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After-effects of acute footshock stress on sleep states and rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep in guinea pigs. Odontology 2022; 110:476-481. [PMID: 35000009 DOI: 10.1007/s10266-021-00679-0] [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: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of acute footshock stress (FS) on the occurrence of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) during sleep in guinea pigs. Animals were prepared for chronic recordings from electroencephalogram, electrooculogram and electromyograms of neck and masseter muscles. The signals were recorded for six hours on the two successive days: the first day with stress-free condition (non-FS condition) and the second day with acute FS (FS condition). Sleep/wake states and RMMA were scored visually. Sleep variables and the frequency of RMMA occurring during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were compared during 6-h periods between the two conditions. Compared to non-FS condition, the amount of total sleep and NREM sleep significantly reduced during 2 h following the acute FS in the FS condition. Similarly, the frequency of RMMA significantly increased during 2 h following the acute FS for the FS condition compared to non-FS condition. During 2-6 h after FS in the FS condition, sleep variables and the frequency of RMMA did not differ from those without FS in the non-FS condition. These results suggest that acute experimental stress can induce transient changes in sleep-wake states and the occurrence of RMMA in experimental animals.
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El Marzouki H, Aboussaleh Y, Najimi M, Chigr F, Ahami A. Effect of Cold Stress on Neurobehavioral and Physiological Parameters in Rats. Front Physiol 2021; 12:660124. [PMID: 34603068 PMCID: PMC8485037 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.660124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Cold stress is an important current issue and implementing control strategies to limit its sometimes harmful effects is crucial. Cold is a common stressor that can occur in our work and our occupational or leisure time activities every day. There are substantial studies on the effects of chronic stress on memory and behavior, although, the cognitive changes and anxiety disorders that can occur after exposure to chronic intermittent cold stress are not completely characterized. Therefore, the present study was undertaken with an aim to investigate the effects of chronic intermittent cold stress on body weight, food intake and working memory, and to elucidate cold stress related anxiety disorders using cognitive and behavioral test batteries. Methods: We generated a cold stress model by exposing rats to chronic intermittent cold stress for 5 consecutive days and in order to test for the potential presence of sex differences, a comparable number of male and female rats were tested in the current study. Then, we measured the body weights, food intake and the adrenal glands weight. Working memory and recognition memory were assessed using the Y maze and the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) tasks. While, sex differences in the effects of chronic stress on behavior were evaluated by the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field maze (OF), and Marble burying (MB) tests. Results: We found that 2 h exposure to cold (4°C) resulted in an increase in the relative weight of the adrenal glands in male rats. Given the same chronic stress 5 days of cold exposure (2 h per day), increased weight gain in male rats, while females showed decreased food intake and no change in body weight. Both sexes successfully performed the Y maze and object recognition (OR) tasks, indicating intact spatial working memory performance and object recognition abilities in both male and female rats. In addition, we have shown that stress caused an increase in the level of anxiety in male rats. In contrast, the behavior of the female rats was not affected by cold exposure. Conclusion: Overall, the current results provide preliminary evidence that chronic intermittent cold stress model may not be an efficient stressor to female rats. Females exhibit resilience to cold exposure that causes an increase in the level of anxiety in male rats, which demonstrates that they are affected differently by stress and the gender is an important consideration in experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hajar El Marzouki
- Biology and Health Laboratory, Unit of Clinical and Cognitive-Behavioural Neurosciences and Applied Nutrition Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Youssef Aboussaleh
- Biology and Health Laboratory, Unit of Clinical and Cognitive-Behavioural Neurosciences and Applied Nutrition Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Najimi
- Biological Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan MoulaySlimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Fatiha Chigr
- Biological Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan MoulaySlimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco
| | - Ahmed Ahami
- Biology and Health Laboratory, Unit of Clinical and Cognitive-Behavioural Neurosciences and Applied Nutrition Health, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco
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3
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Doncheck EM, Liddiard GT, Konrath CD, Liu X, Yu L, Urbanik LA, Herbst MR, DeBaker MC, Raddatz N, Van Newenhizen EC, Mathy J, Gilmartin MR, Liu QS, Hillard CJ, Mantsch JR. Sex, stress, and prefrontal cortex: influence of biological sex on stress-promoted cocaine seeking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1974-1985. [PMID: 32303052 PMCID: PMC7547655 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0674-3] [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: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Clinical reports suggest that females diagnosed with substance use disorder experience enhanced relapse vulnerability compared with males, particularly during stress. We previously demonstrated that a stressor (footshock) can potentiate cocaine seeking in male rats via glucocorticoid-dependent cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R)-mediated actions in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL-PFC). Here, we investigated the influence of biological sex on stress-potentiated cocaine seeking. Despite comparable self-administration and extinction, females displayed a lower threshold for cocaine-primed reinstatement than males. Unlike males, footshock, tested across a range of intensities, failed to potentiate cocaine-primed reinstatement in females. However, restraint potentiated reinstatement in both sexes. While sex differences in stressor-induced plasma corticosterone (CORT) elevations and defensive behaviors were not observed, differences were evident in footshock-elicited ultrasonic vocalizations. CORT administration, at a dose which recapitulates stressor-induced plasma levels, reproduced stress-potentiated cocaine-primed reinstatement in both sexes. In females, CORT effects varied across the estrous cycle; CORT-potentiated reinstatement was only observed during diestrus and proestrus. As in males, CORT-potentiated cocaine seeking in females was localized to the PrL-PFC and both CORT- and restraint-potentiated cocaine seeking required PrL-PFC CB1R activation. In addition, ex vivo whole-cell electrophysiological recordings from female layer V PrL-PFC pyramidal neurons revealed CB1R-dependent CORT-induced suppression of inhibitory synaptic activity, as previously observed in males. These findings demonstrate that, while stress potentiates cocaine seeking via PrL-PFC CB1R in both sexes, sensitivity to cocaine priming injections is greater in females, CORT-potentiating effects vary with the estrous cycle, and whether reactivity to specific stressors may manifest as drug seeking depends on biological sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Doncheck
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA ,grid.259828.c0000 0001 2189 3475Present Address: Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
| | - Gage T. Liddiard
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Chaz D. Konrath
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- grid.30760.320000 0001 2111 8460Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - Laikang Yu
- grid.30760.320000 0001 2111 8460Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - Luke A. Urbanik
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Matthew R. Herbst
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Margot C. DeBaker
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Nicholas Raddatz
