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Brown RE. Measuring the replicability of our own research. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 406:110111. [PMID: 38521128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
In the study of transgenic mouse models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, we use batteries of tests to measure deficits in behaviour and from the results of these tests, we make inferences about the mental states of the mice that we interpret as deficits in "learning", "memory", "anxiety", "depression", etc. This paper discusses the problems of determining whether a particular transgenic mouse is a valid mouse model of disease X, the problem of background strains, and the question of whether our behavioural tests are measuring what we say they are. The problem of the reliability of results is then discussed: are they replicable between labs and can we replicate our results in our own lab? This involves the study of intra- and inter- experimenter reliability. The variables that influence replicability and the importance of conducting a complete behavioural phenotype: sensory, motor, cognitive and social emotional behaviour are discussed. Then the thorny question of failure to replicate is examined: Is it a curse or a blessing? Finally, the role of failure in research and what it tells us about our research paradigms is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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Mansour H, Azrak R, Cook JJ, Hornburg KJ, Qi Y, Tian Y, Williams RW, Yeh FC, White LE, Johnson GA. An Open Resource: MR and light sheet microscopy stereotaxic atlas of the mouse brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.28.587246. [PMID: 38586051 PMCID: PMC10996689 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.587246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
We have combined MR histology and light sheet microscopy (LSM) of five postmortem C57BL/6J mouse brains in a stereotaxic space based on micro-CT yielding a multimodal 3D atlas with the highest spatial and contrast resolution yet reported. Brains were imaged in situ with multi gradient echo (mGRE) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at 15 μm resolution (∼ 2.4 million times that of clinical MRI). Scalar images derived from the average DTI and mGRE provide unprecedented contrast in 14 complementary 3D volumes, each highlighting distinct histologic features. The same tissues scanned with LSM and registered into the stereotaxic space provide 17 different molecular cell type stains. The common coordinate framework labels (CCFv3) complete the multimodal atlas. The atlas has been used to correct distortions in the Allen Brain Atlas and harmonize it with Franklin Paxinos. It provides a unique resource for stereotaxic labeling of mouse brain images from many sources.
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Schmitt O, Finnegan E, Trevarthen A, Wongsaengchan C, Paul ES, Mendl M, Fureix C. Exploring the similarities between risk factors triggering depression in humans and elevated in-cage "inactive but awake" behavior in laboratory mice. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1348928. [PMID: 38605924 PMCID: PMC11008528 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1348928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Depression is a human mental disorder that can also be inferred in non-human animals. This study explored whether time spent inactive but awake ("IBA") in the home-cage in mice was further triggered by risk factors similar to those increasing vulnerability to depression in humans (early life stress, genetic predispositions, adulthood stress). Methods Eighteen DBA/2 J and 18 C57BL/6 J females were tested, of which half underwent as pups a daily maternal separation on post-natal days 2-14 (early-life stress "ELS") (other half left undisturbed). To assess the effect of the procedure, the time the dams from which the 18 subjects were born spent active in the nest (proxy for maternal behavior) was recorded on post-natal days 2, 6, 10 and 14 for 1 h before separation and following reunion (matched times for controls), using live instantaneous scan sampling (total: 96 scans/dam). For each ELS condition, about half of the pups were housed post-weaning (i.e., from 27 days old on average) in either barren (triggering IBA and depression-like symptoms) or larger, highly enriched cages (n = 4-5 per group). Time mice spent IBA post-weaning was observed blind to ELS treatment using live instantaneous scan sampling in two daily 90-min blocks, two days/week, for 6 weeks (total: 192 scans/mouse). Data were analyzed in R using generalized linear mixed models. Results The dams were significantly more active in the nest over time (p = 0.016), however with no significant difference between strains (p = 0.18), ELS conditions (p = 0.20) and before/after separation (p = 0.83). As predicted, post-weaning barren cages triggered significantly more time spent IBA in mice than enriched cages (p < 0.0001). However, neither ELS (p = 0.4) nor strain (p = 0.84) significantly influenced time mice spent IBA, with no significant interaction with environmental condition (ELS × environment: p = 0.2861; strain × environment: p = 0.5713). Discussion Our results therefore only partly support the hypothesis that greater time spent IBA in mice is triggered by risk factors for human depression. We discuss possible explanations for this and further research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Carole Fureix
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Paull GC, Lee CJ, Tyler CR. Beyond compliance: harmonising research and husbandry practices to improve experimental reproducibility using fish models. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:253-264. [PMID: 37817305 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Reproducibility in animal research is impacted by the environment, by husbandry practices in the laboratory and by the animals' provenance. These factors, however, are often not adequately considered by researchers. A disconnect between researchers and animal care staff can result in inappropriate housing and husbandry decisions for scientific studies with those animals. This is especially the case for the research in neuro-behaviour, epigenetics, and the impact of climate change, as heritable phenotypic, behavioural or physiological changes are known to result from the animals' environmental housing, husbandry, provenance and prior experience. This can lead to greater variation (even major differences) in data outcomes among studies, driving scientific uncertainties. Herein, we illustrate some of the endpoints measured in fish studies known to be intrinsically linked to the environment and husbandry conditions and assess the significance of housing and husbandry practice decisions for research adopting these endpoints for different fish species. We highlight the different priorities and challenges faced by researchers and animal care staff and how harmonising their activities and building greater understanding of how husbandry practices affect the fish will improve reproducibility in research outcomes. We furthermore illustrate how improving engagement between stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, can better underpin fish husbandry decisions and where researchers could help to drive best husbandry practices through their own research with fish models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory C Paull
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Carole J Lee
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Charles R Tyler
- Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
