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A comparative study of Western, high-carbohydrate, and standard lab diet consumption throughout adolescence on metabolic and anxiety-related outcomes in young adult male and female Long-Evans rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114184. [PMID: 36336161 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and obesity are prevalent health concerns that are affected by diet in rodents and humans. How diet influences the development and maintenance of anxiety and obesity has been challenging to characterize, in part, due to methodological differences in chosen experimental and control diets. Within the same experiment, anxiety- and obesity-related effects were characterized in rats fed a Western diet (WD) relative to two control diets. Sixty Long-Evans rats split equally by sex were given standard diet (SD), control (i.e., high-carbohydrate) diet (HCD), or WD from weaning until sacrifice in early adulthood. Anxiety-related behavior was characterized in a modified open field test (mOFT) that allowed for the measurement of defensive behaviors (e.g., hiding within a refuge area), in addition to traditional OF measures (e.g., time in center). Both anxiety-related behaviors and hippocampal CA3 BDNF revealed specific sex differences. Neither adolescent weight gain of male and female rats, nor total body weight in early adulthood, were dependent on administration of HCD or WD, although the WD group consumed the most calories. In males only, administration of either WD or HCD resulted in elevated leptin levels relative to administration of the SD. Results indicate that SDs and HCDs are two distinct types of control diets that can affect comparability of studies and that using an SD might reveal more subtle metabolic changes. Control diet choice should be strongly considered during study design and interpretation, depending on specific research goals. Such studies should include both males and females as these effects are sex-specific.
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Pletzer B, Winkler-Crepaz K, Hillerer K. Progesterone and contraceptive progestin actions on the brain: A systematic review of animal studies and comparison to human neuroimaging studies. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 69:101060. [PMID: 36758768 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
In this review we systematically summarize the effects of progesterone and synthetic progestins on neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, myelination and six neurotransmitter systems. Several parallels between progesterone and older generation progestin actions emerged, suggesting actions via progesterone receptors. However, existing results suggest a general lack of knowledge regarding the effects of currently used progestins in hormonal contraception regarding these cellular and molecular brain parameters. Human neuroimaging studies were reviewed with a focus on randomized placebo-controlled trials and cross-sectional studies controlling for progestin type. The prefrontal cortex, amygdala, salience network and hippocampus were identified as regions of interest for future preclinical studies. This review proposes a series of experiments to elucidate the cellular and molecular actions of contraceptive progestins in these areas and link these actions to behavioral markers of emotional and cognitive functioning. Emotional effects of contraceptive progestins appear to be related to 1) alterations in the serotonergic system, 2) direct/indirect modulations of inhibitory GABA-ergic signalling via effects on the allopregnanolone content of the brain, which differ between androgenic and anti-androgenic progestins. Cognitive effects of combined oral contraceptives appear to depend on the ethinylestradiol dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology & Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg, Salzburg Austria.
| | | | - Katharina Hillerer
- Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics, Private Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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Satti S, Palepu MSK, Singh AA, Jaiswal Y, Dash SP, Gajula SNR, Chaganti S, Samanthula G, Sonti R, Dandekar MP. Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 mediate via reshaping of microbiome gut-brain axis in rats. Neurochem Int 2023; 163:105483. [PMID: 36641109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to the rising cases of treatment-refractory affective disorders, the discovery of newer therapeutic approaches is needed. In recent times, probiotics have garnered notable attention in managing stress-related disorders. Herein, we examined the effect of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2® probiotic on anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes employing maternal separation (MS) and chronic-unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model in rats. METHODS Both male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to MS + CUMS. Probiotic treatment was provided for 6 weeks via drinking water. Anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes were assessed using sucrose-preference test (SPT), forced-swimming test (FST), elevated-plus maze test (EPM), and open-field test (OFT). Blood, brain, intestine, and fecal samples were obtained for biochemical and molecular studies. RESULTS Stress-exposed rats drank less sucrose solution, showed increased passivity, and explored less in open-arms in SPT, FST, and EPM, respectively. These stress-generated neurobehavioral aberrations were alleviated by 6-week of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 treatment. The overall locomotor activity in OFT remained unchanged. The decreased levels of BDNF and serotonin and increased levels of C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-1β, and dopamine, in the hippocampus and/or frontal cortex of stress-exposed rats were reversed following probiotic treatment. Administration of probiotic also restored the systemic levels of L-tryptophan, L-kynurenine, kynurenic-acid, and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, villi/crypt ratio, goblet-cell count, Firmicutes to Bacteroides ratio, and levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate in fecal samples. These results indicate remodeling of the microbiome gut-brain axis in Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 recipient rats. However, protein levels of doublecortin, GFAP, and zona occludens in the hippocampus and occludin-immunoreactivity in the intestine remained unchanged. No prominent sex-specific changes were noted. CONCLUSION Anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects of Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 in MS + CUMS rat model may be mediated via reshaping the microbiome gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srilakshmi Satti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Mani Surya Kumar Palepu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Aditya A Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Yash Jaiswal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Surya Prakash Dash
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Siva Nageswara Rao Gajula
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sowmya Chaganti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Gananadhamu Samanthula
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rajesh Sonti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India
| | - Manoj P Dandekar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research NIPER, Hyderabad, India.
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Dong TN, Kramár EA, Beardwood JH, Al-Shammari A, Wood MA, Keiser AA. Temporal endurance of exercise-induced benefits on hippocampus-dependent memory and synaptic plasticity in female mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2022; 194:107658. [PMID: 35811066 PMCID: PMC9901197 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Exercise facilitates hippocampal neurogenesis and neuroplasticity that in turn, promotes cognitive function. Our previous studies have demonstrated that in male mice, voluntary exercise enables hippocampus-dependent learning in conditions that are normally subthreshold for long-term memory formation in sedentary animals. Such cognitive enhancement can be maintained long after exercise has ceased and can be re-engaged by a subsequent subthreshold exercise session, suggesting exercise-induced benefits are temporally dynamic. In females, the extent to which the benefits of exercise can be maintained and the mechanisms underlying this maintenance have yet to be defined. Here, we examined the exercise parameters required to initiate and maintain the benefits of exercise in female C57BL/6J mice. Using a subthreshold version of the hippocampus-dependent task called object-location memory (OLM) task, we show that 14d of voluntary exercise enables learning under subthreshold acquisition conditions in female mice. Following the initial exercise, a 7d sedentary delay results in diminished performance, which can be re-facilitated when animals receive 2d of reactivating exercise following the sedentary delay. Assessment of estrous cycle reveals enhanced wheel running activity during the estrus phase relative to the diestrus phase, whereas estrous phase on training or test had no effect on OLM performance. Utilizing the same exercise parameters, we demonstrate that 14d of exercise enhances long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, an effect that persists throughout the sedentary delay and following the reactivating exercise session. Previous studies have proposed exercise-induced BDNF upregulation as the mechanism underlying exercise-mediated benefits on synaptic plasticity and cognition. However, our assessment of hippocampal Bdnf mRNA expression following memory retrieval reveals no difference between exercise conditions and control, suggesting that persistent Bdnf upregulation may not be required for maintenance of exercise-induced benefits. Together, our data indicate that 14d of voluntary exercise can initiate long-lasting benefits on neuroplasticity and cognitive function in female mice, establishing the first evidence on the temporal endurance of exercise-induced benefits in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- T N Dong
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - E A Kramár
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - J H Beardwood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - A Al-Shammari
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - M A Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States
| | - A A Keiser
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Biological Sciences University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (CNLM), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States; Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND), University of California, Irvine 92697-2695, United States.
