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Holt LM, Gyles TM, Parise EM, Minier-Toribio A, Markovic T, Rivera M, Yeh SY, Nestler EJ. Astrocytic CREB in nucleus accumbens promotes susceptibility to chronic stress. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.15.575728. [PMID: 38293227 PMCID: PMC10827054 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Increasing evidence implicates astrocytes in stress and depression in both rodent models and human Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Despite this, little is known about the transcriptional responses to stress of astrocytes within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain reward region, and their influence on behavioral outcomes. Methods We used whole cell sorting, RNA-sequencing, and bioinformatic analyses to investigate the NAc astrocyte transcriptome in male mice in response to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Immunohistochemistry was used to determine stress-induced changes in astrocytic CREB within the NAc. Finally, astrocytic regulation of depression-like behavior was investigated using viral-mediated manipulation of CREB in combination with CSDS. Results We found a robust transcriptional response in NAc astrocytes to CSDS in stressed mice, with changes seen in both stress-susceptible and stress-resilient animals. Bioinformatic analysis revealed CREB, a transcription factor widely studied in neurons, as one of the top-predicted upstream regulators of the NAc astrocyte transcriptome, with opposite activation states seen in resilient versus susceptible mice. This bioinformatic result was confirmed at the protein level with immunohistochemistry. Viral overexpression of CREB selectively in NAc astrocytes promoted susceptibility to chronic stress. Conclusions Together, our data demonstrate that the astrocyte transcriptome responds robustly to CSDS and, for the first time, that transcriptional regulation in astrocytes contributes to depressive-like behaviors. A better understanding of transcriptional regulation in astrocytes may reveal unknown molecular mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Trevonn M Gyles
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Matthew Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Szu-Ying Yeh
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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2
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Spalek K, Coynel D, de Quervain D, Milnik A. Sex-dependent differences in connectivity patterns are related to episodic memory recall. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5612-5623. [PMID: 37647201 PMCID: PMC10619411 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that females typically outperform males on episodic memory tasks. In this study, we investigated if (1) there are differences between males and females in their connectome characteristics, (2) if these connectivity patterns are associated with memory performance, and (3) if these brain connectome characteristics contribute to the differences in episodic memory performance between sexes. In a sample of 655 healthy young subjects (n = 391 females; n = 264 males), we derived brain network characteristics from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data using models of crossing fibers within each voxel of the brain and probabilistic tractography (graph strength, shortest path length, global efficiency, and weighted transitivity). Group differences were analysed with linear models and mediation analyses were used to explore how connectivity patterns might relate to sex-dependent differences in memory performance. Our results show significant sex-dependent differences in weighted transitivity (d = 0.42), with males showing higher values. Further, we observed a negative association between weighted transitivity and memory performance (r = -0.12). Finally, these distinct connectome characteristics partially mediated the observed differences in memory performance (effect size of the indirect effect r = 0.02). Our findings indicate a higher interconnectedness in females compared to males. Additionally, we demonstrate that the sex-dependent differences in episodic memory performance can be partially explained by the differences in this connectome measure. These results further underscore the importance of sex-dependent differences in brain connectivity and their impact on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Spalek
- Division of Cognitive NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Division of Molecular NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Hoekzema Lab, Adult PsychiatryUniversity Medical Centre AmsterdamAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - David Coynel
- Division of Cognitive NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive NeurosciencesUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Dominique de Quervain
- Division of Cognitive NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Research Cluster Molecular and Cognitive NeurosciencesUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Psychiatric University Clinics, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | - Annette Milnik
- Division of Cognitive NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Division of Molecular NeuroscienceDepartment of BiomedicineUniversity of BaselBaselSwitzerland
- Psychiatric University Clinics, University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
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3
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Miller CK, Meitzen J. No detectable changes in anxiety-related and locomotor behaviors in adult ovariectomized female rats exposed to estradiol, the ERβ agonist DPN or the ERα agonist PPT. Horm Behav 2023; 152:105363. [PMID: 37087765 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The sex steroid hormone 17β-estradiol (estradiol) and its Estrogen Receptors (ERs) have been linked to modulation of anxiety-related and locomotor behaviors in female rodents. Research suggests that estradiol mitigates anxiety-related behaviors through activating Estrogen Receptor (ER)β and increases locomotor behaviors through ERα. The influence of ERs on these behaviors cannot always be detected. Here we discuss two experiments in which we tested the hypothesis that anxiety-related behaviors would decrease after ERβ activation and locomotor behaviors would increase after ERα activation, and also assessed the persistence of these behavioral effects by varying the timing of behavioral testing. Two cohorts of adult female ovariectomized rats were exposed to estradiol, the ERβ agonist DPN, the ERα agonist PPT, or oil for four consecutive days. Body mass was assessed throughout as a positive control. In both cohorts, open field behaviors were assessed on the first day of exposure. In one cohort (Experiment 1), open field, light/dark box, and elevated plus maze behaviors were assessed on the final day of injections. In the second cohort (Experiment 2), these behaviors were assessed 24 h after the final exposure. As expected, significant differences in body mass were detected in response to estradiol and PPT exposure, validating the estradiol and ER manipulation. No significant differences were observed in anxiety-related or locomotor behaviors across treatment groups, indicating that the efficacy of these agonists as therapeutic agents may be limited. We review these results in the context of previous literature, emphasizing relevant variables that may obscure ER-related actions on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiana K Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America; Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States of America.