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Ueno H, Takahashi Y, Mori S, Murakami S, Wani K, Matsumoto Y, Okamoto M, Ishihara T. Mice Recognise Mice in Neighbouring Rearing Cages and Change Their Social Behaviour. Behav Neurol 2024; 2024:9215607. [PMID: 38264671 PMCID: PMC10805542 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9215607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mice are social animals that change their behaviour primarily in response to visual, olfactory, and auditory information from conspecifics. Rearing conditions such as cage size and colour are important factors influencing mouse behaviour. In recent years, transparent plastic cages have become standard breeding cages. The advantage of using a transparent cage is that the experimenter can observe the mouse from outside the cage without touching the cage. However, mice may recognise the environment outside the cage and change their behaviour. We speculated that mice housed in transparent cages might recognise mice in neighbouring cages. We used only male mice in this experiment. C57BL/6 mice were kept in transparent rearing cages with open lids, and the cage positions were maintained for 3 weeks. Subsequently, we examined how mice behaved toward cagemate mice, mice from neighbouring cages, and mice from distant cages. We compared the level of interest in mice using a social preference test. Similar to previous reports, subject mice showed a high degree of interest in unfamiliar mice from distant cages. By contrast, subject mice reacted to mice from neighbouring cages as familiar mice, similar to cagemate mice. This suggests that mice housed in transparent cages with open lids perceive the external environment and identify mice in neighbouring cages. Researchers should pay attention to the environment outside the mouse cage, especially for the social preference test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ueno
- Department of Medical Technology, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Okayama 701-0193, Japan
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
| | - Sachiko Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
| | - Shinji Murakami
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
| | - Kenta Wani
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
| | - Yosuke Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Motoi Okamoto
- Department of Medical Technology, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ishihara
- Department of Psychiatry, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki 701-0192, Japan
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Lipp HP, Krackow S, Turkes E, Benner S, Endo T, Russig H. IntelliCage: the development and perspectives of a mouse- and user-friendly automated behavioral test system. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1270538. [PMID: 38235003 PMCID: PMC10793385 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1270538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
IntelliCage for mice is a rodent home-cage equipped with four corner structures harboring symmetrical double panels for operant conditioning at each of the two sides, either by reward (access to water) or by aversion (non-painful stimuli: air-puffs, LED lights). Corner visits, nose-pokes and actual licks at bottle-nipples are recorded individually using subcutaneously implanted transponders for RFID identification of up to 16 adult mice housed in the same home-cage. This allows for recording individual in-cage activity of mice and applying reward/punishment operant conditioning schemes in corners using workflows designed on a versatile graphic user interface. IntelliCage development had four roots: (i) dissatisfaction with standard approaches for analyzing mouse behavior, including standardization and reproducibility issues, (ii) response to handling and housing animal welfare issues, (iii) the increasing number of mouse models had produced a high work burden on classic manual behavioral phenotyping of single mice. and (iv), studies of transponder-chipped mice in outdoor settings revealed clear genetic behavioral differences in mouse models corresponding to those observed by classic testing in the laboratory. The latter observations were important for the development of home-cage testing in social groups, because they contradicted the traditional belief that animals must be tested under social isolation to prevent disturbance by other group members. The use of IntelliCages reduced indeed the amount of classic testing remarkably, while its flexibility was proved in a wide range of applications worldwide including transcontinental parallel testing. Essentially, two lines of testing emerged: sophisticated analysis of spontaneous behavior in the IntelliCage for screening of new genetic models, and hypothesis testing in many fields of behavioral neuroscience. Upcoming developments of the IntelliCage aim at improved stimulus presentation in the learning corners and videotracking of social interactions within the IntelliCage. Its main advantages are (i) that mice live in social context and are not stressfully handled for experiments, (ii) that studies are not restricted in time and can run in absence of humans, (iii) that it increases reproducibility of behavioral phenotyping worldwide, and (iv) that the industrial standardization of the cage permits retrospective data analysis with new statistical tools even after many years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Peter Lipp
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Emir Turkes
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Seico Benner
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Ibaraki, Japan
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Ding Z, Huang G, Wang T, Duan W, Li H, Wang Y, Jia H, Yang Z, Wang K, Chu X, Kurtz-Nelson EC, Ahlers K, Earl RK, Han Y, Feliciano P, Chung WK, Eichler EE, Jiang M, Xiong B. Genetic Ablation of GIGYF1, Associated With Autism, Causes Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental Defects in Zebrafish and Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:769-779. [PMID: 36924980 PMCID: PMC10502190 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Due to the extremely high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, it is critical to pinpoint the genetic factors for understanding the pathology of these disorders. METHODS We analyzed the exomes generated by the SPARK (Simons Powering Autism Research) project and performed a meta-analysis with previous data. We then generated 1 zebrafish knockout model and 3 mouse knockout models to examine the function of GIGYF1 in neurodevelopment and behavior. Finally, we performed whole tissue and single-nucleus transcriptome analysis to explore the molecular and cellular function of GIGYF1. RESULTS GIGYF1 variants are significantly associated with various neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes, including autism, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and sleep disturbance. Loss of GIGYF1 causes similar behavioral effects in zebrafish and mice, including elevated levels of anxiety and reduced social engagement, which is reminiscent of the behavioral deficits in human patients carrying GIGYF1 variants. Moreover, excitatory neuron-specific Gigyf1 knockout mice recapitulate the increased repetitive behaviors and impaired social memory, suggesting a crucial role of Gigyf1 in excitatory neurons, which correlates with the observations in single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We also identified a series of downstream target genes of GIGYF1 that affect many aspects of the nervous system, especially synaptic transmission. CONCLUSIONS De novo variants of GIGYF1 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. GIGYF1 is involved in neurodevelopment and animal behavior, potentially through regulating hippocampal CA2 neuronal numbers and disturbing synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijiao Ding
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guiyang Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Medical Genetics, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China; Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China & National Health Commission of China, Beijing, China; Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington
| | - Weicheng Duan
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hua Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yirong Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Huiting Jia
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ziqian Yang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Kang Wang
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xufeng Chu
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | | | - Kaitlyn Ahlers
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Rachel K Earl
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Yunyun Han
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | | | - Wendy K Chung
- Simons Foundation, New York; Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York
| | - Evan E Eichler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Man Jiang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Bo Xiong