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Grigoryan GA. Ovariectomy as a Model of Anxiety-Depressive Disorders. NEUROCHEM J+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712422010068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Uhl M, Schmeisser MJ, Schumann S. The Sexual Dimorphic Synapse: From Spine Density to Molecular Composition. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:818390. [PMID: 35250477 PMCID: PMC8894598 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.818390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A synaptic sexual dimorphism is relevant in the context of multiple neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Many of these disorders show a different prevalence and progression in woman and man. A similar variance is also present in corresponding animal models. To understand and characterize this dimorphism in pathologies it is important to first understand sex differences in unaffected individuals. Therefore, sexual differences have been studied since 1788, first focusing on brain weight, size, and volume. But as these measures are not directly related to brain function, the investigation of sexual dimorphism also expanded to other organizational levels of the brain. This review is focused on sexual dimorphism at the synaptic level, as these specialized structures are the smallest functional units of the brain, determining cell communication, connectivity, and plasticity. Multiple differences between males and females can be found on the levels of spine density, synaptic morphology, and molecular synapse composition. These differences support the importance of sex-disaggregated data. The specificity of changes to a particular brain region or circuit might support the idea of a mosaic brain, in which each tile individually lies on a continuum from masculinization to feminization. Moreover, synapses can be seen as the smallest tiles of the mosaic determining the classification of larger areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Uhl
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael J. Schmeisser
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- *Correspondence: Michael J. Schmeisser,
| | - Sven Schumann
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Sven Schumann,
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Molina E, Hong L, Chefetz I. NUAK Kinases: Brain-Ovary Axis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10102760. [PMID: 34685740 PMCID: PMC8535158 DOI: 10.3390/cells10102760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver kinase B (LKB1) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are two major kinases that regulate cellular metabolism by acting as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensors. During starvation conditions, LKB1 and AMPK activate different downstream pathways to increase ATP production, while decreasing ATP consumption, which abrogates cellular proliferation and cell death. Initially, LKB1 was considered to be a tumor suppressor due to its loss of expression in various tumor types. Additional studies revealed amplifications in LKB1 and AMPK kinases in several cancers, suggesting a role in tumor progression. The AMPK-related proteins were described almost 20 years ago as a group of key kinases involved in the regulation of cellular metabolism. As LKB1-downstream targets, AMPK-related proteins were also initially considered to function as tumor suppressors. However, further research demonstrated that AMPK-related kinases play a major role not only in cellular physiology but also in tumor development. Furthermore, aside from their role as regulators of metabolism, additional functions have been described for these proteins, including roles in the cell cycle, cell migration, and cell death. In this review, we aim to highlight the major role of AMPK-related proteins beyond their functions in cellular metabolism, focusing on cancer progression based on their role in cell migration, invasion, and cell survival. Additionally, we describe two main AMPK-related kinases, Novel (nua) kinase family 1 (NUAK1) and 2 (NUAK2), which have been understudied, but play a major role in cellular physiology and tumor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Molina
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA;
| | - Linda Hong
- School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA;
| | - Ilana Chefetz
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA;
- Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Stem Cell Institute, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-507-437-9624
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Lee Y, Kim KH, Lee BH, Kim YK. Plasma level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with postpartum depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 109:110245. [PMID: 33444650 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110245] [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: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Postpartum depression occurs in 10-15% of mothers. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a nerve growth factor that plays a role in neuroplasticity. We hypothesized that the concentration of BDNF is related to reproduction and childbirth, and that women with postpartum depression show alteration in BDNF level. A total of 104 pregnant women was selected as subjects, and 60 non-pregnant women were selected as normal controls. Symptoms of depression were evaluated in the pregnant study subjects using the diagnostic criteria outlined in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The pregnant subjects were divided into three groups of perinatal non-depressed controls (n = 61), postpartum depression-recovery (n = 18), and postpartum depression (n = 25). The plasma concentration of BDNF was higher in the pregnant group than in non-pregnant controls and lower in the postpartum depression group at 6 weeks after delivery than in the perinatal non-depressed group. In the postpartum depression-recovery group, the BDNF concentration increased at 6 weeks after delivery compared to that at 24 weeks of gestation. This study found significant changes in plasma BDNF concentration in depressed pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Younjung Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju 52727, Republic of Korea
| | - Kye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, KangBuk Samsung Hospital, College of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bun-Hee Lee
- Maum & Maum Psychiatric Clinic, Seoul 02566, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan 15355, Republic of Korea.
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Leschik J, Lutz B, Gentile A. Stress-Related Dysfunction of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis-An Attempt for Understanding Resilience? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7339. [PMID: 34298958 PMCID: PMC8305135 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborn neurons in the adult hippocampus are regulated by many intrinsic and extrinsic cues. It is well accepted that elevated glucocorticoid levels lead to downregulation of adult neurogenesis, which this review discusses as one reason why psychiatric diseases, such as major depression, develop after long-term stress exposure. In reverse, adult neurogenesis has been suggested to protect against stress-induced major depression, and hence, could serve as a resilience mechanism. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge about the functional relation of adult neurogenesis and stress in health and disease. A special focus will lie on the mechanisms underlying the cascades of events from prolonged high glucocorticoid concentrations to reduced numbers of newborn neurons. In addition to neurotransmitter and neurotrophic factor dysregulation, these mechanisms include immunomodulatory pathways, as well as microbiota changes influencing the gut-brain axis. Finally, we discuss recent findings delineating the role of adult neurogenesis in stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Leschik
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), 55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Antonietta Gentile
- Synaptic Immunopathology Lab, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, 00166 Rome, Italy;
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Peritore AF, Crupi R, Scuto M, Gugliandolo E, Siracusa R, Impellizzeri D, Cordaro M, D'amico R, Fusco R, Di Paola R, Cuzzocrea S. The Role of Annexin A1 and Formyl Peptide Receptor 2/3 Signaling in Chronic Corticosterone-Induced Depression-Like behaviors and Impairment in Hippocampal-Dependent Memory. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS-DRUG TARGETS 2021; 19:27-43. [PMID: 31914916 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319666200107094732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The activity of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is commonly dysregulated in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Annexin A1 (ANXA1), an endogenous ligand of Formyl Peptide Receptor (FPR) 2/3, is a member of the family of phospholipid- and calcium-binding proteins with a well-defined role in the delayed early inhibitory feedback of Glucocorticoids (GC) in the pituitary gland and implicated in the occurrence of behavioural disorders such as anxiety. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to evaluate the potential role of ANXA1 and its main receptor, as a cellular mediator of behavioural disorders, in a model of Corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression and subsequently, the possible correlation between the depressive state and impairment of hippocampal memory. METHODS To induce the depression model, Wild-Type (WT), ANXA1 Knockout (KO), and FPR2/3 KO mice were exposed to oral administration of CORT for 28 days dissolved in drinking water. Following this, histological, biochemical and behavioural analyses were performed. RESULTS FPR2/3 KO and ANXA1 KO mice showed improvement in anxiety and depression-like behaviour compared with WT mice after CORT administration. In addition, FPR2/3 KO and ANXA1 KO mice showed a reduction in histological alterations and neuronal death in hippocampal sections. Moreover, CORT+ FPR2/3 KO and ANXA1 KO, exhibited a higher expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), phospho-ERK, cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) and a decrease in Serotonin Transporter Expression (SERT) compared to WT(CORT+) mice. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the absence of the ANXA1 protein, even more than the absence of its main receptor (FPR 2/3), was fundamental to the inhibitory action of GC on the HPA axis; it also maintained the hippocampal homeostasis by preventing neuronal damage associated with depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Filippo Peritore
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Rosalia Crupi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Scuto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Enrico Gugliandolo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Rosalba Siracusa
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Daniela Impellizzeri
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Marika Cordaro
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Ramona D'amico
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Fusco
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Rosanna Di Paola
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Cuzzocrea
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.,Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, United Stated
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Kamiya K, Adachi T, Iwatsu K, Kamisaka K, Iida Y, Iritani N, Yamada S. Association between a pre-admission limitation in walking ability and post-discharge adverse outcomes among hospitalized patients with heart failure: Report from a multicenter prospective cohort study. Int J Cardiol 2021; 337:105-112. [PMID: 33991566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although limited walking ability at discharge is a known risk factor for adverse outcomes in older patients with heart failure (HF), the association between pre-admission limitations and adverse outcomes is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated the prevalence of a pre-admission limitation in walking ability and its relationship with post-discharge outcomes among patients with HF with reduced, mid-range, and preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF). METHODS We followed 2042 patients aged ≥65 years (HFrEF, n = 668; HFmrEF, n = 360; HFpEF, n = 1014) from a multicenter cohort study in Japan. A limitation in walking ability was defined as the necessity of any assistance or a walking aid. Adverse outcomes were defined as the composite of HF rehospitalization and all-cause death within 2 years after discharge. RESULTS During 2978.0 person-years of follow-up, 563 patients were rehospitalized due to HF exacerbation and 103 patients died. In HFrEF, HFmrEF, and HFpEF groups, the prevalence of a pre-admission limitation in walking ability was 12.1%, 18.6%, and 21.1%, respectively, the crude hazard ratios [95% confidence interval] of a pre-admission limitation in walking ability were 2.46 [1.79-3.39], 1.34 [0.87-2.06], and 1.94 [1.53-2.47], and the adjusted hazard ratios were 2.21 [1.58-3.16], 1.19 [0.75-1.89], and 1.39 [1.06-1.82], respectively. CONCLUSIONS A pre-admission limitation in walking ability is a predictor of post-discharge HF rehospitalization or all-cause death among patients with HFrEF and HFpEF, but not among patients with HFmrEF. Shortly after admission, information regarding pre-admission functional limitations should be obtained to better understand the risk of post-discharge adverse outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuniyasu Kamiya
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Takatsuki, Japan
| | - Takuji Adachi
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kotaro Iwatsu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Hirakata Kosai Hospital, Hirakata, Japan
| | - Kenta Kamisaka
- Department of Rehabilitation, Kitano Hospital, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuki Iida
- Department of Physical Therapy, Toyohashi SOZO University School of Health Sciences, Toyohashi, Japan
| | - Naoki Iritani
- Department of Rehabilitation, Toyohashi Heart Center, Toyohashi, Japan
| | - Sumio Yamada
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
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Christian CA, Reddy DS, Maguire J, Forcelli PA. Sex Differences in the Epilepsies and Associated Comorbidities: Implications for Use and Development of Pharmacotherapies. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 72:767-800. [PMID: 32817274 DOI: 10.1124/pr.119.017392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The epilepsies are common neurologic disorders characterized by spontaneous recurrent seizures. Boys, girls, men, and women of all ages are affected by epilepsy and, in many cases, by associated comorbidities as well. The primary courses of treatment are pharmacological, dietary, and/or surgical, depending on several factors, including the areas of the brain affected and the severity of the epilepsy. There is a growing appreciation that sex differences in underlying brain function and in the neurobiology of epilepsy are important factors that should be accounted for in the design and development of new therapies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on sex differences in epilepsy and associated comorbidities, with emphasis on those aspects most informative for the development of new pharmacotherapies. Particular focus is placed on sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of various focal and generalized epilepsies; psychiatric, cognitive, and physiologic comorbidities; catamenial epilepsy in women; sex differences in brain development; the neural actions of sex and stress hormones and their metabolites; and cellular mechanisms, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling and neuronal-glial interactions. Further attention placed on potential sex differences in epilepsies, comorbidities, and drug effects will enhance therapeutic options and efficacy for all patients with epilepsy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that often presents together with various comorbidities. The features of epilepsy and seizure activity as well as comorbid afflictions can vary between men and women. In this review, we discuss sex differences in types of epilepsies, associated comorbidities, pathophysiological mechanisms, and antiepileptic drug efficacy in both clinical patient populations and preclinical animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Christian
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Doodipala Samba Reddy
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Jamie Maguire
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
| | - Patrick A Forcelli
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois (C.A.C.); Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas (D.S.R.); Neuroscience Department, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts (J.M.); and Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology and Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. (P.A.F.)
