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Hori H, Fukushima H, Nagayoshi T, Ishikawa R, Zhuo M, Yoshida F, Kunugi H, Okamoto K, Kim Y, Kida S. Fear memory regulation by the cAMP signaling pathway as an index of reexperiencing symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02453-4. [PMID: 38409596 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02453-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with traumatic memory, yet its etiology remains unclear. Reexperiencing symptoms are specific to PTSD compared to other anxiety-related disorders. Importantly, reexperiencing can be mimicked by retrieval-related events of fear memory in animal models of traumatic memory. Recent studies revealed candidate PTSD-associated genes that were related to the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway. Here, we demonstrate the tight linkage between facilitated cAMP signaling and PTSD by analyzing loss- and gain-of-cAMP signaling effects on fear memory in mice and the transcriptomes of fear memory-activated mice and female PTSD patients with reexperiencing symptoms. Pharmacological and optogenetic upregulation or downregulation of cAMP signaling transduction enhanced or impaired, respectively, the retrieval and subsequent maintenance of fear memory in mice. In line with these observations, integrative mouse and human transcriptome analysis revealed the reduced mRNA expression of phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B), an enzyme that degrades cAMP, in the peripheral blood of PTSD patients showing more severe reexperiencing symptoms and the mouse hippocampus after fear memory retrieval. Importantly, more severe reexperiencing symptoms and lower PDE4B mRNA levels were correlated with decreased DNA methylation of a locus within PDE4B, suggesting the involvement of methylation in the mechanism of PTSD. These findings raise the possibility that the facilitation of cAMP signaling mediating the downregulation of PDE4B expression enhances traumatic memory, thereby playing a key role in the reexperiencing symptoms of PTSD patients as a functional index of these symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Hori
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8553, Japan.
| | - Hotaka Fukushima
- Department of Bioscience, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan
| | - Taikai Nagayoshi
- Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Rie Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
| | - Min Zhuo
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fuyuko Yoshida
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8553, Japan
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kunugi
- Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan
- Department of Psychiatry, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 173-8605, Japan
| | - Kenichi Okamoto
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yoshiharu Kim
- Department of Behavioral Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, 187-8553, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Kida
- Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.
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2
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Xiang J, Gao J, Gao Y. The effect of subjective exercise experience on anxiety disorder in university freshmen: the chain-mediated role of self-efficacy and interpersonal relationship. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1292203. [PMID: 38449758 PMCID: PMC10914978 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1292203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Anxiety disorder is a significant concern in the context of mental health among university students. This study aimed to examine the impact of subjective exercise experience on anxiety disorder in freshmen and verify the mediating role of self-efficacy and interpersonal relationships between them. Methods A total of 1,308 Chinese freshmen underwent an investigation using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Interpersonal Relationship Comprehensive Diagnostic Scale (IRIDS). Results The outcomes of this study are as follows: (1) Boys exhibited marginally greater performance in physical activity assessments compared to girls while displaying somewhat lower scores than girls in measures of anxiety disorders, self-efficacy, and interpersonal relationship tests. Of these, 63.39% were diagnosed with mild anxiety, 51.73% were diagnosed with moderate anxiety, and 10% were diagnosed with severe anxiety; (2) The subjective exercise experience had a significant negative correlation with an anxiety disorder (r = -0.36, p < 0.01), and the subjective exercise experience had a direct negative impact on anxiety disorder (β = -0.112, t = -11.776, p < 0.01). Furthermore, subjective exercise experience positively predicted self-efficacy (β = 0.125, t = 13.236, p < 0.01) and interpersonal relationship (β = 0.395, t = 12.359, p < 0.01). Self-efficacy had a substantial impact on interpersonal relationships (β = 0.724, t = 12.172, p < 0.01) and anxiety disorders (β = -0.148, t = -8.387, p < 0.01). Interpersonal relationships had a significant positive predictive effect on anxiety disorder (β = -0.081, t = -10.441, p < 0.01); (3) Self-efficacy and interpersonal relationships were identified as important mediators between subjective exercise experience and anxiety disorder. The intermediary effect accounted for 18.84% of the total effect. Specifically, subjective exercise had a direct impact on anxiety disorders through self-efficacy