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dos-Santos RC, Sweeten BLW, Stelly CE, Tasker JG. The Neuroendocrine Impact of Acute Stress on Synaptic Plasticity. Endocrinology 2023; 164:bqad149. [PMID: 37788632 PMCID: PMC11046011 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad149] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress induces changes in nervous system function on different signaling levels, from molecular signaling to synaptic transmission to neural circuits to behavior-and on different time scales, from rapid onset and transient to delayed and long-lasting. The principal effectors of stress plasticity are glucocorticoids, steroid hormones that act with a broad range of signaling competency due to the expression of multiple nuclear and membrane receptor subtypes in virtually every tissue of the organism. Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors are localized to each of the cellular compartments of the receptor-expressing cells-the membrane, cytosol, and nucleus. In this review, we cover the neuroendocrine effects of stress, focusing mainly on the rapid actions of acute stress-induced glucocorticoids that effect changes in synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability by modulating synaptic and intrinsic neuronal properties via activation of presumed membrane glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. We describe the synaptic plasticity that occurs in 4 stress-associated brain structures, the hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, in response to single or short-term stress exposure. The rapid transformative impact of glucocorticoids makes this stress signal a particularly potent effector of acute neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoni Conceição dos-Santos
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Brook L W Sweeten
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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2
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Craig CF, Filippone RT, Stavely R, Bornstein JC, Apostolopoulos V, Nurgali K. Neuroinflammation as an etiological trigger for depression comorbid with inflammatory bowel disease. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:4. [PMID: 34983592 PMCID: PMC8729103 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02354-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from depression at higher rates than the general population. An etiological trigger of depressive symptoms is theorised to be inflammation within the central nervous system. It is believed that heightened intestinal inflammation and dysfunction of the enteric nervous system (ENS) contribute to impaired intestinal permeability, which facilitates the translocation of intestinal enterotoxins into the blood circulation. Consequently, these may compromise the immunological and physiological functioning of distant non-intestinal tissues such as the brain. In vivo models of colitis provide evidence of increased blood–brain barrier permeability and enhanced central nervous system (CNS) immune activity triggered by intestinal enterotoxins and blood-borne inflammatory mediators. Understanding the immunological, physiological, and structural changes associated with IBD and neuroinflammation may aid in the development of more tailored and suitable pharmaceutical treatment for IBD-associated depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin F Craig
- Institute for Heath and Sport, Victoria University, Western Centre for Health, Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhiannon T Filippone
- Institute for Heath and Sport, Victoria University, Western Centre for Health, Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rhian Stavely
- Institute for Heath and Sport, Victoria University, Western Centre for Health, Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Surgery Research Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Joel C Bornstein
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Vasso Apostolopoulos
- Institute for Heath and Sport, Victoria University, Western Centre for Health, Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Immunology Program, Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kulmira Nurgali
- Institute for Heath and Sport, Victoria University, Western Centre for Health, Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Department of Medicine Western Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Program, Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Level 4 Research Labs, Western Centre for Health Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, 176 Furlong Road, St Albans, VIC, 3021, Australia.
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3
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Cabeza L, Ramadan B, Cramoisy S, Houdayer C, Haffen E, Risold PY, Fellmann D, Peterschmitt Y. Chronic Distress in Male Mice Impairs Motivation Compromising Both Effort and Reward Processing With Altered Anterior Insular Cortex and Basolateral Amygdala Neural Activation. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:717701. [PMID: 34588963 PMCID: PMC8475760 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.717701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans and mammals, effort-based decision-making for monetary or food rewards paradigms contributes to the study of adaptive goal-directed behaviours acquired through reinforcement learning. Chronic distress modelled by repeated exposure to glucocorticoids in rodents induces suboptimal decision-making under uncertainty by impinging on instrumental acquisition and prompting negative valence behaviours. In order to further disentangle the motivational tenets of adaptive decision-making, this study addressed the consequences of enduring distress on relevant effort and reward-processing dimensions. Experimentally, appetitive and consummatory components of motivation were evaluated in adult C57BL/6JRj male mice experiencing chronic distress induced by oral corticosterone (CORT), using multiple complementary discrete behavioural tests. Behavioural data (from novelty suppressed feeding, operant effort-based choice, free feeding, and sucrose preference tasks) collectively show that behavioural initiation, effort allocation, and hedonic appreciation and valuation are altered in mice exposed to several weeks of oral CORT treatment. Additionally, data analysis from FosB immunohistochemical processing of postmortem brain samples highlights CORT-dependent dampening of neural activation in the anterior insular cortex (aIC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA), key telencephalic brain regions involved in appetitive and consummatory motivational processing. Combined, these results suggest that chronic distress-induced irregular aIC and BLA neural activations with reduced effort production and attenuated reward value processing during reinforcement-based instrumental learning could result in maladaptive decision-making under uncertainty. The current study further illustrates how effort and reward processing contribute to adjust the motivational threshold triggering goal-directed behaviours in versatile environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Cabeza
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Bahrie Ramadan
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Stephanie Cramoisy
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Christophe Houdayer
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Emmanuel Haffen
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Clinical Psychiatry, Hôpital Universitaire CHRU, Besançon, France.,CIC-INSERM-1431, Hôpital Universitaire CHRU, Besançon, France
| | - Pierre-Yves Risold
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Dominique Fellmann
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Yvan Peterschmitt
- Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive, Université de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
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4
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Lidhar NK, Darvish-Ghane S, Sivaselvachandran S, Khan S, Wasif F, Turner H, Sivaselvachandran M, Fournier NM, Martin LJ. Prelimbic cortex glucocorticoid receptors regulate the stress-mediated inhibition of pain contagion in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1183-1193. [PMID: 33223518 PMCID: PMC8115346 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Experiencing pain with a familiar individual can enhance one's own pain sensitivity, a process known as pain contagion. When experiencing pain with an unfamiliar individual, pain contagion is suppressed in males by activating the endocrine stress response. Here, we coupled a histological investigation with pharmacological and behavioral experiments to identify enhanced glucocorticoid receptor activity in the prelimbic subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex as a candidate mechanism for suppressing pain contagion in stranger mice. Acute inhibition of glucocorticoid receptors in the prelimbic cortex was sufficient to elicit pain contagion in strangers, while their activation prevented pain contagion in cagemate dyads. Slice physiology recordings revealed enhanced excitatory transmission in stranger mice, an effect that was reversed by pre-treating mice with the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Following removal from dyadic testing, stranger mice displayed enhanced affective-motivational pain behaviors when placed on an inescapable thermal stimulus, which were reversed by metyrapone. Together, our data suggest that the prelimbic cortex may play an integral role in modulating pain behavior within a social context and provide novel evidence towards the neural mechanism underlying the prevention of pain contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navdeep K. Lidhar
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Soroush Darvish-Ghane
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
| | - Sivaani Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Sana Khan
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Fatima Wasif
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Holly Turner
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Meruba Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Neil M. Fournier
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Loren J. Martin
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
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5
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Effects of corticosterone within the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus on food intake and body weight in male rats. Mol Metab 2020; 36:100972. [PMID: 32229097 PMCID: PMC7132090 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Obesity is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Few weight-reducing medications are available, and these have limited efficacy. Cushing's Syndrome (caused by elevated glucocorticoid levels) and obesity have similar metabolic features. Though circulating glucocorticoid levels are not elevated in obesity, tissue-specific glucocorticoid levels have been implicated in the development of the metabolic phenotype of obesity. Tissue glucocorticoid levels are regulated by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type1 (11βHSD1), which increases the local concentration of active glucocorticoids by the production of corticosterone from 11-dehydrocorticosterone. 11βHSD1 is expressed in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC), a major weight and appetite-regulating centre, and therefore represents a target for novel anti-obesity therapeutic agents. Thus, we sought to investigate the effect of chronic alterations of ARC corticosterone levels (mediated by 11βHSD1) on food intake and body weight in adult male rats. METHODS Recombinant adeno-associated virus particles bearing sense 11βHSD1 (rAAV-S11βHSD1) and small interfering 11βHSD1 (rAAV-si11βHSD1), respectively, were stereotactically injected into the ARC (bilaterally) of adult male Wistar rats. rAAV-GFP was injected into control groups of male Wistar rats. Food intake and body weight were measured three times a week for 70 days. Terminal brain, plasma and intrascapular brown adipose tissue (iBAT) samples were taken for measurement of mRNA expression and hormone levels. RESULTS Compared to controls, rAAV-S11βHSD1 injection resulted in higher ARC corticosterone levels, hyperphagia and increased weight gain. Conversely, rAAV-si11βHSD1 injection (compared to controls) resulted in lower ARC corticosterone levels, higher iBAT uncoupling protein-1 mRNA expression and less weight gain despite similar food intake. CONCLUSIONS Therefore ARC corticosterone, regulated by 11βHSD1, may play a role in food intake and body weight regulation. These data have important implications for the development of centrally-acting 11βHSD1 inhibitors, which are currently being developed for the treatment of obesity, metabolic disorders, and other conditions.