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The Role of Neurotrophic Factors in Pathophysiology of Major Depressive Disorder. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1305:257-272. [PMID: 33834404 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-33-6044-0_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
According to the neurotrophic hypothesis of major depressive disorder (MDD), impairment in growth factor signaling might be associated with the pathology of this illness. Current evidence demonstrates that impaired neuroplasticity induced by alterations of neurotrophic growth factors and related signaling pathways may be underlying to the pathophysiology of MDD. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most studied neurotrophic factor involved in the neurobiology of MDD. Nevertheless, developing evidence has implicated other neurotrophic factors, including neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in the MDD pathophysiology. Here, we summarize the current literature on the involvement of neurotrophic factors and related signaling pathways in the pathophysiology of MDD.
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Sardar R, Zandieh Z, Namjoo Z, Soleimani M, Shirazi R, Hami J. Laterality and sex differences in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in developing rat hippocampus. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:133-144. [PMID: 32975719 PMCID: PMC8206061 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-020-00620-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as a member of neurotrophin family, plays an important role in neurogenesis, neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity. BDNF is strongly expressed in the hippocampus, where has been associated with memory consolidation, learning, and cognition. In this study, Real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and stereology were used to evaluate the gender differences and left-right asymmetries in the expression of BDNF in the developing rat hippocampus during the neurogenesis-active period, at postnatal days P0, P7 and P14. We found the lowest expression of BDNF in the right side and the highest in the left side hippocampi of both male and female neonates at P14 (P ≤ 0.05 each). At the same time, there were significant differences in the hippocampal expression of BDNF between males and females (P ≤ 0.05 each). No important differences in the number of BDNF expressing neurons in different subregions of right/left hippocampus were observed between male and female animals at P0 and P7 (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the highest numerical density of BDNF positive cells was detected in the both sides hippocampal CA1 in the male/female offspring at P7, and in the CA2, CA3 and dentate gyrus at P14 (P ≤ 0.05 each). Based on these findings, it can be concluded that there are prominent sex and interhemispheric differences in the expression of BDNF in the developing rat hippocampus, suggesting a probable mechanism for the control of gender and laterality differences in development, structure, and function of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Sardar
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Zandieh
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Namjoo
- Department of Anatomical Science, school of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Mansoureh Soleimani
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Shirazi
- Department of Health and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Swinburn University, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Javad Hami
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
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15
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Alteba S, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Tenenhaus A, Ben David G, Adelman J, Hillard CJ, Doron R, Akirav I. Antidepressant-like effects of URB597 and JZL184 in male and female rats exposed to early life stress. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 39:70-86. [PMID: 32891517 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) may increase predisposition to depression. Despite extensive research, there is still a lack of knowledge of how to optimally treat depression. We aimed to establish a role for the endocannabinoid (ECB) system within the hippocampal-nucleus accumbens (NAc) network as a possible effective target in combating the pathophysiological development of depression-like behavior and neuronal alterations that are precipitated by ELS. Male and female rats were exposed to ELS during post-natal days (P) 7-14, injected with the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor URB597 or the monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitor JZL184 for 2 weeks during late-adolescence (P45-60). Rats were tested starting at P90 for depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as social preference and recognition; alterations in FAAH and MAGL activity; the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); and plasticity in the hippocampal-NAc pathway. FAAH and MAGL inhibitors during late-adolescence prevented: (i) the long-term effects of ELS on depression- and anxiety-like behavior and the impairment in social behavior and neuronal plasticity in males and females; (ii) ELS-induced alterations in MAGL activity in males' hippocampus and females' hippocampus and NAc; and (iii) ELS-induced alterations in BDNF in males' hippocampus and NAc and females' hippocampus. Significant correlations were observed between alterations in MAGL and BDNF levels and the behavioral phenotype. The findings suggest that alterations in MAGL activity and BDNF expression in the hippocampal-NAc network contribute to the depressive-like behavioral phenotype in ELS males and females. Moreover, the study suggests FAAH and MAGL inhibitors as potential intervention drugs for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Alteba
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Tomer Mizrachi Zer-Aviv
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Adi Tenenhaus
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Gilad Ben David
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Jacob Adelman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA
| | - Ravid Doron
- Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, Israel
| | - Irit Akirav
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.
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16
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Repeated unpredictable stress blunts alcohol-induced memory deficit in adolescent rat. Neuroreport 2020; 31:1090-1095. [PMID: 32881775 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE There exists a complex interaction between alcohol and stress on brain and behavior. Alcohol and stress are both known to affect memory. Whether stress and alcohol together can modulate memory functions in adolescent rats is not known. In the present study, effects of repeated unpredictable stress (RUPS) on contextual fear conditioning, a hippocampus-related memory function, were investigated in alcohol-treated adolescent rats. METHODS Rats were divided into four experimental groups: group i - saline-treated non-stressed rats (sal no stress), group ii - alcohol-treated non-stressed rats (alc no stress), group iii - saline-treated rats subjected to stress (sal + RUPS), group iv - alcohol-treated rats subjected to stress (alc + RUPS). All rats were trained in the fear conditioning paradigm, and 24 h later were tested for contextual fear conditioning in the conditioning chamber, and nonspecific fear memory in a modified chamber. RESULTS Stress, in the presence or absence of alcohol, did not alter nonspecific fear. RUPS exposure did not affect contextual freezing in vehicle-treated adolescent rats. Compared to vehicle-treated non-stressed rats, alcohol-treated non-stressed rats showed significant impairments in contextual freezing. Alcohol-treated RUPS rats performed better in the contextual freezing task than alcohol-treated non-stressed rats. CONCLUSION RUPS exposure did not alter contextual fear conditioning in adolescent rats. Alcohol significantly reduced contextual fear memory in non-stressed rats. Alcohol-treated RUPS rats showed significantly better memory than alcohol-treated non-stressed rats. Together, these data suggest resiliency to stress-induced memory impairment in adolescent rats, and RUPS exposure causes blunting of alcohol's negative effects on contextual fear conditioning.
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17
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Sex Differences in Cognitive Impairment Induced by Cerebral Microhemorrhage. Transl Stroke Res 2020; 12:316-330. [PMID: 32440818 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-020-00820-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that cerebral microhemorrhages (CMHs) could be involved in cognitive decline. However, little is known about the sex-dependency of this effect. Using a multimodal approach combining behavioral tests, in vivo imaging, biochemistry, and molecular biology, we studied the cortical and hippocampal impact of a CMH in male and female mice (C57BL/6J) 6 weeks post-induction using a collagenase-induced model. Our work shows for the first time that a single cortical CMH exerts sex-specific effects on cognition. It notably induced visuospatial memory impairment in males only. This sex difference might be explained by cortical changes secondary to the lesion. In fact, the CMH induced an upregulation of ERα mRNA only in the female cortex. Besides, in male mice, we observed an impairment of pathways associated to neuronal, glial, or vascular functions: decrease in the P-GSK3β/GSK3β ratio, in BDNF and VEGF levels, and in microvascular water mobility. The CMH also exerted spatial remote effects in the hippocampus by increasing the number of astrocytes in both sexes, increasing the mean area occupied by each astrocyte in males, and decreasing hippocampal BDNF in females suggesting a cortical-hippocampal network impairment. This work demonstrates that a CMH could directly affect cognition in a sex-specific manner and highlights the need to study both sexes in preclinical models.
