Ogier M, Bricca G, Bader M, Bezin L. Locus Coeruleus Dysfunction in Transgenic Rats with Low Brain Angiotensinogen.
CNS Neurosci Ther 2016;
22:230-7. [PMID:
26775713 DOI:
10.1111/cns.12488]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS
Transgenic TGR(ASrAOGEN)680 (TGR) rats with specific downregulation of glial angiotensinogen (AOGEN) synthesis develop cardiovascular deficits, anxiety, altered response to stress, and depression. Here, we evaluated whether these deficits are associated with alteration of the integrity of the noradrenergic system originating from locus coeruleus (LC) neurons.
METHODS
Adult TGR rats were compared to control Sprague Dawley rats in terms of the following: tissue levels of transcripts encoding noradrenergic markers, tissue tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein level, in vivo TH activity, density of TH-containing fibers, behavioral response to novelty, locomotor activity, and polysomnography.
RESULTS
TH expression was increased in the LC of TGR rats compared to controls. In LC terminal fields, there was an increase in density of TH-containing fibers in TGR rats that was associated with an elevation of in vivo TH activity. TGR rats also displayed locomotor hyperactivity in response to novelty. Moreover, polysomnographic studies indicated that daily paradoxical sleep duration was increased in TGR rats and that the paradoxical sleep rebound triggered by total sleep deprivation was blunted in these rats.
CONCLUSIONS
Altogether, these results suggest that disruption of astroglial AOGEN synthesis leads to cardiovascular, cognitive, behavioral, and sleep disorders that might be partly due to LC dysfunction.
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