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6
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Stress reactivity after traumatic brain injury: implications for comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 30:115-121. [PMID: 30640181 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Most people have or will experience traumatic stress at some time over the lifespan, but only a subset of traumatized individuals develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Clinical research supports high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-PTSD comorbidity and demonstrates TBI as a significant predictor of the development of PTSD. Biological factors impacted following brain injury that may contribute to increased PTSD risk are unknown. Heightened stress reactivity and dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function are common to both TBI and PTSD, and affect amygdalar structure and function, which is implicated in PTSD. In this review, we summarize a growing body of literature that shows HPA axis dysregulation, as well as enhanced fear and amygdalar function after TBI. We present the hypothesis that altered stress reactivity as a result of brain injury impacts the amygdala and defense systems to be vulnerable to increased fear and PTSD development from traumatic stress. Identifying biological mechanisms that underlie this vulnerability, such as dysregulated HPA axis function, may lead to better targeted treatments and preventive measures to support psychological health after TBI.
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7
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McKlveen JM, Moloney RD, Scheimann JR, Myers B, Herman JP. "Braking" the Prefrontal Cortex: The Role of Glucocorticoids and Interneurons in Stress Adaptation and Pathology. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:669-681. [PMID: 31326084 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) receives information regarding stimuli and appropriately orchestrates neurophysiological, autonomic, and behavioral responses to stress. The cellular and neurochemical heterogeneity of the mPFC and its projections are key to fine-tuning of stress responses and adaptation. Output of the mPFC is mediated by glutamatergic pyramidal neurons whose activity is coordinated by an intricate network of interneurons. Excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in the mPFC is critical for appropriate responsiveness to stress, and E/I imbalance occurs in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders that co-occur with chronic stress. Moreover, there is mounting data suggesting that chronic stress may precipitate E/I imbalance. This review will provide information regarding the cellular and anatomical makeup of the mPFC and discuss the impact of acute and chronic stress in adulthood and early life on interneuron function, with implications for E/I balance affecting functional connectivity. Specifically, the review will highlight the importance of interneuron type, connectivity, and location (both layer- and subregion-specific). The discussion of local mPFC networks will focus on stress context, including stressor duration (acute vs. chronic) and timing (early life vs. adulthood), as these factors have significant implications for the interpretation of experiments and mPFC E/I balance. Indeed, interneurons appear to play a prominent role in prefrontal adaptation, and a better understanding of the interactions between stress and interneuron function may yield insight to the transition from adaptation to pathology. Ultimately, determining the mechanisms mediating adaptive versus pathologic plasticity will promote the development of novel treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders related to prefrontal E/I imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M McKlveen
- National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Rachel D Moloney
- Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Jessie R Scheimann
- Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Brent Myers
- Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - James P Herman
- Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
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8
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Fogaça MV, Duman RS. Cortical GABAergic Dysfunction in Stress and Depression: New Insights for Therapeutic Interventions. Front Cell Neurosci 2019. [PMID: 30914923 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00087/full] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness characterized by neuroanatomical and functional alterations in limbic structures, notably the prefrontal cortex (PFC), that can be precipitated by exposure to chronic stress. For decades, the monoaminergic deficit hypothesis of depression provided the conceptual framework to understand the pathophysiology of MDD. However, accumulating evidence suggests that MDD and chronic stress are associated with an imbalance of excitation-inhibition (E:I) within the PFC, generated by a deficit of inhibitory synaptic transmission onto principal glutamatergic neurons. MDD patients and chronically stressed animals show a reduction in GABA and GAD67 levels in the brain, decreased expression of GABAergic interneuron markers, and alterations in GABAA and GABAB receptor levels. Moreover, genetically modified animals with deletion of specific GABA receptors subunits or interneuron function show depressive-like behaviors. Here, we provide further evidence supporting the role of cortical GABAergic interneurons, mainly somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing cells, required for the optimal E:I balance in the PFC and discuss how the malfunction of these cells can result in depression-related behaviors. Finally, considering the relatively low efficacy of current available medications, we review new fast-acting pharmacological approaches that target the GABAergic system to treat MDD. We conclude that deficits in cortical inhibitory neurotransmission and interneuron function resulting from chronic stress exposure can compromise the integrity of neurocircuits and result in the development of MDD and other stress-related disorders. Drugs that can establish a new E:I balance in the PFC by targeting the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems show promising as fast-acting antidepressants and represent breakthrough strategies for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela V Fogaça
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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9
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Fogaça MV, Duman RS. Cortical GABAergic Dysfunction in Stress and Depression: New Insights for Therapeutic Interventions. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:87. [PMID: 30914923 PMCID: PMC6422907 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating illness characterized by neuroanatomical and functional alterations in limbic structures, notably the prefrontal cortex (PFC), that can be precipitated by exposure to chronic stress. For decades, the monoaminergic deficit hypothesis of depression provided the conceptual framework to understand the pathophysiology of MDD. However, accumulating evidence suggests that MDD and chronic stress are associated with an imbalance of excitation-inhibition (E:I) within the PFC, generated by a deficit of inhibitory synaptic transmission onto principal glutamatergic neurons. MDD patients and chronically stressed animals show a reduction in GABA and GAD67 levels in the brain, decreased expression of GABAergic interneuron markers, and alterations in GABAA and GABAB receptor levels. Moreover, genetically modified animals with deletion of specific GABA receptors subunits or interneuron function show depressive-like behaviors. Here, we provide further evidence supporting the role of cortical GABAergic interneurons, mainly somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing cells, required for the optimal E:I balance in the PFC and discuss how the malfunction of these cells can result in depression-related behaviors. Finally, considering the relatively low efficacy of current available medications, we review new fast-acting pharmacological approaches that target the GABAergic system to treat MDD. We conclude that deficits in cortical inhibitory neurotransmission and interneuron function resulting from chronic stress exposure can compromise the integrity of neurocircuits and result in the development of MDD and other stress-related disorders. Drugs that can establish a new E:I balance in the PFC by targeting the glutamatergic and GABAergic systems show promising as fast-acting antidepressants and represent breakthrough strategies for the treatment of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoela V Fogaça
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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10
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Prefrontal-Bed Nucleus Circuit Modulation of a Passive Coping Response Set. J Neurosci 2018; 39:1405-1419. [PMID: 30573644 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1421-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the challenges facing neuroscience entails localization of circuits and mechanisms accounting for how multiple features of stress responses are organized to promote survival during adverse experiences. The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is generally regarded as a key site for cognitive and affective information processing, and the anteroventral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (avBST) integrates homeostatic information from a variety of sources, including the mPFC. Thus, we proposed that the mPFC is capable of generating multiple features (endocrine, behavioral) of adaptive responses via its influence over the avBST. To address this possibility, we first optogenetically inhibited input to avBST from the rostral prelimbic cortical region of mPFC and observed concurrent increases in immobility and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) output in male rats during tail suspension, whereas photostimulation of this pathway decreased immobility during the same challenge. Anatomical tracing experiments confirmed projections from the rostral prelimbic subfield to separate populations of avBST neurons, and from these to HPA effector neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and to aspects of the midbrain periaqueductal gray that coordinate passive defensive behaviors. Finally, stimulation and inhibition of the prelimbic-avBST pathway, respectively, decreased and increased passive coping in the shock-probe defensive burying test, without having any direct effect on active coping (burying) behavior. These results define a new neural substrate in the coordination of a response set that involves the gating of passive, rather than active, coping behaviors while restraining neuroendocrine activation to optimize adaptation during threat exposure.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The circuits and mechanisms accounting for how multiple features of responses are organized to promote adaptation have yet to be elucidated. Our report identifies a prefrontal-bed nucleus pathway that organizes a response set capable of gating passive coping behaviors while concurrently restraining neuroendocrine activation during exposure to inescapable stressors. These data provide insight into the central organization of how multiple features of responses are integrated to promote adaptation during adverse experiences, and how disruption in one neural pathway may underlie a broad array of maladaptive responses in stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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11
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Dingess PM, Thakar A, Zhang Z, Flynn FW, Brown TE. High-Salt Exposure During Perinatal Development Enhances Stress Sensitivity. Dev Neurobiol 2018; 78:1131-1145. [PMID: 30136369 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Excess consumption of dietary sodium during pregnancy has been shown to impair offspring cardiovascular function and enhance salt preference in adulthood, but little is known regarding the long-term impact of this nutritional surplus on offspring brain morphology and behavior. Using a combination of cellular and behavioral approaches, we examined the impact of maternal salt intake during the perinatal period on structural plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) in weanling and adult offspring as well as reward- and stress-driven behaviors in adult offspring. We found that weanling rats born to 4% NaCl-fed dams exhibited an increase and decrease in thin spine density in the infralimbic PFC (IL-PFC) and prelimbic PFC (PL-PFC), respectively, as well as an increase in mushroom spine density in the NAc shell, compared to 1% NaCl-fed controls. Structural changes in the IL-PFC and NAc shell persisted into adulthood, the latter of which is a phenotype that has been observed in rats exposed to early life stress. There was no effect of maternal salt intake on reward-driven behaviors, including sucrose preference, conditioned place preference (CPP) for cocaine, and forced swim stress (FSS)-induced reinstatement of cocaine-induced CPP. However, rats born to high-salt fed dams spent less time swimming in the FSS and displayed heightened plasma CORT levels in response to the FSS compared to controls, suggesting that early salt exposure increases stress sensitivity. Overall, our results suggest that perinatal salt exposure evokes lasting impacts on offspring physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige M Dingess