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18
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Liu B, Liu J, Wang JG, Liu CL, Yan HJ. AdipoRon improves cognitive dysfunction of Alzheimer’s disease and rescues impaired neural stem cell proliferation through AdipoR1/AMPK pathway. Exp Neurol 2020; 327:113249. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2020.113249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Jaeger ECB, Miller LE, Goins EC, Super CE, Chyr CU, Lower JW, Honican LS, Morrison DE, Ramdev RA, Spritzer MD. Testosterone replacement causes dose-dependent improvements in spatial memory among aged male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 113:104550. [PMID: 31901624 PMCID: PMC7080566 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone has been shown to have dose-dependent effects on spatial memory in males, but the effects of aging upon this relationship remain unclear. Additionally, the mechanism by which testosterone regulates memory is unknown, but may involve changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) within specific brain regions. We tested the effects of age and testosterone on spatial memory among male rats using two spatial memory tasks: an object-location memory task (OLMT) and the radial-arm maze (RAM). Castration had minimal effect on performance on the RAM, but young rats (2 months) performed significantly fewer working memory errors than aged rats (20 months), and aged rats performed significantly fewer reference memory errors. Both age and castration impaired performance on the OLMT, with only the young rats with intact gonads successfully performing the task. Subsequent experiments involved daily injections of either drug vehicle or one of four doses of testosterone propionate (0.125, 0.250, 0.500, and 1.00 mg/rat) given to castrated aged males. On the RAM, a low physiological dose (0.125 mg) and high doses (0.500-1.000 mg) of testosterone improved working memory, while an intermediate dose (0.250 mg) did not. On the OLMT, only the 0.250 mg T group showed a significant increase in exploration ratios from the exposure trials to the testing trials, indicating that this group remembered the position of the objects. Brain tissue (prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum) was collected from all subjects to assay BDNF. We found no evidence that testosterone influenced BDNF, indicating that it is unlikely that testosterone regulates spatial memory through changes in BDNF levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza C B Jaeger
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - L Erin Miller
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Emily C Goins
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Chloe E Super
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Christina U Chyr
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - John W Lower
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Lauren S Honican
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Daryl E Morrison
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Rajan A Ramdev
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
| | - Mark D Spritzer
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA; Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753, USA.
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20
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Miao Z, Wang Y, Sun Z. The Relationships Between Stress, Mental Disorders, and Epigenetic Regulation of BDNF. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21041375. [PMID: 32085670 PMCID: PMC7073021 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a critical member of the neurotrophic family, plays an important role in multiple stress-related mental disorders. Although alterations in BDNF in multiple brain regions of individuals experiencing stress have been demonstrated in previous studies, it appears that a set of elements are involved in the complex regulation. In this review, we summarize the specific brain regions with altered BDNF expression during stress exposure. How various environmental factors, including both physical and psychological stress, affect the expression of BDNF in specific brain regions are further summarized. Moreover, epigenetic regulation of BDNF, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNA, in response to diverse types of stress, as well as sex differences in the sensitivity of BDNF to the stress response, is also summarized. Clarification of the underlying role of BDNF in the stress process will promote our understanding of the pathology of stress-linked mental disorders and provide a potent target for the future treatment of stress-related illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuang Miao
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yan Wang
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhongsheng Sun
- Institute of Genomic Medicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, China;
- Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
- School of Life Sciences, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Correspondence:
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21
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Spritzer MD, Roy EA. Testosterone and Adult Neurogenesis. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10020225. [PMID: 32028656 PMCID: PMC7072323 DOI: 10.3390/biom10020225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now well established that neurogenesis occurs throughout adulthood in select brain regions, but the functional significance of adult neurogenesis remains unclear. There is considerable evidence that steroid hormones modulate various stages of adult neurogenesis, and this review provides a focused summary of the effects of testosterone on adult neurogenesis. Initial evidence came from field studies with birds and wild rodent populations. Subsequent experiments with laboratory rodents have tested the effects of testosterone and its steroid metabolites upon adult neurogenesis, as well as the functional consequences of induced changes in neurogenesis. These experiments have provided clear evidence that testosterone increases adult neurogenesis within the dentate gyrus region of the hippocampus through an androgen-dependent pathway. Most evidence indicates that androgens selectively enhance the survival of newly generated neurons, while having little effect on cell proliferation. Whether this is a result of androgens acting directly on receptors of new neurons remains unclear, and indirect routes involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids may be involved. In vitro experiments suggest that testosterone has broad-ranging neuroprotective effects, which will be briefly reviewed. A better understanding of the effects of testosterone upon adult neurogenesis could shed light on neurological diseases that show sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Spritzer
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: 802-443-5676
| | - Ethan A. Roy
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
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22
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Wang N, Ma J, Liu J, Wang J, Liu C, Wang H, Liu Y, Yan H, Jiang S. Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist Enhances Neurogenesis and Improves Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion-Induced Cognitive Impairments. Front Pharmacol 2020; 10:1583. [PMID: 32038255 PMCID: PMC6985542 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is a neurodegenerative disease, which induces cognitive impairments in the central nervous system (CNS). Histamine H3 receptor (H3R) is an autoreceptor involved in the modulation of neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the CNS. However, the role of H3R in CCH-induced injury and the related mechanisms remain to be clarified. Here, we found that thioperamide (THIO), a H3R antagonist, promotes the proliferation of NE-4C stem cells under either normal or oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) condition in vitro. Thioperamide promotes the phosphorylation of cAMP-response element binding (CREB), and thereby upregulates the expression and release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). However, H89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA)/CREB, reverses the effects of thioperamide on either BDNF expression and release or cell proliferation in NE-4C stem cells. Moreover, thioperamide has protective effects on OGD-induced impairment of cell viability and neuronal morphology in primary neurons in vitro. Furthermore, thioperamide enhanced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and subventricular zone (SVZ) regions in vivo, and ameliorated CCH-induced cognitive impairments. Taken together, these findings showed that thioperamide protects primary neurons against OGD-induced injury and promotes the proliferation of neural stem cells in DG and SVZ regions through CREB/BDNF pathways, thereby improving cognitive deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wang
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.,Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Jiangong Wang
- Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Cuilan Liu
- Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
| | - Yong Liu
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China.,Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Haijing Yan
- Institute for Metabolic and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, China
| | - Shujun Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, China
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23
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Sex differences in depressive-like behaviour may relate to imbalance of microglia activation in the hippocampus. Brain Behav Immun 2019; 81:188-197. [PMID: 31181346 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As is reported, the incidence and prevalence of depression are higher in women than in men, but the cause of this sex difference remains elusive. Although recent studies implicated that over-activated microglia played a crucial role in depression, whether hippocampal microglia associates with the sex difference of depressive-like behaviours is intriguing. In the present study, both male and female mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. Behavioural tests were performed to evaluate depressive-like phenotypes, while several microglia-related biomarkers and neurotrophic factor in hippocampi were detected to analyse sex difference. As a result, CUMS interfered with the body weight gain, sucrose preference and spontaneous activity in mice of both sexes. However, this effect tended to be more impressive in females. Generally, hippocampal microglia were activated regardless of sex, but the expressions of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors induced by CUMS were sex-specific. Chronic stress increased hippocampal iNOS and IL-1β mRNA levels only in male mice, while upregulated TNF-α mRNA just in females. Meanwhile, the expressions of hippocampal IL-10, Arg-1 and IL-1ra were all downregulated in CUMS females rather than males. In addition, though the ratios of the pro- vs. anti-inflammatory cytokines elevated after the stress paradigm in both sexes, we noticed more remarkable trends in female mice regarding TNF-α/IL-10 and iNOS/Arg-1. This discovery suggested that females were inclined to be more pro-inflammatory after stress. Afterwards, we observed that the expressions of BDNF and its receptor TrkB in hippocampus decreased greater in female compared to male mice when facing stress stimulations. Furthermore, the depressive-like behaviours were correlated to BDNF mRNA quantities in both sex mice, and there was also a sex-specific relationship between BDNF and hippocampal microglia-related inflammatory biomarkers. Collectively, our study speculated that the imbalance of microglial pro- and anti-inflammatory states as well as the BDNF-TrkB-dependent pathway in hippocampus is involved in the depressive-like behaviours. The "microglia-neuroinflammation-BDNF" interconnection may be a fundamental mechanism for sex differences in depression.
