. The analgesic effect of intrathecal injection of a synthetic peptide interfering with proBDNF-sortilin interaction was measured in the CFA model. Results: BDNF and sortilin were co-localized and their expression was significantly increased in ipsilateral L4/5 DRG upon hind paw CFA injection. In vivo adeno-associated virus-mediated knockdown of sortilin-1 in L5 DRG alleviated pain-like responses. Mapping by serial deletions in the BDNF prodomain indicated that amino acid residues 71-100 supported the proBDNF-sortilin interaction. A synthetic peptide identical to amino acid residues 89-98 of proBDNF, as compared with scrambled peptide, was found to interfere with proBDNF-sortilin interaction, inhibit activity-dependent release of BDNF in vitro and reduce CFA-induced mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia in vivo. The synthetic peptide also interfered with capsaicin-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases in ipsilateral spinal cord of CFA-injected rats. Conclusions: Sortilin-mediated secretion of BDNF from DRG neurons contributes to CFA-induced inflammatory pain. Interfering with proBDNF-sortilin interaction reduced activity-dependent release of BDNF and might serve as a therapeutic approach for chronic inflammatory pain.
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Manzano Nieves G, Schilit Nitenson A, Lee HI, Gallo M, Aguilar Z, Johnsen A, Bravo M, Bath KG. Early Life Stress Delays Sexual Maturation in Female Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:27. [PMID: 30863281 PMCID: PMC6399387 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, some forms of early life stress (ELS) have been linked with precocious puberty, altered brain maturation, and increased risk for a variety of forms of pathology. Interestingly, not all forms of ELS have been found to equally impact these metrics of maturation. In recent work, we have found that ELS in the form of limited bedding (LB) from P4 to P11, was associated with precocious hippocampus maturation in males and increased risk for depressive-like pathology and attentional disturbance in female mice. Here, we sought to test whether ELS in the form of LB also impacted the timing of sexual maturation in female mice. To establish rate of somatic and sexual development, distinct cohorts of mice were tested for weight gain, timing of vaginal opening, and development of estrous cycling. ELS animals weighed significantly less than controls at every timepoint measured. Onset of vaginal opening was tracked from P21 to 40, and ELS was found to significantly delay the onset of vaginal opening. To test the impact of ELS on estrous cycle duration and regularity, vaginal cytology was assessed in independent groups of animals using either a continuous sampling (daily from P40 to P57) or random sampling approach (single swab at P35, P50, or P75). ELS did impact measures of estrous cycling, but these effects were dependent upon the sampling method used. We also tested the impact of ELS on anxiety-like behaviors over development and across the estrous cycle. We observed a developmental increase in anxiety-like behavior in control but not ELS mice. No effect of estrous cycle stage was found on anxiety-like behavior for either group of mice. Together these results provide evidence that ELS in the form of LB delays somatic and sexual development. Additional work will be required to determine the mechanism by which ELS impacts these measures, and if these effects are common to other models of ELS in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hye-In Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Meghan Gallo
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Zachary Aguilar
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Angelica Johnsen
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Marilyn Bravo
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
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Wang X, Ding S, Lu Y, Jiao Z, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Li W, Lv L. Effects of sodium nitroprusside in the acute dizocilpine (MK-801) animal model of schizophrenia. Brain Res Bull 2019; 147:140-147. [PMID: 30772438 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia treatment remains a major challenge, especially the associated cognitive impairments, as these are not consistently alleviated by conventional antipsychotics. Recent animal and clinical studies suggest that the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) reduces the psychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. The present study was designed to investigate the efficacy of SNP against schizophrenia-like behavioral and cognitive deficits in the dizocilpine (MK-801) rat model. We used the rotarod and open field tests to identify the SNP dose which had no adverse effects on rat's exploratory and motor behavior, then established the schizophrenia model by injecting adult Sprague-Dawley rats intraperitoneally with MK-801 (0.4 mg/kg) with or without SNP pre-treatment. Behavioral changes were examined after 10 min. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) and the Y maze tests were conducted to assess cognitive deficits, and elevated plus maze and open field tests to assess anxiety-like behaviors. Preliminary rotarod and open field tests demonstrated that 2.5 mg/kg SNP had no effect on motor performance. Acute MK-801 treatment induced both cognitive deficits and anxiety. Co-administration of SNP (2.5 mg/kg) failed to improve these schizophrenia-like abnormalities. Sodium nitroprusside appears unable to improve schizophrenia-like symptoms and cognitive deficits induced by MK-801, inconsistent with the effectiveness of SNP as an adjunct therapy for anxiety disorders and working memory impairments in schizophrenia patients. Future studies are required to define an effective dose range for SNP monotherapy and adjunct therapy in different rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujuan Wang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shuang Ding
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yanli Lu
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhiqiang Jiao
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lin Zhang
- Wuhan Mental Health Center, The Ninth Clinical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.93, Youyi Road, Wuhan, 430022, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.83, Hulan East Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yongfeng Yang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yujuan Zhang
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenqiang Li
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Luxian Lv
- Henan Mental Hospital, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, No.388, Jianshe Middle Road, Xinxiang, 453002, Henan, People's Republic of China; Henan Key Lab of Biological Psychiatry of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Henan, Xinxiang, People's Republic of China.