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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Lim CJM, Platt B, Janhunen SK, Riedel G. Comparison of automated video tracking systems in the open field test: ANY-Maze versus EthoVision XT. J Neurosci Methods 2023; 397:109940. [PMID: 37544382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2023.109940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ANY-Maze and EthoVision XT are two commonly used automated animal tracking systems employed to produce reliable and consistent results in behavioural paradigms. Data obtained with both tracking systems have presented differences, particularly when varying laboratory lighting conditions and contrasts of mice coat colour against the arena background in both water maze and tunnel maze. METHOD In this study, two fluorescent lighting conditions (58 and 295 lux), local to our laboratory, and different coat-coloured mouse lines (C57BL/6 J - black; CD1 - agouti; C3H/HeN - white) were used to compare reproducibility in measures of tracking systems (ANY-Maze versus EthoVision) in the open field test. RESULTS Differences between systems were reliant on the contrasts between coat and background colours. Surprisingly, black animals presented the greatest differences in read-outs between tracking systems, regardless of lighting conditions. Data from both video observation tools differed mainly in exploration-related parameters (distance travelled), but less in more static proxies (time in thigmotaxis zone). Overall, EthoVision XT returned higher values for most parameters analysed relative to ANY-Maze. More inconsistencies in recording and analysis can be expected from other video recording systems. CONCLUSION Data analysis software provides an additional source of variation in need of consideration when reproducibility in behavioural neuroscience is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charmaine J M Lim
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Bettina Platt
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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Hartmann MC, McCulley WD, Holbrook SE, Haney MM, Smith CG, Kumar V, Rosenwasser AM. Cyfip2 allelic variation in C57BL/6J and C57BL/6NJ mice alters free-choice ethanol drinking but not binge-like drinking or wheel-running activity. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1518-1529. [PMID: 37356964 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Since the origin of the C57BL/6 (B6) mouse strain, several phenotypically and genetically distinct B6 substrains have emerged. For example, C57BL/6J mice (B6J) display greater voluntary ethanol consumption and locomotor response to psychostimulants and differences in nucleus accumbens synaptic physiology relative to C57BL/6N (B6N) mice. A non-synonymous serine to phenylalanine point mutation (S968F) in the cytoplasmic FMR1-interacting protein 2 (Cyfip2) gene underlies both the differential locomotor response to cocaine and the accumbal physiology exhibited by these substrains. We examined whether Cyfip2 allelic variation underlies B6 substrain differences in other reward-related phenotypes, such as ethanol intake and wheel-running activity. METHODS We compared voluntary ethanol consumption, wheel-running, and binge-like ethanol drinking in male and female B6J and B6NJ mice. When substrain differences were observed, additional experiments were performed in two novel mouse models in which the B6N Cyfip2 mutation was either introduced (S968F) into the B6J background or corrected (F968S) via CRISPR/Cas9 technology. RESULTS B6J consumed significantly more ethanol than B6NJ and allelic variation in Cyfip2 contributed substantially to this substrain difference. In contrast, B6NJ displayed significantly more daily wheel-running than B6J, with Cyfip2 allelic variation playing only a minor role in this substrain difference. Lastly, no substrain differences were observed in binge-like ethanol drinking. CONCLUSIONS These results contribute to the characterization of behavior-genetic differences between B6 substrains, support previous work indicating that free-choice and binge-like ethanol drinking are dependent on partially distinct genetic networks, and identify a novel phenotypic difference between B6 substrains in wheel-running activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Hartmann
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | | | - Sarah E Holbrook
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | - Megan M Haney
- Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Caitlin G Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | - Alan M Rosenwasser
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
- School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA
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Mahani FSN, Kalantari A, Fink GR, Hoehn M, Aswendt M. A systematic review of the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging based resting-state and structural networks in the rodent brain. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1194630. [PMID: 37554291 PMCID: PMC10405456 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1194630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in rodent brain imaging have enabled translational characterization of functional and structural connectivity at the whole brain level in vivo. Nevertheless, fundamental questions about the link between structural and functional networks remain unsolved. In this review, we systematically searched for experimental studies in rodents investigating both structural and functional network measures, including studies correlating functional connectivity using resting-state functional MRI with diffusion tensor imaging or viral tracing data. We aimed to answer whether functional networks reflect the architecture of the structural connectome, how this reciprocal relationship changes throughout a disease, how structural and functional changes relate to each other, and whether changes follow the same timeline. We present the knowledge derived exclusively from studies that included in vivo imaging of functional and structural networks. The limited number of available reports makes it difficult to draw general conclusions besides finding a spatial and temporal decoupling between structural and functional networks during brain disease. Data suggest that when overcoming the currently limited evidence through future studies with combined imaging in various disease models, it will be possible to explore the interaction between both network systems as a disease or recovery biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh S. N. Mahani
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Aref Kalantari
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gereon R. Fink
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Mathias Hoehn
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Markus Aswendt
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Gigliotta A, Trontti K, Väänänen J, Hovatta I. Gene expression profiling reveals a role of immune system and inflammation in innate and stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Front Genet 2023; 14:1173376. [PMID: 37260777 PMCID: PMC10229056 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1173376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is an evolutionarily conserved response that is essential for survival. Pathological anxiety, however, is a maladaptive response to nonthreatening situations and greatly affects quality of life. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has increased the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and highlighted the urge to identify the molecular events that initiate pathological anxiety. To this aim, we investigated the extent of similarity of brain region-specific gene expression patterns associated with innate and stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. We compared the cortico-frontal (FCx) and hippocampal (Hpc) gene expression patterns of five inbred mouse strains with high or low levels of innate anxiety-like behavior with gene expression patterns of mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress. We found significantly large overlap of the Hpc but small overlap of the FCx gene expression patterns in innate and stress-induced anxiety, that however, converged onto common inflammation and immune system canonical pathways. Comparing the gene expression data with drug-gene interaction datasets revealed drug candidates, including medrysone, simvastatin, captopril, and sulpiride, that produced gene expression changes opposite to those observed in innate or stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Together, our data provide a comprehensive overview of FCx and Hpc gene expression differences between innate and stress-induced anxiety and support the role of inflammation and immune system in anxiety-like behavior.