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The Impact of Estradiol on Neurogenesis and Cognitive Functions in Alzheimer's Disease. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2019; 40:283-299. [PMID: 31502112 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-019-00733-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is described as cognitive and memory impairments with a sex-related epidemiological profile, affecting two times more women than men. There is emerging evidence that alternations in the hippocampal neurogenesis occur at the early stage of AD. Therapies that may effectively slow, stop, or regenerate the dying neurons in AD are being extensively investigated in the last few decades, but none has yet been found to be effective. The regulation of endogenous neurogenesis is one of the main therapeutic targets for AD. Mounting evidence indicates that the neurosteroid estradiol (17β-estradiol) plays a supporting role in neurogenesis, neuronal activity, and synaptic plasticity of AD. This effect may provide preventive and/or therapeutic approaches for AD. In this article, we discuss the molecular mechanism of potential estradiol modulatory action on endogenous neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive function in AD.
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Stringfield SJ, Madayag AC, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Sex differences in nicotine-enhanced Pavlovian conditioned approach in rats. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:37. [PMID: 31315660 PMCID: PMC6637589 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nicotine exposure enhances Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA), or the learned approach to reward-predictive cues. While females show elevated approach to conditioned stimuli compared to males, potentially indicating heightened addiction vulnerability, it is unknown how sex may interact with nicotine to influence approach behavior. Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels can be altered significantly after repeated nicotine exposure, suggesting a potential mechanism contributing to nicotine-induced behavioral phenotypes. The present study investigated the role of sex on nicotine-induced changes to stimulus-response behavior and associated BDNF protein levels. Methods Male and female rats were exposed to nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, subcutaneously) or saline 15 min prior to each PCA session. PCA training consisted of 29 sessions of 15 trials, in which a 30-s cue presentation ended concurrently with a sucrose reward (20% w/v in water, 100 μL), and a 120-s variable intertrial interval occurred between trials. Approach behavior to the cue and reward receptacle was recorded. Preference toward the reward receptacle indicated a goal-tracking phenotype, and preference toward the cue indicated a sign-tracking phenotype, demonstrating that the cue had gained incentive salience. Twenty-four hours after the last PCA session, brain tissue was collected and BDNF levels were measured in the basolateral amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens using Western blot analysis. Results Nicotine exposure enhanced both sign- and goal-tracking conditioned approach, and females showed elevated sign-tracking compared to males. There were no sex-by-drug interactions on conditioned approach. Day-to-day variability in conditioned approach was similar between sexes. In contrast to prior studies, neither repeated exposure to nicotine nor sex significantly affected BDNF expression. Conclusions Drug-naïve females exhibited heightened sign-tracking compared to males, and nicotine enhanced conditioned approach similarly in males and females. Further, non-significant changes to BDNF expression in brain regions highly associated with PCA indicate that BDNF is unlikely to drive nicotine-enhanced conditioned behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aric C Madayag
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA. .,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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26
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Rossetti AC, Paladini MS, Trepci A, Mallien A, Riva MA, Gass P, Molteni R. Differential Neuroinflammatory Response in Male and Female Mice: A Role for BDNF. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:166. [PMID: 31379496 PMCID: PMC6658805 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence supports the close relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD), a severe psychiatric disease more common among women than men, and alterations of the immune/inflammatory system. However, despite the large number of studies aimed at understanding the molecular bases of this association, a lack of information exists on the potential cross-talk between systems known to be involved in depression and components of the inflammatory response, especially with respect to sex differences. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin with a well-established role in MDD etiopathology: it is altered in depressed patients as well as in animal models of the disease and its changes are restored by antidepressant drugs. Interestingly, this neurotrophin is also involved in the inflammatory response. Indeed, it can be secreted by microglia, the primary innate immune cells in the central nervous system whose functions may be in turn regulated by BDNF. With these premises, in this study, we investigated the reciprocal impact of BDNF and the immune system by evaluating the neuroinflammatory response in male and female BDNF-heterozygous mutant mice acutely treated with the cytokine-inducer lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Specifically, we assessed the potential onset of an LPS-induced sickness behavior as well as changes of inflammatory mediators in the mouse hippocampus and frontal cortex, with respect to both genotype and sex. We found that the increased inflammatory response induced by LPS in the brain of male mice was independent of the genotype, whereas in the female, it was restricted to the heterozygous mice with no changes in the wild-type group, suggestive of a role for BDNF in the sex-dependent effect of the inflammatory challenge. Considering the involvement of both BDNF and neuroinflammation in several psychiatric diseases and the diverse incidence of such pathologies in males and females, a deeper investigation of the mechanisms underlying their interaction may have a critical translational relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Carlo Rossetti
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Serena Paladini
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ada Trepci
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Anne Mallien
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Gass
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Raffaella Molteni
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Azogu I, Cossette I, Mukunzi J, Ibeke O, Plamondon H. Sex-specific differences in adult cognition and neuroplasticity following repeated combinatory stress and TrkB receptor antagonism in adolescence. Horm Behav 2019; 113:21-37. [PMID: 30995444 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Evidence supports brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its primary receptor tyrosine-related kinase B (TrkB) as targets in the treatment of mood disorders. This study characterized the impact of a 10-day combinatory stress paradigm (alternating days of restraint stress and forced swim) and administration of the selective TrkB antagonist ANA-12 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) during adolescence in male and female Wistar rats on adulthood behavioral and neurochemical responses. The social interaction/preference (SIT/SP), and Y maze conditioned place preference (YMCPP) and passive avoidance tests (YMPAT), initiated on PND 62, served to determine sex-related behavioral responses. Results support reduced sociability in females in the SIT/SP, but no impact of ANA-12 to regulate sociability or social memory. Blockade of TrkB during adolescence facilitated YMCPP-related reward behavior in both sexes, and reduced YMPAT fear conditioning in females. Following behavioral testing, rats were exposed to 5-min acute forced swim and brains collected 2 h post swim to determine effects of adolescent TrkB blockade and stress exposure on neurochemical regulators of stress and plasticity. Findings show elevated glucocorticoid receptor (GR-) and TrkB-immunoreactivity (ir) in the amygdalar central nucleus, and GR-ir in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of females compared to males. In the hippocampal CA1, BDNF-ir was lower in females versus males, and GR-ir was elevated in stress versus non-stress males. Together, we demonstrate that inherent sex-specific differences, which may modulate impact of adolescence stress exposure and TrkB inhibition, differentially affect male and female adulthood behavior and biochemical response profiles, suggesting that these responses are in part conditioned by prior experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idu Azogu
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Isabelle Cossette
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Joana Mukunzi
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ogechi Ibeke
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Helene Plamondon
- Behavioral Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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28
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Ma L, Xu Y, Wang G, Li R. What do we know about sex differences in depression: A review of animal models and potential mechanisms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 89:48-56. [PMID: 30165122 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Clinical studies have shown that women are more susceptible to depression than men. Sex differences in depression have been associated with social, cultural, as well as biological factors. In spite of extensive preclinical studies in animal models for depression that have been used for understanding the mechanisms of the disease as well as for new drug development, a substantive lack of attention on sex-specific phenotypes in depression might mask the effect of sex on the outcome. In this review article, we summarize findings on the influence of sex on behavior in the most commonly used animal models for depression. We also discuss the potential underlying mechanisms of such sex-dependent variation in the phenotype, particularly in the neuroendocrine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ma
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Yong Xu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Gang Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China.
| | - Rena Li
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100012, China; Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA.
