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Lee J, Wang ZM, Messi ML, Milligan C, Furdui CM, Delbono O. Sex differences in single neuron function and proteomics profiles examined by patch-clamp and mass spectrometry in the locus coeruleus of the adult mouse. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2024; 240:e14123. [PMID: 38459766 PMCID: PMC11021178 DOI: 10.1111/apha.14123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
AIMS This study aimed to characterize the properties of locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons in male and female mice. We also sought to investigate sex-specific differences in membrane properties, action potential generation, and protein expression profiles to understand the mechanisms underlying neuronal excitability variations. METHODS Utilizing a genetic mouse model by crossing Dbhcre knock-in mice with tdTomato Ai14 transgenic mice, LC neurons were identified using fluorescence microscopy. Neuronal functional properties were assessed using patch-clamp recordings. Proteomic analyses of individual LC neuron soma was conducted using mass spectrometry to discern protein expression profiles. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD045844. RESULTS Female LC noradrenergic neurons displayed greater membrane capacitance than those in male mice. Male LC neurons demonstrated greater spontaneous and evoked action potential generation compared to females. Male LC neurons exhibited a lower rheobase and achieved higher peak frequencies with similar current injections. Proteomic analysis revealed differences in protein expression profiles between sexes, with male mice displaying a notably larger unique protein set compared to females. Notably, pathways pertinent to protein synthesis, degradation, and recycling, such as EIF2 and glucocorticoid receptor signaling, showed reduced expression in females. CONCLUSIONS Male LC noradrenergic neurons exhibit higher intrinsic excitability compared to those from females. The discernible sex-based differences in excitability could be ascribed to varying protein expression profiles, especially within pathways that regulate protein synthesis and degradation. This study lays the groundwork for future studies focusing on the interplay between proteomics and neuronal function examined in individual cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Zhong-Min Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - María Laura Messi
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Carol Milligan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Cristina M. Furdui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
| | - Osvaldo Delbono
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157
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2
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Mariscal P, Bravo L, Llorca-Torralba M, Razquin J, Miguelez C, Suárez-Pereira I, Berrocoso E. Sexual differences in locus coeruleus neurons and related behavior in C57BL/6J mice. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:64. [PMID: 37770907 PMCID: PMC10540344 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00550-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In addition to social and cultural factors, sex differences in the central nervous system have a critical influence on behavior, although the neurobiology underlying these differences remains unclear. Interestingly, the Locus Coeruleus (LC), a noradrenergic nucleus that exhibits sexual dimorphism, integrates signals that are related to diverse activities, including emotions, cognition and pain. Therefore, we set-out to evaluate sex differences in behaviors related to LC nucleus, and subsequently, to assess the sex differences in LC morphology and function. METHODS Female and male C57BL/6J mice were studied to explore the role of the LC in anxiety, depressive-like behavior, well-being, pain, and learning and memory. We also explored the number of noradrenergic LC cells, their somatodendritic volume, as well as the electrophysiological properties of LC neurons in each sex. RESULTS While both male and female mice displayed similar depressive-like behavior, female mice exhibited more anxiety-related behaviors. Interestingly, females outperformed males in memory tasks that involved distinguishing objects with small differences and they also showed greater thermal pain sensitivity. Immunohistological analysis revealed that females had fewer noradrenergic cells yet they showed a larger dendritic volume than males. Patch clamp electrophysiology studies demonstrated that LC neurons in female mice had a lower capacitance and that they were more excitable than male LC neurons, albeit with similar action potential properties. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study provides new insights into the sex differences related to LC nucleus and associated behaviors, which may explain the heightened emotional arousal response observed in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Mariscal
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Lidia Bravo
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003, Cádiz, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, 11009, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Meritxell Llorca-Torralba
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Cell Biology & Histology, University of Cádiz, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Jone Razquin
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48940, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Cristina Miguelez
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940, Leioa, Spain
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Group, Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, 48940, Barakaldo, Spain
| | - Irene Suárez-Pereira
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Neuropsychopharmacology & Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003, Cádiz, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz (INiBICA), Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, 11009, Cádiz, Spain.
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3
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Rodberg EM, den Hartog CR, Dauster ES, Vazey EM. Sex-dependent noradrenergic modulation of premotor cortex during decision-making. eLife 2023; 12:e85590. [PMID: 37606362 PMCID: PMC10471161 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent premotor cortex (M2) integrates information from sensory and cognitive networks for action planning during goal-directed decision-making. M2 function is regulated by cortical inputs and ascending neuromodulators, including norepinephrine (NE) released from the locus coeruleus (LC). LC-NE has been shown to modulate the signal-to-noise ratio of neural representations in target cortical regions, increasing the salience of relevant stimuli. Using rats performing a two-alternative forced choice task after administration of a β-noradrenergic antagonist (propranolol), we show that β-noradrenergic signaling is necessary for effective action plan signals in anterior M2. Loss of β-noradrenergic signaling results in failure to suppress irrelevant action plans in anterior M2 disrupting decoding of cue-related information, delaying decision times, and increasing trial omissions, particularly in females. Furthermore, we identify a potential mechanism for the sex bias in behavioral and neural changes after propranolol administration via differential expression of β2 noradrenergic receptor RNA across sexes in anterior M2, particularly on local inhibitory neurons. Overall, we show a critical role for β-noradrenergic signaling in anterior M2 during decision-making by suppressing irrelevant information to enable efficient action planning and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen M Rodberg
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Carolina R den Hartog
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Emma S Dauster
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherstUnited States
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4
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Chen CS, Mueller D, Knep E, Ebitz RB, Grissom NM. Dopamine and norepinephrine differentially mediate the exploration-exploitation tradeoff. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523322. [PMID: 36711959 PMCID: PMC9881999 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The catecholamines dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) have been repeatedly implicated in neuropsychiatric vulnerability, in part via their roles in mediating the decision making processes. Although the two neuromodulators share a synthesis pathway and are co-activated under states of arousal, they engage in distinct circuits and roles in modulating neural activity across the brain. However, in the computational neuroscience literature, they have been assigned similar roles in modulating the latent cognitive processes of decision making, in particular the exploration-exploitation tradeoff. Revealing how each neuromodulator contributes to this explore-exploit process will be important in guiding mechanistic hypotheses emerging from computational psychiatric approaches. To understand the differences and overlaps of the roles of these two catecholamine systems in regulating exploration and exploitation, a direct comparison using the same dynamic decision making task is needed. Here, we ran mice in a restless two-armed bandit task, which encourages both exploration and exploitation. We systemically administered a nonselective DA receptor antagonist (flupenthixol), a nonselective DA receptor agonist (apomorphine), a NE beta-receptor antagonist (propranolol), and a NE beta-receptor agonist (isoproterenol), and examined changes in exploration within subjects across sessions. We found a bidirectional modulatory effect of dopamine receptor activity on the level of exploration. Increasing dopamine activity decreased exploration and decreasing dopamine activity increased exploration. Beta-noradrenergic receptor activity also modulated exploration, but the modulatory effect was mediated by sex. Reinforcement learning model parameters suggested that dopamine modulation affected exploration via decision noise and norepinephrine modulation affected exploration via outcome sensitivity. Together, these findings suggested that the mechanisms that govern the transition between exploration and exploitation are sensitive to changes in both catecholamine functions and revealed differential roles for NE and DA in mediating exploration.
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5
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Ma HT, Zhang HC, Zuo ZF, Liu YX. Heterogeneous organization of Locus coeruleus: An intrinsic mechanism for functional complexity. Physiol Behav 2023; 268:114231. [PMID: 37172640 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114231] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Locus coeruleus (LC) is a small nucleus located deep in the brainstem that contains the majority of central noradrenergic neurons, which provide the primary source of noradrenaline (NA) throughout the entire central nervous system (CNS).The release of neurotransmitter NA is considered to modulate arousal, sensory processing, attention, aversive and adaptive stress responses as well as high-order cognitive function and memory, with the highly ramified axonal arborizations of LC-NA neurons sending wide projections to the targeted brain areas. For over 30 years, LC was thought to be a homogeneous nucleus in structure and function due to the widespread uniform release of NA by LC-NA neurons and simultaneous action in several CNS regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and spinal cord. However, recent advances in neuroscience tools have revealed that LC is probably not so homogeneous as we previous thought and exhibits heterogeneity in various aspects. Accumulating studies have shown that the functional complexity of LC may be attributed to its heterogeneity in developmental origin, projection patterns, topography distribution, morphology and molecular organization, electrophysiological properties and sex differences. This review will highlight the heterogeneity of LC and its critical role in modulating diverse behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Tao Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, 121000, China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Hao-Chen Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Zhong-Fu Zuo
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China
| | - Ying-Xue Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China.
