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Joushi S, Taherizadeh Z, Eghbalian M, Esmaeilpour K, Sheibani V. Boosting decision-making in rat models of early-life adversity with environmental enrichment and intranasal oxytocin. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107050. [PMID: 38677097 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Impaired decision-making constitutes a fundamental issue in numerous psychiatric disorders. Extensive research has established that early life adversity (ELA) increases vulnerability to psychiatric disorders later in life. ELA in human neonates is associated with changes in cognitive, emotional, as well as reward-related processing. Maternal separation (MS) is an established animal model of ELA and has been shown to be associated with decision-making deficits. On the other hand, enriched environment (EE) and intranasal oxytocin (OT) administration have been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on decision-making in humans or animals. Given these considerations, our investigation sought to explore the impact of brief exposure to EE and intranasal OT administration on the decision-making abilities of adolescent rats that had experienced MS during infancy. The experimental protocol involved subjecting rat pups to the MS regimen for 180 min per day from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 21. Then, from PND 22 to PND 34, the rats were exposed to EE and/or received intranasal OT (2 μg/μl) for seven days. The assessment of decision-making abilities, using a rat gambling task (RGT), commenced during adolescence. Our findings revealed that MS led to impaired decision-making and a decreased percentage of advantageous choices. However, exposure to brief EE or intranasal OT administration mitigated the deficits induced by MS and improved the decision-making skills of maternally-separated rats. Furthermore, combination of these treatments did not yield additional benefits. These results suggest that EE and OT may hold promise as therapeutic interventions to enhance certain aspects of cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Joushi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Zahra Taherizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mostafa Eghbalian
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
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Ritchie JL, Qi S, Soto DA, Swatzell SE, Grenz HI, Pruitt AY, Artimenia LM, Cooke SK, Berridge CW, Fuchs RA. Dorsal raphe to basolateral amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor circuit regulates cocaine-memory reconsolidation. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024:10.1038/s41386-024-01892-5. [PMID: 38802479 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01892-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Environmental stimuli elicit drug craving and relapse in cocaine users by triggering the retrieval of strong cocaine-related contextual memories. Retrieval can also destabilize drug memories, requiring reconsolidation, a protein synthesis-dependent storage process, to maintain memory strength. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is necessary for cocaine-memory reconsolidation. We have hypothesized that a critical source of CRF in the BLA is the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) based on its neurochemistry, anatomical connectivity, and requisite involvement in cocaine-memory reconsolidation. To test this hypothesis, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received adeno-associated viruses to express Gi-coupled designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) selectively in CRF neurons of the DR and injection cannulae directed at the BLA. The rats were trained to self-administer cocaine in a distinct environmental context then received extinction training in a different context. Next, they were briefly re-exposed to the cocaine-predictive context to destabilize (reactivate) cocaine memories. Intra-BLA infusions of the DREADD agonist deschloroclozapine (DCZ; 0.1 mM, 0.5 µL/hemisphere) immediately after memory reactivation attenuated cocaine-memory strength, relative to vehicle infusion. This was indicated by a selective, DCZ-induced and memory reactivation-dependent decrease in drug-seeking behavior in the cocaine-predictive context in DREADD-expressing males and females at test compared to respective controls. Notably, BLA-projecting DR CRF neurons that exhibited increased c-Fos expression during memory reconsolidation co-expressed the glutamatergic neuronal marker, vesicular glutamate transporter 3. Together, these findings suggest that the DRCRF → BLA circuit is engaged to maintain cocaine-memory strength after memory destabilization, and this phenomenon may be mediated by DR CRF and/or glutamate release in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jobe L Ritchie
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Shuyi Qi
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - David A Soto
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Sydney E Swatzell
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Hope I Grenz
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Avery Y Pruitt
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Lilia M Artimenia
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Spencer K Cooke
- Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Craig W Berridge
- Psychology Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Rita A Fuchs
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman, WA, USA.
- Washington State University Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Pullman, WA, USA.
