1
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Babicola L, Mancini C, Riccelli C, Di Segni M, Passeri A, Municchi D, D'Addario SL, Andolina D, Cifani C, Cabib S, Ventura R. A mouse model of the 3-hit effects of stress: Genotype controls the effects of life adversities in females. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110842. [PMID: 37611651 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110842] [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: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Helplessness is a dysfunctional coping response to stressors associated with different psychiatric conditions. The present study tested the hypothesis that early and adult adversities cumulate to produce helplessness depending on the genotype (3-hit hypothesis of psychopathology). To this aim, we evaluated whether Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS) differently affected coping and mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) responses to stress challenge by adult mice of the C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) inbred strains depending on early life experience (Repeated Cross Fostering, RCF). Three weeks of CUS increased the helplessness expressed in the Forced Swimming Test (FST) and the Tail Suspension Test by RCF-exposed female mice of the D2 strain. Moreover, female D2 mice with both RCF and CUS experiences showed inhibition of the stress-induced extracellular DA outflow in the Nucleus Accumbens, as measured by in vivo microdialysis, during and after FST. RCF-exposed B6 mice, instead, showed reduced helplessness and increased mesoaccumbens DA release. The present results support genotype-dependent additive effects of early experiences and adult adversities on behavioral and neural responses to stress by female mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 3-hit effect in an animal model. Finally, the comparative analyses of behavioral and neural phenotypes expressed by B6 and D2 mice suggest some translationally relevant hypotheses of genetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Babicola
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Camilla Mancini
- University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy
| | - Cristina Riccelli
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Alice Passeri
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | | | - Diego Andolina
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy.
| | - Rossella Ventura
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy.
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2
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Bramati G, Stauffer P, Nigri M, Wolfer DP, Amrein I. Environmental enrichment improves hippocampus-dependent spatial learning in female C57BL/6 mice in novel IntelliCage sweet reward-based behavioral tests. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1256744. [PMID: 37791111 PMCID: PMC10543696 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1256744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The IntelliCage is an automated home-cage system that allows researchers to investigate the spontaneous behavior and learning abilities of group-housed mice. The IntelliCage enables us to increase the standardization and reproducibility of behavioral outcomes by the omission of experimenter-mouse interactions. Although the IntelliCage provides a less stressful environment for animals, standard IntelliCage protocols use controlled water access as the motivational driver for learning. To overcome possible water restrictions in slow learners, we developed a series of novel protocols based on appetitive learning, in which mice had permanent access to plain water but were additionally rewarded with sweetened water upon solving the task. C57BL/6NCrl female mice were used to assess the efficacy of these sweet reward-based protocols in a series of learning tasks. Compared to control mice tested with standard protocols, mice motivated with a sweet reward did equal to or better in operant performance and place learning tasks. Learning of temporal rules was slower than that in controls. When faced with a combined temporal x spatial working memory task, sweet-rewarded mice learned little and chose plain water. In a second set of experiments, the impact of environmental enrichment on appetitive learning was tested. Mice kept under enriched environment (EE) or standard housing (SH) conditions prior to the IntelliCage experiments performed similarly in the sweet-rewarded place learning task. EE mice performed better in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task. The improved performance of EE mice in the hippocampus-dependent spatial working memory task might be explained by the observed larger volume of their mossy fibers. Our results confirm that environmental enrichment increases complex spatial learning abilities and leads to long-lasting morphological changes in the hippocampus. Furthermore, simple standard IntelliCage protocols could easily be adapted to sweet rewards, which improve animal welfare by removing the possibility of water restriction. However, complex behavioral tasks motivated by sweet reward-based learning need further adjustments to reach the same efficacy as standard protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Bramati
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pia Stauffer
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Nigri
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Irmgard Amrein
- Division Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, University Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
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3
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Nakama N, Usui N, Doi M, Shimada S. Early life stress impairs brain and mental development during childhood increasing the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 126:110783. [PMID: 37149280 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, it has become known that stress in childhood, called early life stress (ELS), affects the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults. Child maltreatment (CM) is an inappropriate form of childcare that interferes with children's normal brain and mind development. Previous studies have reported that CM severely affects brain development and function. For example, ELS causes brain vulnerability and increases the risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In addition, it is known that the different types and timing of abuse have different effects on the brain. Epidemiological and clinical studies are being conducted to understand the mechanism underlying abuse on a child's mental health and appropriate brain development; however, they are not fully understood. Therefore, studies using animal models, as well as humans, have been conducted to better understand the effects of CM. In this review, we discuss the effects of comparing previous findings on different types of CM in human and animal models. However, it should be noted that there are differences between animal models and humans such as genetic polymorphism and susceptibility to stress. Our review provides the latest insights into the negative effects of CM on children's development and on psychiatric disorders in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanako Nakama
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noriyoshi Usui
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; CoMIT Omics Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan; Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui 910-1193, Japan.