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Erik C. Van Newenhizen
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Jacob Mathy
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Marieke R. Gilmartin
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
| | - Qing-song Liu
- grid.30760.320000 0001 2111 8460Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - Cecilia J. Hillard
- grid.30760.320000 0001 2111 8460Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226 USA
| | - John R. Mantsch
- grid.259670.f0000 0001 2369 3143Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA
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Sleeping through anything: The effects of unpredictable disruptions on mouse sleep, healing, and affect. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210620. [PMID: 30703113 PMCID: PMC6354982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of the laboratory environment are not tailored to the needs of rodents, which may cause stress. Unpredictable stressors can cause ulcers, prolonged pituitary-adrenal activation, and anhedonia. Similarly, pain has been demonstrated to slow wound healing, and mice experiencing pain exhibit altered behavior. However it is unknown how husbandry, which occurs when the mice are inactive, and lack of analgesia, specifically in a punch biopsy procedure, effects animal physiology, behavior, and welfare, particularly as it relates to sleep fragmentation. We hypothesized that sleep fragmentation, induced by unpredictable husbandry and lack of pain management will slow wound healing. Two main treatments were tested in a factorial design in C57BL/6 mice of both sexes (64 mice total); 1) analgesia (carprofen and saline) and 2) sleep disruptions (random and predictable). Mice were singly housed in a non-invasive sleep monitoring apparatus on arrival (Day -4). Disruption treatments were applied from Day -3 to 2. All mice received a punch biopsy surgery (Day 0) with topical lidocaine gel and their analgesic treatment prior to recovery, and on Days 1 and 2. Nesting behavior was assessed daily and a sugar cereal consumption test, as a measure of anhedonia, was conducted on Days -1 to 2. On Day 3, mice were euthanized and wound tissue and adrenal glands were collected. We found that the disruption predictability had no effect on mouse sleep, wound healing, or adrenal cortex:medulla ratio. It's possible that the disruption period was not long enough to induce chronic stress. However, male mice who received analgesia slept more than their female counterparts; this may be related to sex differences in pain perception. Overall, it does not appear that the predictability of disturbance effects sleep fragmentation or stress responses, indicating that husbandry activities do not need to occur at set predictable times to improve welfare.
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Sep MSC, Gorter R, van Ast VA, Joëls M, Geuze E. No Time-Dependent Effects of Psychosocial Stress on Fear Contextualization and Generalization: A Randomized-Controlled Study With Healthy Participants. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2019; 3:2470547019896547. [PMID: 32440603 PMCID: PMC7219903 DOI: 10.1177/2470547019896547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The formation of context-dependent fear memories (fear contextualization) can aid the recognition of danger in new, similar, situations. Overgeneralization of fear is often seen as hallmark of anxiety and trauma-related disorders. In this randomized-controlled study, we investigated whether exposure to a psychosocial stressor influences retention of fear contextualization and generalization in a time-dependent manner. The Trier Social Stress Test was used to induce psychosocial stress. Healthy male participants (n = 117) were randomly divided into three experimental groups that were subjected to the acquisition phase of the Fear Generalization Task: (1) without stress, (2) immediately after acute stress, or (3) 2 h after acute stress. In this task, a male with neutral facial expression (conditioned stimuli) was depicted in two different contexts that modulated the conditioned stimuli-unconditioned stimuli (=shock) association (threat, safe). Salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol levels were measured throughout the experiment. After a 24-h delay, context-dependency of fear memory was investigated with an unannounced memory test consisting of the threat and safe contexts alternated with a novel context (the generalization context). Multilevel analyses revealed that participants showed increased fear-potentiated startle responses to the conditioned stimuli in the threat compared to the safe context, at the end of the acquisition phase, indicating adequate fear contextualization. Directly after acquisition, there were no time-dependent effects of psychosocial stress on fear contextualization. Context-dependency of fear memories was retained 24 h later, as fear-potentiated startle responding was modulated by context (threat > safe or novel). At that time, the context-dependency of fear memories was also not influenced by the early or late effects of the endogenous stress response during acquisition. These results with experimental stress deviate in some aspects from those earlier obtained with exogenous hydrocortisone administration, suggesting a distinct role for stress mediators other than cortisol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milou S. C. Sep
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Translational
Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the
Netherlands
| | - Rosalie Gorter
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A. van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology,
University
of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the
Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational
Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the
Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University
Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Elbert Geuze
- Brain Research and Innovation
Centre, Ministry of Defence, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC
Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Simone JJ, McCormick CM. Intracellular signalling and plasma hormone profiles associated with the expression of unconditioned and conditioned fear and anxiety in female rats. Physiol Behav 2016; 169:234-244. [PMID: 27939364 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
There is considerable overlap in the neural regions and intracellular signalling pathways implicated in anxiety and fear, although less is known in females. Here, we investigated whether unconditioned and conditioned fear are associated with distinct patterns of expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2), protein kinase B (Akt), and calcineurin (CaN) (proteins that are key regulators of the expression of and/or memory processes of fear and anxiety) in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala (important regions in neural fear circuitry) of adult female rats, and used a multivariate approach to find patterns of signalling that might discriminate between the different states of fear. To isolate fear to the conditioned cue from generalized fear to the test context, rats were conditioned to an auditory tone (i.e. tone paired with footshock) and twenty-four hours later exposed to a novel context in the presence or absence of the conditioned cue. A third group that was exposed to the conditioning context without undergoing fear conditioning was included to control for unconditioned responses to the testing procedures, which are anxiogenic. A discriminate function analysis and MANOVA determined that hippocampal signalling best discriminated the three groups from each other. The addition of values for plasma concentrations of corticosterone and progesterone (as indices of activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis) to statistical analyses increased the separation of the three groups. There was high degree of association among the three signalling molecules in the four brain regions within each group. There was an absence of the associations between the medial prefrontal cortex and the amygdala in the cued fear recall group that were strong for the non-conditioned group. These results demonstrated unique neuronal and hormonal signalling profiles associated with unconditioned, generalized, and conditioned fear expression in females and highlight the importance of including appropriate comparisons to best discriminate between these different emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Simone
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1; Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1; Department of Psychology, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2S 3A1.