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34
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Wei SM, Berman KF. Ovarian hormones, genes, and the brain: the case of estradiol and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:223-224. [PMID: 30287883 PMCID: PMC6235834 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0223-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shau-Ming Wei
- 0000 0001 2237 2479grid.420086.8Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA ,0000 0001 2237 2479grid.420086.8Section on Behavioral Endocrinology, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Karen F. Berman
- 0000 0001 2237 2479grid.420086.8Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD USA
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35
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Becker JB, Chartoff E. Sex differences in neural mechanisms mediating reward and addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:166-183. [PMID: 29946108 PMCID: PMC6235836 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0125-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence in humans and laboratory animals for biologically based sex differences in every phase of drug addiction: acute reinforcing effects, transition from occasional to compulsive use, withdrawal-associated negative affective states, craving, and relapse. There is also evidence that many qualitative aspects of the addiction phases do not differ significantly between males and females, but one sex may be more likely to exhibit a trait than the other, resulting in population differences. The conceptual framework of this review is to focus on hormonal, chromosomal, and epigenetic organizational and contingent, sex-dependent mechanisms of four neural systems that are known-primarily in males-to be key players in addiction: dopamine, mu-opioid receptors (MOR), kappa opioid receptors (KOR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). We highlight data demonstrating sex differences in development, expression, and function of these neural systems as they relate-directly or indirectly-to processes of reward and addictive behavior, with a focus on psychostimulants and opioids. We identify gaps in knowledge about how these neural systems interact with sex to influence addictive behavior, emphasizing throughout that the impact of sex can be highly nuanced and male/female data should be reported regardless of the outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Becker
- Department of Psychology and the Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Elena Chartoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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36
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Shin SY, Baek NJ, Han SH, Min SS. Chronic administration of ketamine ameliorates the anxiety- and aggressive-like behavior in adolescent mice induced by neonatal maternal separation. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY 2018; 23:81-87. [PMID: 30627013 PMCID: PMC6315094 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2019.23.1.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ketamine has long been used as an anesthetic agent. However, ketamine use is associated with numerous side effects, including flashbacks, amnesia, delirium, and aggressive or violent behavior. Ketamine has also been abused as a cocktail with ecstasy, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Several studies have investigated therapeutic applications of ketamine, demonstrating its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in both humans and rodents. We recently reported that neonatal maternal separation causes enhanced anxiety- and aggressive-like behaviors in adolescent. In the present study, we evaluated how acute and chronic ketamine administration affected the behavioral consequences of neonatal maternal separation in adolescent mice. Litters were separated from dams for 4 hours per day for 19 days beginning after weaning. Upon reaching adolescence (post-natal day 35–49), mice were acutely (single injection) or chronically (7 daily injections) treated with a sub-anesthetic dose (15 mg/kg) of ketamine. At least 1 h after administration of ketamine, mice were subjected to open-field, elevated-plus maze, and resident-intruder tests. We found that acute ketamine treatment reduced locomotor activity. In contrast, chronic ketamine treatment decreased anxiety, as evidenced by increased time spent on open arms in the elevated-plus maze, and remarkably reduced the number and duration of attacks. In conclusion, the present study suggests that ketamine has potential for the treatment of anxiety and aggressive or violent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Yep Shin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Korea
| | - Nam Jun Baek
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Korea
| | - Seung Ho Han
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Korea
| | - Sun Seek Min
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Eulji University, Daejeon 34824, Korea
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37