- Neuroscience Program, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Amit Thakar
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Zhaojie Zhang
- Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Francis W Flynn
- Neuroscience Program, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.,Department of Zoology & Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Travis E Brown
- Neuroscience Program, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming.,School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
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12
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Qiu ZK, He JL, Liu X, Zeng J, Xiao W, Fan QH, Chai XM, Ye WH, Chen JS. Anxiolytic-like effects of paeoniflorin in an animal model of post traumatic stress disorder. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:1175-1185. [PMID: 29633071 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-018-0216-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the serious psychiatric disorder. Paeoniflorin (PF) produces the antidepressant-like properties. However, few studies are concerned about its anti-PTSD-like effects and mechanisms. To investigate these, the single prolonged stress (SPS) model was utilized. PTSD-like behavioral deficits in rats after exposure to SPS were improved by PF (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.), evidenced by blocking increased freezing time in contextual fear paradigm (CFP) and increased time and entries in open arms in elevated plus maze (EPM) test without affecting the locomotor activity in open field (OF) test. We also found that increased levels of corticosterone (Cort), corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) after exposure to SPS were reversed by PF (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) in serum, respectively. Moreover, the decreased levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were reversed by PF (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p.), respectively. In summary, the anti-PTSD-like activities of PF were associated with the modulation of HPA axis and 5-HT system activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Kun Qiu
- Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Li He
- Department of Endocrinology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Liu
- Pharmacy Department, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing, 100039, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Zeng
- Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-Hong Fan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Meng Chai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pharmacodynamic Constituents of TCM and New Drugs Research, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Hai Ye
- The Affiliated Chencun Hospital of Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, 528313, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ji-Sheng Chen
- Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
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13
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Anteroventral bed nuclei of the stria terminalis neurocircuitry: Towards an integration of HPA axis modulation with coping behaviors - Curt Richter Award Paper 2017. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 89:239-249. [PMID: 29395488 PMCID: PMC5878723 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A network of interconnected cell groups in the limbic forebrain regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation and behavioral responses to emotionally stressful experiences, and chronic disruption of these systems chronically is implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric illnesses. A significant challenge has been to unravel the circuitry and mechanisms providing for regulation of HPA activity, as these limbic forebrain regions do not provide any direct innervation of HPA effector cell groups in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH). Moreover, information regarding how endocrine and behavioral responses are integrated has remained obscure. Here we summarize work from our laboratory showing that anteroventral (av) bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) acts as a point of convergence between the limbic forebrain and PVH, receiving and coordinating upstream influences, and restraining HPA axis output in response to inescapable stressors. Recent studies highlight a more expansive modulatory role for avBST as one that coordinates HPA-inhibitory influences while concurrently suppressing passive behavioral responses via divergent pathways. avBST is uniquely positioned to convey endocrine and behavioral alterations resulting from chronic stress exposure, such as HPA axis hyperactivity and increased passive coping strategies, that may result from synaptic reorganization in upstream limbic cortical regions. We discuss how these studies give new insights into understanding the systems-level organization of stress response circuitry, the neurobiology of coping styles, and BST circuit dysfunction in stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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14
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Lackner CL, Santesso DL, Dywan J, O'Leary DD, Wade TJ, Segalowitz SJ. Adverse childhood experiences are associated with self-regulation and the magnitude of the error-related negativity difference. Biol Psychol 2018; 132:244-251. [PMID: 29309827 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trauma and stress, like that which occurs as a result of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can change brain structure and function, especially in medial prefrontal and hippocampal areas, and can impact self-regulatory skill. The error-related negativity (ERN) is a medial frontal negative event-related potential (ERP) component that is more negative when a participant makes an erroneous versus correct response. We investigated the association of ACEs to adolescents' ERN and self-regulation. Forty-three 12-15 year olds performed a flanker task while EEG data were recorded. We found an interaction between trial type (correct vs incorrect) and group (low, medium and high trauma groups) on the ERN. The high-trauma group showed a larger Error-Correct difference than the low- and medium-trauma groups. This appeared as trend correlations between overall trauma exposure as a continuous variable and ERN-related variables. Trauma exposure was associated with reduced self-regulatory capacity, and accounting for self-regulation decreased the associations between trauma and the ERN, suggestive of a protective effect for self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Lackner
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada.
| | - Diane L Santesso
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Jane Dywan
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Deborah D O'Leary
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Terrance J Wade
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Sidney J Segalowitz
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
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15
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Somkuwar SS, Vendruscolo LF, Fannon MJ, Schmeichel B, Nguyen TB, Guevara J, Sidhu H, Contet C, Zorrilla EP, Mandyam CD. Abstinence from prolonged ethanol exposure affects plasma corticosterone, glucocorticoid receptor signaling and stress-related behaviors. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 84. [PMID: 28647675 PMCID: PMC5557646 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is linked to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we investigated effects of repeated ethanol intoxication-withdrawal cycles (using chronic intermittent ethanol vapor inhalation; CIE) and abstinence from CIE on peak and nadir plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels. Irritability- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were assessed at various intervals (2h-28d) after cessation of CIE. Results show that peak CORT increased during CIE, transiently decreased during early abstinence (1-11d), and returned to pre-abstinence levels during protracted abstinence (17-27d). Acute withdrawal from CIE enhanced aggression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Early abstinence from CIE reduced anxiety-like behavior. mPFC-GR signaling (indexed by relative phosphorylation of GR at Ser211) was transiently decreased when measured at time points during early and protracted abstinence. Further, voluntary ethanol drinking in CIE (CIE-ED) and CIE-naïve (ED) rats, and effects of CIE-ED and ED on peak CORT levels and mPFC-GR were investigated during acute withdrawal (8h) and protracted abstinence (28d). CIE-ED and ED increased peak CORT during drinking. CIE-ED and ED decreased expression and signaling of mPFC-GR during acute withdrawal, an effect that was reversed by systemic mifepristone treatment. CIE-ED and ED demonstrate robust reinstatement of ethanol seeking during protracted abstinence and show increases in mPFC-GR expression. Collectively, the data demonstrate that acute withdrawal from CIE produces robust alterations in GR signaling, CORT and negative affect symptoms which could facilitate excessive drinking. The findings also show that CIE-ED and ED demonstrate enhanced relapse vulnerability triggered by ethanol cues and these changes are partially mediated by altered GR expression in the mPFC. Taken together, transition to alcohol dependence could be accompanied by alterations in mPFC stress-related pathways that may increase negative emotional symptoms and increase vulnerability to relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Brooke Schmeichel
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tran Bao Nguyen
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Harpreet Sidhu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Candice Contet
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Chitra D. Mandyam
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA,Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, CA, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA,Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
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16
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Andreoli M, Marketkar T, Dimitrov E. Contribution of amygdala CRF neurons to chronic pain. Exp Neurol 2017; 298:1-12. [PMID: 28830762 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the role of amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the perturbations of descending pain inhibition caused by neuropathic pain. Forced swim increased the tail-flick response latency in uninjured mice, a phenomenon known as stress-induced analgesia (SIA) but did not change the tail-flick response latency in mice with neuropathic pain caused by sciatic nerve constriction. Neuropathic pain also increased the expression of CRF in the central amygdala (CeAmy) and ΔFosB in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Next, we injected the CeAmy of CRF-cre mice with cre activated AAV-DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) vectors. Activation of CRF neurons by DREADD/Gq did not affect the impaired SIA but inhibition of CRF neurons by DREADD/Gi restored SIA and decreased allodynia in mice with neuropathic pain. The possible downstream circuitry involved in the regulation of SIA was investigated by combined injections of retrograde cre-virus (CAV2-cre) into the locus ceruleus (LC) and cre activated AAV-diphtheria toxin (AAV-FLEX-DTX) virus into the CeAmy. The viral injections were followed by a sciatic nerve constriction ipsilateral or contralateral to the injections. Ablation of amygdala projections to the LC on the side of injury but not on the opposite side, completely restored SIA, decreased allodynia and decreased ΔFosB expression in the spinal cord in mice with neuropathic pain. The possible lateralization of SIA impairment to the side of injury was confirmed by an experiment in which unilateral inhibition of the LC decreased SIA even in uninjured mice. The current view in the field of pain research attributes the process of pain chronification to abnormal functioning of descending pain inhibition. Our results demonstrate that the continuous activity of CRF neurons brought about by persistent pain leads to impaired SIA, which is a symptom of dysregulation of descending pain inhibition. Therefore, an over-activation of amygdala CRF neurons is very likely an important contributing factor for pain chronification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Andreoli
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
| | - Tanvi Marketkar
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
| | - Eugene Dimitrov
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, Unites States.