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29
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Lian S, Xu B, Wang D, Wang L, Li W, Yao R, Ji H, Wang J, Guo J, Li S, Yang H. Possible mechanisms of prenatal cold stress induced-anxiety-like behavior depression in offspring rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 359:304-311. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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30
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Ma L, Xu Y, Jiang W, Li Y, Zhang X, Wang G, Li R. Sex Differences in Antidepressant Effect of Sertraline in Transgenic Mouse Models. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:24. [PMID: 30778289 PMCID: PMC6369353 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to explore sex differences in the antidepressant effect of sertraline in genetic knockout or overexpression estrogen-synthesizing enzyme aromatase (Ar) gene mouse models in the forced swim test (FST). Our results demonstrated a significant reduction of depression-like behavior in the mice with overexpression of brain aromatase (Thy1-Ar) compared to sex- and age-matched Ar+/− mice or wild type control mice. Using HPLC analysis, we also found an association between the brain estrogen-related antidepressive behavior and the regulation of serotonin (5-HT) system. Interestingly, a single dose administration of sertraline (10 mg/kg, i.p.) induced reduction of immobility time was found in all genotypes, except male Ar+/− mice. While the underlying mechanisms of sex-specific response on antidepressive effect of sertraline remain to be investigated, our data showed that female mice appear to be more sensitive to sertraline-induced changes of 5-HT system than male mice in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HPC). Further investigation of sex-specific effect of brain estrogen on antidepressant is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ma
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Xu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, United States.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinzhu Zhang
- Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rena Li
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders and Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.,Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, United States.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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31
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Mason B, Rollins LG, Asumadu E, Cange C, Walton N, Donaldson ST. Nesting Environment Provides Sex-Specific Neuroprotection in a Rat Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:221. [PMID: 30356904 PMCID: PMC6190890 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy is a devastating injury that occurs when the fetal brain is deprived of oxygen and blood to a degree that may lead to neurological damage, seizing and cerebral palsy. In rodents, early environmental enrichment that promotes maternal care-taking behavior (mCTB) can improve neurobehavioral outcomes and protect against neurological decline. We hypothesized that an enhanced nesting environment would improve mCTB as measured by pup weight gain, and support greater HI recovery in developing rats. Pregnant dams (E15-16) were introduced to either control Standard Facility (SF) housing or closed nestbox (CN) conditions and maintained in larger cages through pup weaning. On postnatal day (PND) 7, male and female Long-Evans rat pups (N = 73) were randomly sorted into one of two surgical conditions: control and HI. HI pups received isoflurane anesthesia and right carotid artery ligation, a 2-h rest followed by 90 min exposure to a moist hypoxic (92% N, 8% O2) chamber. Pups (PND 8) were weighed daily, and tested on the Morris Water Maze (MWM) task (PND 35-50). Results demonstrate significant differences afforded to male and female pups based on weight measure, where CN-rearing modifies pre-weaning adolescent weights in females and increases post-weaning weights in males and females by an average of 10 g. Following successful MWM training and acquisition (PND 35-37), both male and female CN-raised animals demonstrated faster latency to find the hidden platform (HP) during HP trials (PND 38-42) and appeared to freely explore the MWM pool during an additional probe trial (PND 43). Moreover, after sacrifice (PND 60), CN rearing created sex-specific alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) immunopositive cell staining of the dorsomedial striatum and CA1 of the hippocampus. CN-rearing afforded HI males higher BDNF levels in the striatum and produced greater GDNF levels in the hippocampus of HI-injured females. These results suggest that early life environmental enrichment positively modifies nesting environment, increases weight gain, as well as spatial learning and memory in a sex-specific directionality. Our findings also implicate correlative changes in corticolimbic neurotrophin protein levels in the CN-reared animals that may contribute to these benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Mason
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - L. G. Rollins
- Clinical Psychology Program, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Evans Asumadu
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Christina Cange
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Najah Walton
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
| | - S. Tiffany Donaldson
- Developmental and Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
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32
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Chan CB, Ye K. Sex differences in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling and functions. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:328-335. [PMID: 27870419 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin family that plays a critical role in numerous neuronal activities. Recent studies have indicated that some functions or action mechanisms of BDNF vary in a sex-dependent manner. In particular, BDNF content in some brain parts and the tendency to develop BDNF deficiency-related diseases such as depression are greater in female animals. With the support of relevant studies, it has been suggested that sex hormones or steroids can modulate the activities of BDNF, which may account for its functional discrepancy in different sexes. Indeed, the cross-talk between BDNF and sex steroids has been detected for decades, and some sex steroids, such as estrogen, have a positive regulatory effect on BDNF expression and signaling. Thus, the sex of animal models that are used in studying the functions of BDNF is critical. This Mini-Review summarizes our current findings on the differences in expression, signaling, and functions of BDNF between sexes. We also discuss the potential mechanisms for mediating these differential responses, with a specific emphasis on sex steroids. By presenting and discussing these findings, we seek to encourage researchers to take sex influences into consideration when designing experiments, interpreting results, and drawing conclusions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Bun Chan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Keqiang Ye
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
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33
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Gur TL, Shay L, Palkar AV, Fisher S, Varaljay VA, Dowd S, Bailey MT. Prenatal stress affects placental cytokines and neurotrophins, commensal microbes, and anxiety-like behavior in adult female offspring. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 64:50-58. [PMID: 28027927 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrate that exposure to stress changes the composition of the intestinal microbiota, which is associated with development of stress-induced changes to social behavior, anxiety, and depression. Stress during pregnancy has also been related to the emergence of these disorders; whether commensal microbes are part of a maternal intrauterine environment during prenatal stress is not known. Here, we demonstrate that microbiome changes are manifested in the mother, and also found in female offspring in adulthood, with a correlation between stressed mothers and female offspring. Alterations in the microbiome have been shown to alter immune responses, thus we examined cytokines in utero. IL-1β was increased in placenta and fetal brain from offspring exposed to the prenatal stressor. Because IL-1β has been shown to prevent induction of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), we examined BDNF and found a reduction in female placenta and adult amygdala, suggesting in utero impact on neurodevelopment extending into adulthood. Furthermore, gastrointestinal microbial communities were different in adult females born from stressed vs. non-stressed pregnancies. Adult female offspring also demonstrated increased anxiety-like behavior and alterations in cognition, suggesting a critical window where stress is able to influence the microbiome and the intrauterine environment in a deleterious manner with lasting behavioral consequences. The microbiome may be a key link between the intrauterine environment and adult behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar L Gur
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States.
| | - Lena Shay
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States
| | - Aditi Vadodkar Palkar
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States
| | - Sydney Fisher
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, United States
| | - Vanessa A Varaljay
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, United States; Biosciences Division, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States
| | - Scot Dowd
- Research and Testing Laboratory and Medical Biofilm Research Institute, Lubbock, TX 79407, United States
| | - Michael T Bailey
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States; Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, United States; Biosciences Division, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, United States
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34
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Sex differences in the effect of chronic mild stress on mouse prefrontal cortical BDNF levels: A role of major ovarian hormones. Neuroscience 2017; 356:89-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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35
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Sexual dimorphic expression of TrkB, TrkB-T1, and BDNF in the medial preoptic area of the Syrian hamster. Brain Res 2017; 1669:122-125. [PMID: 28606780 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophins regulate many aspects of neuronal function and activity. Specifically, the binding of Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to Tyrosine receptor kinase-B (TrkB) or its truncated version, TrkB-T1, can cause growth and differentiation or dominant inhibition of receptor signaling, respectively. There is evidence that these neurotropic effects on nervous tissue, in both the central and peripheral nervous system, behave differently between the sexes. This study used western blots to examine the expression of these neurotrophins in the medial preoptic area (MPOA), a sexually dimorphic region of the hamster brain that controls male sex behavior. We report that TrkB-FL and BDNF show greater expression in male MPOA tissue, when compared to female. On the contrary, TrkB-T1 is expressed in greater abundance in the female MPOA. Our results indicate a clear sexual dimorphism of neurotrophins in the MPOA of the Syrian hamster. Furthermore, the greater expression of TrkB-FL and BDNF in the male MPOA suggests that these neurotrophins could be promoting synaptic growth to facilitate male-typical copulation. In contrast, the greater TrkB-T1 expression in the female MPOA suggests a possible inhibition of synaptic growth, and may contribute to the lack of male-typical copulation. Altogether, our data suggests that neurotrophins may play a larger role sexual differentiation than previously thought.