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling mitigates the impact of acute social stress. Neuropharmacology 2018; 148:40-49. [PMID: 30557566 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to promote fear learning as well as avoidant behavioral responses to chronic social defeat stress, but, conversely, this peptide can also have antidepressant effects and can reduce depressant-like symptoms such as social avoidance. The purpose of this study was to use a variety of approaches to determine whether BDNF acting on tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) promotes or prevents avoidant phenotypes in hamsters and mice that have experienced acute social defeat stress. We utilized systemic and brain region-dependent manipulation of BDNF signaling before or immediately following social defeat stress in Syrian hamsters, TrkBF616A knock-in mice, and C57Bl/6J mice and measured the subsequent behavioral response to a novel opponent. Systemic TrkB receptor agonists reduced, and TrkB receptor antagonists enhanced, behavioral responses to social defeat in hamsters and mice. In the neural circuit that we have shown mediates defeat-induced behavioral responses, BDNF in the basolateral amygdala, but not the nucleus accumbens, also reduced social avoidant phenotypes. Conversely, knockdown in the basolateral amygdala of TrkB signaling in TrkBF616A mice enhanced defeat-induced social avoidance. These data demonstrate that systemic administration of BDNF-TrkB drugs at the time of social defeat alters the behavioral response to the defeat stressor. These drugs appear to act, at least in part, in the basolateral amygdala and not the nucleus accumbens. These findings were generalizable to two rodent species with very different social structures and, within mice, to a variety of strains providing converging evidence that BDNF-TrkB signaling reduces anxiety- and depression-like symptoms following short-term social stress.
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38
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Andreatta M, Neueder D, Genheimer H, Schiele MA, Schartner C, Deckert J, Domschke K, Reif A, Wieser MJ, Pauli P. Human BDNF rs6265 polymorphism as a mediator for the generalization of contextual anxiety. J Neurosci Res 2018; 97:300-312. [PMID: 30402941 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The Met allele of the human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene might be a risk factor for anxiety disorders and is associated with reduced hippocampal volume. Notably, hippocampus plays a crucial role in contextual learning and generalization. The role of the BDNF gene variation in human context-conditioning and generalization is still unknown. We investigated 33 carriers of the Met allele (18 females) and 32 homozygous carriers of the Val allele (15 females) with a virtual-reality context-conditioning paradigm. Electric stimulations (unconditioned stimulus, US) were unpredictably delivered in one virtual office (CTX+), but never in another virtual office (CTX-). During generalization, participants revisited CTX+ and CTX- and a generalization office (G-CTX), which was a mix of the other two. Rating data indicated successful conditioning (more negative valence, higher arousal, anxiety and contingency ratings for CTX+ than CTX-), and generalization of conditioned anxiety by comparable ratings for G-CTX and CTX+. The startle data indicated discriminative learning for Met allele carriers, but not for Val homozygotes. Moreover, a trend effect suggests that startle responses of only the Met carriers were slightly potentiated in G-CTX versus CTX-. In sum, the BDNF polymorphism did not affect contextual learning and its generalization on a verbal level. However, the physiological data suggest that Met carriers are characterized by fast discriminative contextual learning and a tendency to generalize anxiety responses to ambiguous contexts. We propose that such learning may be related to reduced hippocampal functionality and the basis for the risk of Met carriers to develop anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Andreatta
- Department of Psychology (Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dorothea Neueder
- Department of Psychology (Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Genheimer
- Department of Psychology (Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Miriam A Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Schartner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Deckert
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Matthias J Wieser
- Department of Psychology (Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul Pauli
- Department of Psychology (Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF): Novel Insights into Regulation and Genetic Variation. Neuroscientist 2018; 25:434-454. [DOI: 10.1177/1073858418810142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has spawned a literature that now spans 35 years of research. While all neurotrophins share considerable overlap in sequence homology and their processing, BDNF has become the most widely studied neurotrophin because of its broad roles in brain homeostasis, health, and disease. Although research on BDNF has produced thousands of articles, there remain numerous long-standing questions on aspects of BDNF molecular biology and signaling. Here we provide a comprehensive review, including both a historical narrative and a forward-looking perspective on advances in the actions of BDNF within the brain. We specifically review BDNF’s gene structure, peptide composition (including domains, posttranslational modifications and putative motif sites), mechanisms of transport, signaling pathway recruitment, and other recent developments including the functional effects of genetic variation and the discovery of a new BDNF prodomain ligand. This body of knowledge illustrates a highly conserved and complex role for BDNF within the brain, that promotes the idea that the neurotrophin biology of BDNF is diverse and that any disease involvement is likely to be equally multifarious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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40