| | - Miyuki Doi
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
| | - Shoichi Shimada
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan; Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University, Suita, 565-0871, Japan; Addiction Research Unit, Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, Osaka Psychiatric Medical Center, Osaka 541-8567, Japan
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4
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Ventura R, Cabib S, Babicola L, Andolina D, Di Segni M, Orsini C. Interactions Between Experience, Genotype and Sex in the Development of Individual Coping Strategies. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:785739. [PMID: 34987364 PMCID: PMC8721137 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.785739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coping strategies, the first line of defense against adversities, develop through experience. There is consistent evidence that both genotype and sex contribute to the development of dysfunctional coping, leading to maladaptive outcomes of adverse experiences or to adaptive coping that fosters rapid recovery even from severe stress. However, how these factors interact to influence the development of individual coping strategies is just starting to be investigated. In the following review, we will consider evidence that experience, sex, and genotype influence the brain circuits and neurobiological processes involved in coping with adversities and discuss recent results pointing to the specific effects of the interaction between early experiences, genotype, and stress in the development of functional and dysfunctional coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucy Babicola
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Orsini
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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5
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Abstract
Anhedonia is a core feature of psychopathological conditions that have recent exposure to stress and trauma as central to their etiology. Indeed, evolutionary accounts of depression suggest that decreased motivation to pursue reward may be an adaptive strategy in the face of social stress, in particular, as it may serve to defuse interpersonal conflict. Through a review of rodent models and research with humans, we show that exposure to stress, particularly when it is chronic, repeated, and/or involves themes of social rejection or defeat, is consistently associated with reduced hedonic capacity ("liking"), motivation to pursue reward ("wanting"), and ability to learn from reward ("reward learning"). Further, across rodent and human research, there is evidence that females show greater stress-induced blunting of reward processing than males. In humans, this sex difference emerges most strongly when examining individual differences in the stress response rather than group differences in stress exposure. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the etiology of, and sex differences in, stress-related psychopathology, including depression and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Harkness
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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6
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Birnie MT, Levis SC, Mahler SV, Baram TZ. Developmental Trajectories of Anhedonia in Preclinical Models. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 58:23-41. [PMID: 35156184 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This chapter discusses how the complex concept of anhedonia can be operationalized and studied in preclinical models. It provides information about the development of anhedonia in the context of early-life adversity, and the power of preclinical models to tease out the diverse molecular, epigenetic, and network mechanisms that are responsible for anhedonia-like behaviors.Specifically, we first discuss the term anhedonia, reviewing the conceptual components underlying reward-related behaviors and distinguish anhedonia pertaining to deficits in motivational versus consummatory behaviors. We then describe the repertoire of experimental approaches employed to study anhedonia-like behaviors in preclinical models, and the progressive refinement over the past decade of both experimental instruments (e.g., chemogenetics, optogenetics) and conceptual constructs (salience, valence, conflict). We follow with an overview of the state of current knowledge of brain circuits, nodes, and projections that execute distinct aspects of hedonic-like behaviors, as well as neurotransmitters, modulators, and receptors involved in the generation of anhedonia-like behaviors. Finally, we discuss the special case of anhedonia that arises following early-life adversity as an eloquent example enabling the study of causality, mechanisms, and sex dependence of anhedonia.Together, this chapter highlights the power, potential, and limitations of using preclinical models to advance our understanding of the origin and mechanisms of anhedonia and to discover potential targets for its prevention and mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Birnie
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sophia C Levis
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Neurobiology/Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Departments of Anatomy/Neurobiology and Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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7