mediators (2.90%), interpersonal mediators (1.45%), and self-efficacy and interpersonal chain mediators (14.49%). Conclusion Subjective exercise experience has a significant positive predictive effect on university students' self-efficacy, interpersonal relationships, and anxiety disorder. Moreover, self-efficacy and interpersonal interactions serve as intermediaries between subjective exercise experiences and anxiety disorders. These findings have immense importance in advancing the mental well-being of freshmen and serve as a theoretical foundation for formulating intervention strategies. However, the study had certain limitations, such as the specificity of the sample and the use of self-reported data. Further research could enhance the sample size and utilize various assessment techniques to validate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Xiang
- School of Physical Education and Health, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Jia Gao
- School of Physical Education and Health, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China
| | - Yun Gao
- Department of Physical Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Domschke K, Seuling PD, Schiele MA, Bandelow B, Batelaan NM, Bokma WA, Branchi I, Broich K, Burkauskas J, Davies SJC, Dell'Osso B, Fagan H, Fineberg NA, Furukawa TA, Hofmann SG, Hood S, Huneke NTM, Latas M, Lidbetter N, Masdrakis V, McAllister-Williams RH, Nardi AE, Pallanti S, Penninx BWJH, Perna G, Pilling S, Pini S, Reif A, Seedat S, Simons G, Srivastava S, Steibliene V, Stein DJ, Stein MB, van Ameringen M, van Balkom AJLM, van der Wee N, Zwanzger P, Baldwin DS. The definition of treatment resistance in anxiety disorders: a Delphi method-based consensus guideline. World Psychiatry 2024; 23:113-123. [PMID: 38214637 PMCID: PMC10785995 DOI: 10.1002/wps.21177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are very prevalent and often persistent mental disorders, with a considerable rate of treatment resistance which requires regulatory clinical trials of innovative therapeutic interventions. However, an explicit definition of treatment-resistant anxiety disorders (TR-AD) informing such trials is currently lacking. We used a Delphi method-based consensus approach to provide internationally agreed, consistent and clinically useful operational criteria for TR-AD in adults. Following a summary of the current state of knowledge based on international guidelines and an available systematic review, a survey of free-text responses to a 29-item questionnaire on relevant aspects of TR-AD, and an online consensus meeting, a panel of 36 multidisciplinary international experts and stakeholders voted anonymously on written statements in three survey rounds. Consensus was defined as ≥75% of the panel agreeing with a statement. The panel agreed on a set of 14 recommendations for the definition of TR-AD, providing detailed operational criteria for resistance to pharmacological and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, as well as a potential staging model. The panel also evaluated further aspects regarding epidemiological subgroups, comorbidities and biographical factors, the terminology of TR-AD vs. "difficult-to-treat" anxiety disorders, preferences and attitudes of persons with these disorders, and future research directions. This Delphi method-based consensus on operational criteria for TR-AD is expected to serve as a systematic, consistent and practical clinical guideline to aid in designing future mechanistic studies and facilitate clinical trials for regulatory purposes. This effort could ultimately lead to the development of more effective evidence-based stepped-care treatment algorithms for patients with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Patrik D Seuling
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Miriam A Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Borwin Bandelow
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Neeltje M Batelaan
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wicher A Bokma
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Igor Branchi
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Karl Broich
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, Bonn, Germany
| | - Julius Burkauskas
- Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Palanga, Lithuania
| | - Simon J C Davies
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bernardo Dell'Osso
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Addictions, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Harry Fagan
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Naomi A Fineberg
- University of Hertfordshire & Hertfordshire Partnership, University NHS Foundation Trust, Hatfield, UK
| | - Toshi A Furukawa
- Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Stefan G Hofmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sean Hood
- Division of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Nathan T M Huneke
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Milan Latas
- Clinic for Psychiatry, University Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
- Belgrade University School of Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Vasilios Masdrakis
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - R Hamish McAllister-Williams
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Antonio E Nardi
- Panic & Respiration Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Medical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Stefano Pallanti
- Institute of Neuroscience, Florence, Italy