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4
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Hicks EM, Seah C, Cote A, Marchese S, Brennand KJ, Nestler EJ, Girgenti MJ, Huckins LM. Integrating genetics and transcriptomics to study major depressive disorder: a conceptual framework, bioinformatic approaches, and recent findings. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:129. [PMID: 37076454 PMCID: PMC10115809 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02412-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex and heterogeneous psychiatric syndrome with genetic and environmental influences. In addition to neuroanatomical and circuit-level disturbances, dysregulation of the brain transcriptome is a key phenotypic signature of MDD. Postmortem brain gene expression data are uniquely valuable resources for identifying this signature and key genomic drivers in human depression; however, the scarcity of brain tissue limits our capacity to observe the dynamic transcriptional landscape of MDD. It is therefore crucial to explore and integrate depression and stress transcriptomic data from numerous, complementary perspectives to construct a richer understanding of the pathophysiology of depression. In this review, we discuss multiple approaches for exploring the brain transcriptome reflecting dynamic stages of MDD: predisposition, onset, and illness. We next highlight bioinformatic approaches for hypothesis-free, genome-wide analyses of genomic and transcriptomic data and their integration. Last, we summarize the findings of recent genetic and transcriptomic studies within this conceptual framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Hicks
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Carina Seah
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Alanna Cote
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Shelby Marchese
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Matthew J Girgenti
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
| | - Laura M Huckins
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Departments of Psychiatry and of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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Wu H, Su H, Zhu C, Wu S, Cui S, Zhou M. Establishment and effect evaluation of a stress cardiomyopathy mouse model induced by different doses of isoprenaline. Exp Ther Med 2023; 25:166. [PMID: 36936708 PMCID: PMC10015318 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.11865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The optimum dose of isoprenaline (ISO) required to induce stress cardiomyopathy (SC) in mice is not known. The present study aimed to investigate the dose-response association and determine the optimum dose of ISO to establish a high-morbidity/low-mortality SC mouse model to simulate the clinical symptoms of SC. A total of 72 6-week-old wild-type female mice (C57BL/6) were randomly divided into control mice administered normal saline and mice treated with increasing ISO concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg ISO intraperitoneal injections daily for 14 consecutive days). All mice were analysed by body weight assessment, open field test (OFT), echocardiography (Echo), electrocardiogram (ECG), assessment of myocardial pathology and quantification of cortisol, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), catecholamine (CA) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Compared with the control group, the 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO groups exhibited the most prominent weight changes and lower mortality. The open-field test showed a significant decrease in autonomous activity behaviour in the 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO groups compared with the control group (P<0.05). Echo revealed that the apex of the heart was balloon-like in the 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO groups, along with prominent left ventricular dyskinesia. ECG showed a significant increase in ST segment amplitude, QT interval and Q amplitude (P<0.05) in the 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO group compared with the control group. Haematoxylin and eosin staining of heart tissue showed a disordered arrangement of myocardial cells, dissolution of myocardial fibres and cytoplasm, notable widening of myocardial cell space, oedema and hyperaemia of the interstitium, whereas heart tissue of the control group was structurally intact. Compared with the control group, the 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO groups exhibited significantly higher levels of cortisol, BNP, cTNT, CA and CRP (P<0.05). A high-incidence low-mortality SC model was successfully and stably developed by administration of 25 and 50 mg/kg ISO. Such models may provide a basis for the development of other animal models of SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haosheng Wu
- Graduate School, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Hang Su
- Graduate School, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Chao Zhu
- Graduate School, Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Shengbing Wu
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Shuai Cui
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Professor Meiqi Zhou or Dr Shuai Cui, Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, 103 Meishan Road, Shushan, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
| | - Meiqi Zhou
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
- Correspondence to: Professor Meiqi Zhou or Dr Shuai Cui, Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, 103 Meishan Road, Shushan, Hefei, Anhui 230000, P.R. China
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6