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Mercuri NB, Federici M, Rizzo FR, Maugeri L, D'Addario SL, Ventura R, Berretta N. Long-Term Depression of Striatal DA Release Induced by mGluRs via Sustained Hyperactivity of Local Cholinergic Interneurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:798464. [PMID: 34924961 PMCID: PMC8674918 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.798464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The cellular mechanisms regulating dopamine (DA) release in the striatum have attracted much interest in recent years. By in vitro amperometric recordings in mouse striatal slices, we show that a brief (5 min) exposure to the metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist DHPG (50 μM) induces a profound depression of synaptic DA release, lasting over 1 h from DHPG washout. This long-term depression is sensitive to glycine, which preferentially inhibits local cholinergic interneurons, as well as to drugs acting on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and to the pharmacological depletion of released acetylcholine. The same DHPG treatment induces a parallel long-lasting enhancement in the tonic firing of presumed striatal cholinergic interneurons, measured with multi-electrode array recordings. When DHPG is bilaterally infused in vivo in the mouse striatum, treated mice display an anxiety-like behavior. Our results demonstrate that metabotropic glutamate receptors stimulation gives rise to a prolonged depression of the striatal dopaminergic transmission, through a sustained enhancement of released acetylcholine, due to the parallel long-lasting potentiation of striatal cholinergic interneurons firing. This plastic interplay between dopamine, acetylcholine, and glutamate in the dorsal striatum may be involved in anxiety-like behavior typical of several neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola B Mercuri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Federici
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Maugeri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy
| | - Sebastian L D'Addario
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology and Center Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy.,Department of Psychology and Center Daniel Bovet, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Berretta
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Rome, Italy
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8
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Lo Iacono L, Mancini C, Babicola L, Pietrosanto M, Di Segni M, D'Addario SL, Municchi D, Ielpo D, Pascucci T, Cabib S, Ferlazzo F, D'Amato FR, Andolina D, Helmer-Citterich M, Cifani C, Ventura R. Early life adversity affecting the attachment bond alters ventral tegmental area transcriptomic patterning and behavior almost exclusively in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100406. [PMID: 34660854 PMCID: PMC8503667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life experiences that affect the attachment bond formation can alter developmental trajectories and result in pathological outcomes in a sex-related manner. However, the molecular basis of sex differences is quite unknown. The dopaminergic system originating from the ventral tegmental area has been proposed to be a key mediator of this process. Here we exploited a murine model of early adversity (Repeated Cross Fostering, RCF) to test how interfering with the attachment bond formation affects the VTA-related functions in a sex-specific manner. Through a comprehensive behavioral screening, within the NiH RDoC framework, and by next-generation RNA-Seq experiments, we analyzed the long-lasting effect of RCF on behavioral and transcriptional profiles related to the VTA, across two different inbred strains of mouse in both sexes. We found that RCF impacted to an extremely greater extent VTA-related behaviors in females than in males and this result mirrored the transcriptional alterations in the VTA that were almost exclusively observed in females. The sexual dimorphism was conserved across two different inbred strains in spite of their divergent long lasting consequences of RCF exposure. Our data suggest that to be female primes a sub-set of genes to respond to early environmental perturbations. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence of an almost exclusive effect of early life experiences on females, thus mirroring the extremely stronger impact of precocious aversive events reported in clinical studies in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Lo Iacono
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Pietrosanto
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Pascucci
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca R D'Amato
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Institute, National Research Council, Via E Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Manuela Helmer-Citterich
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino School of Pharmacy, Camerino, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
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9
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D'Addario SL, Di Segni M, Ledonne A, Piscitelli R, Babicola L, Martini A, Spoleti E, Mancini C, Ielpo D, D'Amato FR, Andolina D, Ragozzino D, Mercuri NB, Cifani C, Renzi M, Guatteo E, Ventura R. Resilience to anhedonia-passive coping induced by early life experience is linked to a long-lasting reduction of I h current in VTA dopaminergic neurons. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 14:100324. [PMID: 33937445 PMCID: PMC8079665 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to aversive events during sensitive developmental periods can affect the preferential coping strategy adopted by individuals later in life, leading to either stress-related psychiatric disorders, including depression, or to well-adaptation to future adversity and sources of stress, a behavior phenotype termed “resilience”. We have previously shown that interfering with the development of mother-pups bond with the Repeated Cross Fostering (RCF) stress protocol can induce resilience to depression-like phenotype in adult C57BL/6J female mice. Here, we used patch-clamp recording in midbrain slice combined with both in vivo and ex vivo pharmacology to test our hypothesis of a link between electrophysiological modifications of dopaminergic neurons in the intermediate Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) of RCF animals and behavioral resilience. We found reduced hyperpolarization-activated (Ih) cation current amplitude and evoked firing in VTA dopaminergic neurons from both young and adult RCF female mice. In vivo, VTA-specific pharmacological manipulation of the Ih current reverted the pro-resilient phenotype in adult early-stressed mice or mimicked behavioral resilience in adult control animals. This is the first evidence showing how pro-resilience behavior induced by early events is linked to a long-lasting reduction of Ih current and excitability in VTA dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 00184, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Rosamaria Piscitelli
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Dept. of Motor Science and Wellness, 'Parthenope' University, Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Elena Spoleti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Camilla Mancini
- University of Camerino School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Products, Camerino, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca R D'Amato
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Institute, National Research Council, Via E Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Davide Ragozzino
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Nicola B Mercuri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Dept. of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Products, Camerino, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Renzi
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Dept. of Motor Science and Wellness, 'Parthenope' University, Via Medina 40, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
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10
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Levis SC, Mahler SV, Baram TZ. The Developmental Origins of Opioid Use Disorder and Its Comorbidities. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:601905. [PMID: 33643011 PMCID: PMC7904686 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.601905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) rarely presents as a unitary psychiatric condition, and the comorbid symptoms likely depend upon the diverse risk factors and mechanisms by which OUD can arise. These factors are heterogeneous and include genetic predisposition, exposure to prescription opioids, and environmental risks. Crucially, one key environmental risk factor for OUD is early life adversity (ELA). OUD and other substance use disorders are widely considered to derive in part from abnormal reward circuit function, which is likely also implicated in comorbid mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. ELA may disrupt reward circuit development and function in a manner predisposing to these disorders. Here, we describe new findings addressing the effects of ELA on reward circuitry that lead to OUD and comorbid disorders, potentially via shared neural mechanisms. We discuss some of these OUD-related problems in both humans and animals. We also highlight the increasingly apparent, crucial contribution of biological sex in mediating the range of ELA-induced disruptions of reward circuitry which may confer risk for the development of OUD and comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia C. Levis
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Stephen V. Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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11
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Babicola L, Ventura R, D'Addario SL, Ielpo D, Andolina D, Di Segni M. Long term effects of early life stress on HPA circuit in rodent models. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 521:111125. [PMID: 33333214 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Adaptation to environmental challenges represents a critical process for survival, requiring the complex integration of information derived from both external cues and internal signals regarding current conditions and previous experiences. The Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis plays a central role in this process inducing the activation of a neuroendocrine signaling cascade that affects the delicate balance of activity and cross-talk between areas that are involved in sensorial, emotional, and cognitive processing such as the hippocampus, amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex, Ventral Tegmental Area, and dorsal raphe. Early life stress, especially early critical experiences with caregivers, influences the functional and structural organization of these areas, affects these processes in a long-lasting manner and may result in long-term maladaptive and psychopathological outcomes, depending on the complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. This review summarizes the results of studies that have modeled this early postnatal stress in rodents during the first 2 postnatal weeks, focusing on the long-term effects on molecular and structural alteration in brain areas involved in Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. Moreover, a brief investigation of epigenetic mechanisms and specific genetic targets mediating the long-term effects of these early environmental manipulations and at the basis of differential neurobiological and behavioral effects during adulthood is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy; Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy; Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00184, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, 00184, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Del Fosso di Fiorano, 64, 00143, Rome, Italy.
