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Jiang J, Zou Y, Xie C, Yang M, Tong Q, Yuan M, Pei X, Deng S, Tian M, Xiao L, Gong Y. Oxytocin alleviates cognitive and memory impairments by decreasing hippocampal microglial activation and synaptic defects via OXTR/ERK/STAT3 pathway in a mouse model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 114:195-213. [PMID: 37648002 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a diffuse brain dysfunction, characterized by cognitive and memory impairments closely linked to hippocampal dysfunction. Though it is well-known that SAE is a diffuse brain dysfunction with microglial activation, the pathological mechanisms of SAE are not well established and effective clinical interventions are lacking. Oxytocin (OXT) is reported to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective roles. However, the effects of OXT on SAE and the underlying mechanisms are not clear. METHODS SAE was induced in adult C57BL/6J male mice by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) surgery. Exogenous OXT was intranasally applied after surgery. Clinical score, survivor rate, cognitive and memory behaviors, and hippocampal neuronal and non-neuronal functions were evaluated. Cultured microglia challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to investigate the effects of OXT on microglial functions, including inflammatory cytokines release and phagocytosis. The possible intracellular signal pathways involved in the OXT-induced neuroprotection were explored with RNA sequencing. RESULTS Hippocampal OXT level decreases, while the expression of OXT receptor (OXTR) increases around 24 h after CLP surgery. Intranasal OXT application at a proper dose increases mouse survival rate, alleviates cognitive and memory dysfunction, and restores hippocampal synaptic function and neuronal activity via OXTR in the SAE model. Intraperitoneal or local administration of the OXTR antagonist L-368,899 in hippocampal CA1 region inhibited the protective effects of OXT. Moreover, during the early stages of sepsis, hippocampal microglia are activated, while OXT application reduces microglial phagocytosis and the release of inflammatory cytokines, thereby exerting a neuroprotective effect. OXT may improve the SAE outcomes via the OXTR-ERK-STAT3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Our study uncovers the dysfunction of the OXT signal in SAE and shows that intranasal OXT application at a proper dose can alleviate SAE outcomes by reducing microglial overactivation, suggests that OXT may be a promising therapeutic approach in managing SAE patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junliang Jiang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yue Zou
- Yunnan Eye Institute & Key Laboratory of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Eye Disease Clinical Medical Center, Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Chuantong Xie
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Miaoxian Yang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiuping Tong
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mimi Yuan
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu Pei
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuixiang Deng
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mi Tian
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Xiao
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ye Gong
- Department of Critical Care Medicine and Neurosurgery of Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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Althammer F. Heralding a new era of oxytocinergic research: New tools, new problems? J Neuroendocrinol 2023; 35:e13333. [PMID: 37621199 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
According to classic neuroendocrinology, hypothalamic oxytocin cells can be categorized into parvo- and magnocellular neurons. However, research in the last decade provided ample evidence that this black-and-white model of oxytocin neurons is most likely oversimplified. Novel genetic, functional and morphological studies indicate that oxytocin neurons might be organized in functional modules and suggest the existence of five or more distinct oxytocinergic subpopulations. However, many of these novel, automated high-throughput techniques might be inherently biased and interpretation of acquired data needs to be approached with caution to enable drawing sound and reliable conclusions. In addition, the recent finding that astrocytes in various brain regions express functional oxytocin receptors represents a paradigm shift and challenges the view that oxytocin primarily acts as a direct peptidergic neurotransmitter. This review highlights the latest technical advances in oxytocinergic research, puts recent studies on the oxytocin system into context and formulates various provocative ideas based on novel findings that challenges various prevailing hypotheses and dogmas about oxytocinergic modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Althammer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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Kamrani-Sharif R, Hayes AW, Gholami M, Salehirad M, Allahverdikhani M, Motaghinejad M, Emanuele E. Oxytocin as neuro-hormone and neuro-regulator exert neuroprotective properties: A mechanistic graphical review. Neuropeptides 2023; 101:102352. [PMID: 37354708 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodegeneration is progressive cell loss in specific neuronal populations, often resulting in clinical consequences with significant medical, societal, and economic implications. Because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, oxytocin has been proposed as a potential neuroprotective and neurobehavioral therapeutic agent, including modulating mood disturbances and cognitive enchantment. METHODS Literature searches were conducted using the following databases Web of Science, PubMed, Elsevier Science Direct, Google Scholar, the Core Collection, and Cochrane from January 2000 to February 2023 for articles dealing with oxytocin neuroprotective properties in preventing or treating neurodegenerative disorders and diseases with a focus on oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis/cell death. RESULTS The neuroprotective effects of oxytocin appears to be mediated by its anti-inflammatory properties, inhibition of neuro inflammation, activation of several antioxidant enzymes, inhibition of oxidative stress and free radical formation, activation of free radical scavengers, prevent of mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibition of apoptosis. CONCLUSION Oxytocin acts as a neuroprotective agent by preventing neuro-apoptosis, neuro-inflammation, and neuronal oxidative stress, and by restoring mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Kamrani-Sharif
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - A Wallace Hayes
- University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, USA; Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mina Gholami
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Salehirad
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center (CNRC), Amir-Almomenin Hospital, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Allahverdikhani
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Motaghinejad