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6
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Cuevas JS, Watanabe M, Uematsu A, Johansen JP. Whole-brain afferent input mapping to functionally distinct brainstem noradrenaline cell types. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00074-3. [PMID: 37062443 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small region in the pons and the main source of noradrenaline (NA) to the forebrain. While traditional models suggested that all LC-NA neurons project indiscriminately throughout the brain, accumulating evidence indicates that these cells can be heterogeneous based on their anatomical connectivity and behavioral functionality and exhibit distinct coding modes. How LC-NA neuronal subpopulations are endowed with unique functional properties is unclear. Here, we used a viral-genetic approach for mapping anatomical connectivity at different levels of organization based on inputs and outputs of defined cell classes. Specifically, we studied the whole-brain afferent inputs onto two functionally distinct LC-NA neuronal subpopulations which project to amygdala or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We found that the global input distribution is similar for both LC-NA neuronal subpopulations. However, finer analysis demonstrated important differences in inputs from specific brain regions. Moreover, sex related differences were apparent, but only in inputs to amygdala-projecting LC-NA neurons. These findings reveal a cell type and sex specific afferent input organization which could allow for context dependent and target specific control of NA outflow to forebrain structures involved in emotional control and decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sulkes Cuevas
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Mayumi Watanabe
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan
| | - Akira Uematsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; International Research Center for Neurointelligence, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joshua P Johansen
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama, Japan 351-0198; Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 0Japan.
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7
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Galgani A, Lombardo F, Martini N, Vergallo A, Bastiani L, Hampel H, Hlavata H, Baldacci F, Tognoni G, De Marchi D, Ghicopulos I, De Cori S, Biagioni F, Busceti CL, Ceravolo R, Bonuccelli U, Chiappino D, Siciliano G, Fornai F, Pavese N, Giorgi FS. Magnetic resonance imaging Locus Coeruleus abnormality in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment is associated with future progression to dementia. Eur J Neurol 2023; 30:32-46. [PMID: 36086917 PMCID: PMC10092028 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Human neuropathological studies indicate that the pontine nucleus Locus Coeruleus (LC) undergoes significant and early degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. This line of evidence alongside experimental data suggests that the LC functional/structural decay may represent a critical factor for Alzheimer's disease pathophysiological and clinical progression. In the present prospective study, we used Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with LC-sensitive sequence (LC-MRI) to investigate in vivo the LC involvement in Alzheimer's disease progression, and whether specific LC-MRI features at baseline are associated with prognosis and cognitive performance in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. METHODS LC-MRI parameters were measured at baseline by a template-based method on 3.0-T magnetic resonance images in 34 patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia, 73 patients with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, and 53 cognitively intact individuals. A thorough neurological and neuropsychological assessment was performed at baseline and 2.5-year follow-up. RESULTS In subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment who converted to dementia (n = 32), the LC intensity and number of LC-related voxels were significantly lower than in cognitively intact individuals, resembling those observed in demented patients. Such a reduction was not detected in Mild Cognitive Impairment individuals, who remained stable at follow-up. In Mild Cognitive Impairment subjects converting to dementia, LC-MRI parameter reduction was maximal in the rostral part of the left nucleus. Structural equation modeling analysis showed that LC-MRI parameters positively correlate with cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight a potential role of LC-MRI for predicting clinical progression in Mild Cognitive Impairment and support the key role of LC degeneration in the Alzheimer clinical continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Galgani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Lombardo
- Cardiovascular and Neuroradiological Multimodal Imaging Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Martini
- Deep Health Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- GRC No. 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine, Public Hospital Network of Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Luca Bastiani
- Institute of Clinical Physiology of National Research Council, Pisa, Italy
| | - Harald Hampel
- GRC No. 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine, Public Hospital Network of Paris, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Hana Hlavata
- Cardiovascular and Neuroradiological Multimodal Imaging Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gloria Tognoni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele De Marchi
- Cardiovascular and Neuroradiological Multimodal Imaging Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Irene Ghicopulos
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sara De Cori
- Cardiovascular and Neuroradiological Multimodal Imaging Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Biagioni
- Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ubaldo Bonuccelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Dante Chiappino
- Cardiovascular and Neuroradiological Multimodal Imaging Unit, G. Monasterio Foundation-National Research Council/Tuscany Region, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesco Fornai
- Scientific Institute for Research and Health Care Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicola Pavese
- Clinical Ageing Research Unit, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Clinical Medicine, Positron Emission Tomography Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Filippo Sean Giorgi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Translational Research and of New Surgical and Medical Technologies, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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8
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Shen Z, Li W, Chang W, Yue N, Yu J. Sex differences in chronic pain-induced mental disorders: Mechanisms of cerebral circuitry. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1102808. [PMID: 36891517 PMCID: PMC9986270 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1102808] [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: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression induced by chronic pain are common in clinical practice, and there are significant sex differences in their epidemiology. However, the circuit mechanism of this difference has not been fully studied, as preclinical studies have traditionally excluded female rodents. Recently, this oversight has begun to be resolved and studies including male and female rodents are revealing sex differences in the neurobiological processes behind mental disorder features. This paper reviews the structural functions involved in the injury perception circuit and advanced emotional cortex circuit. In addition, we also summarize the latest breakthroughs and insights into sex differences in neuromodulation through endogenous dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, GABAergic inhibition, norepinephrine, and peptide pathways like oxytocin, as well as their receptors. By comparing sex differences, we hope to identify new therapeutic targets to offer safer and more effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuqi Shen
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqi Chang
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Na Yue
- Weifang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Jin Yu
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Mechanism and Acupoint Function, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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9
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Stapelberg NJC, Braidy N. The sex-dependent response to psychosocial stress and ischaemic heart disease. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1072042. [PMID: 37153459 PMCID: PMC10160413 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1072042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is an important risk factor for modern chronic diseases, with distinct influences in males and females. The sex specificity of the mammalian stress response contributes to the sex-dependent development and impacts of coronary artery disease (CAD). Compared to men, women appear to have greater susceptibility to chronic forms of psychosocial stress, extending beyond an increased incidence of mood disorders to include a 2- to 4-fold higher risk of stress-dependent myocardial infarction in women, and up to 10-fold higher risk of Takotsubo syndrome-a stress-dependent coronary-myocardial disorder most prevalent in post-menopausal women. Sex differences arise at all levels of the stress response: from initial perception of stress to behavioural, cognitive, and affective responses and longer-term disease outcomes. These fundamental differences involve interactions between chromosomal and gonadal determinants, (mal)adaptive epigenetic modulation across the lifespan (particularly in early life), and the extrinsic influences of socio-cultural, economic, and environmental factors. Pre-clinical investigations of biological mechanisms support distinct early life programming and a heightened corticolimbic-noradrenaline-neuroinflammatory reactivity in females vs. males, among implicated determinants of the chronic stress response. Unravelling the intrinsic molecular, cellular and systems biological basis of these differences, and their interactions with external lifestyle/socio-cultural determinants, can guide preventative and therapeutic strategies to better target coronary heart disease in a tailored sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J. Helman
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
- Correspondence: Tessa J. Helman
| | - John P. Headrick
- Schoolof Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Nady Braidy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW, Sydney, Australia
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10
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Harris EP, Villalobos-Manriquez F, Melo TG, Clarke G, O'Leary OF. Stress during puberty exerts sex-specific effects on depressive-like behavior and monoamine neurotransmitters in adolescence and adulthood. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100494. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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11
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Role of alpha-2 adrenergic and kappa opioid receptors in the effects of alcohol gavage-induced dependence on alcohol seeking. Behav Brain Res 2022; 434:114032. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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12