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Manzano-Nieves G, Gaillard M, Gallo M, Bath KG. Early life stress impairs contextual threat expression in female, but not male, mice. Behav Neurosci 2018; 132:247-257. [PMID: 29781628 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is associated with altered processing of threat signals, and increased lifetime risk of anxiety and affective pathology, disorders that disproportionately affect females. We tested the impact of a limited bedding paradigm of ELS (from P4-11) on contextual threat learning, context memory, footshock sensitivity, and anxietylike behavior, in adult male and female mice. To examine contextual threat learning, mice conditioned by context/footshock association were tested 24 hr later for the context memory. To determine the effect of ELS on footshock sensitivity, a separate cohort of mice were exposed to footshocks of increasing intensity (0.06 to 0.40 mA) and behavioral responses (jump and audible vocalization) were assessed by observers blind to treatment condition, sex, and cycle stage. ELS impaired context memory in female, but not male, mice. ELS increased footshock-induced threshold to vocalize, but not to jump, in both sexes. In female mice, this effect was most apparent during estrus. Decreased body weight, indicative of higher stress incurred by an individual mouse, correlated with increased threshold to jump in both sexes reared in ELS, and to audibly vocalize in ELS females. As ELS effects on shock sensitivity were present in both sexes, the contextual recall deficit in females was not likely driven by changes in the salience of aversive footshocks. No effects on anxietylike behavior, as measured in the elevated plus maze (EPM), were observed. More work is needed to better understand the impact of ELS on both somatic and gonadal development, and their potential contribution to threat learning. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
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41
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Tsai SJ. Critical Issues in BDNF Val66Met Genetic Studies of Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:156. [PMID: 29867348 PMCID: PMC5962780 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins have been implicated in the pathophysiology of many neuropsychiatric diseases. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most abundant and widely distributed neurotrophin in the brain. Its Val66Met polymorphism (refSNP Cluster Report: rs6265) is a common and functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) affecting the activity-dependent release of BDNF. BDNF Val66Met transgenic mice have been generated, which may provide further insight into the functional impact of this polymorphism in the brain. Considering the important role of BDNF in brain function, more than 1,100 genetic studies have investigated this polymorphism in the past 15 years. Although these studies have reported some encouraging positive findings initially, most of the findings cannot be replicated in following studies. These inconsistencies in BDNF Val66Met genetic studies may be attributed to many factors such as age, sex, environmental factors, ethnicity, genetic model used for analysis, and gene–gene interaction, which are discussed in this review. We also discuss the results of recent studies that have reported the novel functions of this polymorphism. Because many BDNF polymorphisms and non-genetic factors have been implicated in the complex traits of neuropsychiatric diseases, the conventional genetic association-based method is limited to address these complex interactions. Future studies should apply data mining and machine learning techniques to determine the genetic role of BDNF in neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Brain Science, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Ravenelle R, Berman AK, La J, Mason B, Asumadu E, Yelleswarapu C, Donaldson ST. Sex matters: females in proestrus show greater diazepam anxiolysis and brain-derived neurotrophin factor- and parvalbumin-positive neurons than males. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 47:994-1002. [PMID: 29461650 PMCID: PMC5902654 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In humans and animal models, sex differences are reported for anxiety-like behavior and response to anxiogenic stimuli. In the current work, we studied anxiety-like behavior and response to the prototypical anti-anxiety drug, diazepam. We used 6th generation outbred lines of adult Long Evans rats with high and low anxiety-like behavior phenotypes to investigate the impact of proestrus on the baseline and diazepam-induced behavior. At three doses of diazepam (0, 0.1, and 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), we measured anxiogenic responses on the elevated plus maze of adult male and female rats. We assessed parvalbumin and brain-derived neurotrophin protein levels in forebrain and limbic structures implicated in anxiety/stress using immunohistochemistry. At baseline, we saw significant differences between anxiety lines, with high anxiety lines displaying less time on the open arms of the elevated plus maze, and less open arm entries, regardless of sex. During proestrus, high anxiety females showed less anxiety-like behavior at 0.1 mg/kg, while low anxiety females displayed less anxiety-like behavior at 0.1 and 1.0 doses, relative to males. Brain-derived neurotrophin protein was elevated in females in the medial prefrontal cortex and central amygdala, while parvalbumin-immunoreactive cells were greater in males in the medial prefrontal cortex. Parvalbumin-positive cells in high anxiety females were higher in CA2 and dentate gyrus relative to males from the same line. In sum, when tested in proestrus, females showed greater anxiolytic effects of diazepam relative to males, and this correlated with increases in neurotrophin and parvalbumin neuron density in corticolimbic structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Ravenelle
- City University of New York, CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, The Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Ariel K. Berman
- Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, 1526 Wood Hall, Kalamazoo, MI 49008 USA
| | - Jeffrey La
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Briana Mason
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Evans Asumadu
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - Chandra Yelleswarapu
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 USA
| | - S. Tiffany Donaldson
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 USA