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Giampaolo Perna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy
| | - Steve Pilling
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Effectiveness, Research Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stefano Pini
- University of Pisa School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andreas Reif
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gemma Simons
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Solent NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
| | | | - Vesta Steibliene
- Neuroscience Institute and Clinic of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Dan J Stein
- South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Murray B Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael van Ameringen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Anton J L M van Balkom
- Department of Psychiatry and Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nic van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Zwanzger
- Clinical Center for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Kbo-Inn-Salzach Hospital, Wasserburg am Inn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - David S Baldwin
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
- South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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4
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Sartori SB, Keil TMV, Kummer KK, Murphy CP, Gunduz-Cinar O, Kress M, Ebner K, Holmes A, Singewald N. Fear extinction rescuing effects of dopamine and L-DOPA in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:11. [PMID: 38191458 PMCID: PMC10774374 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02708-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC; rodent infralimbic cortex (IL)), is posited to be an important locus of fear extinction-facilitating effects of the dopamine (DA) bio-precursor, L-DOPA, but this hypothesis remains to be formally tested. Here, in a model of impaired fear extinction (the 129S1/SvImJ inbred mouse strain; S1), we monitored extracellular DA dynamics via in vivo microdialysis in IL during fear extinction and following L-DOPA administration. Systemic L-DOPA caused sustained elevation of extracellular DA levels in IL and increased neuronal activation in a subpopulation of IL neurons. Systemic L-DOPA enabled extinction learning and promoted extinction retention at one but not ten days after training. Conversely, direct microinfusion of DA into IL produced long-term fear extinction (an effect that was insensitive to ɑ-/ß-adrenoreceptor antagonism). However, intra-IL delivery of a D1-like or D2 receptor agonist did not facilitate extinction. Using ex vivo multi-electrode array IL neuronal recordings, along with ex vivo quantification of immediate early genes and DA receptor signalling markers in mPFC, we found evidence of reduced DA-evoked mPFC network responses in S1 as compared with extinction-competent C57BL/6J mice that were partially driven by D1 receptor activation. Together, our data demonstrate that locally increasing DA in IL is sufficient to produce lasting rescue of impaired extinction. The finding that systemic L-DOPA increased IL DA levels, but had only transient effects on extinction, suggests L-DOPA failed to reach a threshold level of IL DA or produced opposing behavioural effects in other brain regions. Collectively, our findings provide further insight into the neural basis of the extinction-promoting effects of DA and L-DOPA in a clinically relevant animal model, with possible implications for therapeutically targeting the DA system in anxiety and trauma-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Sartori
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas M V Keil
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kai K Kummer
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Conor P Murphy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Department of Physiology and Medical Physics, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Karl Ebner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, NIH/NIAAA, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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5
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Barde S, Aguila J, Zhong W, Solarz A, Mei I, Prud'homme J, Palkovits M, Turecki G, Mulder J, Uhlén M, Nagy C, Mechawar N, Hedlund E, Hökfelt T. Substance P, NPY, CCK and their receptors in five brain regions in major depressive disorder with transcriptomic analysis of locus coeruleus neurons. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 78:54-63. [PMID: 37931511 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious disease and a burden to patients, families and society. Rodent experiments and human studies suggest that several neuropeptide systems are involved in mood regulation. The aim of this study is two-fold: (i) to monitor, with qPCR, transcript levels of the substance P/tachykinin (TAC), NPY and CCK systems in bulk samples from control and suicide subjects, targeting five postmortem brain regions including locus coeruleus (LC); and (ii) to analyse expression of neuropeptide family transcripts in LC neurons of 'normal' postmortem brains by using laser capture microdissection with Smart-Seq2 RNA sequencing. qPCR revealed distinct regional expression patterns in male and female controls with higher levels for the TAC system in the dorsal raphe nucleus and LC, versus higher transcripts levels of the NPY and CCK systems in prefrontal cortex. In suicide patients, TAC, TAC receptors and a few NPY family transcript levels were increased mainly in prefrontal cortex and LC. The second study on 'normal' noradrenergic LC neurons revealed expression of transcripts for GAL, NPY, TAC1, CCK, and TACR1 and many other peptides (e.g. Cerebellin4 and CARTPT) and receptors (e.g. Adcyap1R1 and GPR173). These data and our previous results on suicide brains indicates that the tachykinin and galanin systems may be valid targets for developing antidepressant medicines. Moreover, the perturbation of neuropeptide systems in MDD patients, and the detection of further neuropeptide and receptor transcripts in LC, shed new light on signalling in noradrenergic LC neurons and on mechanisms possibly associated with mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnali Barde