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Kawabe K. Effects of chronic forced-swim stress on behavioral properties in rats with neonatal repeated MK-801 treatment. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017. [PMID: 28647564 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The two-hit hypothesis has been used to explain the onset mechanism of schizophrenia. It assumes that predisposition to schizophrenia is originally attributed to vulnerability in the brain which stems from genetic or early developmental factors, and that onset is triggered by exposure to later detrimental factors such as stress in adolescence or adulthood. Based on this hypothesis, the present study examined whether rats that had received neonatal repeated treatment with an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist (MK-801), an animal model of schizophrenia, were vulnerable to chronic stress. Rats were treated with MK-801 (0.2mg/kg) or saline twice daily on postnatal days 7-20, and animals in the stress subgroups were subjected to 20days (5days/week×4weeks) of forced-swim stress in adulthood. Following this, behavioral tests (prepulse inhibition, spontaneous alternation, open-field, and forced-swim tests) were carried out. The results indicate that neonatal repeated MK-801 treatment in rats inhibits an increase in immobility in the forced-swim test after they have experienced chronic forced-swim stress. This suggests that rats that have undergone chronic neonatal repeated NMDA receptor blockade could have a reduced ability to habituate or adapt to a stressful situation, and supports the hypothesis that these rats are sensitive or vulnerable to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouichi Kawabe
- Graduate School of Literature and Human Sciences, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan.
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18
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Chen C, Nakagawa S, An Y, Ito K, Kitaichi Y, Kusumi I. The exercise-glucocorticoid paradox: How exercise is beneficial to cognition, mood, and the brain while increasing glucocorticoid levels. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:83-102. [PMID: 27956050 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Exercise is known to have beneficial effects on cognition, mood, and the brain. However, exercise also activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and increases levels of the glucocorticoid cortisol (CORT). CORT, also known as the "stress hormone," is considered a mediator between chronic stress and depression and to link various cognitive deficits. Here, we review the evidence that shows that while both chronic stress and exercise elevate basal CORT levels leading to increased secretion of CORT, the former is detrimental to cognition/memory, mood/stress coping, and brain plasticity, while the latter is beneficial. We propose three preliminary answers to the exercise-CORT paradox. Importantly, the elevated CORT, through glucocorticoid receptors, functions to elevate dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex under chronic exercise but not chronic stress, and the medial prefrontal dopamine is essential for active coping. Future inquiries may provide further insights to promote our understanding of this paradox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Shin Nakagawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
| | - Yan An
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Koki Ito
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Yuji Kitaichi
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Ichiro Kusumi
- Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
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19
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Spencer RL, Deak T. A users guide to HPA axis research. Physiol Behav 2016; 178:43-65. [PMID: 27871862 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoid hormones (cortisol and corticosterone - CORT) are the effector hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis neuroendocrine system. CORT is a systemic intercellular signal whose level predictably varies with time of day and dynamically increases with environmental and psychological stressors. This hormonal signal is utilized by virtually every cell and physiological system of the body to optimize performance according to circadian, environmental and physiological demands. Disturbances in normal HPA axis activity profiles are associated with a wide variety of physiological and mental health disorders. Despite numerous studies to date that have identified molecular, cellular and systems-level glucocorticoid actions, new glucocorticoid actions and clinical status associations continue to be revealed at a brisk pace in the scientific literature. However, the breadth of investigators working in this area poses distinct challenges in ensuring common practices across investigators, and a full appreciation for the complexity of a system that is often reduced to a single dependent measure. This Users Guide is intended to provide a fundamental overview of conceptual, technical and practical knowledge that will assist individuals who engage in and evaluate HPA axis research. We begin with examination of the anatomical and hormonal components of the HPA axis and their physiological range of operation. We then examine strategies and best practices for systematic manipulation and accurate measurement of HPA axis activity. We feature use of experimental methods that will assist with better understanding of CORT's physiological actions, especially as those actions impact subsequent brain function. This research approach is instrumental for determining the mechanisms by which alterations of HPA axis function may contribute to pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Spencer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Terrence Deak
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
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20
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The role of medial prefrontal corticosterone and dopamine in the antidepressant-like effect of exercise. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 69:1-9. [PMID: 27003115 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite the well-documented beneficial effect of exercise on stress coping and depression treatment, its underlying neurobiological mechanism remains unclear. This is further complicated by a 'side effect' of exercise: it increases basal glucocorticoid (CORT), the stress hormone, which has been shown to be a mediator linking stress to depressive disorders. Here we show that three weeks of voluntary wheel running reduced rats' immobility in the forced swim test (FST), an antidepressant-like effect. Monitoring extracellular fluids in the medial prefrontal cortex PFC (mPFC) using microdialysis we found that, wheel running was associated with higher baseline CORT, but lower FST-responsive CORT. Further, wheel running resulted in a higher dopamine (DA) both at baseline and following FST. Interestingly, the antidepressant-like effect of wheel running was completely abolished by intra-mPFC pre-microinjection of a D2R (haloperidol) but not D1R (SCH23390) antagonist, at a dose that does not affect normal rats' performance in the FST. It suggests that exercise exerts antidepressant-like effect through upregulated DA and in a D2R dependent way in the mPFC. Importantly, the antidepressant-like effect of wheel running was also abolished by intra-mPFC pre-microinjection of a GR antagonist (RU486). Finally, intra-mPFC pre-microinjection of RU486 also downregulated the originally elevated basal and FST-responsive DA in the mPFC of exercise rats. These results suggest a causal pathway linking CORT, GR, DA, and D2R, to the antidepressant-like effect of exercise. In conclusion, exercise achieves antidepressant-like effect through the CORT-GR-DA-D2R pathway and that the increased basal CORT by exercise itself may be beneficial rather than detrimental.
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21
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Holubova K, Kleteckova L, Skurlova M, Ricny J, Stuchlik A, Vales K. Rapamycin blocks the antidepressant effect of ketamine in task-dependent manner. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:2077-2097. [PMID: 27004790 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to test whether ketamine produces an antidepressant effect in animal model of olfactory bulbectomy and assess the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in ketamine's antidepressant effect. METHODS Bulbectomized (OBX) rats and sham controls were assigned to four subgroups according to the treatment they received (ketamine, saline, ketamine + rapamycin, and saline + rapamycin). The animals were subjected to open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), passive avoidance (PA), Morris water maze (MWM), and Carousel maze (CM) tests. Blood samples were collected before and after drug administration for analysis of phosphorylated mTOR level. After behavioral testing, brains were removed for evaluation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. RESULTS Ketamine normalized hyperactivity of OBX animals in EPM and increased the time spent in open arms. Rapamycin pretreatment resulted in elimination of ketamine effect in EPM test. In CM test, ketamine + rapamycin administration led to cognitive impairment not observed in saline-, ketamine-, or saline + rapamycin-treated OBX rats. Prefrontal BDNF content was significantly decreased, and level of mTOR was significantly elevated in OBX groups. CONCLUSIONS OBX animals significantly differed from sham controls in most of the tests used. Treatment had more profound effect on OBX phenotype than controls. Pretreatment with rapamycin eliminated the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of ketamine in task-dependent manner. The results indicate that ketamine + rapamycin application resulted in impaired stress responses manifested by cognitive deficits in active place avoidance (CM) test. Intensity of stressor (mild vs. severe) used in the behavioral tests had opposite effect on controls and on OBX animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Holubova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Kleteckova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Skurlova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ricny
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Stuchlik
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Vales
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic. .,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic.