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Rivi V, Batabyal A, Benatti C, Blom JM, Tascedda F, Lukowiak K. Novel taste, sickness, and memory: Lipopolysaccharide to induce a Garcia-like effect in inbred and wild strains of Lymnaea stagnalis. Physiol Behav 2023; 263:114137. [PMID: 36841323 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Food is not only necessary for our survival but also elicits pleasure. However, when a novel food is followed sometime later by nausea or sickness animals form a long-lasting association to avoid that food. This phenomenon is called the 'Garcia effect'. We hypothesized that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) could be used as the sickness-inducing stimulus to produce a Garcia-like effect in inbred and wild populations of Lymnaea stagnalis. We first demonstrated that the injection of 25 μg (6.25 µg/mL) of Escherichia coli-derived LPS serotype O127:B8 did not by itself alter snails' feeding behavior. Then we showed that the presentation of a novel appetitive stimulus (i.e., carrot slurry) and LPS resulted in a taste-specific and long-lasting feeding suppression (i.e., the Garcia-like effect). We also found strain-specific variations in the duration of the long-term memory (LTM). That is, while the LTM for the Garcia-like effect in W-strain snails persisted for 24h, LTM persisted for 48h in freshly collected Margo snails and their F1 offspring. Finally, we demonstrated that the exposure to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) before the LPS injection prevented both the LPS-induced sickness state and the Garcia-like effect from occurring. The results of this study may pave the way for new research that aims at (1) uncovering the conserved molecular mechanisms underlying the Garcia-like effect, (2) understanding how cognitive traits vary within and between species, and (3) creating a holistic picture of the complex dialogue between the immune and central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Rivi
- Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
| | - Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada; Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME University, India
| | - Cristina Benatti
- Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Johanna Mc Blom
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Dept. of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Tascedda
- Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; CIB, Consorzio Interuniversitario Biotecnologie, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ken Lukowiak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
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13
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Koskinen MK, Hovatta I. Genetic insights into the neurobiology of anxiety. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:318-331. [PMID: 36828693 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and fear are evolutionarily conserved emotions that increase the likelihood of an organism surviving threatening situations. Anxiety and vigilance states are regulated by neural networks involving multiple brain regions. In anxiety disorders, this intricate regulatory system is disturbed, leading to excessive or prolonged anxiety or fear. Anxiety disorders have both genetic and environmental risk factors. Genetic research has the potential to identify specific genetic variants causally associated with specific phenotypes. In recent decades, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed variants predisposing to neuropsychiatric disorders, suggesting novel neurobiological pathways in the etiology of these disorders. Here, we review recent human GWASs of anxiety disorders, and genetic studies of anxiety-like behavior in rodent models. These studies are paving the way for a better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija-Kreetta Koskinen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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14
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Bansal Y, Fee C, Misquitta KA, Codeluppi SA, Sibille E, Berman RM, Coric V, Sanacora G, Banasr M. Prophylactic Efficacy of Riluzole against Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors in Two Rodent Stress Models. Complex Psychiatry 2023; 9:57-69. [PMID: 37101541 PMCID: PMC10123365 DOI: 10.1159/000529534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chronic stress-related illnesses such as major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder share symptomatology, including anxiety, anhedonia, and helplessness. Across disorders, neurotoxic dysregulated glutamate (Glu) signaling may underlie symptom emergence. Current first-line antidepressant drugs, which do not directly target Glu signaling, fail to provide adequate benefit for many patients and are associated with high relapse rates. Riluzole modulates glutamatergic neurotransmission by increasing metabolic cycling and modulating signal transduction. Clinical studies exploring riluzole's efficacy in stress-related disorders have provided varied results. However, the utility of riluzole for treating specific symptom dimensions or as a prophylactic treatment has not been comprehensively assessed. Methods We investigated whether chronic prophylactic riluzole (∼12-15 mg/kg/day p.o.) could prevent the emergence of behavioral deficits induced by unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) in mice. We assessed (i) anxiety-like behavior using the elevated-plus maze, open-field test, and novelty-suppressed feeding, (ii) mixed anxiety/anhedonia-like behavior in the novelty-induced hypophagia test, and (iii) anhedonia-like behavior using the sucrose consumption test. Z-scoring summarized changes across tests measuring similar dimensions. In a separate learned helplessness (LH) cohort, we investigated whether chronic prophylactic riluzole treatment could block the development of helplessness-like behavior. Results UCMS induced an elevation in anhedonia-like behavior and overall behavioral emotionality that was blocked by prophylactic riluzole. In the LH cohort, prophylactic riluzole blocked the development of helplessness-like behavior. Discussion/Conclusion This study supports the utility of riluzole as a prophylactic medication for preventing anhedonia and helplessness symptoms associated with stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashika Bansal
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Corey Fee
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Keith A. Misquitta
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sierra A. Codeluppi
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Gerard Sanacora
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mounira Banasr
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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15
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Signs of a Flynn effect in rodents? Secular differentiation of the manifold of general cognitive ability in laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus) over a century—Results from two cross-temporal meta-analyses. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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16
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Fonager SV, Winther G, Wittenborn TR, Jensen L, Fahlquist-Hagert C, Hansen LA, Füchtbauer EM, Romero-Ramos M, Degn SE. Increased maternofoetal transfer of antibodies in a murine model of systemic lupus erythematosus, but no immune activation and neuroimmune sequelae in offspring. J Neuroimmunol 2022; 370:577927. [PMID: 35858501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2022.577927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Maternally transferred autoantibodies can negatively impact the development and health of offspring, increasing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. We used embryo transfers to examine maternofoetal immune imprinting in the autoimmune BXSB/MpJ mouse model. Anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies and total immunoglobulins were measured, using allotypes of the IgG subclass to distinguish maternally transferred antibodies from those produced endogenously. Frequencies of germinal center and plasma cells were analysed by flow cytometry. Microglial morphology in offspring CNS was assessed using immunohistochemistry. In contrast to prior findings, our results indicate that BXSB/MpJ mothers display a mild autoimmune phenotype, which does not significantly impact the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Vestergaard Fonager
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Marina Romero-Ramos
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; DANDRITE, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
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17
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Ellis RJ. Questionable Research Practices, Low Statistical Power, and Other Obstacles to Replicability: Why Preclinical Neuroscience Research Would Benefit from Registered Reports. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0017-22.2022. [PMID: 35922130 PMCID: PMC9351632 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0017-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Replicability, the degree to which a previous scientific finding can be repeated in a distinct set of data, has been considered an integral component of institutionalized scientific practice since its inception several hundred years ago. In the past decade, large-scale replication studies have demonstrated that replicability is far from favorable, across multiple scientific fields. Here, I evaluate this literature and describe contributing factors including the prevalence of questionable research practices (QRPs), misunderstanding of p-values, and low statistical power. I subsequently discuss how these issues manifest specifically in preclinical neuroscience research. I conclude that these problems are multifaceted and difficult to solve, relying on the actions of early and late career researchers, funding sources, academic publishers, and others. I assert that any viable solution to the problem of substandard replicability must include changing academic incentives, with adoption of registered reports being the most immediately impactful and pragmatic strategy. For animal research in particular, comprehensive reporting guidelines that document potential sources of sensitivity for experimental outcomes is an essential addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall J Ellis