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Suárez-Pereira I, Llorca-Torralba M, Bravo L, Camarena-Delgado C, Soriano-Mas C, Berrocoso E. The Role of the Locus Coeruleus in Pain and Associated Stress-Related Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:786-797. [PMID: 35164940 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC)-noradrenergic system is the main source of noradrenaline in the central nervous system and is involved intensively in modulating pain and stress-related disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder and anxiety) and in their comorbidity. However, the mechanisms involving the LC that underlie these effects have not been fully elucidated, in part owing to the technical difficulties inherent in exploring such a tiny nucleus. However, novel research tools are now available that have helped redefine the LC system, moving away from the traditional view of LC as a homogeneous structure that exerts a uniform influence on neural activity. Indeed, innovative techniques such as DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) and optogenetics have demonstrated the functional heterogeneity of LC, and novel magnetic resonance imaging applications combined with pupillometry have opened the way to evaluate LC activity in vivo. This review aims to bring together the data available on the efferent activity of the LC-noradrenergic system in relation to pain and its comorbidity with anxiodepressive disorders. Acute pain triggers a robust LC stress response, producing spinal cord-mediated endogenous analgesia while promoting aversion, vigilance, and threat detection through its ascending efferents. However, this protective biological system fails in chronic pain, and LC activity produces pain facilitation, anxiety, increased aversive memory, and behavioral despair, acting at the medulla, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala levels. Thus, the activation/deactivation of specific LC projections contributes to different behavioral outcomes in the shift from acute to chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Suárez-Pereira
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Meritxell Llorca-Torralba
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Bravo
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Camarena-Delgado
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Instituto de Investigación e Innovación Biomédica de Cádiz, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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13
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van Heijningen S, Karapetsas G, van der Beek EM, van Dijk G, Schipper L. Early Life Exposure to a Diet With a Supramolecular Lipid Structure Close to That of Mammalian Milk Improves Early Life Growth, Skeletal Development, and Later Life Neurocognitive Function in Individually and Socially Housed Male C57BL/6J Mice. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:838711. [PMID: 35573304 PMCID: PMC9099012 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.838711] [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: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding (duration) can be positively associated with infant growth outcomes as well as improved cognitive functions during childhood and later life stages. (Prolonged) exposure to optimal lipid quantity and quality, i.e., the supramolecular structure of lipids, in mammalian milk, may contribute to these beneficial effects through nutritional early-life programming. In this pre-clinical study, we exposed male C57BL/6J mice from post-natal Days 16 to 42 (i.e., directly following normal lactation), to a diet with large lipid droplets coated with bovine milk fat globule membrane-derived phospholipids, which mimic more closely the supramolecular structure of lipid droplets in mammalian milk. We investigated whether exposure to this diet could affect growth and brain development-related parameters. As these outcomes are also known to be affected by the post-weaning social environment in mice, we included both individually housed and pair-wise housed animals and studied whether effects of diet were modulated by the social environment. After Day 42, all the animals were fed standard semi-synthetic rodent diet. Growth and body composition were assessed, and the mice were subjected to various behavioral tests. Individual housing attenuated adolescent growth, reduced femur length, and increased body fat mass. Adult social interest was increased due to individual housing, while cognitive and behavioral alterations as a result of different housing conditions were modest. The diet increased adolescent growth and femur length, increased lean body mass, reduced adolescent anxiety, and improved adult cognitive performance. These effects of diet exposure were comparable between individually and socially housed mice. Hence, early life exposure to a diet with lipid droplets that mimic the supramolecular structure of those in mammalian milk may improve adolescent growth and alters brain function in both socially and individually housed mice. These findings suggest that lipid structure in infant milk formula may be a relevant target for nutritional solutions, targeting both healthy infants and infants facing growth challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen van Heijningen
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Giorgio Karapetsas
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Eline M. van der Beek
- Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Gertjan van Dijk
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Lidewij Schipper
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Lidewij Schipper,
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14
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Joglekar R, Cauley M, Lipsich T, Corcoran DL, Patisaul HB, Levin ED, Meyer JN, McCarthy MM, Murphy SK. Developmental nicotine exposure and masculinization of the rat preoptic area. Neurotoxicology 2022; 89:41-54. [PMID: 35026373 PMCID: PMC8917982 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2022.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine is a neuroteratogenic component of tobacco smoke, e-cigarettes, and other products and can exert sex-specific effects in the developing brain, likely mediated through sex hormones. Estradiol modulates expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in rats, and plays critical roles in neurodevelopmental processes, including sexual differentiation of the brain. Here, we examined the effects of developmental nicotine exposure on the sexual differentiation of the preoptic area (POA), a brain region that normally displays robust structural sexual dimorphisms and controls adult mating behavior in rodents. Using a rat model of gestational exposure, developing pups were exposed to nicotine (2 mg/kg/day) via maternal osmotic minipump (subcutaneously, sc) throughout the critical window for brain sexual differentiation. At postnatal day (PND) 4, a subset of offspring was analyzed for epigenetic effects in the POA. At PND40, all offspring were gonadectomized, implanted with a testosterone-releasing capsule (sc), and assessed for male sexual behavior at PND60. Following sexual behavior assessment, the area of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the POA (SDN-POA) was measured using immunofluorescent staining techniques. In adults, normal sex differences in male sexual behavior and in the SDN-POA area were eliminated in nicotine-treated animals. Using novel analytical approaches to evaluate overall masculinization of the adult POA, we identified significant masculinization of the nicotine-treated female POA. In neonates (PND4), nicotine exposure induced trending alterations in methylation-dependent masculinizing gene expression and DNA methylation levels at sexually-dimorphic differentially methylated regions, suggesting that developmental nicotine exposure is capable of triggering masculinization of the rat POA via epigenetic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Joglekar
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Marty Cauley
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Taylor Lipsich
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - David L. Corcoran
- Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Heather B. Patisaul
- North Carolina State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27695 USA
| | - Edward D. Levin
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Joel N. Meyer
- Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Margaret M. McCarthy
- University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Susan K. Murphy
- Duke University Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Durham, NC 27708 USA
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15
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Deurveilher S, Antonchuk M, Saumure BSC, Baldin A, Semba K. No loss of orexin/hypocretin, melanin-concentrating hormone or locus coeruleus noradrenergic neurons in a rat model of chronic sleep restriction. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6027-6043. [PMID: 34355453 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Chronic sleep restriction (CSR) is common in modern society, adversely affecting cognitive performance and health. Yet how it impacts neurons regulating sleep remains unclear. Several studies using mice reported substantial losses of wake-active orexin/hypocretin and locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons, but not rapid eye movement sleep-active melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons, following CSR. Here, we used immunohistochemistry and stereology to examine orexin, MCH and LC noradrenergic neurons in a rat model of CSR that uses programmed wheel rotation (3 h on/1 h off; '3/1' protocol). Adult male Wistar rats underwent one or four cycles of the 4-day 3/1 CSR protocol, with 2-day recovery between cycles in home cages. Time-matched control rats were housed in locked wheels/home cages. We found no significant differences in the numbers of orexin, MCH and LC noradrenergic neurons following either one- or four-cycle CSR protocol compared to respective controls. Similarly, the four-cycle CSR protocol had no effect on the densities of orexin axon terminals in the LC, noradrenergic dendrites in the LC and noradrenergic axon terminals in the frontal cortex. Body weights, however, decreased after one cycle of CSR and then increased with diminishing slope over the next three cycles. Thus, we found no evidence for loss of orexin or LC noradrenergic neurons following one and four cycles of the 4-day 3/1 CSR protocol in rats. Differences in CSR protocols and/or possible species differences in neuronal vulnerability to sleep loss may account for the discrepancy between the current results in rats and previous findings in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Deurveilher
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michael Antonchuk
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Brock St C Saumure
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Andrew Baldin
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Kazue Semba
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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16
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Mei X, Wang L, Yang B, Li X. Sex differences in noradrenergic modulation of attention and impulsivity in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2167-2177. [PMID: 33834255 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05841-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Noradrenaline (NE) is closely related to attentive performance and impulsive control. However, the potential sex differences regarding attention and impulsivity under the noradrenergic modulation have been largely neglected. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate whether male and female rats exhibit differential responses to NE-related drugs during the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRT). METHODS Male and female rats were trained in 5CSRT and administered with different NE drugs after obtaining stable baseline performance: atipamezole, a highly selective α2 receptor antagonist; prazosin, an α1 receptor antagonist; and atomoxetine, a selective NE reuptake inhibitor. Later, prazosin was selected to co-administration with atomoxetine. RESULTS Male and female rats exhibited equal learning speed, and no significant baseline differences were found as measured by the 5CSRT. Atomoxetine decreased premature responses in both sexes, but the extent of this reduction was different, with the reduction greater in males. Besides, atomoxetine (1.8 mg/kg) increased the error of omissions in females. The high dose of prazosin (0.5 mg/kg) decreased the accuracy only in male rats, but this was ameliorated by the co-administration with atomoxetine. CONCLUSIONS Atomoxetine showed significant improvement in impulsivity, but atomoxetine had less beneficial effects on impulsive control in females than in males, and it even impaired attentional performance in female rats. The α1 receptors were mainly responsible for NE drug-related sex differences in attention rather than impulsivity. The results obtained in this study indicate that the sex differences exist in both attention and impulsivity by the modulation of noradrenaline and raise the concern to improve sex-specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolin Mei
- College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Lutong Wang
- College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Xinwang Li
- College of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
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17