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22
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McKlveen JM, Myers B, Herman JP. The medial prefrontal cortex: coordinator of autonomic, neuroendocrine and behavioural responses to stress. J Neuroendocrinol 2015; 27:446-56. [PMID: 25737097 PMCID: PMC4580281 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Responding to real or potential threats in the environment requires the coordination of autonomic, neuroendocrine and behavioural processes to promote adaptation and survival. These diverging systems necessitate input from the limbic forebrain to integrate and modulate functional output in accordance with contextual demand. In the present review, we discuss the potential role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as a coordinator of behavioural and physiological stress responses across multiple temporal and contextual domains. Furthermore, we highlight converging evidence from rodent and human research indicating the necessity of the mPFC for modulating physiological energetic systems to mobilise or limit energetic resources as needed to ultimately promote behavioural adaptation in the face of stress. We review the literature indicating that glucocorticoids act as one of the primary messengers in the reallocation of energetic resources having profound effects locally within the mPFC, as well as shaping how the mPFC acts within a network of brain structures to modulate responses to stress. Finally, we discuss how both rodent and human studies point toward a critical role of the mPFC in the coordination of anticipatory responses to stress and why this distinction is an important one to make in stress neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. McKlveen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45237, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45237, USA
| | - James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45237, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
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23
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Models and mechanisms for hippocampal dysfunction in obesity and diabetes. Neuroscience 2015; 309:125-39. [PMID: 25934036 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that obesity and Type 2 (insulin-resistant) diabetes impair the structural integrity of medial temporal lobe regions involved in memory and confer greater vulnerability to neurological insults. While eliminating obesity and its endocrine comorbidities would be the most straightforward way to minimize cognitive risk, structural barriers to physical activity and the widespread availability of calorically dense, highly palatable foods will likely necessitate additional strategies to maintain brain health over the lifespan. Research in rodents has identified numerous correlates of hippocampal functional impairment in obesity and diabetes, with several studies demonstrating causality in subsequent mechanistic studies. This review highlights recent work on pathways and cell-cell interactions underlying the synaptic consequences of obesity, diabetes, or in models with both pathological conditions. Although the mechanisms vary across different animal models, immune activation has emerged as a shared feature of obesity and diabetes, with synergistic exacerbation of neuroinflammation in model systems with both conditions. This review discusses these findings with reference to the benefits of incorporating existing models from the fields of obesity and metabolic disease. Many transgenic lines with basal metabolic alterations or differential susceptibility to diet-induced obesity have yet to be characterized with respect to their cognitive and synaptic phenotype. Adopting these models, and building on the extensive knowledge base used to generate them, is a promising avenue for understanding interactions between peripheral disease states and neurodegenerative disorders.
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24
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DeBerry JJ, Robbins MT, Ness TJ. The amygdala central nucleus is required for acute stress-induced bladder hyperalgesia in a rat visceral pain model. Brain Res 2015; 1606:77-85. [PMID: 25698616 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic visceral pain conditions, such as interstitial cystitis (IC), and bouts of acute stress exacerbate clinical urological pain. Studies using animal models have shown that exposure to chronic footshock stress augments reflex responses to urinary bladder distension (UBD) in animal models, however acute effects in animal models are largely unknown, as are the central nervous system mechanisms of stress-related increases in nociception. The amygdala is a salient structure for integration of sensory and cognitive/emotional factors. The present study determined the role of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in stress-related bladder hypersensitivity. We examined the effects of CeA manipulations (lesions and chemical stimulation) on visceromotor responses (abdominal muscle contractions) to UBD in adult, female Sprague-Dawley rats. We report that acute footshock stress produces bladder hyperalgesia that can be prevented by bilateral CeA lesions, despite no effect of lesions on baseline somatic sensation, as indicated by flinch/jump thresholds to electrical shock. Further, acute glucocorticoid stimulation of the CeA recapitulated stress-induced hyperalgesia. Of note is that CeA lesions, but not chemical stimulation, significantly affected HPA axis activation, as indicated by measurements of circulating corticosterone. Our findings conclusively show that the CeA is necessary for the generation of bladder hyperalgesia in response to acute stress. The CeA may play multiple stress-related roles in nociceptive modulation, i.e., via direct facilitation of the HPA axis during acute stress, or via modulation of other systems that augment acute stress responsiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J DeBerry
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Meredith T Robbins
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Timothy J Ness
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
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Luscher B, Fuchs T. GABAergic control of depression-related brain states. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2015; 73:97-144. [PMID: 25637439 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The GABAergic deficit hypothesis of major depressive disorders (MDDs) posits that reduced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration in brain, impaired function of GABAergic interneurons, altered expression and function of GABA(A) receptors, and changes in GABAergic transmission dictated by altered chloride homeostasis can contribute to the etiology of MDD. Conversely, the hypothesis posits that the efficacy of currently used antidepressants is determined by their ability to enhance GABAergic neurotransmission. We here provide an update for corresponding evidence from studies of patients and preclinical animal models of depression. In addition, we propose an explanation for the continued lack of genetic evidence that explains the considerable heritability of MDD. Lastly, we discuss how alterations in GABAergic transmission are integral to other hypotheses of MDD that emphasize (i) the role of monoaminergic deficits, (ii) stress-based etiologies, (iii) neurotrophic deficits, and (iv) the neurotoxic and neural circuit-impairing consequences of chronic excesses of glutamate. We propose that altered GABAergic transmission serves as a common denominator of MDD that can account for all these other hypotheses and that plays a causal and common role in diverse mechanistic etiologies of depressive brain states and in the mechanism of action of current antidepressant drug therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Luscher
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Thomas Fuchs
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders, The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Noorafshan A, Abdollahifar MA, Karbalay-Doust S. Stress changes the spatial arrangement of neurons and glial cells of medial prefrontal cortex and sertraline and curcumin prevent it. Psychiatry Investig 2015; 12:73-80. [PMID: 25670949 PMCID: PMC4310924 DOI: 10.4306/pi.2015.12.1.73] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Revised: 03/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study explored the three-dimensional spatial arrangements of the neurons and glial cells within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats. METHODS It evaluated the arrangement for differences after stress with or without treatment with curcumin and sertraline using second-order stereology. Orientator method was applied to obtain isotropic uniform random sections of mPFC. The pair correlation g(r) and cross-correlation functions were estimated by counting dipole probes superimposed on histological sections of mPFC. RESULTS The mean total volume of neurons and glial cells was 0.80 (0.05) and 0.40 (0.07), respectively in the control group. The corresponding values decreased by 50% in the stressed group. The curve of g(r) for the neurons and glial cells showed a wider gap between the stressed rats' mPFC. Theses indicate a negative correlation (repulsion) between the neurons and glial cells in the stressed rats. Evaluation of the cross-correlation function of the neurons and glial cells also showed a negative correlation in the stressed group. The estimated values of the global degree of order in the spatial point pattern for neurons and glial cells were 0.62 and 0.20 in control and stressed animals, respectively. Curcumin and sertraline protected the spatial arrangements of the cells after stress induction in rats. In addition, the volume of the neurons and glial cells remained unchanged after stress. CONCLUSION Dissociation of the neurons and glial cells can is seen at some places in the stressed rats' cortex. However, the spatial arrangement of the cells was remained unchanged in curcumin+stress and sertraline+stress rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Noorafshan
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Saied Karbalay-Doust
- Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Shirazi SN, Friedman AR, Kaufer D, Sakhai SA. Glucocorticoids and the Brain: Neural Mechanisms Regulating the Stress Response. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-2895-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Hussain RJ, Jacobson L. Increased antidepressant sensitivity after prefrontal cortex glucocorticoid receptor gene deletion in mice. Physiol Behav 2015; 138:113-7. [PMID: 25447332 PMCID: PMC4258415 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Our laboratory has previously shown that antidepressants regulate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). To determine if PFC GR are involved in antidepressant effects on behavior or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity, we treated floxed GR male mice with saline or 15 or 30 mg/kg/d imipramine after PFC injection of adeno-associated virus 2/9 vectors transducing expression of Cre recombinase, to knock-down GR (PFC-GRKD), or green fluorescent protein (PFC-GFP), to serve as a control. The pattern of virally transduced GR deletion, common to all imipramine treatment groups, included the infralimbic, prelimbic, and medial anterior cingulate cortex at its largest extent, but was confined to the prelimbic and anterior cingulate cortex at its smallest extent. PFC GR knock-down increased behavioral sensitivity to imipramine, with imipramine-treated PFC-GRKD but not PFC-GFP mice exhibiting significant decreases in depression-like immobility during forced swim. PFC GR deletion did not alter general locomotor activity. The 30 mg/kg dose of imipramine increased plasma corticosterone levels immediately after a 5-min forced swim, but PFC GR knock-down had no significant effect on plasma corticosterone under these experimental conditions. We conclude that PFC GR knock-down, likely limited to the medial prelimbic and anterior cingulate cortices, can increase behavioral sensitivity to antidepressants. These findings indicate a novel role for PFC GR in influencing antidepressant response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rifat J Hussain
- Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA
| | - Lauren Jacobson
- Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208, USA.