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Faraji M, Viera-Resto OA, Berrios BJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B. Effects of systemic oxytocin receptor activation and blockade on risky decision making in female and male rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.593981. [PMID: 38798601 PMCID: PMC11118492 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.593981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin is traditionally known for its roles in parturition, lactation, and social behavior. Other data, however, show that oxytocin can modulate behaviors outside of these contexts, including drug self-administration and some aspects of cost-benefit decision making. Here we used a pharmacological approach to investigate the contributions of oxytocin signaling to decision making under risk of explicit punishment. Female and male Long-Evans rats were trained on a risky decision-making task in which they chose between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward that was accompanied by varying probabilities of mild footshock. Once stable choice behavior emerged, rats were tested in the task following acute intraperitoneal injections of oxytocin or the oxytocin receptor antagonist L-368,899. Neither drug affected task performance in males. In females, however, both oxytocin and L-368,899 caused a dose-dependent reduction in preference for large risky reward. Control experiments showed that these effects could not be accounted for by alterations in food motivation or shock sensitivity. Together, these results reveal a sex-dependent effect of oxytocin signaling on risky decision making in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojdeh Faraji
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida
| | | | | | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida
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Costa PA, Everett NA, Turner AJ, Umpierrez LS, Baracz SJ, Cornish JL. Adolescent alcohol binge drinking and withdrawal: behavioural, brain GFAP-positive astrocytes and acute methamphetamine effects in adult female rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06580-2. [PMID: 38705893 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcopop beverages are generally the first alcoholic beverage that young females drink which contain high levels of sugar and alcohol. The over-consumption of these drinks may encourage alcohol co-administration with methamphetamine (METH) impacting on drinking behaviour and glial function. AIMS The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of adolescent binge alcohol exposure on consumption level, anxiety-like behaviour, cross-sensitization with METH and on astrocyte expression in reward related brain regions. METHODS Adolescent female Sprague-Dawley rats had daily 1-hour oral alcohol consumption of alcopop (ALCP; with sucrose) or ethanol-only (ETOH; without sucrose), transitioned from 5 to 15% (v/v) ethanol content for 34 days. Water and sucrose groups act as controls. During alcohol withdrawal, rats were tested for anxiety on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and locomotor activity following saline or METH (1 mg/kg i.p) treatment. Brains were then collected to assess astrocyte immunofluorescence for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in reward-related brain regions. RESULTS Rats pretreated with 5% ALCP consumed significantly more volume and ethanol intake when compared to 5% EtOH rats. Both ALCP and EtOH groups had a higher preference ratio for 5% than 15% alcohol solutions and ALCP rats had greater ethanol intake at 15% than EtOH rats. Alcohol withdrawal showed no significant differences between groups on anxiety, METH cross-sensitization effects or GFAP intensity in the regions studied. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the addition of sucrose to alcoholic solutions encouraged female rats to consume larger volumes and greater ethanol intake compared to ethanol-only solutions, yet did not have long lasting effects on behaviour and astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila A Costa
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
| | - Nicholas A Everett
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Anita J Turner
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Laísa S Umpierrez
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Sarah J Baracz
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Cornish
- Behavioural Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia.