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Luckey AM, Robertson IH, Lawlor B, Mohan A, Vanneste S. Sex Differences in Locus Coeruleus: A Heuristic Approach That May Explain the Increased Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Females. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 83:505-522. [PMID: 34334399 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This article aims to reevaluate our approach to female vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and put forth a new hypothesis considering how sex differences in the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline (LC-NA) structure and function could account for why females are more likely to develop AD. We specifically focus our attention on locus coeruleus (LC) morphology, the paucity of estrogens, neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier permeability, apolipoprotein ɛ4 polymorphism (APOEɛ4), and cognitive reserve. The role of the LC-NA system and sex differences are two of the most rapidly emerging topics in AD research. Current literature either investigates the LC due to it being one of the first brain areas to develop AD pathology or acknowledges the neuroprotective effects of estrogens and how the loss of these female hormones have the capacity to contribute to the sex differences seen in AD; however, existing research has neglected to concurrently examine these two rationales and therefore leaving our hypothesis undetermined. Collectively, this article should assist in alleviating current challenges surrounding female AD by providing thought-provoking connections into the interrelationship between the disruption of the female LC-NA system, the decline of estrogens, and AD vulnerability. It is therefore likely that treatment for this heterogeneous disease may need to be distinctly developed for females and males separately, and may require a precision medicine approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Luckey
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ian H Robertson
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brian Lawlor
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anusha Mohan
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical & Integrative Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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18
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Cardenas A, Papadogiannis A, Dimitrov E. The role of medial prefrontal cortex projections to locus ceruleus in mediating the sex differences in behavior in mice with inflammatory pain. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21747. [PMID: 34151467 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100319rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that the cognitive impairment associated with inflammatory pain may result from dysregulation of the top-down control of locus ceruleus's (LC) activity by the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) served as a model for inflammatory pain. The CFA injection decreased the thermal thresholds in both sexes but only the male mice showed increased anxiety-like behavior and diminished cognition, while the females were not affected. Increased calcium fluorescence, a marker for neuronal activity, was detected by photometry in the mPFC of males but not in females with CFA. Next, while chemogenetic inhibition of the projections from the mPFC to the LC improved the object recognition memory of males with pain, the inhibition of the mPFC to LC pathway in female mice produced anxiolysis and spatial memory deficits. The behavior results prompted us to compare the reciprocal innervation of mPFC and LC between the sexes. We used an anterograde transsynaptic tagging technique, which relies on postsynaptic cre transfer, to assess the innervation of LC by mPFC efferents. The males showed a higher rate of postsynaptic cre transfer into LC neurons from mPFC efferents than the females. And vice versa, a retrograde tracing experiment demonstrated that LC to mPFC projection neurons were more numerous in females when compared to males. In conclusion, we provide evidence that subtle differences in the reciprocal neuronal circuit between the LC and mPFC may contribute to sex differences associated with the adverse cognitive effects of inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cardenas
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alexander Papadogiannis
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eugene Dimitrov
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
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19
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Martin EL, Doncheck EM, Reichel CM, McRae-Clark AL. Consideration of sex as a biological variable in the translation of pharmacotherapy for stress-associated drug seeking. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100364. [PMID: 34345636 PMCID: PMC8319013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a frequent precipitant of relapse to drug use. Pharmacotherapies targeting a diverse array of neural systems have been assayed for efficacy in attenuating stress-induced drug-seeking in both rodents and in humans, but none have shown enough evidence of utility to warrant routine use in the clinic. We posit that a critical barrier in effective translation is inattention to sex as a biological variable at all phases of the research process. In this review, we detail the neurobiological systems implicated in stress-induced relapse to cocaine, opioids, methamphetamine, and cannabis, as well as the pharmacotherapies that have been used to target these systems in rodent models, the human laboratory, and in clinical trials. In each of these areas we additionally describe the potential influences of biological sex on outcomes, and how inattention to fundamental sex differences can lead to biases during drug development that contribute to the limited success of large clinical trials. Based on these observations, we determine that of the pharmacotherapies discussed only α2-adrenergic receptor agonists and oxytocin have a body of research with sufficient consideration of biological sex to warrant further clinical evaluation. Pharmacotherapies that target β-adrenergic receptors, other neuroactive peptides, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, neuroactive steroids, and the endogenous opioid and cannabinoid systems require further assessment in females at the preclinical and human laboratory levels before progression to clinical trials can be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Carmela M Reichel
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Aimee L McRae-Clark
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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20
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Burnham NW, Chaimowitz CN, Vis CC, Segantine Dornellas AP, Navarro M, Thiele TE. Lateral hypothalamus-projecting noradrenergic locus coeruleus pathway modulates binge-like ethanol drinking in male and female TH-ires-cre mice. Neuropharmacology 2021; 196:108702. [PMID: 34246685 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of literature implicates noradrenergic (NE) signaling in the modulation of ethanol consumption. However, relatively few studies have detailed specific brain pathways that mediate NE-associated binge-like ethanol consumption. To begin to fill this gap in the literature, male and female C57BL6/J and TH-ires-cre mice underwent pharmacological and chemogenetic testing, respectively, in combination with "drinking in the dark" procedures to model binge-like consumption of ethanol or sucrose solutions. First, we showed that intraperitoneal administration of the NE reuptake inhibitor, reboxetine, blunted binge-like ethanol intake in C57BL6/J mice. Chemogenetic activation of locus coeruleus (LC) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing neurons blunted binge-like ethanol intake regardless of sex. Chemogenetic activation of LC projections to the lateral hypothalamus (LH), a region implicated in ethanol consumption, blunted binge-like ethanol drinking without altering sucrose intake in ethanol-experienced or ethanol-naïve mice. In C57BL/6 J mice, LH-targeted microinfusion of an α1-adrenergic receptor (AR) agonist blunted binge-like ethanol intake across both sexes, while LH infusion of a β-AR agonist blunted binge-like ethanol intake in females exclusively. Finally, in mice with high baseline ethanol intake both an α1- AR agonist and an α-2 AR antagonist blunted binge-like ethanol intake. The present results provide novel evidence that increased NE tone in a circuit arising from the LC and projecting to the LH reduces binge-like ethanol drinking in mice, and may represent a novel approach to treating binge or heavy drinking prior to the development of dependence. This article is part of the special Issue on "Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse".
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan W Burnham
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Corryn N Chaimowitz
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Cortland C Vis
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Ana Paula Segantine Dornellas
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Montserrat Navarro
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA; The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.
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21
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Lin YF, Wang LY, Chen CS, Li CC, Hsiao YH. Cellular senescence as a driver of cognitive decline triggered by chronic unpredictable stress. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100341. [PMID: 34095365 PMCID: PMC8163993 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
When an individual is under stress, the undesired effect on the brain often exceeds expectations. Additionally, when stress persists for a long time, it can trigger serious health problems, particularly depression. Recent studies have revealed that depressed patients have a higher rate of brain aging than healthy subjects and that depression increases dementia risk later in life. However, it remains unknown which factors are involved in brain aging triggered by chronic stress. The most critical change during brain aging is the decline in cognitive function. In addition, cellular senescence is a stable state of cell cycle arrest that occurs because of damage and/or stress and is considered a sign of aging. We used the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) model to mimic stressful life situations and found that, compared with nonstressed control mice, CUS-treated C57BL/6 mice exhibited depression-like behaviors and cognitive decline. Additionally, the protein expression of the senescence marker p16INK4a was increased in the hippocampus, and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal)-positive cells were found in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) in CUS-treated mice. Furthermore, the levels of SA-β-gal or p16INK4a were strongly correlated with the severity of memory impairment in CUS-treated mice, whereas clearing senescent cells using the pharmacological senolytic cocktail dasatinib plus quercetin (D + Q) alleviated CUS-induced cognitive deficits, suggesting that targeting senescent cells may be a promising candidate approach to study chronic stress-induced cognitive decline. Our findings open new avenues for stress-related research and provide new insight into the association of chronic stress-induced cellular senescence with cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Fen Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Chun Li
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsin Hsiao
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.,Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
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22
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Xanthotoxin affects depression-related behavior and neurotransmitters content in a sex-dependent manner in mice. Behav Brain Res 2020; 399:112985. [PMID: 33144177 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to evaluate xanthotoxin's influence on male and female Swiss mice's depression-like behaviors and investigate the potential mechanism of this effect. Naturally derived furanocoumarin (the Apiaceae family), xanthotoxin, administered acutely (12.5 mg/kg), diminished the immobility level in the forced swim test only in males. The immobility level was lower in females than males, which may be associated with a higher serotonin level in the female prefrontal cortex. A dose-dependent increase of serotonin and noradrenaline was reported in the reverse-phase ion-pair liquid chromatography in the female prefrontal cortex but not in the hippocampus. We suggest that xanthotoxin may exert antidepressant properties and affect males and females differently. The increasing level of serotonin in the male and female prefrontal cortex may underlie this effect.