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29
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Lu YL, Richardson HN. Alcohol, stress hormones, and the prefrontal cortex: a proposed pathway to the dark side of addiction. Neuroscience 2014; 277:139-51. [PMID: 24998895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to alcohol produces changes in the prefrontal cortex that are thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of alcoholism. A large body of literature suggests that stress hormones play a critical role in this process. Here we review the bi-directional relationship between alcohol and stress hormones, and discuss how alcohol acutely stimulates the release of glucocorticoids and induces enduring modifications to neuroendocrine stress circuits during the transition from non-dependent drinking to alcohol dependence. We propose a pathway by which alcohol and stress hormones elicit neuroadaptive changes in prefrontal circuitry that could contribute functionally to a dampened neuroendocrine state and the increased propensity to relapse-a spiraling trajectory that could eventually lead to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-L Lu
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - H N Richardson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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30
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Myers B, McKlveen JM, Herman JP. Glucocorticoid actions on synapses, circuits, and behavior: implications for the energetics of stress. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:180-196. [PMID: 24361584 PMCID: PMC4422101 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Revised: 12/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stimuli that signal real or potential threats to homeostasis lead to glucocorticoid secretion by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Glucocorticoids promote energy redistribution and are critical for survival and adaptation. This adaptation requires the integration of multiple systems and engages key limbic-neuroendocrine circuits. Consequently, glucocorticoids have profound effects on synaptic physiology, circuit regulation of stress responsiveness, and, ultimately, behavior. While glucocorticoids initiate adaptive processes that generate energy for coping, prolonged or inappropriate glucocorticoid secretion becomes deleterious. Inappropriate processing of stressful information may lead to energetic drive that does not match environmental demand, resulting in risk factors for pathology. Thus, dysregulation of the HPA axis may promote stress-related illnesses (e.g. depression, PTSD). This review summarizes the latest developments in central glucocorticoid actions on synaptic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral regulation. Additionally, these findings will be discussed in terms of the energetic integration of stress and the importance of context-specific regulation of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent Myers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Jessica M McKlveen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
| | - James P Herman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
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31
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Wong JYH, Fong DYT, Lai V, Tiwari A. Bridging intimate partner violence and the human brain: a literature review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2014; 15:22-33. [PMID: 23878144 DOI: 10.1177/1524838013496333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Past studies mainly focused on the physical and structural brain injuries in women survivors with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV), but little attention has been given to the biological impact and cognitive dysfunction resulting from such psychological stress. In this article, we aim to establish the connection between IPV and the brain by reviewing current literature examining (1) the biological mechanisms linking IPV, stress, and the brain; (2) the functional and anatomical considerations of the brain in abused women; and (3) the abused women's behavioral responses to IPV, including fear, pain, and emotion regulation, by utilizing functional neuroimaging. The major significance of this study is in highlighting the need to advance beyond self-reports and to obtain scientific evidence of the neurological impact and cognitive dysfunction in abused women with a history of IPV, an area in which current literature remains at a descriptive level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Yuen-Ha Wong
- School of Nursing, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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32
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McKlveen JM, Myers B, Flak JN, Bundzikova J, Solomon MB, Seroogy KB, Herman JP. Role of prefrontal cortex glucocorticoid receptors in stress and emotion. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:672-9. [PMID: 23683655 PMCID: PMC3797253 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress-related disorders (e.g., depression) are associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis dysregulation and prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction, suggesting a functional link between aberrant prefrontal corticosteroid signaling and mood regulation. METHODS We used a virally mediated knockdown strategy (short hairpin RNA targeting the glucocorticoid receptor [GR]) to attenuate PFC GR signaling in the rat PFC. Adult male rats received bilateral microinjections of vector control or short hairpin RNA targeting the GR into the prelimbic (n = 44) or infralimbic (n = 52) cortices. Half of the animals from each injection group underwent chronic variable stress, and all were subjected to novel restraint. The first 2 days of chronic variable stress were used to assess depression- and anxiety-like behavior in the forced swim test and open field. RESULTS The GR knockdown confined to the infralimbic PFC caused acute stress hyper-responsiveness, sensitization of stress responses after chronic variable stress, and induced depression-like behavior (increased immobility in the forced swim test). Knockdown of GR in the neighboring prelimbic PFC increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis responses to acute stress and caused hyperlocomotion in the open field, but did not affect stress sensitization or helplessness behavior. CONCLUSIONS The data indicate a marked functional heterogeneity of glucocorticoid action in the PFC and highlight a prominent role for the infralimbic GR in appropriate stress adaptation, emotional control, and mood regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M McKlveen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Metabolic Diseases Institute, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
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33
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Taylor AN, Tio DL, Sutton RL. Restoration of neuroendocrine stress response by glucocorticoid receptor or GABA(A) receptor antagonists after experimental traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2013; 30:1250-6. [PMID: 23384619 PMCID: PMC3713445 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2012.2847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously reported that traumatic brain injury (TBI) produced by moderate controlled cortical impact (CCI) attenuates the stress response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis between 21 and 70 days postinjury and enhances the sensitivity of the stress response to glucocorticoid negative feedback. In the current study, we investigated two possible mechanisms for the CCI-induced attenuation of the HPA stress response-i.e, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and GABA-mediated inhibition of the HPA axis, with the GR antagonist, mifepristone (RU486), or the GABA(A)-receptor antagonist, bicuculline. In addition, we examined the effect of moderate CCI on GR and inhibitory neurons histologically in subfields of the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. We show that at 30-min after onset of restraint stress, GR as well as GABA antagonism with MIFE or BIC, respectively, reversed the attenuating effects of moderate CCI on the stress-induced HPA response. Our histological results demonstrate that moderate CCI led to a loss of glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 or parvalbumin-positive inhibitory neurons within regions of the hippocampus and amygdala but did not lead to significant increases in GR in these regions. These findings indicate that suppression of the stress-induced HPA response after moderate CCI is mediated by the inhibitory actions of both GR and GABA, with a corresponding loss of inhibitory neurons within brain regions with neural pathways affecting limbic stress-integrative pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Taylor
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Box 951763, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1763, USA.
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Attarzadeh-Yazdi G, Karimi S, Azizi P, Yazdi-Ravandi S, Hesam S, Haghparast A. Inhibitory effects of forced swim stress and corticosterone on the acquisition but not expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference: involvement of glucocorticoid receptor in the basolateral amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2013; 252:339-46. [PMID: 23800381 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a common chronic psychiatric disease which represents a global problem and stress has an important role to increase drug addiction and relapse. In the present study, we investigated the effects of physical stress and exogenous corticosterone on the acquisition and expression of morphine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). Also, we tried to find out the role of glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) of basolateral amygdala (BLA) in this regard. In the CPP paradigm, conditioning score and locomotion activity were recorded by Ethovision software. Male adult rats received forced swim stress (FSS) as a physical stress or corticosterone (10 mg/kg; ip) as a dominant stress hormone in rodents, 10min before morphine injection (5 mg/kg; sc) during three conditioning days (acquisition) or just prior to CPP test in the post-conditioning day (expression). In FSS procedure, animals were forced to swim for 6 min in cylinder filled with water (24-27 °C). To evaluate the role of glucocorticoid receptors in the BLA, different doses of mifepristone (RU38486) as a GR antagonist were injected into the BLA (0.3, 3 and 30 ng/side) during 3-day conditioning phase before FSS or injection of corticosterone in morphine-CPP paradigm. The results showed that FSS and corticosterone reduce the acquisition but not expression of morphine-induced CPP. Moreover, blockade of GRs in the BLA could diminish the inhibitory effects of FSS or corticosterone on the acquisition of morphine-induced CPP. It seems that stress exerts its effect on reward pathway via glucocorticoid receptors in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghassem Attarzadeh-Yazdi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
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35
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Treadway MT, Buckholtz JW, Zald DH. Perceived stress predicts altered reward and loss feedback processing in medial prefrontal cortex. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:180. [PMID: 23730277 PMCID: PMC3657626 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress is a significant risk factor for the development of psychopathology, particularly symptoms related to reward processing. Importantly, individuals display marked variation in how they perceive and cope with stressful events, and such differences are strongly linked to risk for developing psychiatric symptoms following stress exposure. However, many questions remain regarding the neural architecture that underlies inter-subject variability in perceptions of stressors. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) paradigm, we examined the effects of self-reported perceived stress levels on neural activity during reward anticipation and feedback in a sample of healthy individuals. We found that subjects reporting more uncontrollable and overwhelming stressors displayed blunted neural responses in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following feedback related to monetary gains as well monetary losses. This is consistent with preclinical models that implicate the mPFC as a key site of vulnerability to the noxious effects of uncontrollable stressors. Our data help translate these findings to humans, and elucidate some of the neural mechanisms that may underlie stress-linked risk for developing reward-related psychiatric symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Treadway
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
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36
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Jarcho MR, Slavich GM, Tylova-Stein H, Wolkowitz OM, Burke HM. Dysregulated diurnal cortisol pattern is associated with glucocorticoid resistance in women with major depressive disorder. Biol Psychol 2013; 93:150-8. [PMID: 23410758 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of depression. To investigate mechanisms that may underlie this effect, we examined several indices of HPA axis function - specifically, diurnal cortisol slope, cortisol awakening response, and suppression of cortisol release following dexamethasone administration - in 26 pre-menopausal depressed women and 23 never depressed women who were matched for age and body mass index. Salivary cortisol samples were collected at waking, 30 min after waking, and at bedtime over three consecutive days. On the third day, immediately after the bedtime sample, participants ingested a 0.5mg dexamethasone tablet; they then collected cortisol samples at waking and 30 min after waking the following morning. As predicted, depressed women exhibited flatter diurnal cortisol rhythms and more impaired suppression of cortisol following dexamethasone administration than non-depressed women over the three sampling days. In addition, flatter diurnal cortisol slopes were associated with reduced cortisol response to dexamethasone treatment, both for all women and for depressed women when considered separately. Finally, greater self-reported depression severity was associated with flatter diurnal cortisol slopes and with less dexamethasone-related cortisol suppression for depressed women. Depression in women thus appears to be characterized by altered HPA axis functioning, as indexed by flatter diurnal cortisol slopes and an associated impaired sensitivity of cortisol to dexamethasone. Given that altered HPA axis functioning has been implicated in several somatic conditions, the present findings may be relevant for understanding the pathophysiology of both depression and depression-related physical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Jarcho
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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37
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Lai CH. Gray matter volume in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies. Psychiatry Res 2013; 211:37-46. [PMID: 23146253 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2012.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2011] [Revised: 04/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We designed this study to perform a meta-analysis of gray matter (GM) findings in major depressive disorder (MDD) by using the signed differential mapping (SDM) toolbox. The Pubmed, ScienceDirect and Scopus databases were searched, and only studies published or published online before November 2010 have been included. Twenty voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of adult MDD patients were entered in the meta-analysis by SDM toolbox with threshold criteria set as error probability less than 0.00005 and cluster more than 50 voxels. Onset age, numbers of patients and controls, gender ratio of both groups, ratio of medicated patients, depression rating scores, illness duration, co-morbidity and existence of corrected p value were also meta-regressed as covariates to exclude confounding biases. Voxel-wise meta-analytic results of these 20 VBM studies in MDD patients revealed that GM deficits were observed in the right anterior cingulate cortex and left anterior cingulate cortex when patients were compared with controls. The findings remained mostly unchanged in jackknife sensitivity analyses. The potential confounding factors had little impact on the results. This meta-analysis suggested GM deficits of the anterior cingulate cortex might be important in the etiology of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Han Lai
- Division of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.