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val 66Met genotype and ovarian steroids interactively modulate working memory-related hippocampal function in women: a multimodal neuroimaging study. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1066-1075. [PMID: 28416813 PMCID: PMC10103851 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical evidence suggests that the actions of ovarian steroid hormones and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are highly convergent on brain function. Studies in humanized mice document an interaction between estrus cycle-related changes in estradiol secretion and BDNF Val66Met genotype on measures of hippocampal function and anxiety-like behavior. We believe our multimodal imaging data provide the first demonstration in women that the effects of the BDNF Val/Met polymorphism on hippocampal function are selectively modulated by estradiol. In a 6-month pharmacological hormone manipulation protocol, healthy, regularly menstruating, asymptomatic women completed positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans while performing the n-back working memory task during three hormone conditions: ovarian suppression induced by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, leuprolide acetate; leuprolide plus estradiol; and leuprolide plus progesterone. For each of the three hormone conditions, a discovery data set was obtained with oxygen-15 water regional cerebral blood flow PET in 39 healthy women genotyped for BDNF Val66Met, and a confirmatory data set was obtained with fMRI in 27 women. Our results, in close agreement across the two imaging platforms, demonstrate an ovarian hormone-by-BDNF interaction on working memory-related hippocampal function (PET: F2,37=9.11, P=0.00026 uncorrected, P=0.05, familywise error corrected with small volume correction; fMRI: F2,25=5.43, P=0.01, uncorrected) that reflects differential hippocampal recruitment in Met carriers but only in the presence of estradiol. These findings have clinical relevance for understanding the neurobiological basis of individual differences in the cognitive and behavioral effects of ovarian steroids in women, and may provide a neurogenetic framework for understanding neuropsychiatric disorders related to reproductive hormones as well as illnesses with sex differences in disease expression and course.
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44
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Increased parasympathetic activity and ability to generate positive emotion: The influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on emotion flexibility. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-018-9679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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45
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Dincheva I, Yang J, Li A, Marinic T, Freilingsdorf H, Huang C, Casey B, Hempstead B, Glatt CE, Lee FS, Bath KG, Jing D. Effect of Early-Life Fluoxetine on Anxiety-Like Behaviors in BDNF Val66Met Mice. Am J Psychiatry 2017; 174:1203-1213. [PMID: 29084453 PMCID: PMC5711544 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.15121592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adolescence is a developmental stage in which the incidence of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety disorders, peaks. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the main class of agents used to treat anxiety disorders. However, the impact of SSRIs on the developing brain during adolescence remains unknown. The authors assessed the impact of developmentally timed SSRI administration in a genetic mouse model displaying elevated anxiety-like behaviors. METHOD Knock-in mice containing a common human single-nucleotide polymorphism (Val66Met; rs6265) in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor implicated in the mechanism of action of SSRIs, were studied based on their established phenotype of increased anxiety-like behavior. Timed administration of fluoxetine was delivered during one of three developmental periods (postnatal days 21-42, 40-61, or 60-81), spanning the transition from childhood to adulthood. Neurochemical and anxiety-like behavioral analyses were performed. RESULTS We identified a "sensitive period" during periadolescence (postnatal days 21-42) in which developmentally timed fluoxetine administration rescued anxiety-like phenotypes in BDNF Val66Met mice in adulthood. Compared with littermate controls, BDNFMet/Met mice exhibited diminished maturation of serotonergic fibers projecting particularly to the prefrontal cortex, as well as decreased expression of the serotonergic trophic factor S100B in the dorsal raphe. Interestingly, deficient serotonergic innervation, as well as S100B levels, were rescued with fluoxetine administration during periadolescence. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that SSRI administration during a "sensitive period" during periadolescence leads to long-lasting anxiolytic effects in a genetic mouse model of elevated anxiety-like behaviors. These persistent effects highlight the role of BDNF in the maturation of the serotonin system and the capacity to enhance its development through a pharmacological intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Dincheva
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Jianmin Yang
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China
| | - Anfei Li
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Tina Marinic
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Helena Freilingsdorf
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Chienchun Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - B.J. Casey
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Barbara Hempstead
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Charles E. Glatt
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed: Deqiang Jing, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-3169, ; Kevin G. Bath, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, RI 02912, Phone: 401-863-3147, ; Francis S. Lee, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-5403,
| | - Kevin G. Bath