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Peng S, Zhou Y, Xiong L, Wang Q. Identification of novel targets and pathways to distinguish suicide dependent or independent on depression diagnosis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2488. [PMID: 36781900 PMCID: PMC9925752 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29101-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, postmortem brain studies have revealed that some molecular, cellular, and circuit changes associated with suicide, have an independent or additive effect on depression. The aim of the present study is to identify potential phenotypic, tissue, and sex-specific novel targets and pathways to distinguish depression or suicide from major depressive disorder (MDD) comorbid with suicide. The mRNA expression profiling datasets from two previous independent postmortem brain studies of suicide and depression (GSE102556 and GSE101521) were retrieved from the GEO database. Machine learning analysis was used to differentiate three regrouped gene expression profiles, i.e., MDD with suicide, MDD without suicide, and suicide without depression. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was further conducted to identify the key modules and hub genes significantly associated with each of these three sub-phenotypes. TissueEnrich approaches were used to find the essential brain tissues and the difference of tissue enriched genes between depression with or without suicide. Dysregulated gene expression cross two variables, including phenotypes and tissues, were determined by global analysis with Vegan. RRHO analysis was applied to examine the difference in global expression pattern between male and female groups. Using the optimized machine learning model, several ncRNAs and mRNAs with higher AUC and MeanDecreaseGini, including GCNT1P1 and AC092745.1, etc., were identified as potential molecular targets to distinguish suicide with, or without MDD and depression without suicide. WGCNA analysis identified some key modules significantly associated with these three phenotypes, and the gene biological functions of the key modules mainly relate to ncRNA and miRNA processing, as well as oxidoreductase and dehydrogenase activity. Hub genes such as RP11-349A22.5, C20orf196, MAPK8IP3 and RP11-697N18.2 were found in these key modules. TissueEnrich analysis showed that nucleus accumbens and subiculum were significantly changed among the 6 brain regions studied. Global analysis with Vegan and RRHO identified PRS26, ARNT and SYN3 as the most significantly differentially expressed genes across phenotype and tissues, and there was little overlap between the male and female groups. In this study, we have identified novel gene targets, as well as annotated functions of co-expression patterns and hub genes that are significantly distinctive between depression with suicide, depression without suicide, and suicide without depression. Moreover, global analysis across three phenotypes and tissues confirmed the evidence of sex difference in mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Peng
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yalan Zhou
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lan Xiong
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Qingzhong Wang
- Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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7
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Touchant M, Labonté B. Sex-Specific Brain Transcriptional Signatures in Human MDD and Their Correlates in Mouse Models of Depression. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:845491. [PMID: 35592639 PMCID: PMC9110970 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.845491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is amongst the most devastating psychiatric conditions affecting several millions of people worldwide every year. Despite the importance of this disease and its impact on modern societies, still very little is known about the etiological mechanisms. Treatment strategies have stagnated over the last decades and very little progress has been made to improve the efficiency of current therapeutic approaches. In order to better understand the disease, it is necessary for researchers to use appropriate animal models that reproduce specific aspects of the complex clinical manifestations at the behavioral and molecular levels. Here, we review the current literature describing the use of mouse models to reproduce specific aspects of MDD and anxiety in males and females. We first describe some of the most commonly used mouse models and their capacity to display unique but also shared features relevant to MDD. We then transition toward an integral description, combined with genome-wide transcriptional strategies. The use of these models reveals crucial insights into the molecular programs underlying the expression of stress susceptibility and resilience in a sex-specific fashion. These studies performed on human and mouse tissues establish correlates into the mechanisms mediating the impact of stress and the extent to which different mouse models of chronic stress recapitulate the molecular changes observed in depressed humans. The focus of this review is specifically to highlight the sex differences revealed from different stress paradigms and transcriptional analyses both in human and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Touchant
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Labonté
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Benoit Labonté
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8
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Wu Q, Duan WZ, Chen JB, Zhao XP, Li XJ, Liu YY, Ma QY, Xue Z, Chen JX. Extracellular Vesicles: Emerging Roles in Developing Therapeutic Approach and Delivery Tool of Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Depressive Disorder. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:843412. [PMID: 35401216 PMCID: PMC8988068 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.843412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer-delimited particles released by cells, which play an essential role in intercellular communication by delivering cellular components including DNA, RNA, lipids, metabolites, cytoplasm, and cell surface proteins into recipient cells. EVs play a vital role in the pathogenesis of depression by transporting miRNA and effector molecules such as BDNF, IL34. Considering that some herbal therapies exhibit antidepressant effects, EVs might be a practical delivery approach for herbal medicine. Since EVs can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), one of the advantages of EV-mediated herbal drug delivery for treating depression with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is that EVs can transfer herbal medicine into the brain cells. This review focuses on discussing the roles of EVs in the pathophysiology of depression and outlines the emerging application of EVs in delivering CHM for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Wen-Zhen Duan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- The Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jian-Bei Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Peng Zhao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Li
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue-Yun Liu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qing-Yu Ma
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhe Xue