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Srinivasan S, Shariff M, Bartlett SE. The role of the glucocorticoids in developing resilience to stress and addiction. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:68. [PMID: 23914175 PMCID: PMC3730062 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is emerging evidence that individuals have the capacity to learn to be resilient by developing protective mechanisms that prevent them from the maladaptive effects of stress that can contribute to addiction. The emerging field of the neuroscience of resilience is beginning to uncover the circuits and molecules that protect against stress-related neuropsychiatric diseases, such as addiction. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are important regulators of basal and stress-related homeostasis in all higher organisms and influence a wide array of genes in almost every organ and tissue. GCs, therefore, are ideally situated to either promote or prevent adaptation to stress. In this review, we will focus on the role of GCs in the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical axis and extra-hypothalamic regions in regulating basal and chronic stress responses. GCs interact with a large number of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems that are associated with the development of addiction. Additionally, the review will focus on the orexinergic and cholinergic pathways and highlight their role in stress and addiction. GCs play a key role in promoting the development of resilience or susceptibility and represent important pharmacotherapeutic targets that can reduce the impact of a maladapted stress system for the treatment of stress-induced addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhashini Srinivasan
- Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California San Francisco , Emeryville, CA , USA
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Sandman CA, Davis EP. Neurobehavioral risk is associated with gestational exposure to stress hormones. Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab 2012; 7:445-459. [PMID: 23144647 PMCID: PMC3493169 DOI: 10.1586/eem.12.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The developmental origins of disease or fetal programming model predict that early exposures to threat or adverse conditions have lifelong consequences that result in harmful outcomes for health. The maternal endocrine 'fight or flight' system is a source of programming information for the human fetus to detect threats and adjust their developmental trajectory for survival. Fetal exposures to intrauterine conditions including elevated stress hormones increase the risk for a spectrum of health outcomes depending on the timing of exposure, the timetable of organogenesis and the developmental milestones assessed. Recent prospective studies, reviewed here, have documented the neurodevelopmental consequences of fetal exposures to the trajectory of stress hormones over the course of gestation. These studies have shown that fetal exposures to biological markers of adversity have significant and largely negative consequences for fetal, infant and child emotional and cognitive regulation and reduced volume in specific brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Curt A Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Women and Children’s Health and Well-Being Project, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Women and Children’s Health and Well-Being Project, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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Garrido P, De Blas M, Giné E, Santos Á, Mora F. Aging impairs the control of prefrontal cortex on the release of corticosterone in response to stress and on memory consolidation. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:827.e1-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Radley JJ. Toward a limbic cortical inhibitory network: implications for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses following chronic stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2012; 6:7. [PMID: 22479241 PMCID: PMC3314944 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A network of interconnected cell groups in the limbic forebrain regulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation during emotionally stressful experiences, and disruption of these systems is broadly implicated in the onset of psychiatric illnesses. A significant challenge has been to unravel the circuitry and mechanisms providing for regulation of HPA output, as these limbic forebrain regions do not provide any direct innervation of HPA effector cell groups in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH). Recent evidence will be highlighted that endorses a discrete region within the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis serving as a neural hub for integrating and relaying HPA-inhibitory influences to the PVH during emotional stress, whereas the prevailing view has involved a more complex organization of mulitple cell groups arranged in parallel between the forebrain and PVH. A hypothesis will be advanced that accounts for the capacity of this network to constrain the magnitude and/or duration of HPA axis output in response to emotionally stressful experiences, and for how chronic stress-induced synaptic reorganization in key cell groups may lead to an attrition of these influences, resulting in HPA axis hyperactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Radley
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City IA, USA
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Garrido P, de Blas M, Del Arco A, Segovia G, Mora F. Aging increases basal but not stress-induced levels of corticosterone in the brain of the awake rat. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:375-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2009] [Revised: 02/08/2010] [Accepted: 02/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Mora F, Segovia G, Del Arco A, de Blas M, Garrido P. Stress, neurotransmitters, corticosterone and body-brain integration. Brain Res 2012; 1476:71-85. [PMID: 22285436 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Revised: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Stress can be defined as a brain-body reaction towards stimuli arising from the environment or from internal cues that are interpreted as a disruption of homeostasis. The organization of the response to a stressful situation involves not only the activity of different types of neurotransmitter systems in several areas of the limbic system, but also the response of neurons in these areas to several other chemicals and hormones, chiefly glucocorticoids, released from peripheral organs and glands. Thus, stress is probably the process through which body-brain integration plays a major role. Here we review first the responses to an acute stress in terms of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, acetylcholine, glutamate and GABA in areas of the brain involved in the regulation of stress responses. These areas include the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens and the interaction among those areas. Then, we consider the role of glucocorticoids and review some recent data about the interaction of these steroids with several neurotransmitters in those same areas of the brain. Also the actions of other substances (neuromodulators) released from peripheral organs such as the pancreas, liver or gonads (insulin, IGF-1, estrogens) are reviewed. The role of an environmental enrichment on these same responses is also discussed. Finally a section is devoted to put into perspective all these environmental-brain-body-brain interactions during stress and their consequences on aging. It is concluded that the integrative perspective framed in this review is relevant for better understanding of how the organism responds to stressful challenges and how this can be modified through different environmental conditions during the process of aging. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Brain Integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Mora
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
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Radley JJ, Kabbaj M, Jacobson L, Heydendael W, Yehuda R, Herman JP. Stress risk factors and stress-related pathology: neuroplasticity, epigenetics and endophenotypes. Stress 2011; 14:481-97. [PMID: 21848436 PMCID: PMC3641164 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2011.604751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper highlights a symposium on stress risk factors and stress susceptibility, presented at the Neurobiology of Stress workshop in Boulder, CO, in June 2010. This symposium addressed factors linking stress plasticity and reactivity to stress pathology in animal models and in humans. Dr. J. Radley discussed studies demonstrating prefrontal cortical neuroplasticity and prefrontal control of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis function in rats, highlighting the emerging evidence of the critical role that this region plays in normal and pathological stress integration. Dr. M. Kabbaj summarized his studies of possible epigenetic mechanisms underlying behavioral differences in rat populations bred for differential stress reactivity. Dr. L. Jacobson described studies using a mouse model to explore the diverse actions of antidepressants in brain, suggesting mechanisms whereby antidepressants may be differentially effective in treating specific depression endophenotypes. Dr. R. Yehuda discussed the role of glucocorticoids in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), indicating that low cortisol level may be a trait that predisposes the individual to development of the disorder. Furthermore, she presented evidence indicating that traumatic events can have transgenerational impact on cortisol reactivity and development of PTSD symptoms. Together, the symposium highlighted emerging themes regarding the role of brain reorganization, individual differences, and epigenetics in determining stress plasticity and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J. Radley
- Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Biomedical Sciences Department, Program in Neurosciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306
| | - Lauren Jacobson
- Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208
| | - Willem Heydendael
- Center for Neuropharmacology and Neuroscience, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY 12208
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center and Mount Sinai School of Medicine
| | - James P. Herman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237