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23
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Sun P, Wang J, Zhang M, Duan X, Wei Y, Xu F, Ma Y, Zhang YH. Sex-Related Differential Whole-Brain Input Atlas of Locus Coeruleus Noradrenaline Neurons. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:53. [PMID: 33071759 PMCID: PMC7541090 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As the most important organ in our bodies, the brain plays a critical role in deciding sex-related differential features; however, the underlying neural circuitry basis remains unclear. Here, we used a cell-type-specific rabies virus-mediated monosynaptic tracing system to generate a sex differences-related whole-brain input atlas of locus coeruleus noradrenaline (LC-NE) neurons. We developed custom pipelines for brain-wide comparisons of input sources in both sexes with the registration of the whole-brain data set to the Allen Mouse Brain Reference Atlas. Among 257 distinct anatomical regions, we demonstrated the differential proportions of inputs to LC-NE neurons in male and female mice at different levels. Locus coeruleus noradrenaline neurons of two sexes showed general similarity in the input patterns, but with differentiated input proportions quantitatively from major brain regions and diverse sub-regions. For instance, inputs to male LC-NE neurons were found mainly in the cerebrum, interbrain, and cerebellum, whereas inputs to female LC-NE neurons were found in the midbrain and hindbrain. We further found that specific subsets of nuclei nested within sub-regions contributed to overall sex-related differences in the input circuitry. Furthermore, among the totaled 123 anatomical regions with proportion of inputs >0.1%, we also identified 11 sub-regions with significant statistical differences of total inputs between male and female mice, and seven of them also showed such differences in ipsilateral hemispheres. Our study not only provides a structural basis to facilitate our understanding of sex differences at a circuitry level but also provides clues for future sexually differentiated functional studies related to LC-NE neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Sun
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Junjun Wang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xinxin Duan
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfei Wei
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Centre for Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Ma
- HUST-WHBC United Hematology Optical Imaging Center, Wuhan Blood Center (WHBC), Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Hui Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics - Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.,MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, School of Engineering Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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24
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Joshi N, Chandler D. Sex and the noradrenergic system. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:167-176. [PMID: 33008523 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00012-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The central noradrenergic system comprises multiple brainstem nuclei whose cells synthesize and release the catecholamine transmitter norepinephrine (NE). The largest of these nuclei is the pontine locus coeruleus (LC), which innervates the vast majority of the forebrain. NE interacts with a number of pre- and postsynaptically expressed G protein-coupled receptors to affect a wide array of functions, including sensory signal processing, waking and arousal, stress responsiveness, mood, attention, and memory. Given the myriad functions ascribed to the locus coeruleus-noradrenergic (LC-NE) system, it is unsurprising that it is implicated in many disease states, including various mood, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases. The LC-NE system is also notably sexually dimorphic with regard to its morphologic and anatomical features as well as how it responds to the peptide transmitter corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), a major mediator of the central stress response. The sex-biased morphology and signaling that is observed in the LC could then be considered a potential contributor to the differential prevalence of various diseases between men and women. This chapter summarizes the primary differences between the male and female LC, based primarily on preclinical observations and how these disparities may relate to differential diagnoses of several diseases between men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal Joshi
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel Chandler
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ, United States.
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25
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den Hartog CR, Blandino KL, Nash ML, Sjogren ER, Grampetro MA, Moorman DE, Vazey EM. Noradrenergic tone mediates marble burying behavior after chronic stress and ethanol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3021-3031. [PMID: 32588079 PMCID: PMC7529922 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05589-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stress plays a major role in the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD)-a history of chronic stress contributes to alcohol misuse, and withdrawal from alcohol elevates stress, perpetuating cycles of problematic drinking. Recent studies have shown that, in male mice, repeated chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) and stress elevates alcohol use above either manipulation alone and impacts cognitive functions such as behavioral flexibility. OBJECTIVE Here, we investigated the impact of CIE and stress on anxiety in both sexes, and whether the norepinephrine (NE) system via locus coeruleus, which is implicated in both stress and alcohol motivation, is involved. RESULTS Male and female mice received multiple cycles of CIE and/or repeated forced swim stress (FSS), producing elevated drinking in both sexes. CIE/FSS treatment increased anxiety, which was blocked by treatment with the α1-AR inverse agonist prazosin. In contrast, administration of the corticotropin releasing factor receptor antagonist CP376395 into locus coeruleus did not reduce CIE/FSS-elevated anxiety. We also observed sex differences in behavioral responses to a history of CIE or FSS alone as well as differential behavioral consequences of prazosin treatment. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that NE contributes to the development of anxiety following a history of alcohol and/or stress, and that the influence of both treatment history and NE signaling is sex dependent. These results argue for further investigation of the NE system in relation to disrupted behavior following chronic alcohol and stress, and support the assertion that treatments may differ across sex based on differential neural system engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - McKenzie L. Nash
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Emily R. Sjogren
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | | | - David E. Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elena M. Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
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26
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Cardenas A, Caniglia J, Keljalic D, Dimitrov E. Sex differences in the development of anxiodepressive-like behavior of mice subjected to sciatic nerve cuffing. Pain 2020; 161:1861-1871. [PMID: 32701845 PMCID: PMC7502469 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of nucleus locus ceruleus (LC) to the development of pain-associated affective behavior. Mice of both sexes were subjected to sciatic nerve cuffing, a model of peripheral nerve injury, and monitored for 45 days. Although the thermal and mechanical thresholds were equally decreased in both males and females, only the male mice developed anxiodepressive-like behavior, which was complemented by suppressed hippocampal neurogenesis. Furthermore, the LC activity was lower in males when compared with females subjected to sciatic cuffing. Next, we used a chemogenetic approach to modulate the activity of LC projections to the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in females without cuffs and in males with sciatic cuffs. Sustained inhibition of the LC projections to the dentate gyrus for 15 days induced anxiodepressive-like behavior and reduced the hippocampal neurogenesis in females. Activation of the LC projections to the dentate gyrus for 15 days prevented the development of anxiodepressive-like behavior and increased the hippocampal neurogenesis in males with cuffs. In sum, we demonstrated that the LC projections to the hippocampus link the sensory to the affective component of neuropathic injury and that the female mice are able to dissociate the nociception from affect by maintaining robust LC activity. The work provides evidence that sex differences in LC response to pain determine the sex differences in the development of pain phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cardenas
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - John Caniglia
- Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois, 1 Illini Drive, Peoria, IL 61605
| | - Denis Keljalic
- Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Eugene Dimitrov
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Tel: (847) 578-8364
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27
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Ponzi D, Gioiosa L, Parmigiani S, Palanza P. Effects of Prenatal Exposure to a Low-Dose of Bisphenol A on Sex Differences in Emotional Behavior and Central Alpha 2-Adrenergic Receptor Binding. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093269. [PMID: 32380724 PMCID: PMC7246441 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) influences the development of sex differences neurologically and behaviorally across many species of vertebrates. These effects are a consequence of BPA’s estrogenic activity and its ability to act as an endocrine disrupter even, at very low doses. When exposure to BPA occurs during critical periods of development, it can interfere with the normal activity of sex steroids, impacting the fate of neurons, neural connectivity and the development of brain regions sensitive to steroid activity. Among the most sensitive behavioral targets of BPA action are behaviors that are characterized by a sexual dimorphism, especially emotion and anxiety related behaviors, such as the amount of time spent investigating a novel environment, locomotive activity and arousal. Moreover, in some species of rodents, BPA exposure affected males’ sexual behaviors. Interestingly, these behaviors are at least in part modulated by the catecholaminergic system, which has been reported to be a target of BPA action. In the present study we investigated the influence of prenatal exposure of mice to a very low single dose of BPA on emotional and sexual behaviors and on the density and binding characteristics of alpha2 adrenergic receptors. Alpha2 adrenergic receptors are widespread in the central nervous system and they can act as autoreceptors, inhibiting the release of noradrenaline and other neurotransmitters from presynaptic terminals. BPA exposure disrupted sex differences in behavioral responses to a novel environment, but did not affect male mice sexual behavior. Importantly, BPA exposure caused a change in the binding affinity of alpha2 adrenergic receptors in the locus coeruleus and medial preoptic area (mPOA) and it eliminated the sexual dimorphism in the density of the receptors in the mPOA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Ponzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy; (L.G.); (P.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0521904776
| | - Laura Gioiosa
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy; (L.G.); (P.P.)
| | - Stefano Parmigiani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy;
| | - Paola Palanza
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43121 Parma, Italy; (L.G.); (P.P.)
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28
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Neubert da Silva G, Zauer Curi T, Lima Tolouei SE, Tapias Passoni M, Sari Hey GB, Marino Romano R, Martino-Andrade AJ, Dalsenter PR. Effects of diisopentyl phthalate exposure during gestation and lactation on hormone-dependent behaviours and hormone receptor expression in rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12816. [PMID: 31758603 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Phthalates are found in different plastic materials, such as packaging, toys and medical devices. Some of these compounds are endocrine disruptors, comprising substances that are able to induce multiple hormonal disturbances and downstream developmental effects, including the disruption of androgen-dependent differentiation of the male reproductive tract and changes in pathways that regulate hormone-dependent behaviours. In a previous study, metabolites of diisopentyl phthalate (DiPeP), a potent anti-androgenic phthalate, were found in the urine of Brazilian pregnant women. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of DiPeP exposure during critical developmental periods on behaviours controlled by sex hormones in rats. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated with DiPeP (1, 10 or 100 mg kg day-1 ) or canola oil by oral gavage between gestational day 10 and post-natal day (PND) 21. Male offspring were tested in a behavioural battery, including the elevated plus maze task, play behaviour, partner preference and sexual behaviour. After the behavioural tests, the hypothalamus and pituitary of these animals were removed on PND 60-65 and PND 145-160 to quantify gene expression for aromatase, androgen receptor (Ar) and oestrogen receptors α (Esr1) and β (Esr2). Male rats exposed to 1 and 10 mg kg day-1 DiPeP displayed no preference for the female stimulus rat in the partner preference test and 1 mg kg day-1 DiPeP rats also showed a significant increase in mount and penetration latencies when mated with receptive females. A decrease in pituitary Esr1 expression was observed in all DiPeP treated groups regardless of age. A reduction in hypothalamic Esr1 expression in rats exposed to 10 mg kg day-1 DiPeP was also observed. No significant changes were found with respect to Ar, Esr2 and aromatase expression in the hypothalamus. These results suggest that DiPeP exposure during critical windows of development in rats may induce changes in behaviours related to mating and the sexual motivation of males.