- Department of Psychology, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Metcalf 353, Providence, R.I., 02912 USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed: Deqiang Jing, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-3169, ; Kevin G. Bath, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, RI 02912, Phone: 401-863-3147, ; Francis S. Lee, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-5403,
| | - Deqiang Jing
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, 1300 York Ave., New York, N.Y. 10065, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed: Deqiang Jing, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-3169, ; Kevin G. Bath, Brown University, 190 Thayer Street, Providence, RI 02912, Phone: 401-863-3147, ; Francis S. Lee, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065 USA, Phone: 212-746-5403,
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Wei YC, Wang SR, Xu XH. Sex differences in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling: Functions and implications. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:336-344. [PMID: 27870405 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates diverse processes such as neuronal survival, differentiation, and plasticity. Accumulating evidence suggests that molecular events that direct sexual differentiation of the brain interact with BDNF signaling pathways. This Mini-Review first examines potential hormonal and epigenetic mechanisms through which sex influences BDNF signaling. We then examine how sex-specific regulation of BDNF signaling supports the development and function of sexually dimorphic neural circuits that underlie male-specific genital reflexes in rats and song production in birds. Finally, we discuss the implications of sex differences in BDNF signaling for gender-biased presentation of neurological and psychiatric diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Although this Mini-Review focuses on BDNF, we try to convey the general message that sex influences brain functions in complex ways and underscore the requirement for and challenge of expanding research on sex differences in neuroscience. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chao Wei
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shao-Ran Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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McEvoy K, Osborne LM, Nanavati J, Payne JL. Reproductive Affective Disorders: a Review of the Genetic Evidence for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and Postpartum Depression. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2017; 19:94. [PMID: 29082433 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-017-0852-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this study is to review and summarize the literature exploring the genetic basis for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and postpartum depression (PPD). RECENT FINDINGS There is more evidence for a genetic basis for PPD than for PMDD, but only when PPD is defined as beginning in the immediate postpartum time period. Familial, genome-wide linkage and association studies, and candidate gene studies, most in the past 10 years, have examined the genetic etiology of reproductive affective disorders, including PMDD and PPD. The most commonly studied genes include SERT, COMT, MAOA, BDNF, and ESR1 and 2. This qualitative review of the recent literature finds limited evidence so far for the genetic basis for PMDD, with both familial and candidate gene studies having negative or conflicting results. Evidence is stronger for the genetic basis for PPD, with positive associations found in family studies and in several genes associated with major depression as well as genes involved in estrogen signaling but only when PPD onset is shortly after delivery. Epigenetic biomarkers on genes responsive to estrogen have also been found to predict PPD. Our findings underscore the need for additional studies with larger samples, as well as the crucial importance of timing in the definition of PPD for genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine McEvoy
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Lauren M Osborne
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Julie Nanavati
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jennifer L Payne
- Department of Psychiatry, Women's Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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A sexually dimorphic pre-stressed translational signature in CA3 pyramidal neurons of BDNF Val66Met mice. Nat Commun 2017; 8:808. [PMID: 28993643 PMCID: PMC5634406 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Males and females use distinct brain circuits to cope with similar challenges. Using RNA sequencing of ribosome-bound mRNA from hippocampal CA3 neurons, we found remarkable sex differences and discovered that female mice displayed greater gene expression activation after acute stress than males. Stress-sensitive BDNF Val66Met mice of both sexes show a pre-stressed translational phenotype in which the same genes that are activated without applied stress are also induced in wild-type mice by an acute stressor. Behaviourally, only heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females exhibit spatial memory impairment, regardless of acute stress. Interestingly, this effect is not observed in ovariectomized heterozygous BDNF Val66Met females, suggesting that circulating ovarian hormones induce cognitive impairment in Met carriers. Cognitive deficits are not observed in males of either genotype. Thus, in a brain region not normally associated with sex differences, this work sheds light on ways that genes, environment and sex interact to affect the transcriptome’s response to a stressor. Animals’ response to acute stress is known to be influenced by sex and genetics. Here the authors performed RNA-seq on actively translated mRNAs in hippocampal CA3 neurons in mice, and document the effects of sex and genotype (i.e., BDNF Val66Met) on acute stress-induced gene expression.