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Meng QY, Chen XN, Tong DL, Zhou JN. Stress and glucocorticoids regulated corticotropin releasing factor in rat prefrontal cortex. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2011; 342:54-63. [PMID: 21664419 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2011] [Revised: 04/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is considered as the central driving force in the stress response and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of depression. CRF neurons have been identified to locate in most regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain region that is highly associated with the control of emotion and cognition. However, little is known on the regulation of CRF in this region. In this study, we aimed to identify the regulatory effect of acute restraint stress and glucocorticoid on PFC CRF and characterize the possible function of CRF in the PFC. We found that acute restraint stress increased and glucocorticoid decreased PFC CRF mRNA expression. The expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was found to colocalize with CRF neurons in the PFC. In addition, recruitment of GR by the CRF promoter was observed in vivo. Specific attention was paid to the effect of CRF on CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) expression in primary PFC cultures. The results showed that CRF increased CRFR1 expression through the MEK-ERK1/2 pathway. In summary, this study may contribute to the better understanding of CRF functions in the PFC.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/genetics
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism
- Depression/pathology
- Glucocorticoids/pharmacology
- MAP Kinase Signaling System
- Male
- Prefrontal Cortex/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA, Messenger/biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/drug effects
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/genetics
- Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/biosynthesis
- Stress, Physiological
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Yuan Meng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Jinzhai road 96, Hefei 230026, Anhui, PR China
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Abstract
Increasing evidence points to an association between major depressive disorders (MDDs) and diverse types of GABAergic deficits. In this review, we summarize clinical and preclinical evidence supporting a central and causal role of GABAergic deficits in the etiology of depressive disorders. Studies of depressed patients indicate that MDDs are accompanied by reduced brain concentration of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and by alterations in the subunit composition of the principal receptors (GABA(A) receptors) mediating GABAergic inhibition. In addition, there is abundant evidence that suggests that GABA has a prominent role in the brain control of stress, the most important vulnerability factor in mood disorders. Furthermore, preclinical evidence suggests that currently used antidepressant drugs (ADs) designed to alter monoaminergic transmission and nonpharmacological therapies may ultimately act to counteract GABAergic deficits. In particular, GABAergic transmission has an important role in the control of hippocampal neurogenesis and neural maturation, which are now established as cellular substrates of most if not all antidepressant therapies. Finally, comparatively modest deficits in GABAergic transmission in GABA(A) receptor-deficient mice are sufficient to cause behavioral, cognitive, neuroanatomical and neuroendocrine phenotypes, as well as AD response characteristics expected of an animal model of MDD. The GABAergic hypothesis of MDD suggests that alterations in GABAergic transmission represent fundamentally important aspects of the etiological sequelae of MDDs that are reversed by monoaminergic AD action.
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Taylor AN, Rahman SU, Tio DL, Gardner SM, Kim CJ, Sutton RL. Injury severity differentially alters sensitivity to dexamethasone after traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2010; 27:1081-9. [PMID: 20560754 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2009.1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have reported differential short- and long-term dysregulation of the neuroendocrine stress response after traumatic brain injury (TBI) produced by controlled cortical impact (CCI). We have now investigated three possible mechanisms for this TBI-induced dysregulation: (1) effects on the sensitivity of negative-feedback systems to glucocorticoids; (2) effects on the sensitivity of pituitary corticotrophs to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH); and (3) effects on neuronal loss in the hilar region of the dentate gyrus and in the CA3b layer of the dorsal hippocampus. TBI was induced to the left parietal cortex in adult male rats with a pneumatic piston, at two different impact velocities and compression depths, to produce either moderate or mild CCI. At 7 and 35 days after surgery, the rats were injected SC with the synthetic glucocorticoid analog dexamethasone (DEX; 0.01, 0.10, or 1.00 mg/kg) or saline, and 2 h later were subjected to 30 min of restraint stress and tail vein blood collection. Whereas all doses of DEX suppressed corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to stress on both days, CORT and ACTH were significantly more suppressed after 0.01 mg/kg DEX in the moderate TBI group than in the mild TBI or sham groups. At both 7 and 35 days post-TBI, CRH (1.0 and 10.0 microg/kg IP) stimulated CORT and ACTH in all rats, regardless of injury condition. Hippocampal cell loss was greatest at 48 days after moderate TBI. Enhanced sensitivity to glucocorticoid negative feedback and greater hippocampal cell loss, but not altered pituitary responses to CRH, contribute to the short- and long-term attenuation of the neuroendocrine stress response following moderate TBI. The role of TBI-induced alterations in glucocorticoid receptors in limbic system sites in enhanced glucocorticoid feedback sensitivity requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Taylor
- Department of Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and West Los Angeles Healthcare Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), Los Angeles, California 90095-1763, USA.
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Abstract
Mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids are steroid hormones that are released by the adrenal cortex in response to stress and hydromineral imbalance. Historically, adrenocorticosteroid actions are attributed to effects on gene transcription. More recently, however, it has become clear that genome-independent pathways represent an important facet of adrenal steroid actions. These hormones exert nongenomic effects throughout the body, although a significant portion of their actions are specific to the central nervous system. These actions are mediated by a variety of signalling pathways, and lead to physiologically meaningful events in vitro and in vivo. We review the nongenomic effects of adrenal steroids in the central nervous system at the levels of behaviour, neural system activity, individual neurone activity and subcellular signalling activity. A clearer understanding of adrenal steroid activity in the central nervous system will lead to a better ability to treat human disease as well as reduce the side-effects of the steroid treatments already in use.
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Affiliation(s)
- N K Evanson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA.
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McEwen BS, Gianaros PJ. Central role of the brain in stress and adaptation: links to socioeconomic status, health, and disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2010; 1186:190-222. [PMID: 20201874 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05331.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 977] [Impact Index Per Article: 69.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The brain is the key organ of stress reactivity, coping, and recovery processes. Within the brain, a distributed neural circuitry determines what is threatening and thus stressful to the individual. Instrumental brain systems of this circuitry include the hippocampus, amygdala, and areas of the prefrontal cortex. Together, these systems regulate physiological and behavioral stress processes, which can be adaptive in the short-term and maladaptive in the long-term. Importantly, such stress processes arise from bidirectional patterns of communication between the brain and the autonomic, cardiovascular, and immune systems via neural and endocrine mechanisms underpinning cognition, experience, and behavior. In one respect, these bidirectional stress mechanisms are protective in that they promote short-term adaptation (allostasis). In another respect, however, these stress mechanisms can lead to a long-term dysregulation of allostasis in that they promote maladaptive wear-and-tear on the body and brain under chronically stressful conditions (allostatic load), compromising stress resiliency and health. This review focuses specifically on the links between stress-related processes embedded within the social environment and embodied within the brain, which is viewed as the central mediator and target of allostasis and allostatic load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Venkova K, Johnson AC, Myers B, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B. Exposure of the amygdala to elevated levels of corticosterone alters colonic motility in response to acute psychological stress. Neuropharmacology 2010; 58:1161-7. [PMID: 20170666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2009] [Revised: 02/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/11/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is important for integrating the emotional, endocrine and autonomic responses to stress. Exposure of the amygdala to elevated levels of corticosterone (CORT) induces anxiety-like behavior and a hypersensitive colon in rodents; however, effects on colonic transit are unknown. Micropellets releasing CORT alone or combined with a selective glucocorticoid (GR) or mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor antagonist were implanted bilaterally at the dorsal boundary of the central amygdala in male rats. Inactive cholesterol implants served as controls. Seven days later, rats received water avoidance stress (WAS) for 1 h and the fecal pellet output was measured. Colorectal transit was also evaluated following the stressor by recording the time for expulsion of a glass bead placed into the colorectum. Plasma CORT levels were evaluated before WAS, after 60 min of WAS and 90 min post-WAS. Exposure of the amygdala to elevated CORT did not alter daily fecal pellet production or the number of fecal pellets released in response to WAS. However, following WAS, rats with CORT implants on the amygdala showed a delay in colorectal transit compared to cholesterol-implanted controls. Plasma CORT measurements showed that basal and WAS-induced increases in plasma CORT were similar in all groups but a prolonged increase in plasma CORT was observed 90 after cessation of WAS in rats with CORT implants. The post-WAS changes in colonic motility and plasma CORT were prevented by antagonism of GR or MR in the amygdala, suggesting their importance in driving stress-associated changes in colonic motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina Venkova
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
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