- Friedman Brain Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
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18
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Jimenez Chavez CL, Van Doren E, Matalon J, Ogele N, Kharwa A, Madory L, Kazerani I, Herbert J, Torres-Gonzalez J, Rivera E, Szumlinski KK. Alcohol-Drinking Under Limited-Access Procedures During Mature Adulthood Accelerates the Onset of Cognitive Impairment in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:732375. [PMID: 35685271 PMCID: PMC9171112 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.732375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A history of heavy drinking increases vulnerability to, and the severity of, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias, with alcohol use disorder identified as the strongest modifiable risk factor for early-onset dementia. Heavy drinking has increased markedly in women over the past 10 years, particularly in mature adult women during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is concerning as women are more sensitive to many alcohol-related disease states, including AD and related dementias. Herein, we conducted two studies to determine if a 1-month period of binge drinking during mature adulthood (i.e., 5–9 months of age) impairs spatial and working memory to a greater extent in female vs. male C57BL/6J (B6J) mice. The anxiogenic and cognitive-impairing effects of binge drinking were also compared between mature adult and old B6J mice (18 months of age) in a third study. Throughout, females consumed more alcohol than males, indicating that a sex difference in binge drinking persists into old age. Despite the sex difference in intake, we detected no consistent sex difference in our measures of alcohol withdrawal-induced anxiety during a behavioral test battery. Although mature adult females exhibited more cognitive deficits than males, the precise outcome exhibiting a female-selective effect varied across studies. Old mice drank lower amounts of alcohol than mature adult mice, yet their blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) were within error of the 80 mg/dl criterion for binge drinking, indicative of an age-related slowing of alcohol metabolism. As expected, 18-month-old controls exhibited more signs of cognitive impairment than their 6-month-old counterparts, and binge drinking history impaired the Morris water maze performance of mice of both ages. In contrast, binge drinking history impaired the radial arm maze performance of 6-month-old mice only, and the extent of the impairment was comparable to the behavior exhibited by the older mice. We conclude from our studies that: (1) both biological sex and the age of drinking onset are subject factors that impact voluntary alcohol consumption by mice into old age; (2) binge drinking during later life elicits a negative affective state that is relatively sex-independent; (3) binge drinking during both mature adulthood and old age impairs spatial learning and memory; (4) binge drinking during mature adulthood accelerates deficits in working memory; and (5) mature adult females tend to exhibit more alcohol-induced cognitive impairments than males. If relevant to humans, these findings suggest that binge-like drinking by older adult men and women induces a negative affective state and cognitive decline, but that mature adult women, in particular, may be more sensitive to both the immediate and persistent cognitive-impairing effects of heavy drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Leonardo Jimenez Chavez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Eliyana Van Doren
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jacob Matalon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Nneoma Ogele
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Aadithya Kharwa
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Lauren Madory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Ida Kazerani
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jessica Herbert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Jose Torres-Gonzalez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Emely Rivera
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and the Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Karen K. Szumlinski
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19
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Nigri M, Åhlgren J, Wolfer DP, Voikar V. Role of Environment and Experimenter in Reproducibility of Behavioral Studies With Laboratory Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:835444. [PMID: 35250504 PMCID: PMC8895324 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.835444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral phenotyping of mice has received a great deal of attention during the past three decades. However, there is still a pressing need to understand the variability caused by environmental and biological factors, human interference, and poorly standardized experimental protocols. The inconsistency of results is often attributed to the inter-individual difference between the experimenters and environmental conditions. The present work aims to dissect the combined influence of the experimenter and the environment on the detection of behavioral traits in two inbred strains most commonly used in behavioral genetics due to their contrasting phenotypes, the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. To this purpose, the elevated O-maze, the open field with object, the accelerating rotarod and the Barnes maze tests were performed by two experimenters in two diverse laboratory environments. Our findings confirm the well-characterized behavioral differences between these strains in exploratory behavior, motor performance, learning and memory. Moreover, the results demonstrate how the experimenter and the environment influence the behavioral tests with a variable-dependent effect, often with mutually exclusive contributions. In this context, our study highlights how both the experimenter and the environment can have an impact on the strain effect size without altering the direction of the conclusions. Importantly, the general agreement on the results is reached by converging evidence from multiple measures addressing the same trait. In conclusion, the present work elucidates the contribution of both the experimenter and the laboratory environment in the intricate field of reproducibility in mouse behavioral phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nigri
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Martina Nigri,
| | - Johanna Åhlgren
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Vootele Voikar,
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20
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Murra D, Hilde KL, Fitzpatrick A, Maras PM, Watson SJ, Akil H. Characterizing the behavioral and neuroendocrine features of susceptibility and resilience to social stress. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100437. [PMID: 35242893 PMCID: PMC8857076 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Evaluating and coping with stressful social events as they unfold is a critical strategy in overcoming them without long-lasting detrimental effects. Individuals display a wide range of responses to stress, which can manifest in a variety of outcomes for the brain as well as subsequent behavior. Chronic Social Defeat Stress (CSDS) in mice has been widely used to model individual variation following a social stressor. Following a course of repeated intermittent psychological and physical stress, mice diverge into separate populations of social reactivity: resilient (socially interactive) and susceptible (socially avoidant) animals. A rich body of work reveals distinct neurobiological and behavioral consequences of this experience that map onto the resilient and susceptible groups. However, the range of factors that emerge over the course of defeat have not been fully described. Therefore, in the current study, we focused on characterizing behavioral, physiological, and neuroendocrine profiles of mice in three separate phases: before, during, and following CSDS. We found that following CSDS, traditional read-outs of anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors do not map on to the resilient and susceptible groups. By contrast, behavioral coping strategies used during the initial social stress encounter better predict which mice will eventually become resilient or susceptible. In particular, mice that will emerge as susceptible display greater escape behavior on Day 1 of social defeat than those that will emerge as resilient, indicating early differences in coping mechanisms used between the two groups. We further show that the social avoidance phenotype in susceptible mice is specific to the aggressor strain and does not generalize to conspecifics or other strains, indicating that there may be features of threat discrimination that are specific to the susceptible mice. Our findings suggest that there are costs and benefits to both the resilient and susceptible outcomes, reflected in their ability to cope and adapt to the social stressor.