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7
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Donker RB, Asgeirsdóttir SA, Gerbens F, van Pampus MG, Kallenberg CGM, te Meerman GJ, Aarnoudse JG, Molema G. Plasma Factors in Severe Early-Onset Preeclampsia Do Not Substantially Alter Endothelial Gene Expression In Vitro. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 12:98-106. [PMID: 15695104 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsgi.2004.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Systemic endothelial dysfunction is a central feature in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Its cell biologic and molecular basis is poorly understood. One leading hypothesis argues that endothelial dysfunction is caused by (at present largely unknown) circulating factors released from the ischemic placenta. This study investigated the effects of plasma factors of severe, early-onset preeclamptic women versus healthy pregnant women on endothelial gene expression in vitro. METHODS Plasma samples were taken from eight severe early-onset preeclamptic women and eight matched pregnant control women. Primary human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and human glomerular microvascular endothelial cell (hGMEC) cultures were incubated with 20% (vol/vol) plasma for 4, 12, and 24 hours. Identical amounts of RNA isolated from HUVEC from three preeclamptic and three control samples were pooled for each time point, and subsequently hybridized on human 60-mer oligonucleotide microarrays containing 17,000 genes. Gene expression levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in HUVEC and hGMEC were quantified using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS Microarray analyses of individual genes identified no genes that were up- or down-regulated more than 2.7-fold, and analyses of gene ontologies showed no gene ontology significantly up- or down-regulated in HUVEC by preeclamptic plasma. IL-8 gene expression was modestly induced by preeclamptic plasma after 4, 12, and 24 hours of HUVEC and hGMEC incubation, as identified by real-time RT-PCR. The other genes analyzed did not show altered regulation by preeclamptic plasma factors. CONCLUSIONS In vitro, plasma from preeclamptic patients does not substantially alter endothelial gene expression profile. Only modest induction of IL-8 gene expression was observed. These results indicate that mechanisms other than soluble plasma constituents are likely involved in systemic endothelial cell activation in preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogier B Donker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Groningen University Institute for Drug Exploration (GUIDE) and Academic Hospital Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Sántha P, Pákáski M, Fodor EK, Fazekas ÖC, Kálmán S, Kálmán J, Janka Z, Szabó G, Kálmán J. Cytoskeletal protein translation and expression in the rat brain are stressor-dependent and region-specific. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73504. [PMID: 24124448 PMCID: PMC3790765 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is an integral component of life that can sometimes cause a critical overload, depending on the qualitative and quantitative natures of the stressors. The involvement of actin, the predominant component of dendritic integrity, is a plausible candidate factor in stress-induced neuronal cytoskeletal changes. The major aim of this study was to compare the effects of three different stress conditions on the transcription and translation of actin-related cytoskeletal genes in the rat brain. Male Wistar rats were exposed to one or other of the frequently used models of physical stress, i.e. electric foot shock stress (EFSS), forced swimming stress (FSS), or psychosocial stress (PSS) for periods of 3, 7, 14, or 21 days. The relative mRNA and protein expressions of β-actin, cofilin and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK-1) were determined by qRT- PCR and western blotting from hippocampus and frontal cortex samples. Stressor-specific alterations in both β-actin and cofilin expression levels were seen after stress. These alterations were most pronounced in response to EFSS, and exhibited a U-shaped time course. FSS led to a significant β-actin mRNA expression elevation in the hippocampus and the frontal cortex after 3 and 7 days, respectively, without any subsequent change. PSS did not cause any change in β-actin or cofilin mRNA or protein expression in the examined brain regions. EFSS, FSS and PSS had no effect on the expression of MAPK-1 mRNA at any tested time point. These findings indicate a very delicate, stress type-dependent regulation of neuronal cytoskeletal components in the rat hippocampus and frontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sántha
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
- * E-mail:
| | - Magdolna Pákáski
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Eszter K. Fodor
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Örsike Cs Fazekas
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Sára Kálmán
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - János Kálmán
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Janka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gyula Szabó
- Department of Pathophysiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - János Kálmán
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Kuipers SD, Trentani A, van der Zee EA, den Boer JA. Chronic stress-induced changes in the rat brain: role of sex differences and effects of long-term tianeptine treatment. Neuropharmacology 2013; 75:426-36. [PMID: 23994757 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2013] [Revised: 08/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests neuroplasticity changes are pivotal in both the occurrence and treatment of affective disorders. Abnormal expression and/or phosphorylation of numerous plasticity-related proteins have been observed in depression, while prolonged antidepressant treatment has been associated with the attenuation of stress-mediated effects on dendritic remodeling and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in experimental animals. This study explores the neurobiological adaptations induced by chronic stress and/or long-term tianeptine treatment. Male and female rats were studied to determine the potential contributory role of sex differences on stress-induced pathology and antidepressant-mediated actions. Our results confirm chronic stress-induced HPA axis disturbance and neuroplasticity impairment in both sexes (i.e. reduced CREB phosphorylation and hippocampal BrdU labeling). Commonly ensuing neurobiological alterations were accompanied by unique sex-specific adaptations. When the antidepressant tianeptine was administered, HPA axis hyperactivity was attenuated and specific neuronal defects were ameliorated in both sexes. These findings provide novel insight into sex-related influences on the neurobiological substrates mediating chronic stress-induced actions on neuroplasticity and the mechanisms underlying tianeptine-mediated therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sjoukje D Kuipers
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, N-5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Andrea Trentani
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands; Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, N-5009 Bergen, Norway.