- Chronic Respiratory Disease Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Talpo F, Spaiardi P, Castagno AN, Maniezzi C, Raffin F, Terribile G, Sancini G, Pisani A, Biella GR. Neuromodulatory functions exerted by oxytocin on different populations of hippocampal neurons in rodents. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1082010. [PMID: 36816855 PMCID: PMC9932910 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1082010] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide widely known for its peripheral hormonal effects (i.e., parturition and lactation) and central neuromodulatory functions, related especially to social behavior and social, spatial, and episodic memory. The hippocampus is a key structure for these functions, it is innervated by oxytocinergic fibers, and contains OT receptors (OTRs). The hippocampal OTR distribution is not homogeneous among its subregions and types of neuronal cells, reflecting the specificity of oxytocin's modulatory action. In this review, we describe the most recent discoveries in OT/OTR signaling in the hippocampus, focusing primarily on the electrophysiological oxytocinergic modulation of the OTR-expressing hippocampal neurons. We then look at the effect this modulation has on the balance of excitation/inhibition and synaptic plasticity in each hippocampal subregion. Additionally, we review OTR downstream signaling, which underlies the OT effects observed in different types of hippocampal neuron. Overall, this review comprehensively summarizes the advancements in unraveling the neuromodulatory functions exerted by OT on specific hippocampal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Spaiardi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Nicolas Castagno
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Maniezzi
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Raffin
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Terribile
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Sancini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy,Nanomedicine Center, Neuroscience Center, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy,Neurological Institute Foundation Casimiro Mondino (IRCCS), Pavia, Italy
| | - Gerardo Rosario Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pavia, Pavia, Italy,*Correspondence: Gerardo Rosario Biella,
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The Role of Oxytocin in Abnormal Brain Development: Effect on Glial Cells and Neuroinflammation. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233899. [PMID: 36497156 PMCID: PMC9740972 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The neonatal period is critical for brain development and determinant for long-term brain trajectory. Yet, this time concurs with a sensitivity and risk for numerous brain injuries following perinatal complications such as preterm birth. Brain injury in premature infants leads to a complex amalgam of primary destructive diseases and secondary maturational and trophic disturbances and, as a consequence, to long-term neurocognitive and behavioral problems. Neuroinflammation is an important common factor in these complications, which contributes to the adverse effects on brain development. Mediating this inflammatory response forms a key therapeutic target in protecting the vulnerable developing brain when complications arise. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the perinatal period, and its importance for lactation and social bonding in early life are well-recognized. Yet, novel functions of OT for the developing brain are increasingly emerging. In particular, OT seems able to modulate glial activity in neuroinflammatory states, but the exact mechanisms underlying this connection are largely unknown. The current review provides an overview of the oxytocinergic system and its early life development across rodent and human. Moreover, we cover the most up-to-date understanding of the role of OT in neonatal brain development and the potential neuroprotective effects it holds when adverse neural events arise in association with neuroinflammation. A detailed assessment of the underlying mechanisms between OT treatment and astrocyte and microglia reactivity is given, as well as a focus on the amygdala, a brain region of crucial importance for socio-emotional behavior, particularly in infants born preterm.
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Althammer F, Wimmer MC, Krabichler Q, Küppers S, Schimmer J, Fröhlich H, Dötsch L, Gruber T, Wunsch S, Schubert T, Kirchner MK, Stern JE, Charlet A, Grinevich V, Schaaf CP. Analysis of the hypothalamic oxytocin system and oxytocin receptor-expressing astrocytes in a mouse model of Prader-Willi syndrome. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e13217. [PMID: 36458331 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13217] [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: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperphagia, obesity, developmental delay and intellectual disability. Studies suggest dysfunctional signaling of the neuropeptide oxytocin as one of the key mechanisms in PWS, and administration of oxytocin via intranasal or systemic routes yielded promising results in both humans and mouse models. However, a detailed assessment of the oxytocin system in mouse models of PWS such as the Magel2-deficient Magel2tm1.Stw mouse, is lacking. In the present study, we performed an automated counting of oxytocin cells in the entire paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus of Magel2tm1.Stw and wild-type control mice and found a significant reduction in the caudal part, which represents the parvocellular subdivision. In addition, based on the recent discovery that some astrocytes express the oxytocin receptor (OTR), we performed detailed analysis of astrocyte numbers and morphology in various brain regions, and assessed expression levels of the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein, which was significantly decreased in the hypothalamus, but not other brain regions in Magel2tm1.Stw mice. Finally, we analyzed the number of OTR-expressing astrocytes in various brain regions and found a significant reduction in the nucleus accumbens of Magel2tm1.Stw mice, as well as a sex-specific difference in the lateral septum. This study suggests a role for caudal paraventricular nucleus oxytocin neurons as well as OTR-expressing astrocytes in a mouse model of PWS, provides novel information about sex-specific expression of astrocytic OTRs, and presents several new brain regions containing OTR-expressing astrocytes in the mouse brain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Quirin Krabichler
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie Küppers
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jonas Schimmer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Henning Fröhlich
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Dötsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tim Gruber
- Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Selina Wunsch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tim Schubert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthew K Kirchner
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Javier E Stern
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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