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21
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Cooper TK, Meyerholz DK, Beck AP, Delaney MA, Piersigilli A, Southard TL, Brayton CF. Research-Relevant Conditions and Pathology of Laboratory Mice, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Naked Mole Rats, and Rabbits. ILAR J 2022; 62:77-132. [PMID: 34979559 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are valuable resources in biomedical research in investigations of biological processes, disease pathogenesis, therapeutic interventions, safety, toxicity, and carcinogenicity. Interpretation of data from animals requires knowledge not only of the processes or diseases (pathophysiology) under study but also recognition of spontaneous conditions and background lesions (pathology) that can influence or confound the study results. Species, strain/stock, sex, age, anatomy, physiology, spontaneous diseases (noninfectious and infectious), and neoplasia impact experimental results and interpretation as well as animal welfare. This review and the references selected aim to provide a pathology resource for researchers, pathologists, and veterinary personnel who strive to achieve research rigor and validity and must understand the spectrum of "normal" and expected conditions to accurately identify research-relevant experimental phenotypes as well as unusual illness, pathology, or other conditions that can compromise studies involving laboratory mice, rats, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, naked mole rats, and rabbits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy K Cooper
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - David K Meyerholz
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Amanda P Beck
- Department of Pathology, Yeshiva University Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Martha A Delaney
- Zoological Pathology Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Alessandra Piersigilli
- Laboratory of Comparative Pathology and the Genetically Modified Animal Phenotyping Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Teresa L Southard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Cory F Brayton
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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22
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Crabbe JC, Hack WR, Ozburn AR, Savarese AM, Metten P. Long-term alcohol drinking in High Drinking in the Dark mice is stable for many months and does not show alcohol deprivation effects. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13074. [PMID: 34227188 PMCID: PMC8720065 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We have modelled genetic risk for binge-like drinking by selectively breeding High Drinking in the Dark-1 and -2 (HDID-1 and HDID-2) mice for their propensity to reach intoxicating blood alcohol levels (BALs) after binge-like drinking in a single bottle, limited access paradigm. Interestingly, in standard two-bottle choice (2BC) tests for continuously available alcohol versus water, HDID mice show modest levels of preference. This indicates some degree of independence of the genetic contributions to risk for binge-like and sustained, continuous access drinking. We had few data where the drinking in the dark (DID) tests of binge-like drinking had been repeatedly performed, so we serially offered multiple DID tests to see whether binge-like drinking escalated. It did not. We also asked whether HDID mice would escalate their voluntary intake with prolonged exposure to alcohol 2BC. They did not. Lastly, we assessed whether an alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) developed. ADE is a temporary elevation in drinking typically observed after a period of abstinence from sustained access to alcohol choice. With repetition, these periods of ADE sometimes have led to more sustained elevations in drinking. We therefore asked whether repeated ADE episodes would elevate choice drinking in HDID mice. They did not. After nearly 500 days of alcohol access, the intake of HDID mice remained stable. We conclude that a genetically-enhanced high risk for binge-like drinking is not sufficient to yield alterations in long-term alcohol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Wyatt R Hack
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Antonia M Savarese
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
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23
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Holbrook OT, Molligoda B, Bushell KN, Gobrogge KL. Behavioral consequences of the downstream products of ethanol metabolism involved in alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104501. [PMID: 34942269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Research concerning Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has previously focused primarily on either the behavioral or chemical consequences experienced following ethanol intake, but these areas of research have rarely been considered in tandem. Compared with other drugs of abuse, ethanol has been shown to have a unique metabolic pathway once it enters the body, which leads to the formation of downstream metabolites which can go on to form biologically active products. These metabolites can mediate a variety of behavioral responses that are commonly observed with AUD, such as ethanol intake, reinforcement, and vulnerability to relapse. The following review considers the preclinical and chemical research implicating these downstream products in AUD and proposes a chemobehavioral model of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto T Holbrook
- Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215-2425, USA.
| | - Brandon Molligoda
- Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215-2425, USA.
| | - Kristen N Bushell
- Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215-2425, USA
| | - Kyle L Gobrogge
- Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215-2425, USA
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24
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Wu PY, Menta B, Visk A, Ryals JM, Christianson JA, Wright DE, Chadwick AL. The impact of foot shock-induced stress on pain-related behavior associated with burn injury. Burns 2021; 47:1896-1907. [PMID: 33958242 PMCID: PMC8526636 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Acute pain is prevalent following burn injury and can often transition to chronic pain. Prolonged acute pain is an important risk factor for chronic pain and there is little preclinical research to address this problem. Using a mouse model of second-degree burn, we investigated whether pre-existing stress influences pain(sensitivity) after a burn injury. We introduced a contribution of stress in two different ways: (1) the use of foot-shock as a pre-injury stressor or (2) the use of A/J mice to represent higher pre-existing stress compared to C57Bl/6 mice. C57Bl/6 and A/J mice were exposed to repeated mild foot shock to induce stress for 10 continuous days and mice underwent either burn injury or sham burn injury of the plantar surface of the right hind paw. Assessments of mechanical and thermal sensitivities of the injured and uninjured paw were conducted during the shock protocol and at intervals up to 82-day post-burn injury. In both strains of mice that underwent burn injury, thermal hypersensitivity and mechanical allodynia appeared rapidly in the ipsilateral paw. Mice that were stressed took much longer to recover their hind paw mechanical thresholds to baseline compared to non-stressed mice in both burn and non-burn groups. Analysis of the two mouse strains revealed that the recovery of mechanical thresholds in A/J mice which display higher levels of baseline anxiety was shorter than C57Bl/6 mice. No differences were observed regarding thermal sensitivities between strains. Our results support the view that stress exposure prior to burn injury affects mechanical and thermal thresholds and may be relevant to as a risk factor for the transition from acute to chronic pain. Finally, genetic differences may play a key role in modality-specific recovery following burn injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pau Yen Wu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Blaise Menta
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Alexander Visk
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Janelle M Ryals
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Julie A Christianson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Douglas E Wright
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Andrea L Chadwick
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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25
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Fureix C, Trevarthen AC, Finnegan EM, Bučková K, Paul ES, Mendl MT. Do greater levels of in-cage waking inactivity in laboratory mice reflect a spontaneous depression-like symptom? A pharmacological investigation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 212:173311. [PMID: 34863797 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
We previously identified in laboratory mice an inactive state [being awake with eyes open motionless within the home cage; inactive but awake, 'IBA'] sharing etiological factors and symptoms with human clinical depression. We further test the hypothesis that greater time spent displaying IBA indicates a depression-like state in mice by investigating whether the antidepressant Venlafaxine, environmental enrichment, and their combination, alleviate IBA. Seventy-two C57BL/6J and 72 DBA/2J female mice were pseudo-randomly housed post-weaning in mixed strain-pairs in non-enriched (NE; 48 pairs) or in environmentally enriched (EE; 24 pairs) cages. After 34 days, half of the mice housed in NE cages were either relocated to EE cages or left in NE cages. For each of these conditions, half of the mice drank either a placebo or the antidepressant Venlafaxine (10 mg/kg). The 48 mice housed in EE cages were all relocated to NE cages and allocated to either the placebo (n = 24) or Venlafaxine (n = 24). IBA data were collected prior to and after environmental adjustment by trained observers blind to the pharmacological and environmental adjustment treatments. Data were analyzed using GLM models. NE cages triggered more IBA than EE cages (Likelihood-Ratio-Test Chi23 = 53.501, p < 0.0001). Venlafaxine and environmental enrichment appeared equally effective at reducing IBA (LRT Chi23 = 18.262, p < 0.001), and combining these approaches did not magnify their effects. Enrichment removal triggered IBA increase (LRT Chi21 = 23.050, p < 0.001), but Venlafaxine did not overcome the increase in IBA resulting from enrichment loss (LTR Chi21 = 0.081, p = 0.775). Theoretical implications for putative depression-like states in mice, and further research directions, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Fureix
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Anna C Trevarthen
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Emily M Finnegan
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Katarína Bučková
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth S Paul
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
| | - Michael T Mendl
- University of Bristol, Bristol Veterinary School, Langford House, Langford BS40 5DU, United Kingdom.