| | - Eddy A van der Zee
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centre for Behaviour and Neurosciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johan A den Boer
- University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands
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Traumatic stress reactivity promotes excessive alcohol drinking and alters the balance of prefrontal cortex-amygdala activity. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e296. [PMID: 23982628 PMCID: PMC3756295 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Revised: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcoholism are highly comorbid in humans and have partially overlapping symptomatic profiles. The aim of these studies was to examine the effects of traumatic stress (and stress reactivity) on alcohol-related behaviors and neuronal activation patterns. Male Wistar rats were trained to respond for alcohol, were exposed to predator odor (bobcat urine) paired with context and were tested for short- and long-term avoidance of the predator odor-paired context, alcohol self-administration and compulsivity of alcohol responding. Rats were re-exposed to the odor-paired context for western blot analysis of ERK phosphorylation in subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the amygdala. Rats that avoided the predator-paired chamber (Avoiders) exhibited persistent avoidance up to 6 weeks post conditioning. Avoiders exhibited increases in operant alcohol responding over weeks, as well as more compulsive-like responding for alcohol adulterated with quinine. Following re-exposure to the predator odor-paired context, Avoiders and Non-Avoiders exhibited unique patterns of neuronal activation in subregions of the mPFC and the amygdala, which were correlated with changes in avoidance and alcohol drinking. Furthermore, activity of upstream regions was differentially predictive of downstream regional activity in the Avoiders versus Non-Avoiders. An animal model for assessing the effect of traumatic stress on alcohol drinking reveals individual differences in neuronal activation patterns associated with re-exposure to traumatic stress-related stimuli, and may provide insight into the neural mechanisms underlying excessive alcohol consumption in humans with PTSD.
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11
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Lenglos C, Mitra A, Guèvremont G, Timofeeva E. Sex differences in the effects of chronic stress and food restriction on body weight gain and brain expression of CRF and relaxin-3 in rats. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2013; 12:370-87. [PMID: 23425370 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated sex-specific effects of repeated stress and food restriction on food intake, body weight, corticosterone plasma levels and expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the hypothalamus and relaxin-3 in the nucleus incertus (NI). The CRF and relaxin-3 expression is affected by stress, and these neuropeptides produce opposite effects on feeding (anorexigenic and orexigenic, respectively), but sex-specific regulation of CRF and relaxin-3 by chronic stress is not fully understood. Male and female rats were fed ad libitum chow (AC) or ad libitum chow and intermittent palatable liquid Ensure without food restriction (ACE), or combined with repeated food restriction (60% chow, 2 days per week; RCE). Half of the rats were submitted to 1-h restraint stress once a week. In total, seven weekly cycles were applied. The body weight of the RCE stressed male rats significantly decreased, whereas the body weight of the RCE stressed female rats significantly increased compared with the respective control groups. The stressed female RCE rats considerably overate chow during recovery from stress and food restriction. The RCE female rats showed elevated plasma corticosterone levels and low expression of CRF mRNA in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus but not in the medial preoptic area. The NI expression of relaxin-3 mRNA was significantly higher in the stressed RCE female rats compared with other groups. An increase in the expression of orexigenic relaxin-3 and misbalanced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity may contribute to the overeating and increased body weight seen in chronically stressed and repeatedly food-restricted female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lenglos
- Département Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
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12
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van Ast VA, Vervliet B, Kindt M. Contextual control over expression of fear is affected by cortisol. Front Behav Neurosci 2012; 6:67. [PMID: 23087629 PMCID: PMC3468896 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
At the core of anxiety disorders is the inability to use contextual information to modulate behavioral responses to potentially threatening events. Models of the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders incorporate stress and concomitant stress hormones as important vulnerability factors, while others emphasize sex as an important factor. However, translational basic research has not yet investigated the effects of stress hormones and sex on the ability to use contextual information to modulate responses to threat. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was threefold: first, we aimed at developing an experimental paradigm specifically capable of capturing contextual modulation of the expression of fear. Second, we tested whether cortisol would alter the contextualization of fear expression. Third, we aimed at assessing whether alterations in contextualization due to cortisol were different for men and women. Healthy participants (n = 42) received placebo or hydrocortisone (20 mg) prior to undergoing a newly developed differential contextual fear-conditioning paradigm. The results indicated that people rapidly acquire differential contextual modulation of the expression of fear, as measured by fear potentiated startle (FPS) and skin conductance responses (SCR). In addition, cortisol impaired the contextualization of fear expression leading to increased fear generalization on FPS data in women. The opposite pattern was found in men. Finally, as assessed by SCR, cortisol impaired differential conditioning in men. The results are in line with models suggesting heightened vulnerability in women for developing anxiety disorders after stressful events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam Amsterdam, Netherlands
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13
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Tulogdi A, Sörös P, Tóth M, Nagy R, Biró L, Aliczki M, Klausz B, Mikics E, Haller J. Temporal changes in c-Fos activation patterns induced by conditioned fear. Brain Res Bull 2012; 88:359-70. [PMID: 22516520 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2012.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 04/03/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying shock-induced conditioned fear - a paradigm frequently used to model posttraumatic stress disorder, PTSD - are usually studied shortly after shocks. Some of the brain regions relevant to conditioned fear were activated in all the c-Fos studies published so far, but the overlap between the activated regions was small across studies. We hypothesized that discrepant findings were due to dynamic neural changes that followed shocks, and a more consistent picture would emerge if consequences were studied after a longer interval. Therefore, we exposed rats to a single session of footshocks and studied their behavioral and neural responses one and 28 days later. The neuronal activation marker c-Fos was studied in 24 brain regions relevant for conditioned fear, e.g. in subdivisions of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamic defensive system, brainstem monoaminergic nuclei and periaqueductal gray. The intensity of conditioned fear (as shown by the duration of contextual freezing) was similar at the two time-points, but the associated neuronal changes were qualitatively different. Surprisingly, however, Multiple Regression Analyses suggested that conditioned fear-induced changes in neuronal activation patterns predicted the duration of freezing with high accuracy at both time points. We suggest that exposure to electric shocks is followed by a period of plasticity where the mechanisms that sustain conditioned fear undergo qualitative changes. Neuronal changes observed 28 days but not 1 day after shocks were consistent with those observed in human studies performed in PTSD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aron Tulogdi