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36
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Abstract
The brain has long been known as a dimorphic organ and as a target of sex steroids. It is also a site for their synthesis. Sex steroids in numerous ways can modify cerebral physiology, and along with many processes adult neurogenesis is also modulated by sex steroids. This review will focus on the effects of the main steroids, estrogens, androgens and progestogens, and unveil some aspects of their partly disclosed mechanisms of actions. Gonadal steroids act on different steps of neurogenesis: cell proliferation seems to be increased by estrogens only, while androgens and progestogens favor neuronal renewal by increasing cell survival; differentiation is a common target. Aging is characterized by a cognitive deficiency, paralleled by a decrease in the rate of neuronal renewal and in the levels of circulating gonadal hormones. Therefore, the effects of gonadal hormones on the aging brain are important to consider. The review will also be expanded to related molecules which are agonists to the nuclear receptors. Sex steroids can modify adult neuronal renewal and the extensive knowledge of their actions on neurogenesis is essential, as it can be a leading pathway to therapeutic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Heberden
- Micalis Institute, INRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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37
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Nutsch VL, Bell MR, Will RG, Yin W, Wolfe A, Gillette R, Dominguez JM, Gore AC. Aging and estradiol effects on gene expression in the medial preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and posterodorsal medial amygdala of male rats. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2017; 442:153-164. [PMID: 28007657 PMCID: PMC5276730 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 12/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Studies on the role of hormones in male reproductive aging have traditionally focused on testosterone, but estradiol (E2) also plays important roles in the control of masculine physiology and behavior. Our goal was to examine the effects of E2 on the expression of genes selected for E2-sensitivity, involvement in behavioral neuroendocrine functions, and impairments with aging. Mature adult (MAT, 5 mo) and aged (AG, 18 mo) Sprague-Dawley male rats were castrated, implanted with either vehicle or E2 subcutaneous capsules, and euthanized one month later. Bilateral punches were taken from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnST), posterodorsal medial amygdala (MePD) and the preoptic area (POA). RNA was extracted, and expression of 48 genes analyzed by qPCR using Taqman low-density arrays. Results showed that effects of age and E2 were age- and region-specific. In the POA, 5 genes were increased with E2 compared to vehicle, and there were no age effects. By contrast the BnST showed primarily age-related changes, with 6 genes decreasing with age. The MePD had 5 genes that were higher in aged than mature males, and 17 genes with significant interactions between age and E2. Gene families identified in the MePD included nuclear hormone receptors, neurotransmitters and neuropeptides and their receptors. Ten serum hormones were assayed in these same males, with results revealing both age- and E2-effects, in several cases quite profound. These results support the idea that the male brain continues to be highly sensitive to estradiol even with aging, but the nature of the response can be substantially different in mature and aging animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria L Nutsch
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Margaret R Bell
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ryan G Will
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Weiling Yin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Andrew Wolfe
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21298, USA
| | - Ross Gillette
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Juan M Dominguez
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in pregnant women with post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid depression. Arch Womens Ment Health 2016; 19:979-986. [PMID: 27193345 PMCID: PMC5106302 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-016-0638-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
There is accumulating evidence for the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of depression. However, the role of BDNF in the pathophysiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains controversial, and no study has assessed BDNF concentrations among pregnant women with PTSD. We examined early-pregnancy BDNF concentrations among women with PTSD with and without depression. A total of 2928 women attending prenatal care clinics in Lima, Peru, were recruited. Antepartum PTSD and depression were evaluated using PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales, respectively. BDNF concentrations were measured in a subset of the cohort (N = 944) using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Logistic regression procedures were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI). Antepartum PTSD (37.4 %) and depression (27.6 %) were prevalent in this cohort of low-income pregnant Peruvian women. Approximately 19.9 % of participants had comorbid PTSD-depression. Median serum BDNF concentrations were lower among women with comorbid PTSD-depression as compared with women without either condition (median [interquartile range], 20.44 [16.97-24.30] vs. 21.35 [17.33-26.01] ng/ml; P = 0.06). Compared to the referent group (those without PTSD and depression), women with comorbid PTSD-depression were 1.52-fold more likely to have low (<25.38 ng/ml) BDNF concentrations (OR = 1.52; 95 % CI 1.00-2.31). We observed no evidence of reduced BDNF concentrations among women with isolated PTSD. BDNF concentrations in early pregnancy were only minimally and non-significantly reduced among women with antepartum PTSD. Reductions in BDNF concentrations were more pronounced among women with comorbid PTSD-depression.
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Association of testosterone and BDNF serum levels with craving during alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol 2016; 54:67-72. [PMID: 27514572 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical and clinical studies show associations between testosterone and brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF) serum levels. BDNF and testosterone have been independently reported to influence alcohol consumption. Therefore, we aimed to investigate a possible interplay of testosterone and BDNF contributing to alcohol dependence. Regarding possible interplay of testosterone and BDNF and the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA), we included cortisol serum levels in our research. We investigated testosterone and BDNF serum levels in a sample of 99 male alcohol-dependent patients during alcohol withdrawal (day 1, 7, and 14) and compared them to a healthy male control group (n = 17). The testosterone serum levels were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the patients' group than in the control group and decreased significantly during alcohol withdrawal (p < 0.001). The decrease of testosterone serum levels during alcohol withdrawal (days 1-7) was significantly associated with the BDNF serum levels (day 1: p = 0.008). In a subgroup of patients showing high cortisol serum levels (putatively mirroring high HPA activity), we found a significant association of BDNF and testosterone as well as with alcohol craving measured by the Obsessive and Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS). Our data suggest a possible association of BDNF and testosterone serum levels, which may be relevant for the symptomatology of alcohol dependence. Further studies are needed to clarify our results.
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Neurosteroid allopregnanolone attenuates cognitive dysfunctions in 6-OHDA-induced rat model of Parkinson’s disease. Behav Brain Res 2016; 305:258-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Schmidt M, Brandwein C, Luoni A, Sandrini P, Calzoni T, Deuschle M, Cirulli F, Riva M, Gass P. Morc1 knockout evokes a depression-like phenotype in mice. Behav Brain Res 2016; 296:7-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Shu C, Xiao L, Tang J, Wang G, Zhang X, Wang X. Blunted behavioral and molecular responses to chronic mild stress in adult rats with experience of infancy maternal separation. TOHOKU J EXP MED 2015; 235:81-7. [PMID: 25742865 DOI: 10.1620/tjem.235.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Childhood adversity has profound and persistent effects on brain functions and has been implicated in the etiology of depression. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) play critical roles during brain development to maintain neuronal function and structural integrity in adulthood. We therefore investigated the long-term effects of early life adversity on the depression-related behavior and the expression of BDNF and CREB in the hippocampus. Male Sprague-Dawley newborn rats were subjected to maternal separation for 3 h/day on postnatal days 2-14. After the postnatal day 90, rats with or without the experience of infancy maternal separation received a series of unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS) for 21 days. Sucrose preference and spontaneous activity in the open field test were recorded, and the expression of BDNF and CREB in the hippocampus was measured by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Before exposure to CMS, the rats with maternal separation showed the significant decreases in sucrose preference, spontaneous activity, and hippocampal expression of BDNF and CREB, compared to the animals without maternal separation. In contrast, the rats without maternal separation showed greater decreases of the above indictors after CMS, the levels of which were lower than those observed in the rats with maternal separation. Thus, early life adversity leads to long-term decreases in the capacity of enjoying sweetness, spontaneous activity, and hippocampal expression of BDNF and CREB. Moreover, childhood neglect may decrease the neurobehavioral plasticity, thereby blunting the responses to adulthood stress and increasing the susceptibility to depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Shu
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Hubei, P.R. China
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Matsuda S, Matsuzawa D, Ishii D, Tomizawa H, Sutoh C, Shimizu E. Sex differences in fear extinction and involvements of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 123:117-24. [PMID: 26079214 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2014] [Revised: 05/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and panic disorders, are disproportionately prevalent in females. However, the biological mechanism underlying these sex differences in the prevalence rate remains unclear. In the present study, we examined sex differences in fear memory, fear extinction, and spontaneous recovery of fear. We investigated the presence of sex differences in recent and remote fear memory in mice using contextual fear conditioning, as well as sex differences in spontaneous recovery of fear memory using a consecutive fear extinction paradigm. We examined the number of fear extinction days required to prevent spontaneous recovery of fear in either sex. We investigated whether ovariectomy affected fear extinction and spontaneous recovery. We also measured the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2 in the dorsal hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex following fear extinction sessions. In our results, we found no sex difference in recent or remote fear memory. However, females required more fear extinction sessions compared to males to prevent spontaneous recovery. Within-extinction freezing also differed between males and females. Moreover, females required more extinction sessions than males to increase ERK2 phosphorylation in the dorsal hippocampus. Our data suggest that contextual fear extinction was unstable in females compared to males and that such sex differences may be related to the ERK2 phosphorylation in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Matsuda
- Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
| | - Daisuke Matsuzawa
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ishii
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Haruna Tomizawa
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Chihiro Sutoh
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
| | - Eiji Shimizu
- Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan; Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chiba 260-8670, Japan
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Fung J, Gelaye B, Zhong QY, Rondon MB, Sanchez SE, Barrios YV, Hevner K, Qiu C, Williams MA. Association of decreased serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations in early pregnancy with antepartum depression. BMC Psychiatry 2015; 15:43. [PMID: 25886523 PMCID: PMC4364091 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-015-0428-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antepartum depression is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the prenatal period. There is accumulating evidence for the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of depression. The present study examines the extent to which maternal early pregnancy serum BDNF levels are associated with antepartum depression. METHOD A total of 968 women were recruited and interviewed in early pregnancy. Antepartum depression prevalence and symptom severity were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. Maternal serum BDNF levels were measured using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Logistic regression procedures were performed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Maternal early pregnancy serum BDNF levels were significantly lower in women with antepartum depression compared to women without depression (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 20.78 ± 5.97 vs. 21.85 ± 6.42 ng/ml, p = 0.024). Lower BDNF levels were associated with increased odds of maternal antepartum depression. After adjusting for confounding, women whose serum BDNF levels were in the lowest three quartiles (<17.32 ng/ml) had 1.61-fold increased odds (OR = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.13, 2.30) of antepartum depression as compared with women whose BDNF levels were in the highest quartile (>25.31 ng/ml). There was no evidence of an association of BDNF levels with depression symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS Lower maternal serum BDNF levels in early pregnancy are associated with antepartum depression. These findings may point toward new therapeutic opportunities and BDNF should be assessed as a potential biomarker for risk prediction and monitoring response to treatment for antepartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Fung
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Bizu Gelaye
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Qiu-Yue Zhong
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Marta B Rondon
- Department of Medicine, Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University, Lima, Peru.