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29
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VanRyzin JW, Marquardt AE, Pickett LA, McCarthy MM. Microglia and sexual differentiation of the developing brain: A focus on extrinsic factors. Glia 2019; 68:1100-1113. [PMID: 31691400 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, have recently been removed from the position of mere sentinels and promoted to the role of active sculptors of developing circuits and cells. Alongside their functions in normal brain development, microglia coordinate sexual differentiation of the brain, a set of processes which vary by region and endpoint like that of microglia function itself. In this review, we highlight the ways microglia are both targets and drivers of brain sexual differentiation. We examine the factors that may drive sex differences in microglia, with a special focus on how changing microenvironments in the developing brain dictate microglia phenotypes and discuss how their diverse functions sculpt lasting sex-specific changes in the brain. Finally, we consider how sex-specific early life environments contribute to epigenetic programming and lasting sex differences in microglia identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W VanRyzin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ashley E Marquardt
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Lindsay A Pickett
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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30
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Copper and the brain noradrenergic system. J Biol Inorg Chem 2019; 24:1179-1188. [PMID: 31691104 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-019-01737-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Copper (Cu) plays an essential role in the development and function of the brain. In humans, genetic disorders of Cu metabolism may cause either severe Cu deficiency (Menkes disease) or excessive Cu accumulation (Wilson disease) in the brain tissue. In either case, the loss of Cu homeostasis results in catecholamine misbalance, abnormal myelination of neurons, loss of normal brain architecture, and a spectrum of neurologic and/or psychiatric manifestations. Several metabolic processes have been identified as particularly sensitive to Cu dis-homeostasis. This review focuses on the role of Cu in noradrenergic neurons and summarizes the current knowledge of mechanisms that maintain Cu homeostasis in these cells. The impact of Cu misbalance on catecholamine metabolism and functioning of noradrenergic system is discussed.
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31
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Patrone LGA, Capalbo AC, Marques DA, Bícego KC, Gargaglioni LH. An age- and sex-dependent role of catecholaminergic neurons in the control of breathing and hypoxic chemoreflex during postnatal development. Brain Res 2019; 1726:146508. [PMID: 31606412 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.146508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The respiratory system undergoes significant development during the postnatal phase. Maturation of brainstem catecholaminergic (CA) neurons is important for the control and modulation of respiratory rhythmogenesis, as well as for chemoreception in early life. We demonstrated an inhibitory role for CA neurons in CO2 chemosensitivity in neonatal and juvenile male and female rats, but information regarding their role in the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) is lacking. We evaluated the contribution of brainstem CA neurons in the HVR during postnatal (P) development (P7-8, P14-15 and P20-21) in male and female rats through chemical injury with conjugated saporin anti-dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DβH-SAP, 420 ng·μL-1) injected in the fourth ventricle. Ventilation (V̇E) and oxygen consumption were recorded one week after the lesion in unanesthetized rats during exposure to normoxia and hypoxia. Hypoxia reduced breathing variability in P7-8 control rats of both sexes. At P7-8, the HVR for lesioned males and females increased 27% and 24%, respectively. Additionally, the lesion reduced the normoxic breathing variability in both sexes at P7-8, but hypoxia partially reverted this effect. For P14-15, the increase in V̇E during hypoxia was 30% higher for male and 24% higher for female lesioned animals. A sex-specific difference was detected at P20-21, as lesioned males exhibited a 24% decrease in the HVR, while lesioned females experienced a 22% increase. Furthermore, the hypoxia-induced body temperature reduction was attenuated in P20-21 lesioned females. We conclude that brainstem CA neurons modulate the HRV during the postnatal phase, and possibly thermoregulation during hypoxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Gustavo A Patrone
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Aretuza C Capalbo
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Danuzia A Marques
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Kênia C Bícego
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciane H Gargaglioni
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil.
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32
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Sex differences in breathing. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2019; 238:110543. [PMID: 31445081 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.110543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Breathing is a vital behavior that ensures both the adequate supply of oxygen and the elimination of CO2, and it is influenced by many factors. Despite that most of the studies in respiratory physiology rely heavily on male subjects, there is much evidence to suggest that sex is an important factor in the respiratory control system, including the susceptibility for some diseases. These different respiratory responses in males and females may be related to the actions of sex hormones, especially in adulthood. These hormones affect neuromodulatory systems that influence the central medullary rhythm/pontine pattern generator and integrator, sensory inputs to the integrator and motor output to the respiratory muscles. In this article, we will first review the sex dependence on the prevalence of some respiratory-related diseases. Then, we will discuss the role of sex and gonadal hormones in respiratory control under resting conditions and during respiratory challenges, such as hypoxia and hypercapnia, and whether hormonal fluctuations during the estrous/menstrual cycle affect breathing control. We will then discuss the role of the locus coeruleus, a sexually dimorphic CO2/pH-chemosensitive nucleus, on breathing regulation in males and females. Next, we will highlight the studies that exist regarding sex differences in respiratory control during development. Finally, the few existing studies regarding the influence of sex on breathing control in non-mammalian vertebrates will be discussed.
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33
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Pachenari N, Azizi H, Semnaniann S. Adolescent Morphine Exposure in Male Rats Alters the Electrophysiological Properties of Locus Coeruleus Neurons of the Male Offspring. Neuroscience 2019; 410:108-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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34
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Newman LA, Baraiolo J, Mokler DJ, Rabinowitz AG, Galler JR, McGaughy JA. Prenatal Protein Malnutrition Produces Resistance to Distraction Similar to Noradrenergic Deafferentation of the Prelimbic Cortex in a Sustained Attention Task. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:123. [PMID: 30853881 PMCID: PMC6396814 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to malnutrition early in development increases likelihood of neuropsychiatric disorders, affective processing disorders, and attentional problems later in life. Many of these impairments are hypothesized to arise from impaired development of the prefrontal cortex. The current experiments examine the impact of prenatal malnutrition on the noradrenergic and cholinergic axons in the prefrontal cortex to determine if these changes contribute to the attentional deficits seen in prenatal protein malnourished rats (6% casein vs. 25% casein). Because prenatally malnourished animals had significant decreases in noradrenergic fibers in the prelimbic cortex with spared innervation in the anterior cingulate cortex and showed no changes in acetylcholine innervation of the prefrontal cortex, we compared deficits produced by malnutrition to those produced in adult rats by noradrenergic lesions of the prelimbic cortex. All animals were able to perform the baseline sustained attention task accurately. However, with the addition of visual distractors to the sustained attention task, animals that were prenatally malnourished and those that were noradrenergically lesioned showed cognitive rigidity, i.e., were less distractible than control animals. All groups showed similar changes in behavior when exposed to withholding reinforcement, suggesting specific attentional impairments rather than global difficulties in understanding response rules, bottom-up perceptual problems, or cognitive impairments secondary to dysfunction in sensitivity to reinforcement contingencies. These data suggest that prenatal protein malnutrition leads to deficits in noradrenergic innervation of the prelimbic cortex associated with cognitive rigidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lori A. Newman
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
- Department of Psychological Science, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, United States
| | - Jaime Baraiolo
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
| | - David J. Mokler
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, ME, United States
| | | | - Janina R. Galler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Mucosal Immunology and Biology Research Center, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jill A. McGaughy
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States
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35
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Millett CE, Phillips BE, Saunders EF. The Sex-specific Effects of LPS on Depressive-like Behavior and Oxidative Stress in the Hippocampus of the Mouse. Neuroscience 2019; 399:77-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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36
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Sex differences in stress reactivity in arousal and attention systems. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:129-139. [PMID: 30022063 PMCID: PMC6235989 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0137-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Women are more likely than men to suffer from psychiatric disorders with hyperarousal symptoms, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression. In contrast, women are less likely than men to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which share attentional impairments as a feature. Stressful events exacerbate symptoms of the aforementioned disorders. Thus, researchers are examining whether sex differences in stress responses bias women and men towards different psychopathology. Here we review the preclinical literature suggesting that, compared to males, females are more vulnerable to stress-induced hyperarousal, while they are more resilient to stress-induced attention deficits. Specifically described are sex differences in receptors for the stress neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), that render the locus coeruleus arousal system of females more vulnerable to stress and less adaptable to CRF hypersecretion, a condition found in patients with PTSD and depression. Studies on the protective effects of ovarian hormones against CRF-induced deficits in sustained attention are also detailed. Importantly, we highlight how comparing males and females in preclinical studies can lead to the development of novel therapeutics to improve treatments for psychiatric disorders in both women and men.