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12
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Verbitsky A, Dopfel D, Zhang N. Rodent models of post-traumatic stress disorder: behavioral assessment. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:132. [PMID: 32376819 PMCID: PMC7203017 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0806-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the etiology and expression of psychiatric disorders are complex, mammals show biologically preserved behavioral and neurobiological responses to valent stimuli which underlie the use of rodent models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a complex phenotype that is difficult to model in rodents because it is diagnosed by patient interview and influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. However, given that PTSD results from traumatic experiences, rodent models can simulate stress induction and disorder development. By manipulating stress type, intensity, duration, and frequency, preclinical models reflect core PTSD phenotypes, measured through various behavioral assays. Paradigms precipitate the disorder by applying physical, social, and psychological stressors individually or in combination. This review discusses the methods used to trigger and evaluate PTSD-like phenotypes. It highlights studies employing each stress model and evaluates their translational efficacies against DSM-5, validity criteria, and criteria proposed by Yehuda and Antelman's commentary in 1993. This is intended to aid in paradigm selection by informing readers about rodent models, their benefits to the clinical community, challenges associated with the translational models, and opportunities for future work. To inform PTSD model validity and relevance to human psychopathology, we propose that models incorporate behavioral test batteries, individual differences, sex differences, strain and stock differences, early life stress effects, biomarkers, stringent success criteria for drug development, Research Domain Criteria, technological advances, and cross-species comparisons. We conclude that, despite the challenges, animal studies will be pivotal to advances in understanding PTSD and the neurobiology of stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Verbitsky
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - David Dopfel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nanyin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
- The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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13
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Xlr4 as a new candidate gene underlying vulnerability to cocaine effects. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:108019. [PMID: 32113966 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although several studies have been performed in rodents, non-human primates and humans, the biological basis of vulnerability to develop cocaine addiction remains largely unknown. Exposure to critical early events (as Repeated Cross Fostering (RCF)) has been reported to increase sensitivity to cocaine effects in adult C57BL/6J female mice. Using a microarray approach, here we report data showing a strong engagement of X-linked lymphocyte-regulated 4a and 4b (Xlr4) genes in cocaine effects. The expression of Xlr4, a gene involved in chromatin remodeling and dendritic spine morphology, was reduced into the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) of adult RCF C57BL/6J female. We used virally mediated accumbal Xlr4 down-modulation (AAVXlr4-KD) to investigate the role of this gene in vulnerability to cocaine effects. AAVXlr4-KD animals show a potentiated behavioral and neurochemical response to cocaine, reinstatement following cocaine withdrawal and cocaine-induced spine density alterations in the Medium-Sized Spiny Neurons of NAc. We propose Xlr4 as a new candidate gene mediating the cocaine effects.
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Solomon ER, Caldwell KK, Allan AM. Developmental arsenic exposure is associated with sex differences in the epigenetic regulation of stress genes in the adult mouse frontal cortex. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 391:114920. [PMID: 32061746 PMCID: PMC7948303 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.114920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Solomon
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico HSC, MSC08 4740, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, United States
| | - Kevin K Caldwell
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico HSC, MSC08 4740, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, United States
| | - Andrea M Allan
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico HSC, MSC08 4740, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, United States.
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