| | - Sixto E Sanchez
- Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Peru. .,Asociación Civil PROESA, Lima, Peru.
| | - Yasmin V Barrios
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Karin Hevner
- Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Chunfang Qiu
- Center for Perinatal Studies, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Michelle A Williams
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Gobinath AR, Mahmoud R, Galea LAM. Influence of sex and stress exposure across the lifespan on endophenotypes of depression: focus on behavior, glucocorticoids, and hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2015; 8:420. [PMID: 25610363 PMCID: PMC4285110 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences exist in vulnerability, symptoms, and treatment of many neuropsychiatric disorders. In this review, we discuss both preclinical and clinical research that investigates how sex influences depression endophenotypes at the behavioral, neuroendocrine, and neural levels across the lifespan. Chronic exposure to stress is a risk factor for depression and we discuss how stress during the prenatal, postnatal, and adolescent periods differentially affects males and females depending on the method of stress and metric examined. Given that the integrity of the hippocampus is compromised in depression, we specifically focus on sex differences in how hippocampal plasticity is affected by stress and depression across the lifespan. In addition, we examine how female physiology predisposes depression in adulthood, specifically in postpartum and perimenopausal periods. Finally, we discuss the underrepresentation of women in both preclinical and clinical research and how this limits our understanding of sex differences in vulnerability, presentation, and treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarthi R Gobinath
- Program in Neuroscience, Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Rand Mahmoud
- Program in Neuroscience, Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Program in Neuroscience, Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada ; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Song QX, Chermansky CJ, Birder LA, Li L, Damaser MS. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in urinary continence and incontinence. Nat Rev Urol 2014; 11:579-88. [PMID: 25224451 DOI: 10.1038/nrurol.2014.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Urinary incontinence adversely affects quality of life and results in an increased financial burden for the elderly. Accumulating evidence suggests a connection between neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and lower urinary tract function, particularly with regard to normal physiological function and the pathophysiological mechanisms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). The interaction between BDNF and glutamate receptors affects both bladder and external urethral sphincter function during micturition. Clinical findings indicate reduced BDNF levels in antepartum and postpartum women, potentially correlating with postpartum SUI. Experiments with animal models demonstrate that BDNF is decreased after simulated childbirth injury, thereby impeding the recovery of injured nerves and the restoration of continence. Treatment with exogenous BDNF facilitates neural recovery and the restoration of continence. Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, used to treat both depression and SUI, result in enhanced BDNF levels. Understanding the neurophysiological roles of BDNF in maintaining normal urinary function and in the pathogenesis of SUI and BPS/IC could lead to future therapies based on these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Xiang Song
- Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Christopher J Chermansky
- Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Lori A Birder
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Longkun Li
- Department of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of TMMU, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Margot S Damaser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue ND20, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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Involvement of pregnane xenobiotic receptor in mating-induced allopregnanolone formation in the midbrain and hippocampus and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus among female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:3375-90. [PMID: 24781516 PMCID: PMC4135012 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3569-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Given that the pregnane neurosteroid, 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one (3α,5α-THP), is increased following behavioral challenges (e.g., mating), and that there is behavioral-induced biosynthesis of 3α,5α-THP in midbrain and mesocorticolimbic structures, 3α,5α-THP likely has a role in homeostasis and motivated reproduction and reproduction-related behaviors (e.g., affect, affiliation). The role of pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR), involved in cholesterol metabolism, for these effects is of continued interest. OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that there would be differences in brain levels of 3α,5α-THP following varied behavioral experiences, an effect abrogated by knockdown of PXR in the midbrain. METHODS Proestrous rats were infused with PXR antisense oligonucleotides (AS-ODNs) or vehicle to the ventral tegmental area before different behavioral manipulations and assessments. Endpoints were expression levels of PXR in the midbrain, 3α,5α-THP, and ovarian steroids (estradiol, progesterone, dihydroprogesterone) in the midbrain, striatum, hippocampus, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex, and plasma. RESULTS Across experiments, knocking down PXR reduced PXR expression and 3α,5α-THP levels in the midbrain and hippocampus. There were differences in terms of the behavioral manipulations, such that paced mating had the most robust effects to increase 3α,5α-THP levels and reduce open field exploration and social interaction. An additional question that was addressed is whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a downstream factor for regulating effects of behavioral-induced 3α,5α-THP biosynthesis. Rats infused with PXR AS-ODNs had lower levels of BDNF in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION Thus, PXR may be a regulator of mating-induced 3α,5α-THP formation and behavioral changes and neural plasticity, such as BDNF.
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Physical exercise neuroprotects ovariectomized 3xTg-AD mice through BDNF mechanisms. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 45:154-66. [PMID: 24845186 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Postmenopausal women may be more vulnerable to cognitive loss and Alzheimer's disease (AD) than premenopausal women because of their deficiency in estrogens, in addition to their usually older age. Aerobic physical exercise has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for maintaining health and well-being in postmenopausal women, and for improving brain health and plasticity in populations at high risk for AD. To study the neuroprotective mechanisms of physical exercise in a postmenopausal animal model, we submitted previously ovariectomized, six-month old non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice to three months of voluntary exercise in a running wheel. At nine months of age, we observed lower grip strength and some exacerbation of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)-like involving active exploratory activities. A similar major cognitive impairment was observed of ovariectomized 3xTg-AD mice in comparison with sham-operated 3xTg-AD mice. A reduction of bodily fitness and lack of retention of memory were observed in the ovariectomized non-transgenic mice. Physical exercise protected against all deleterious behaviors and normalized learning and memory. It also protected against body frailty, as expected. Analyses of hippocampal key markers of antioxidant and neuroplasticity signaling pathways, showed that ovariectomy impairs the activation of CREB through physical exercise. Furthermore, molecular and behavioral correlates suggested a central role of BDNF in the neuroprotection mediated by physical exercise therapy against apathy and memory loss induced by ovariectomy and the AD-genotype.
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Enhancement of BDNF concentration and restoration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis accompany reduced depressive-like behaviour in stressed ovariectomised rats treated with either Tualang honey or estrogen. ScientificWorldJournal 2014; 2014:310821. [PMID: 24550703 PMCID: PMC3914545 DOI: 10.1155/2014/310821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A possible interaction between glucocorticoids and estrogen-induced increases in brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in enhancing depressive-like behaviour has been documented. Here we evaluated the effects of Tualang honey, a phytoestrogen,
and 17β-estradiol (E2) on the depressive-like behaviour, stress hormones, and BDNF concentration in stressed ovariectomised (OVX) rats.
The animals were divided into six groups: (i) nonstressed sham-operated control, (ii) stressed sham-operated control, (iii) nonstressed OVX, (iv) stressed OVX, (v) stressed OVX treated with E2 (20 μg daily, sc), and (vi) stressed OVX treated with Tualang honey (0.2 g/kg body weight daily, orally). Two months after surgery, the animals were subjected to social instability stress procedure followed by forced swimming test. Struggling time, immobility time, and swimming time were scored. Serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone levels, and the BDNF concentration were determined using commercially available ELISA kits. Stressed OVX rats displayed increased depressive-like behaviour with significantly increased serum ACTH and corticosterone levels, while the BDNF concentration was significantly decreased compared to other experimental groups. These changes were notably reversed by both E2 and Tualang honey. In conclusion, both Tualang honey and E2 mediate antidepressive-like effects in stressed OVX rats, possibly acting via restoration of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and enhancement of the BDNF concentration.
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Daulatzai MA. Role of stress, depression, and aging in cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 18:265-96. [PMID: 25167923 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of progressive cognitive dysfunction and dementia. Despite considerable progress in elucidating the molecular pathology of this disease, we are not yet close to unraveling its etiopathogenesis. A battery of neurotoxic modifiers may underpin neurocognitive pathology via deleterious heterogeneous pathologic impact in brain regions, including the hippocampus. Three important neurotoxic factors being addressed here include aging, stress, and depression. Unraveling "upstream pathologies" due to these disparate neurotoxic entities, vis-à-vis cognitive impairment involving hippocampal dysfunction, is of paramount importance. Persistent systemic inflammation triggers and sustains neuroinflammation. The latter targets several brain regions including the hippocampus causing upregulation of amyloid beta and neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic and neuronal degeneration, gray matter volume atrophy, and progressive cognitive decline. However, what is the fundamental source of this peripheral inflammation in aging, stress, and depression? This chapter highlights and delineates the inflammatory involvement-i.e., from its inception from gut to systemic inflammation to neuroinflammation. It highlights an upregulated cascade in which gut-microbiota-related dysbiosis generates lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which enhances inflammation and gut's leakiness, and through a Web of interactions, it induces stress and depression. This may increase neuronal dysfunction and apoptosis, promote learning and memory impairment, and enhance vulnerability to cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mak Adam Daulatzai
- Sleep Disorders Group, EEE Department, Melbourne School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Building 193, 3rd Floor, Room no. 3/344, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia,
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