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Tan H, Zhou H, Chen J, Ren H, Guo Y, Jiang X. Association of early life adversity with cardiovascular disease and its potential mechanisms: a narrative review. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1341266. [PMID: 38362223 PMCID: PMC10867864 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1341266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Strong epidemiological evidence has shown that early life adversity (ELA) has a profound negative impact on health in adulthood, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. Here, we review cohort studies on the effects of ELA on cardiovascular outcomes and the possible underlying mechanisms. In addition, we summarize relevant studies in rodent models of ELA. This review reveals that the prevalence of ELA varies between regions, time periods, and sexes. ELA increases cardiovascular health risk behaviors, susceptibility to mental illnesses, and neuroendocrine and immune system dysfunction in humans. Rodent models of ELA have been developed and show similar cardiovascular outcomes to those in humans but cannot fully replicate all ELA subtypes. Therefore, combining cohort and rodent studies to further investigate the mechanisms underlying the association between ELA and cardiovascular diseases may be a feasible future research strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Tan
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiting Zhou
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingmei Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Huixia Ren
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Yi Guo
- Department of Neurology, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Department of Geriatrics, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University (Shenzhen People’s Hospital), Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Fan XY, Shi G, Zhao YP, Yang JJ, Feng J. Neuroprotective effects of oxytocin against ischemic stroke in rats by blocking glutamate release and CREB-mediated DNA hypermethylation. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 167:115520. [PMID: 37729734 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutamate plays a crucial role in cognitive impairments after ischemic stroke. There is a scarcity of information about how glutamate-induced activation of cAMP-response element binding (CREB) signaling pathway regulates both the negative and positive regulators of synaptic plasticity. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of prominent epigenetic repressors, such as MeCP2 and DNMTs, in stroke. Neuroprotective effects of oxytocin against ischemia have been previously reported, while the underlying mechanism is still elusive. In this research, the possible role of CREB-mediated DNA hypermethylation and the potential mechanism of oxytocin in a rat model of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) were assessed. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with intraperitoneal injection of oxytocin at the onset of pMCAO. The effects of oxytocin on spines and the expression levels of synaptic genes were determined. The regulatory effects of oxytocin on glutamate level, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), its downstream CREB pathway, and global or gene-specific DNA methylation status were evaluated by immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation, respectively. We found that CREB could act as a common transcription factor for MeCP2 and DNMT3B after ischemic stroke. Oxytocin dose-dependently deactivated NR2B-related CaM-CREB pathway and inhibited DNA hypermethylation at the CpG islands of Ngf gene in pMCAO-operated rats. Moreover, oxytocin prevented pMCAO-induced reduction in the number of spines and neural cells. DNA hypermethylation in Ngf gene contributed to the cognitive deficits post-stroke. The neuroprotective effects of oxytocin against ischemia could be attributed to inhibiting glutamate release, providing additional evidence on the mechanism of oxytocin against ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yu Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Guang Shi
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China; Department of Neurology, The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Yun-Peng Zhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jing-Jing Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Juan Feng
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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Winter JJ, Rodríguez-Acevedo KL, Dittrich M, Heller EA. Early life adversity: Epigenetic regulation underlying drug addiction susceptibility. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103825. [PMID: 36842544 PMCID: PMC10247461 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103825] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with more than 70,000 Americans dying from drug overdose in 2019 alone. While only a small percentage of chronic drug users escalate to drug addiction, little is understood on the precise mechanisms of this susceptibility. Early life adversity is causally relevant to adult psychiatric disease and may contribute to the risk of addiction. Here we review recent pre-clinical evidence showing that early life exposure to stress and/or drugs regulates changes in behavior, gene expression, and the epigenome that persist into adulthood. We summarize the major findings and gaps in the preclinical literature, highlighting studies that demonstrate the often profound differences between female and male subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mia Dittrich
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
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Johnston MP, Wanat MJ. Mitigating the impact of adolescence isolation on the development of social anxiety: A potential role for oxytocin. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1038236. [PMID: 36311867 PMCID: PMC9608628 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1038236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to isolation can lead to the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD), which affects 13% of Americans. There are sex differences in the prevalence of anxiety disorders, as women experience higher rates of SAD relative to men. Importantly, isolation experienced during adolescence increases the likelihood of developing SAD in adulthood. Unfortunately, the current treatments for SAD are only effective in 50–65% of patients. As such, it is critical to identify therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of SAD, particularly in women. Here, we discuss the links between childhood isolation and adulthood SAD. Next, we examine the preclinical models used to study the impact of isolation on social anxiety-like behaviors in rodents. Increasing evidence from both clinical and pre-clinical studies suggests oxytocin signaling is a potential target to modify social anxiety-like behaviors. We present the evidence that sex hormones influence the oxytocin system. Finally, we highlight future directions for both clinical and pre-clinical studies to further evaluate the efficacy of oxytocin as a treatment for isolation-induced SAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan P Johnston
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Neurosciences Institute, Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Matthew J Wanat
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Neurosciences Institute, Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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