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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14
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Simpson J, Kelly JP. An investigation of whether there are sex differences in certain behavioural and neurochemical parameters in the rat. Behav Brain Res 2012; 229:289-300. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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15
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Dagyte G, Luiten PG, De Jager T, Gabriel C, Mocaër E, Den Boer JA, Van der Zee EA. Chronic stress and antidepressant agomelatine induce region-specific changes in synapsin I expression in the rat brain. J Neurosci Res 2011; 89:1646-57. [PMID: 21688292 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2010] [Revised: 04/18/2011] [Accepted: 04/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The antidepressant agomelatine acts as a melatonergic receptor (MT(1)/MT(2)) agonist and 5-HT(2C) receptor antagonist. Agomelatine has demonstrated efficacy in treating depression, but its neurobiological effects merit further investigation. Preclinical studies reported that agomelatine enhances adult hippocampal neurogenesis and increases expression of several neuroplasticity-associated molecules. Recently, we showed that agomelatine normalizes hippocampal neuronal activity and promotes neurogenesis in the stress-compromised brain. To characterize further the effects of this antidepressant in the stressed brain, here we investigated whether it induces changes in the expression of synapsin I (SynI), a regulator of synaptic transmission and plasticity. Adult male rats were subjected to daily footshock stress and agomelatine treatment for 3 weeks. Their brains were subsequently stained for total and phosphorylated SynI. Chronic footshock and agomelatine induced region-specific changes in SynI expression. Whereas chronic stress increased total SynI expression in all layers of the medial prefrontal cortex, agomelatine treatment abolished some of these effects. Furthermore, chronic agomelatine administration decreased total SynI expression in the hippocampal subregions of both stressed and nonstressed rats. Importantly, chronic stress decreased the fraction of phosphorylated SynI in all layers of the medial prefrontal cortex as well as selectively in the outer and middle molecular layers of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. These stress effects were at least partially abolished by agomelatine. Altogether, our data show that chronic stress and agomelatine treatment induce region-specific changes in SynI expression and its phosphorylation. Moreover, agomelatine partially counteracts the stress effects on SynI, suggesting a modulation of synaptic function by this antidepressant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girstaute Dagyte
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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16
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Dalla C, Pitychoutis PM, Kokras N, Papadopoulou-Daifoti Z. Sex differences in response to stress and expression of depressive-like behaviours in the rat. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2011; 8:97-118. [PMID: 21769725 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Women are more susceptible than men to certain stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Preclinical studies aim to understand these sex differences by studying male and female rats in stress models. In this chapter, we review sex differences in behavioural aspects, as well as neurochemical and neurobiological findings derived from acute, repeated and chronic stress models. In particular, we focus on sex differences in depressive-like symptomatology expressed in the forced swim test, the chronic mild stress (CMS) and the learned helplessness models, the Flinders Sensitive Line rats (FSL), which is a genetic model of depression and in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sickness behaviour, a putative inflammatory model of depression. Also, sex differences in stress effects on learning and memory parameters are discussed, because cognitive alterations are often seen in sex-differentiated psychiatric disorders. The observed behavioural alterations are often linked with abnormalities in the endophenotype, such as in hormonal, neurochemical, immune and neuroplasticity indices. From these data, it is clear that all stress models have strengths and limitations that need to be recognized in order to use them effectively in the investigation of sex differences in affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Dalla
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School, University of Athens, Mikras Asias 75, Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece
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17
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Brevet M, Kojima H, Asakawa A, Atsuchi K, Ushikai M, Ataka K, Inui A, Kimura H, Sevestre H, Fujimiya M. Chronic foot-shock stress potentiates the influx of bone marrow-derived microglia into hippocampus. J Neurosci Res 2010; 88:1890-7. [PMID: 20155811 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
For several years, a new population of microglia derived from bone marrow has been described in multiple settings such as infection, trauma, and neurodegenerative disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the migration of bone marrow-derived cells to the brain parenchyma after stress exposure. Stress exposure was performed in mice that had received bone marrow transplantation from GFP mice, allowing identification of blood-derived elements within the brain. Electric foot-shock exposure was chosen because of its ability to serve as fundamental and physical stress in mice. Bone marrow-derived GFP(+) cells migrated to the ventral part of the hippocampus and acquired a ramified microglia-like morphology. Microglia marker Iba1 was expressed by 100% of the ramified cells, whereas ramified cells were negative for the astrocyte marker GFAP. Compared with the case in the control group, ramified cells significantly increased after chronic exposure to stress (5 days). One month after 5 days of stress exposure, ramified cells significantly decreased in ventral hippocampus compared with the group examined immediately after the last stress exposure. We report for the first time the migration of bone marrow-derived cells to the ventral hippocampus after stress exposure. These cells have the characteristics of microglia. Mechanisms responsible for this migration and their roles in the brain remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Brevet
- Department of Pathology, CHU Amiens, Amiens, France.