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26
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Patrizz AN, Moruno-Manchon JF, O’Keefe LM, Doran SJ, Patel AR, Venna VR, Tsvetkov AS, Li J, McCullough LD. Sex-Specific Differences in Autophagic Responses to Experimental Ischemic Stroke. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071825. [PMID: 34359998 PMCID: PMC8304137 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke triggers a series of complex pathophysiological processes including autophagy. Differential activation of autophagy occurs in neurons derived from males versus females after stressors such as nutrient deprivation. Whether autophagy displays sexual dimorphism after ischemic stroke is unknown. We used a cerebral ischemia mouse model (middle cerebral artery occlusion, MCAO) to evaluate the effects of inhibiting autophagy in ischemic brain pathology. We observed that inhibiting autophagy reduced infarct volume in males and ovariectomized females. However, autophagy inhibition enhanced infarct size in females and in ovariectomized females supplemented with estrogen compared to control mice. We also observed that males had increased levels of Beclin1 and LC3 and decreased levels of pULK1 and p62 at 24 h, while females had decreased levels of Beclin1 and increased levels of ATG7. Furthermore, the levels of autophagy markers were increased under basal conditions and after oxygen and glucose deprivation in male neurons compared with female neurons in vitro. E2 supplementation significantly inhibited autophagy only in male neurons, and was beneficial for cell survival only in female neurons. This study shows that autophagy in the ischemic brain differs between the sexes, and that autophagy regulators have different effects in a sex-dependent manner in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony N. Patrizz
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
| | - Jose F. Moruno-Manchon
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
| | - Lena M. O’Keefe
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA;
| | - Sarah J. Doran
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; (S.J.D.); (A.R.P.)
| | - Anita R. Patel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030, USA; (S.J.D.); (A.R.P.)
| | - Venugopal R. Venna
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
| | - Andrey S. Tsvetkov
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
| | - Louise D. McCullough
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (A.N.P.); (J.F.M.-M.); (V.R.V.); (A.S.T.); (J.L.)
- Correspondence:
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27
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Supplier-origin mouse microbiomes significantly influence locomotor and anxiety-related behavior, body morphology, and metabolism. Commun Biol 2021; 4:716. [PMID: 34112927 PMCID: PMC8192786 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02249-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse is the most commonly used model species in biomedical research. Just as human physical and mental health are influenced by the commensal gut bacteria, mouse models of disease are influenced by the fecal microbiome (FM). The source of mice represents one of the strongest influences on the FM and can influence the phenotype of disease models. The FM influences behavior in mice leading to the hypothesis that mice of the same genetic background from different vendors, will have different behavioral phenotypes. To test this hypothesis, colonies of CD-1 mice, rederived via embryo transfer into surrogate dams from four different suppliers, were subjected to phenotyping assays assessing behavior and physiological parameters. Significant differences in behavior, growth rate, metabolism, and hematological parameters were observed. Collectively, these findings show the profound influence of supplier-origin FMs on host behavior and physiology in healthy, genetically similar, wild-type mice maintained in identical environments.
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28
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Mah KM, Torres-Espín A, Hallworth BW, Bixby JL, Lemmon VP, Fouad K, Fenrich KK. Automation of training and testing motor and related tasks in pre-clinical behavioural and rehabilitative neuroscience. Exp Neurol 2021; 340:113647. [PMID: 33600814 PMCID: PMC10443427 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Testing and training animals in motor and related tasks is a cornerstone of pre-clinical behavioural and rehabilitative neuroscience. Yet manually testing and training animals in these tasks is time consuming and analyses are often subjective. Consequently, there have been many recent advances in automating both the administration and analyses of animal behavioural training and testing. This review is an in-depth appraisal of the history of, and recent developments in, the automation of animal behavioural assays used in neuroscience. We describe the use of common locomotor and non-locomotor tasks used for motor training and testing before and after nervous system injury. This includes a discussion of how these tasks help us to understand the underlying mechanisms of neurological repair and the utility of some tasks for the delivery of rehabilitative training to enhance recovery. We propose two general approaches to automation: automating the physical administration of behavioural tasks (i.e., devices used to facilitate task training, rehabilitative training, and motor testing) and leveraging the use of machine learning in behaviour analysis to generate large volumes of unbiased and comprehensive data. The advantages and disadvantages of automating various motor tasks as well as the limitations of machine learning analyses are examined. In closing, we provide a critical appraisal of the current state of automation in animal behavioural neuroscience and a prospective on some of the advances in machine learning we believe will dramatically enhance the usefulness of these approaches for behavioural neuroscientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kar Men Mah
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Abel Torres-Espín
- Brain and Spinal Injury Center, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ben W Hallworth
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - John L Bixby
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA; Department of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Vance P Lemmon
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Karim Fouad
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith K Fenrich
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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29
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Hill EM, Howard CD, Bale TL, Jašarević E. Perinatal exposure to tetracycline contributes to lasting developmental effects on offspring. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:37. [PMID: 33975649 PMCID: PMC8111738 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00099-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For more than 30 years, the tetracycline on/off system of inducible gene expression has been leveraged to study disease mechanisms across many research areas, especially that of metabolism and neuroscience. This system requires acute or chronic exposure to tetracycline derivatives, such as doxycycline, to manipulate gene expression in a temporal and tissue-specific manner, with exposure often being restricted to gestational and early developmental windows. Despite evidence showing that early life antibiotic exposure has adverse effects on gut microbiota, metabolism, physiology, immunity and behavior, little is known regarding the lasting impact of doxycycline treatment on relevant outcomes in experimental offspring. RESULTS To examine the hypothesis that early life doxycycline exposure produces effects on offspring growth, behavior, and gut microbiota, we employed the most commonly used method for tetracycline on/off system by administering a low dose of doxycycline (0.5 mg/ml) in the drinking water to C57Bl/6J and C57BL/6J:129S1/SvImJ dams from embryonic day 15.5 to postnatal day 28. Developmental exposure to low dose doxycycline resulted in significant alterations to growth trajectories and body weight in both strains, which persisted beyond cessation of doxycycline exposure. Developmental doxycycline exposure influenced offspring bacterial community assembly in a temporal and sex-specific manner. Further, gut microbiota composition failed to recover by adulthood, suggesting a lasting imprint of developmental antibiotic exposure. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrated that early life doxycycline exposure shifts the homeostatic baseline of prior exposed animals that may subsequently impact responses to experimental manipulations. These results highlight the gut microbiota as an important factor to consider in systems requiring methods of chronic antibiotic administration during pregnancy and critical periods of postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Hill
- Center for Epigenetics Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Christopher D Howard
- Center for Epigenetics Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Center for Epigenetics Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eldin Jašarević
- Center for Epigenetics Research in Child Health and Brain Development, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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30
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Saré RM, Lemons A, Smith CB. Behavior Testing in Rodents: Highlighting Potential Confounds Affecting Variability and Reproducibility. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040522. [PMID: 33924037 PMCID: PMC8073298 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rodent models of brain disorders including neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases are essential for increasing our understanding of underlying pathology and for preclinical testing of potential treatments. Some of the most important outcome measures in such studies are behavioral. Unfortunately, reports from different labs are often conflicting, and preclinical studies in rodent models are not often corroborated in human trials. There are many well-established tests for assessing various behavioral readouts, but subtle aspects can influence measurements. Features such as housing conditions, conditions of testing, and the sex and strain of the animals can all have effects on tests of behavior. In the conduct of behavior testing, it is important to keep these features in mind to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of results. In this review, we highlight factors that we and others have encountered that can influence behavioral measures. Our goal is to increase awareness of factors that can affect behavior in rodents and to emphasize the need for detailed reporting of methods.