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Xu Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Seney ML, Nestler EJ. Introduction to Special Issue: Insight Into Sex Differences in Neuropsychiatric Syndromes From Transcriptomic Analyses. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:3-5. [PMID: 34857105 PMCID: PMC8887677 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L. Seney
- Department of Psychiatry and Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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10
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Seney ML, Glausier J, Sibille E. Large-Scale Transcriptomics Studies Provide Insight Into Sex Differences in Depression. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:14-24. [PMID: 33648716 PMCID: PMC8263802 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability, affecting more than 300 million people worldwide. We first review the well-known sex difference in incidence of MDD, with women being twice as likely to be diagnosed as men, and briefly summarize how the impact of MDD varies between men and women, with sex differences in symptoms, severity, and antidepressant drug response. We then attempt to deconstruct the biological bases for MDD and discuss implications for sex differences research. Next, we review findings from human postmortem studies, both from selected candidate gene studies and from well-powered, unbiased transcriptomics studies, which suggest distinct, and possibly opposite, molecular changes in the brains of depressed men and women. We then discuss inherent challenges of research on the human postmortem brain and suggest paths forward that rely on thoughtful cohort design. Although studies indicate that circulating gonadal hormones might underlie the observed sex differences in MDD, we discuss how additional sex-specific factors, such as genetic sex and developmental exposure to gonadal hormones, may also contribute to altered vulnerability, and we highlight various nuances that we believe should be considered when determining mechanisms underlying observed sex differences. Altogether, this review highlights not only how various sex-specific factors might influence susceptibility or resilience to depression, but also how those sex-specific factors might result in divergent pathology in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L Seney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
| | - Jill Glausier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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11
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Lima S, Sousa N, Patrício P, Pinto L. The underestimated sex: a review on female animal models of depression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021:S0149-7634(21)00569-8. [PMID: 34953920 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Major depression (MD) is the most common psychiatric disorder, predicted to affect around 264 million people worldwide. Although the etiology of depression remains elusive, the interplay between genetics and environmental factors, such as early life events, stress, exposure to drugs and health problems appears to underlie its development. Whereas depression is twice more prevalent in women than in men, most preclinical studies are performed in male rodents. In fact, females' physiology and reproductive experience are associated with changes to brain, behavior and endocrine profiles that may influence both stress, an important precipitating factor for depression, and response to treatment. These specificities emphasize the need to choose the most suitable models and readouts in order to better understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression in females. With this review, we aim to provide an overview of female animal models of depression highlighting the major differences between models, regarding behavioral, physiological, and molecular readouts, but also the major gaps in research, attending to the role of etiological factors, protocol variability and sex.
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Tsyglakova M, Huskey AM, Hurst EH, Telep NM, Wilding MC, Babington ME, Rainville JR, Hodes GE. Sex and region-specific effects of variable stress on microglia morphology. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100378. [PMID: 34820640 PMCID: PMC8600001 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common and debilitating mood disorder that is more prevalent in women than men. In humans, PET imaging of microglia activation is currently being explored as a potential biomarker of MDD and suicidal ideation. Stress is a trigger for many mood disorders, including MDD. Microglial changes in morphology and activation state in response to stress has been reported in various brain regions, but most studies only examined male subjects. Here we report changes in microglia morphology in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and subregions of the hippocampus (HPC) in both male and female mice following variable stress of 6 or 28 days in duration. Our data demonstrate that after 6 days of stress, microglia in the female NAc and dentate gyrus have a reduction in homeostatic associated morphology and an increase in primed microglia. After 28 days some of these sex specific stress effects were still present in microglia within the NAc but not the dentate gyrus. There were no effects of stress in either sex at either timepoint in CA1. In female mice, anti-inflammatory activation of microglia using rosiglitazone promoted sociability behavior after 6 days of stress. Furthermore, both drug and stress have impact on microglia morphology and activation state in the NAc. These data suggest that microglia morphology and activation state are altered by 6 days of variable stress in a region-specific manner and may contribute to, or potentially compensate for, the onset of stress susceptibility rather than impacting long term exposure to stress. There are region and sex specific effects of stress on microglia. Female microglia respond more strongly to shorter periods of stress. Rosiglitazone increases social interaction in stressed female mice. Rosiglitazone does not block stress induced microglia activation in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Tsyglakova
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Alisa M Huskey
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Emily H Hurst
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Natalie M Telep
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mary C Wilding
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Meghan E Babington
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jennifer R Rainville
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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