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18
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de Klerk OL, Bosker FJ, Willemsen ATM, Van Waarde A, Visser AKD, de Jager T, Dagyte G, den Boer JA, Dierckx RA, Meerlo P. Chronic stress and antidepressant treatment have opposite effects on P-glycoprotein at the blood-brain barrier: an experimental PET study in rats. J Psychopharmacol 2010; 24:1237-42. [PMID: 19942635 DOI: 10.1177/0269881109349840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The multi-drug efflux transporter P-glycoprotein is expressed in high concentrations at the blood-brain barrier and has a major function in the transport of drugs. In a recent PET-study evidence was found for an increased function of P-glycoprotein at the blood-brain barrier in medicated patients suffering from major depressive disorder. We used small-animal PET and [(11)C]-verapamil to study P-glycoprotein function at the blood-brain barrier of rats, either being administered as venlafaxine, an antidepressant, or subjected to chronic stress, a factor contributing to the development of depression. In a first experiment, male Wistar rats underwent a three-week foot shock procedure as a model of human depression. In a second experiment, rats were chronically treated with the antidepressant venlafaxine (25 mg/kg/d via an implanted osmotic minipump). In both experiments, a [(11)C]-verapamil PET scan was performed. In the chronically stressed rats, the distribution volume (V(T)) of [(11)C]-verapamil was significantly increased, whereas treatment with venlafaxine had the opposite effect and caused a significant reduction in V(T). The changes in V(T) could not be attributed to the influx rate constant (K(1)). Our data suggest that P-glycoprotein function at the blood-brain barrier is inhibited by chronic stress and increased by chronic administration of venlafaxine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onno L de Klerk
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), Groningen, The Netherlands.
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19
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Schmidt MV, Scharf SH, Liebl C, Harbich D, Mayer B, Holsboer F, Müller MB. A novel chronic social stress paradigm in female mice. Horm Behav 2010; 57:415-20. [PMID: 20100488 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2009] [Revised: 01/15/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Major depression is one of the most prevalent stress-related psychiatric diseases. Next to environmental influences such as chronic social stress, gender is among the strongest risk factors for major depression, with women having a twice as high risk to develop the disease compared to men. While there is abundant literature on the effects of chronic social stress in male rodents, there is a serious lack of information on gender-specific effects. Especially in mice, which due to the wide availability of transgenic lines offer a unique opportunity to study gene x environment interactions, there is no existing model of chronic social stress that is applicable to both sexes. We here describe the effects of chronic social stress based on the disruption of the social network in a group-housed situation in female mice, a model that was recently described and validated for male mice. In this model, the group composition of the mice is changed twice per week for a period of 7 weeks, covering the adolescent and early adulthood period. We observed that housing in an unpredictable social environment resulted in chronic stress in female mice. The observed effects, which included increased adrenal weight, decreased thymus weight, increased corticosterone levels, and increased anxiety-like behavior, were very similar to the described effects of this paradigm in male mice. In addition, we observed a distinct expression of stress system-related genes in female mice following chronic stress exposure. Our results validate this model as a suitable approach to study chronic social stress in female mice and open up the opportunity to use this model with transgenic or knockout mouse lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- M V Schmidt
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, RG Molecular Stress Physiology, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
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20
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Dagyte G, Trentani A, Postema F, Luiten PG, Den Boer JA, Gabriel C, Mocaër E, Meerlo P, Van der Zee EA. The novel antidepressant agomelatine normalizes hippocampal neuronal activity and promotes neurogenesis in chronically stressed rats. CNS Neurosci Ther 2010; 16:195-207. [PMID: 20236141 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2009.00125.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Agomelatine is a novel antidepressant which acts as a melatonergic (MT1/MT2) receptor agonist and serotonergic (5-HT2C) receptor antagonist. The antidepressant properties of agomelatine have been demonstrated in animal models as well as in clinical studies. Several preclinical studies reported agomelatine-induced effects on brain plasticity, mainly under basal conditions in healthy animals. Yet, it is important to unravel agomelatine-mediated changes in the brain affected by psychopathology or exposed to conditions that might predispose to mood disorders. Since stress is implicated in the etiology of depression, it is valid to investigate antidepressant-induced effects in animals subjected to chronic stress. In this context, we sought to determine changes in the brain after agomelatine treatment in chronically stressed rats. Adult male rats were subjected to footshock stress and agomelatine treatment for 21 consecutive days. Rats exposed to footshock showed a robust increase in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone. Chronic agomelatine treatment did not markedly influence this HPA-axis response. Whereas chronic exposure to daily footshock stress reduced c-Fos expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, agomelatine treatment reversed this effect and normalized neuronal activity to basal levels. Moreover, chronic agomelatine administration was associated with enhanced hippocampal cell proliferation and survival in stressed but not in control rats. Furthermore, agomelatine reversed the stress-induced decrease in doublecortin expression in the dentate gyrus. Taken together, these data show a beneficial action of agomelatine in the stress-compromised brain, where it restores stress-affected hippocampal neuronal activity and promotes adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Girstaute Dagyte
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
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21