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Julio Aguila
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wen Zhong
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, 11428, Sweden
| | - Anna Solarz
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Irene Mei
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Josee Prud'homme
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Miklos Palkovits
- The Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary and Human Brain Tissue Bank and Laboratory, Semmelweis University, H-1085, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jan Mulder
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mathias Uhlén
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, 11428, Sweden
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Eva Hedlund
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Hökfelt
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Gunduz-Cinar O, Castillo LI, Xia M, Van Leer E, Brockway ET, Pollack GA, Yasmin F, Bukalo O, Limoges A, Oreizi-Esfahani S, Kondev V, Báldi R, Dong A, Harvey-White J, Cinar R, Kunos G, Li Y, Zweifel LS, Patel S, Holmes A. A cortico-amygdala neural substrate for endocannabinoid modulation of fear extinction. Neuron 2023; 111:3053-3067.e10. [PMID: 37480845 PMCID: PMC10592324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies implicate endocannabinoids (eCBs) in fear extinction, but the underlying neural circuit basis of these actions is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo optogenetics, eCB biosensor imaging, ex vivo electrophysiology, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mice to examine whether basolateral amygdala (BLA)-projecting medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons represent a neural substrate for the effects of eCBs on extinction. We found that photoexcitation of mPFC axons in BLA during extinction mobilizes BLA eCBs. eCB biosensor imaging showed that eCBs exhibit a dynamic stimulus-specific pattern of activity at mPFC→BLA neurons that tracks extinction learning. Furthermore, using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, we demonstrated that extinction memory formation involves eCB activity at cannabinoid CB1 receptors expressed at vmPFC→BLA synapses. Our findings reveal the temporal characteristics and a neural circuit basis of eCBs' effects on fear extinction and inform efforts to target the eCB system as a therapeutic approach in extinction-deficient neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Gunduz-Cinar
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Laura I Castillo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Maya Xia
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Elise Van Leer
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emma T Brockway
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Gabrielle A Pollack
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Farhana Yasmin
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Sarvar Oreizi-Esfahani
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rita Báldi
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Ao Dong
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Judy Harvey-White
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Resat Cinar
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Section on Fibrotic Disorders, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George Kunos
- Laboratory of Physiologic Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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7
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Shackman AJ, Gee DG. Maternal Perinatal Stress Associated With Offspring Negative Emotionality, But the Underlying Mechanisms Remain Elusive. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:708-711. [PMID: 37777854 PMCID: PMC10558087 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
- Department of Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 USA