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49
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Ma Q, Yang J, Milner TA, Vonsattel JPG, Palko ME, Tessarollo L, Hempstead BL. SorCS2-mediated NR2A trafficking regulates motor deficits in Huntington's disease. JCI Insight 2017; 2:88995. [PMID: 28469074 PMCID: PMC5414556 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor dysfunction is a prominent and disabling feature of Huntington's disease (HD), but the molecular mechanisms that dictate its onset and progression are unknown. The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2A (NR2A) subunit regulates motor skill development and synaptic plasticity in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the striatum, cells that are most severely impacted by HD. Here, we document reduced NR2A receptor subunits on the dendritic membranes and at the synapses of MSNs in zQ175 mice that model HD. We identify that SorCS2, a vacuolar protein sorting 10 protein-domain (VPS10P-domain) receptor, interacts with VPS35, a core component of retromer, thereby regulating surface trafficking of NR2A in MSNs. In the zQ175 striatum, SorCS2 is markedly decreased in an age- and allele-dependent manner. Notably, SorCS2 selectively interacts with mutant huntingtin (mtHTT), but not WT huntingtin (wtHTT), and is mislocalized to perinuclear clusters in striatal neurons of human HD patients and zQ175 mice. Genetic deficiency of SorCS2 accelerates the onset and exacerbates the motor coordination deficit of zQ175 mice. Together, our results identify SorCS2 as an interacting protein of mtHTT and demonstrate that impaired SorCS2-mediated NR2A subunit trafficking to dendritic surface of MSNs is, to our knowledge, a novel mechanism contributing to motor coordination deficits of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Ma
- Graduate Program of Neuroscience
| | - Jianmin Yang
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province for Craniofacial Precision Medicine Research, College of Stomatology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China
| | - Teresa A Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jean-Paul G Vonsattel
- The New York Brain Bank/Taub Institute Columbia University, Children's Hospital, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Palko
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, Center for Cancer Research, NCI, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Barbara L Hempstead
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.,Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Dincheva I, Lynch NB, Lee FS. The Role of BDNF in the Development of Fear Learning. Depress Anxiety 2016; 33:907-916. [PMID: 27699937 PMCID: PMC5089164 DOI: 10.1002/da.22497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a growth factor that is dynamically expressed in the brain across postnatal development, regulating neuronal differentiation and synaptic plasticity. The neurotrophic hypothesis of psychiatric mood disorders postulates that in the adult brain, decreased BDNF levels leads to altered neural plasticity, contributing to disease. Although BDNF has been established as a key factor regulating the critical period plasticity in the developing visual system, it has recently been shown to also play a role in fear circuitry maturation, which has implications for the emergence of fear-related mood disorders. This review provides a detailed overview of developmental changes in expression of BDNF isoforms, as well as their receptors across postnatal life. In addition, recent developmental studies utilizing a genetic BDNF single nucleotide polymorphism (Val66Met) knock-in mouse highlight the impact of BDNF on fear learning during a sensitive period spanning the transition into adolescent time frame. We hypothesize that BDNF in the developing brain regulates fear circuit plasticity during a sensitive period in early adolescence, and alterations in BDNF expression (genetic or environmental) have a persistent impact on fear behavior and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Dincheva
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York.
| | - Niccola B. Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York,Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
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