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Berdahl CH. A neural network model of Borderline Personality Disorder. Neural Netw 2010; 23:177-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neunet.2009.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2008] [Revised: 10/23/2009] [Accepted: 10/26/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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22
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Zucchi FCR, Kirkland SW, Jadavji NM, van Waes LT, Klein A, Supina RD, Metz GA. Predictable stress versus unpredictable stress: a comparison in a rodent model of stroke. Behav Brain Res 2009; 205:67-75. [PMID: 19573561 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2009] [Revised: 06/15/2009] [Accepted: 06/23/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have associated stress with poor outcome in individuals affected by stroke. It was suggested that the effects of stress depend on the stressor's type and strength. Here we compare the effects of chronic predictable restraint stress and chronic unpredictable variable stress on motor recovery after focal lesion in the rat motor cortex. Adult male rats were pre-trained and tested in skilled reaching and skilled walking tasks. Animals were assigned to daily treatments of either restraint stress or variable stress starting 1 week prior to lesion up to 2 weeks post-lesion. One group served as lesion only control. The results revealed a distinct pattern of recovery and compensation of skilled movement. Animals exposed to predictable restraint stress had significantly lower reaching success at both pre- and post-lesion time points, and higher error rates in skilled walking when compared to lesion controls. Overall, restraint stress induced more pronounced motor impairments prior to and after injury than variable stress. Variable stress increased the number of attempts required to grasp food pellets and changed movement pattern performance. By contrast, variable stress improved limb placement accuracy when compared to lesion controls. The behavioural changes were not accompanied by differences in infarct size. These findings are in agreement with other studies reporting that both chronic predicable restraint stress and unpredictable variable stress influence the course of recovery following stroke, however, restraint stress might affect stroke recovery through a different route than variable stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabíola C R Zucchi
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4
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23
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Dagyte G, Van der Zee EA, Postema F, Luiten PGM, Den Boer JA, Trentani A, Meerlo P. Chronic but not acute foot-shock stress leads to temporary suppression of cell proliferation in rat hippocampus. Neuroscience 2009; 162:904-13. [PMID: 19482059 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.05.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2009] [Revised: 05/22/2009] [Accepted: 05/22/2009] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Stressful experiences, especially when prolonged and severe are associated with psychopathology and impaired neuronal plasticity. Among other effects on the brain, stress has been shown to negatively regulate hippocampal neurogenesis, and this effect is considered to be exerted via glucocorticoids. Here, we sought to determine the temporal dynamics of changes in hippocampal neurogenesis after acute and chronic exposure to foot-shock stress. Rats subjected to a foot-shock procedure showed strong activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, even after exposure to daily stress for 3 weeks. Despite a robust release of corticosterone, acute foot-shock stress did not affect the rate of hippocampal cell proliferation. In contrast, exposure to foot-shock stress daily for 3 weeks led to reduced cell proliferation 2 hours after the stress procedure. Interestingly, this stress-induced effect did not persist and was no longer detected 24 hours later. Also, while chronic foot-shock stress had no impact on survival of hippocampal cells that were born before the stress procedure, it led to a decreased number of doublecortin-positive granule neurons that were born during the chronic stress period. Thus, whereas a strong activation of the HPA axis during acute foot-shock stress is not sufficient to reduce hippocampal cell proliferation, repeated exposure to stressful stimuli for prolonged period of time ultimately results in dysregulated neurogenesis. In sum, this study supports the notion that chronic stress may lead to cumulative changes in the brain that are not seen after acute stress. Such changes may indicate compromised brain plasticity and increased vulnerability to neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dagyte
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, PO Box 14, 9750 AA, Haren, The Netherlands.
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24
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Sex differences in stress responses: focus on ovarian hormones. Physiol Behav 2009; 97:239-49. [PMID: 19275910 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2008] [Revised: 02/03/2009] [Accepted: 02/20/2009] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Women in the reproductive age are more vulnerable to develop affective disorders than men. This difference may attribute to anatomical differences, hormonal influences and environmental factors such as stress. However, the higher prevalence in women normalizes once menopause is established, suggesting that ovarian hormones may play an important role in the development of depression in women. Ovarian hormones such as estrogen can pass the brain-blood barrier and bind to cytoplasmatic estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and ER-beta in different areas of the limbic system. During stress, estrogen can modulate the behavioral and neurobiological response depending on the concentrations of estrogen. In this review we present evidence for disparate effects of chronic stress on neuroplasticity and brain activity in male and female rats. Furthermore, we will demonstrate that effects of social support on coping with stress can be mimicked by social housing of rats and that this model can be used for identification of underlying neurobiological mechanisms, including behavior, phosphorylation of CREB and ERK1/2, and brain activity changes as measured with fos expression. Using cyclic administration of estrogen in ovariectomized female rats we could specifically address effects of different plasma estrogen levels and antidepressants on stress-induced neuroplasticity and activity changes. In this model we also studied effects of estrogen on recovery after chronic stress. We conclude that the female brain has a different innate strategy to handle stress than the male brain and that female animal models are necessary for studying the underlying mechanisms and options for treatment.