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Moos WH, Faller DV, Glavas IP, Kanara I, Kodukula K, Pernokas J, Pernokas M, Pinkert CA, Powers WR, Sampani K, Steliou K, Vavvas DG. Epilepsy: Mitochondrial connections to the 'Sacred' disease. Mitochondrion 2023; 72:84-101. [PMID: 37582467 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Over 65 million people suffer from recurrent, unprovoked seizures. The lack of validated biomarkers specific for myriad forms of epilepsy makes diagnosis challenging. Diagnosis and monitoring of childhood epilepsy add to the need for non-invasive biomarkers, especially when evaluating antiseizure medications. Although underlying mechanisms of epileptogenesis are not fully understood, evidence for mitochondrial involvement is substantial. Seizures affect 35%-60% of patients diagnosed with mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction is pathophysiological in various epilepsies, including those of non-mitochondrial origin. Decreased ATP production caused by malfunctioning brain cell mitochondria leads to altered neuronal bioenergetics, metabolism and neurological complications, including seizures. Iron-dependent lipid peroxidation initiates ferroptosis, a cell death pathway that aligns with altered mitochondrial bioenergetics, metabolism and morphology found in neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Studies in mouse genetic models with seizure phenotypes where the function of an essential selenoprotein (GPX4) is targeted suggest roles for ferroptosis in epilepsy. GPX4 is pivotal in NDDs, where selenium protects interneurons from ferroptosis. Selenium is an essential central nervous system micronutrient and trace element. Low serum concentrations of selenium and other trace elements and minerals, including iron, are noted in diagnosing childhood epilepsy. Selenium supplements alleviate intractable seizures in children with reduced GPX activity. Copper and cuproptosis, like iron and ferroptosis, link to mitochondria and NDDs. Connecting these mechanistic pathways to selenoproteins provides new insights into treating seizures, pointing to using medicines including prodrugs of lipoic acid to treat epilepsy and to potential alternative therapeutic approaches including transcranial magnetic stimulation (transcranial), photobiomodulation and vagus nerve stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter H Moos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Douglas V Faller
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ioannis P Glavas
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Julie Pernokas
- Advanced Dental Associates of New England, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Mark Pernokas
- Advanced Dental Associates of New England, Woburn, MA, USA
| | - Carl A Pinkert
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Whitney R Powers
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Konstantina Sampani
- Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kosta Steliou
- Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; PhenoMatriX, Inc., Natick, MA, USA
| | - Demetrios G Vavvas
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Retina Service, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA, USA
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Dabrowska J. From recent advances in underlying neurocircuitry of fear and anxiety to promising pharmacotherapies for PTSD: The saga of heart, sex and the developing brain. Neuropharmacology 2023; 232:109529. [PMID: 37004751 PMCID: PMC11017858 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Available pharmacotherapies for anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD) have limited efficacy, but no new anxiolytic drug has been approved for treatment since the 1980s. In this issue of Neuropharmacology on "Fear, anxiety and PTSD: from cellular mechanisms to translational approaches", we review the currently recommended pharmacotherapy for PTSD and discuss promising pharmacotherapies being revisited or newly developed. Novel strategies for pharmaceuticals in PTSD treatment include the use of serotonergic psychedelics as low-dose adjunct therapies combined with psychotherapy. We also discuss the use of glucocorticoids targeting the temporal window shortly following trauma exposure to interfere with fear memory consolidation. Although many factors have impeded progress in pharmacotherapy development for anxiety disorders and PTSD, we highlight three: (1) the sparsity of preclinical studies investigating the neurobiology of fear processing in female animal models despite the higher prevalence of anxiety disorders in women, (2) the poor implementation of the knowledge of how stress affects fear circuitry development across the lifetime into clinical practice, and (3) our paucity of knowledge of canonical fear circuitry in adaptive vs. maladaptive fear processing. Finally, we emphasize the functional link between interoceptive signals and emotion regulation and discuss how these interoceptive signals may be an inroad into PTSD treatment, which is often accompanied by cardiovascular dysregulation. A better understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of adaptive and maladaptive fear processing is critical for identifying risk factors that will spur the development of sex- and developmental trauma-specific interventions, ushering in a new era of precision medicine for anxiety disorders and PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Dabrowska
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, USA.
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Sabnis RW, Sabnis AR. Monoacylglycerol Lipase Modulators for Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:545-546. [PMID: 37197472 PMCID: PMC10184146 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Provided herein are monoacylglycerol lipase modulators, pharmaceutical compositions, use of such compounds in treating autism spectrum disorders and processes for preparing such compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ram W. Sabnis
- Smith,
Gambrell & Russell LLP, 1105 West Peachtree Street NE, Suite 1000, Atlanta, Georgia 30309, United States
| | - Anika R. Sabnis
- Neuroscience
Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30303, United States
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