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37
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Noradrenaline through β-adrenoceptor contributes to sexual dimorphism in primary CD4+ T-cell response in DA rat EAE model? Cell Immunol 2018; 336:48-57. [PMID: 30600100 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Males exhibit stronger sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, but weaker primary CD4+ T-cell (auto)immune responses. To test the role of catecholamines, major end-point SNS mediators, in this dimorphism, influence of propranolol (β-adrenoceptor blocker) on mitogen/neuroantigen-stimulated CD4+ T cells from female and male EAE rat draining lymph node (dLN) cell cultures was examined. Male rat dLNs exhibited higher noradrenaline concentration and frequency of β2-adrenoceptor-expressing CD4+ T lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells. Propranolol, irrespective of exogenous noradrenaline presence, more prominently augmented IL-2 production and proliferation of CD4+ lymphocytes in male than female rat dLN cell cultures. In neuroantigen-stimulated dLN cells of both sexes propranolol increased IL-1β and IL-23/p19 expression and IL-17+ CD4+ cell frequency, but enhanced IL-17 production only in male rat CD4+ lymphocytes, thereby abrogating sexual dimorphism in IL-17 concentration observed in propranolol-free cultures. Thus, β-adrenoceptor-mediated signalling may contribute to sex bias in rat IL-17-producing cell secretory capacity.
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Ycaza Herrera A, Wang J, Mather M. The gist and details of sex differences in cognition and the brain: How parallels in sex differences across domains are shaped by the locus coeruleus and catecholamine systems. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 176:120-133. [PMID: 29772255 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Across three different domains, there are similar sex differences in how men and women process information. There tends to be a male advantage in attending to and remembering the gist (essential central information of a scene or situation), but a female advantage in attending to and remembering the details (non-essential peripheral information of a scene or situation). This is seen in emotional memory, where emotion enhances gist memory more for males than for females, but enhances detail memory more for females than for males. It also occurs in spatial memory, where men tend to notice and remember the gist of where they or objects are in space, allowing them to more flexibly manipulate themselves or objects within that space, whereas women tend to recall the details of the space around them, allowing them to accurately remember the locations of objects. Finally, such sex differences have also been noted in perception of stimuli such that men attend to global aspects of stimuli (such as a large letter E) more than women, whereas women attend more to the local aspects (such as the many smaller letter Ts making up the E). We review the parallel sex differences seen across these domains in this paper and how they relate to the different brain systems involved in each of these task domains. In addition, we discuss how sex differences in evolutionary pressures and in the locus coeruleus and norepinephrine system may account for why parallel sex differences occur across these different task domains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiaxi Wang
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, United States; East China Normal University, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, China
| | - Mara Mather
- University of Southern California, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, United States; University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, United States; University of Southern California, Neuroscience Graduate Program, United States
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39
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Zhang S, Zhang H, Ku SM, Juarez B, Morel C, Tzavaras N, Montgomery S, Hodes GE, Brancato A, Russo SJ, Cao JL, Han MH. Sex Differences in the Neuroadaptations of Reward-related Circuits in Response to Subchronic Variable Stress. Neuroscience 2018; 376:108-116. [PMID: 29476894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder. However, fewer studies in rodent models of depression have used female animals, leading to a relative lack of understanding of the female brain's response to stress, especially at a neural circuit level. In this study, we utilized a 6-day subchronic variable stress (SCVS) mouse model and measured novelty suppressed feeding as behavioral criteria to evaluate susceptibility to SCVS in male and female mice. First, we showed that SCVS induced a decrease in latency to eat (susceptible phenotype) in female mice, but not in males (resilient phenotype). After determining behavioral phenotypes, we investigated the firing activities of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), as well as the neurons that project from lateral habenula (LHb) to the VTA and from locus coeruleus (LC) to the VTA. Utilizing retrograding lumafluor fluorescent tracers and electrophysiology techniques, we performed cell type- and circuit-specific measures of neuronal firing rates. Our data show that SCVS significantly increased the firing rate of LHb-VTA circuit neurons in female mice when compared to that of their female controls, an effect that was absent in SCVS-exposed males. Interestingly, SCVS did not induce significant firing alterations in VTA DA neurons and LC-VTA circuit neurons in either female mice or male mice when compared to their stress-naïve controls. Overall, our data show sex differences in the LHb-VTA circuit responses to SCVS, and implicates a potential role of this projection in mediating vulnerability of female mice to stress-induced depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Zhang
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Stacy M Ku
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Neuroscience Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Barbara Juarez
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Neuroscience Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Carole Morel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nikos Tzavaras
- Microscopy CORE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sarah Montgomery
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Georgia E Hodes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Anna Brancato
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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40
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Cross SJ, Linker KE, Leslie FM. Sex-dependent effects of nicotine on the developing brain. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:422-436. [PMID: 27870426 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of tobacco products represents a major public health concern, especially among women. Epidemiological data have consistently demonstrated that women have less success quitting tobacco use and a higher risk for developing tobacco-related diseases. The deleterious effects of nicotine are not restricted to adulthood, as nicotinic acetylcholine receptors regulate critical aspects of neural development. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the particular sensitivity of women to develop tobacco dependence have not been well elucidated. In this mini-review, we show that gonadal hormone-mediated sexual differentiation of the brain may be an important determinant of sex differences in the effects of nicotine. We highlight direct interactions between sex steroid hormones and ligand-gated ion channels critical for brain maturation, and discuss the extended and profound sexual differentiation of the brain. We emphasize that nicotine exposure during the perinatal and adolescent periods interferes with normal sexual differentiation and can induce long-lasting, sex-dependent alterations in neuronal structure, cognitive and executive function, learning and memory, and reward processing. We stress important age and sex differences in nicotine's effects and emphasize the importance of including these factors in preclinical research that models tobacco dependence. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Cross
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Kay E Linker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Frances M Leslie
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California
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41
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Bangasser DA, Eck SR, Telenson AM, Salvatore M. Sex differences in stress regulation of arousal and cognition. Physiol Behav 2017; 187:42-50. [PMID: 28974457 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
There are sex differences in the prevalence and presentation of many psychiatric disorders. For example, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression are more common in women than men, and women with these disorders present with more hyperarousal symptoms than men. In contrast, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia are more common in men than women, and men with these disorders have increased cognitive deficits compared to women. A shared feature of the aforementioned psychiatric disorders is the contribution of stressful events to their onset and/or severity. Here we propose that sex differences in stress responses bias females towards hyperarousal and males towards cognitive deficits. Evidence from clinical and preclinical studies is detailed. We also describe underlying neurobiological mechanisms. For example, sex differences in stress receptor signaling and trafficking in the locus coeruleus-arousal center are detailed. In learning circuits, evidence for sex differences in dendritic morphology is provided. Finally, we describe how evaluating sex-specific mechanisms for responding to stress in female and male rodents can lead to better treatments for stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
| | - Samantha R Eck
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Alexander M Telenson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - Madeleine Salvatore
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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42
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Arambula SE, Fuchs J, Cao J, Patisaul HB. Effects of perinatal bisphenol A exposure on the volume of sexually-dimorphic nuclei of juvenile rats: A CLARITY-BPA consortium study. Neurotoxicology 2017; 63:33-42. [PMID: 28890130 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2017.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high volume endocrine disrupting chemical found in a wide variety of products including plastics and epoxy resins. Human exposure is nearly ubiquitous, and higher in children than adults. Because BPA has been reported to interfere with sex steroid hormone signaling, there is concern that developmental exposure, even at levels below the current FDA No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) of 5mg/kg body weight (bw)/day, can disrupt brain sexual differentiation. The current studies were conducted as part of the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) program and tested the hypothesis that perinatal BPA exposure would induce morphological changes in hormone sensitive, sexually dimorphic brain regions. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 5 groups: BPA (2.5, 25, or 2500μg/kgbw/day), a reference estrogen (0.5μg ethinylestradiol (EE2)/kgbw/day), or vehicle. Exposure occurred by gavage to the dam from gestational day 6 until parturition, and then to the offspring from birth through weaning. Unbiased stereology was used to quantify the volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN), the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV), the posterodorsal portion of the medial amygdala (MePD), and the locus coeruleus (LC) at postnatal day 28. No appreciable effects of BPA were observed on the volume of the SDN or LC. However, AVPV volume was enlarged in both sexes, even at levels below the FDA NOAEL. Collectively, these data suggest the developing brain is vulnerable to endocrine disruption by BPA at exposure levels below previous estimates by regulatory agencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl E Arambula
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Joelle Fuchs
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; WM Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
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43
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Neuroimmunology and neuroepigenetics in the establishment of sex differences in the brain. Nat Rev Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28638119 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2017.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The study of sex differences in the brain is a topic of neuroscientific study that has broad reaching implications for culture, society and biomedical science. Recent research in rodent models has led to dramatic shifts in our views of the mechanisms underlying the sexual differentiation of the brain. These include the surprising discoveries of a role for immune cells and inflammatory mediators in brain masculinization and a role for epigenetic suppression in brain feminization. How and to what degree these findings will translate to human brain development will be questions of central importance in future research in this field.