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25
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Khurana RC, Devaud LL. Sex differences in neurotransmission parameters in response to repeated mild restraint stress exposures in intact male, female and ovariectomised female rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2007; 19:511-20. [PMID: 17532795 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2007.01557.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present study determined whether a repeated mild restraint stress exposure would differentially alter neuronal activity in male and female rats to gain insights into neurobiological substrates involved in sex differences in stress-induced behavioural responses. In our first set of experiments, we used Western blot analysis to determine whether alterations in several synaptic proteins were elicited by the repeated stress treatment. We found bidirectional changes in synaptophysin levels in female cerebral cortex and hippocampus that diverged between intact and ovariectomised females. There were persistent elevations in spinophilin levels in the male, but not female, hippocampus following the repeated mild restraint stress exposure. By contrast, levels of the NMDA receptor scaffolding protein, PSD-95, were altered only in intact female cerebral cortex and ovariectomised female hippocampus. We next used immunohistochemical evaluation of Fos expression as a marker for neuronal activation. We found significant increases in Fos immunoreactivity in all sex conditions across multiple brain regions in response to the repeated mild stress. Fos protein induction was greatest in the frontal cortex, piriform cortex and amygdala, with the degree of induction varying by sex condition. Fos induction was dramatically higher in amygdala and piriform cortex only in intact females following repeated stress compared to a single restraint stress exposure, suggestive of sensitisation rather than habituation. By contrast, the frontal cortex of intact and ovariectomised females showed habituation to the repeated stressor. Males displayed modest sensitisation in both the frontal cortex and dentate gyrus with no changes in other brain areas. Taken together, these findings show that exposure to a mild repeated stress results in sex differences in synaptic adaptations and patterns of brain activation that likely contribute to observed sex differences in stress-induced behaviours. This approach provides valuable insights into interactions between the hormonal milieu and responses to a repeated mild stress, and further supports the importance of considering hormonal status in treatment of stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Khurana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Biomedical Research Institute, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8334, USA
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26
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Ulrich-Lai YM, Xie W, Meij JTA, Dolgas CM, Yu L, Herman JP. Limbic and HPA axis function in an animal model of chronic neuropathic pain. Physiol Behav 2006; 88:67-76. [PMID: 16647726 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2005] [Revised: 03/03/2006] [Accepted: 03/08/2006] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain can be considered a form of chronic stress, and chronic pain patients often have disturbances of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, including abnormal cortisol levels. In addition, chronic pain patients have an increased incidence of depression and anxiety, stress-related disorders that are frequently accompanied by disturbances in the limbic system (e.g. hippocampus and amygdala) and the HPA axis. Despite the fact that the literature supports a strong link between chronic pain, stress disorders, and limbic dysfunction, the mechanisms underlying the effects of chronic pain on the HPA axis and limbic system are not understood. The current study employs a rodent neuropathic pain model (chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve) to assess the long-term impact of chronic pain on the HPA axis and limbic system. Adult male rats received CCI or sham surgery; nociceptive behavioral testing confirmed CCI-induced neuropathic pain. Tests of HPA axis function at 13-23 days postsurgery demonstrated that CCI did not affect indices of basal or restraint stress-induced HPA axis activity. CCI increased the expression of corticotrophin releasing hormone mRNA in the central amygdala, and not the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus or the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Moreover, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in CCI rats was increased in the medial and central amygdala, unaffected in the paraventricular nucleus, and decreased in the hippocampus. These results suggest that increased nociceptive sensitivity during chronic pain is associated with alterations in the limbic system, but is dissociated from HPA axis activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne M Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45140, USA.
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Kuipers SD, Trentani A, Westenbroek C, Bramham CR, Korf J, Kema IP, Ter Horst GJ, Den Boer JA. Unique patterns of FOS, phospho-CREB and BrdU immunoreactivity in the female rat brain following chronic stress and citalopram treatment. Neuropharmacology 2006; 50:428-40. [PMID: 16309718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2005.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2005] [Revised: 10/05/2005] [Accepted: 10/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Affective disorders are common psychiatric illnesses characterized by marked gender-related prevalence. Recent evidence links chronic stress and dysregulation of neurotrophin signaling with the development of depression, while novel theories suggest that antidepressants may act by promoting intracellular adaptations linked to neuroplasticity. Although selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) efficaciously improve a variety of dysfunctions in males, their neuroendocrine effects and intracellular signaling patterns in females are not well determined. Here we show that chronic footshock stress (21 days) promotes HPA axis hyperactivity (as seen by the increased FOS-ir in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), plasma corticosterone and adrenal hypertrophy), reduces hippocampal BrdU immunoreactivity and suppresses cortical-limbic CREB phosphorylation in female rats. Long-term citalopram treatment, in contrast, attenuates stress-induced elevation of corticosterone levels and adrenal hypertrophy, although it does not reverse footshock-mediated induction of FOS-ir in the PVN, inhibition of CREB phosphorylation and reduction of hippocampal BrdU-labeling. Moreover, citalopram administration was also associated with significant hypophagic effects and inhibition of CREB phosphorylation. These data suggest that, in female rats, normalization of chronic stress-induced HPA axis abnormalities may represent an initial phase of citalopram-mediated therapeutic actions and despite this SSRI's apparent lack of effects on neuroplasticity, we cannot exclude the possibility that some neurochemical adaptations occur in a later stage which may require more than 3 weeks of treatment to manifest.
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Affiliation(s)
- S D Kuipers
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Biological Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), The Netherlands.
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