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Hormigo S, Gómez-Nieto R, Sancho C, Herrero-Turrión J, Carro J, López DE, Horta-Júnior JDADCE. Morphological correlates of sex differences in acoustic startle response and prepulse inhibition through projections from locus coeruleus to cochlear root neurons. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3491-3508. [PMID: 28382577 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1415-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) plays an important role in the promotion and maintenance of arousal and alertness. Our group recently described coerulean projections to cochlear root neurons (CRNs), the first relay of the primary acoustic startle reflex (ASR) circuit. However, the role of the LC in the ASR and its modulation, prepulse inhibition (PPI), is not clear. In this study, we damaged LC neurons and fibers using a highly selective neurotoxin, DSP-4, and then assessed ASR and PPI in male and female rats. Our results showed that ASR amplitude was higher in males at 14 days after DSP-4 injection when compared to pre-administration values and those in the male control group. Such modifications in ASR amplitude did not occur in DSP-4-injected females, which exhibited ASR amplitude within the range of control values. PPI differences between males and females seen in controls were not observed in DSP-4-injected rats for any interstimulus interval tested. DSP-4 injection did not affect ASR and PPI latencies in either the male or the female groups, showing values that were consistent with the sex-related variability observed in control rats. Furthermore, we studied the noradrenergic receptor system in the cochlear nerve root using gene expression analysis. When compared to controls, DSP-4-injected males showed higher levels of expression in all adrenoceptor subtypes; however, DSP-4-injected females showed varied effects depending on the receptor type, with either up-, downregulations, or maintenance of expression levels. Lastly, we determined noradrenaline levels in CRNs and other LC-targeted areas using HPLC assays, and these results correlated with behavioral and adrenoceptor expression changes post DSP-4 injection. Our study supports the participation of LC in ASR and PPI, and contributes toward a better understanding of sex-related differences observed in somatosensory gating paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Hormigo
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
| | - Ricardo Gómez-Nieto
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Consuelo Sancho
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Javier Herrero-Turrión
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Juan Carro
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Dolores E López
- Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca (IBSAL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology and Pathology, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - José de Anchieta de Castro E Horta-Júnior
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, Univ. Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Distrito de Rubião Jr., S/N, PO.Box 510, Botucatu, SP, 18618-689, Brazil.
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45
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Filkowski MM, Olsen RM, Duda B, Wanger TJ, Sabatinelli D. Sex differences in emotional perception: Meta analysis of divergent activation. Neuroimage 2017; 147:925-933. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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46
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How age, sex and genotype shape the stress response. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 6:44-56. [PMID: 28229108 PMCID: PMC5314441 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress is a leading pre-disposing factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders as it often leads to maladaptive responses. The response to stressful events is heterogeneous, underpinning a wide spectrum of distinct changes amongst stress-exposed individuals'. Several factors can underlie a different perception to stressors and the setting of distinct coping strategies that will lead to individual differences on the susceptibility/resistance to stress. Beyond the factors related to the stressor itself, such as intensity, duration or predictability, there are factors intrinsic to the individuals that are relevant to shape the stress response, such as age, sex and genetics. In this review, we examine the contribution of such intrinsic factors to the modulation of the stress response based on experimental rodent models of response to stress and discuss to what extent that knowledge can be potentially translated to humans. Effect of age in the stress response. Effect of sex in the stress response. Effect of genotype in the stress response.
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47
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Puberty as a vulnerable period to the effects of immune challenges: Focus on sex differences. Behav Brain Res 2016; 320:374-382. [PMID: 27836584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Puberty is a critical period of development during which sexual maturity is attained. It is also a critical period for brain reorganization and it is vulnerable to exposure to certain environmental factors. Exposure to stress during this period can cause enduring neural and behavioral alterations. More specifically, exposure to an immune challenge during this period can alter reproductive as well as a number of non-reproductive behaviors and can permanently alter the brain's response to gonadal hormones. The present review examines the enduring effect of exposure to LPS and poly(I:C) during the pubertal period. Age and sex differences in acute response to LPS are discussed as possible mechanisms of vulnerability to adverse effects. Moreover, this review suggests new research directions to improve our understanding of the vulnerability of the pubertal period to immunological stressors.
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48
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Guillamon A, Junque C, Gómez-Gil E. A Review of the Status of Brain Structure Research in Transsexualism. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:1615-48. [PMID: 27255307 PMCID: PMC4987404 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0768-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The present review focuses on the brain structure of male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) homosexual transsexuals before and after cross-sex hormone treatment as shown by in vivo neuroimaging techniques. Cortical thickness and diffusion tensor imaging studies suggest that the brain of MtFs presents complex mixtures of masculine, feminine, and demasculinized regions, while FtMs show feminine, masculine, and defeminized regions. Consequently, the specific brain phenotypes proposed for MtFs and FtMs differ from those of both heterosexual males and females. These phenotypes have theoretical implications for brain intersexuality, asymmetry, and body perception in transsexuals as well as for Blanchard's hypothesis on sexual orientation in homosexual MtFs. Falling within the aegis of the neurohormonal theory of sex differences, we hypothesize that cortical differences between homosexual MtFs and FtMs and male and female controls are due to differently timed cortical thinning in different regions for each group. Cross-sex hormone studies have reported marked effects of the treatment on MtF and FtM brains. Their results are used to discuss the early postmortem histological studies of the MtF brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Guillamon
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, c/Juand del Rosal, 10, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
- Academia de Psicología de España, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Carme Junque
- Departamento de Psiquiatría y Psicobiología Clínica, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esther Gómez-Gil
- Institute of Biomedical Research August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- Unidad de Identidad de Género, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
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49
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Schulz KM, Sisk CL. The organizing actions of adolescent gonadal steroid hormones on brain and behavioral development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:148-158. [PMID: 27497718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by dramatic changes in cognition, risk-taking and social behavior. Although gonadal steroid hormones are well-known mediators of these behaviors in adulthood, the role gonadal steroid hormones play in shaping the adolescent brain and behavioral development has only come to light in recent years. Here we discuss the sex-specific impact of gonadal steroid hormones on the developing adolescent brain. Indeed, the effects of gonadal steroid hormones during adolescence on brain structure and behavioral outcomes differs markedly between the sexes. Research findings suggest that adolescence, like the perinatal period, is a sensitive period for the sex-specific effects of gonadal steroid hormones on brain and behavioral development. Furthermore, evidence from studies on male sexual behavior suggests that adolescence is part of a protracted postnatal sensitive period that begins perinatally and ends following adolescence. As such, the perinatal and peripubertal periods of brain and behavioral organization likely do not represent two discrete sensitive periods, but instead are the consequence of normative developmental timing of gonadal hormone secretions in males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalynn M Schulz
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States.
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50
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Holschneider DP, Guo Y, Mayer EA, Wang Z. Early life stress elicits visceral hyperalgesia and functional reorganization of pain circuits in adult rats. Neurobiol Stress 2016; 3:8-22. [PMID: 26751119 PMCID: PMC4700548 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a risk factor for developing functional gastrointestinal disorders, and has been proposed to be related to a central amplification of sensory input and resultant visceral hyperalgesia. We sought to characterize ELS-related changes in functional brain responses during acute noxious visceral stimulation. Neonatal rats (males/females) were exposed to limited bedding (ELS) or standard bedding (controls) on postnatal days 2–9. Age 10–11 weeks, animals were implanted with venous cannulas and transmitters for abdominal electromyography (EMG). Cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was mapped during colorectal distension (CRD) using [14C]-iodoantipyrine autoradiography, and analyzed in three-dimensionally reconstructed brains by statistical parametric mapping and functional connectivity. EMG responses to CRD were increased after ELS, with no evidence of a sex difference. ELS rats compared to controls showed a greater significant positive correlation of EMG with amygdalar rCBF. Factorial analysis revealed a significant main effect of ‘ELS’ on functional activation of nodes within the pain pathway (somatosensory, insular, cingulate and prefrontal cortices, locus coeruleus/lateral parabrachial n. [LC/LPB], periaqueductal gray, sensory thalamus), as well as in the amygdala, hippocampus and hypothalamus. In addition, ELS resulted in an increase in the number of significant functional connections (i.e. degree centrality) between regions within the pain circuit, including the amygdala, LC/LPB, insula, anterior ventral cingulate, posterior cingulate (retrosplenium), and stria terminalis, with decreases noted in the sensory thalamus and the hippocampus. Sex differences in rCBF were less broadly expressed, with significant differences noted at the level of the cortex, amygdala, dorsal hippocampus, raphe, sensory thalamus, and caudate-putamen. ELS showed a sexually dimorphic effect (‘Sex x ELS’ interaction) at the LC/LPB complex, globus pallidus, hypothalamus, raphe, septum, caudate-putamen and cerebellum. Our results suggest that ELS alters functional activation of the thalamo-cortico-amydala pathway, as well as the emotional-arousal network (amygdala, locus coeruleus), with evidence that ELS may additionally show sexually dimorphic effects on brain function. Early life stress (ELS) elicits visceral hyperalgesia in adult offspring. ELS alters functional activation of the thalamo-cortico-amydala pathway. ELS shows a sexually dimorphic effects on brain function. Functional imaging-based endpoints promise improved animal-to-human translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Holschneider
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Departments of Neurology, Cell and Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Y Guo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - E A Mayer
- Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California, United States of America; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA; Departments of Physiology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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