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31
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Du Preez A, Eum J, Eiben I, Eiben P, Zunszain PA, Pariante CM, Thuret S, Fernandes C. Do different types of stress differentially alter behavioural and neurobiological outcomes associated with depression in rodent models? A systematic review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 61:100896. [PMID: 33359461 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cataloguing the effects of different types of stress on behaviour and physiology in rodent models has not been comprehensively attempted. Here, we systematically review whether chronic exposure to physical stress, psychosocial stress, or both types of stress can induce different behavioural and neurobiological outcomes in male and female rodents. We found that physical stress consistently increased depressive-like behaviour, impaired social interaction and decreased body weight, while psychosocial stress consistently increased both anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour, impaired social interaction and learning and memory, increased HPA axis activity, peripheral inflammation and microglial activation, and decreased hippocampal neurogenesis in male rodents. Moreover, we found that the combined effect of both stress types resulted in a more severe pathological state defined by increased anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour, impaired social interaction and learning and memory, increased HPA axis activity and central inflammation, and reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and neural plasticity in male rodents. Phenotypes for females were less consistent, irrespective of the type of stress exposure, on account of the limited number of studies using females. This review highlights that the type of stress may indeed matter and will help animal researchers to more appropriately choose a stress/depression model that fits their research purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Du Preez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Josephine Eum
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Inez Eiben
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Paola Eiben
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Patricia A Zunszain
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Sandrine Thuret
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, UK
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32
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Comprehensive characterization of motor and coordination functions in three adolescent wild-type mouse strains. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6497. [PMID: 33753800 PMCID: PMC7985312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85858-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are often associated with motor and coordination abnormalities that have important implications on the etiology, pathophysiology, and management of these disorders. Although the onset of many neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder emerges mainly during infancy and adolescence, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, possibly missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we examined which behavioral tests assessing both motor and coordination functions can be performed in mice at two different adolescent stages. As strain and sex affect mouse behavior, our experiments covered both male and female mice of three inbred wild-type strains, C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N. Adolescent mice of both postnatal days (P)22-30 and P32-40 developmental stages were capable of mastering common motor and coordination tests. However, results differed significantly between strains and sexes. Moreover, the 10-day interval between the two tested cohorts uncovered a strong difference in the behavioral results, confirming the significant impact of maturation on behavioral patterns. Interestingly, the results of distinct behavioral experiments were directly correlated with the weight of mice, which may explain the lack of reproducibility of some behavioral results in genetically-modified mice. Our study paves the way for better reproducibility of behavioral tests by addressing the effect of the developmental stage, strain, sex, and weight of mice on achieving the face validity of neuropsychiatric disorder-associated motor dysfunctions.
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Plasil SL, Seth A, Homanics GE. CRISPR Turbo Accelerated KnockOut (CRISPy TAKO) for Rapid in vivo Screening of Gene Function. Front Genome Ed 2021; 2. [PMID: 33604589 PMCID: PMC7889042 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2020.598522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology has vastly sped up the process of mammalian genome editing by introducing a bacterial system that can be exploited for reverse genetics-based research. However, generating homozygous functional knockout (KO) animals using traditional CRISPR/Cas9-mediated techniques requires three generations of animals. A founder animal with a desired mutation is crossed to produce heterozygous F1 offspring which are subsequently interbred to generate homozygous F2 KO animals. This study describes an adaptation of the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated method to develop a cohort of homozygous gene-targeted KO animals in one generation. A well-characterized ethanol-responsive gene, MyD88, was chosen as a candidate gene for generation of KO mice as proof-of-concept. Previous studies have reported changes in ethanol-related behavioral outcomes in MyD88 KO mice. One-cell mouse embryos were simultaneously electroporated with four gRNAs targeting a critical Exon of MyD88 along with Cas9 protein. DNA and RNA analysis of founder mice revealed a complex mix of genetic alterations, all of which were predicted to ablate MyD88 gene function. Behavioral testing confirmed the hypothesis that successful one-generation KO of MyD88 would reproduce the decreased ethanol-induced sedative/hypnotic effects and increased ethanol consumption in males that were observed in previous studies. This study additionally compared responses of Mock treatment control mice generated through electroporation to controls purchased from a vendor. No substantial behavioral changes were noted between control cohorts. Overall, the CRISPR/Cas9 KO protocol reported here, which we call CRISPR Turbo Accelerated KnockOut (CRISPy TAKO), will be useful for reverse genetic in vivo screens of gene function in whole animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja L Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Amit Seth
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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Effects of handling on the behavioural phenotype of the neuregulin 1 type III transgenic mouse model for schizophrenia. Behav Brain Res 2021; 405:113166. [PMID: 33588020 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Handling of laboratory mice affects animal wellbeing and behavioural test outcomes. However, present research has focused on handling effects in common strains of laboratory mice despite the knowledge that environmental factors can modify established phenotypes of genetic mouse models. Thus, we examined the impact of handling on the face validity of a transgenic mouse model for the schizophrenia risk gene neuregulin 1 (i.e. Nrg1 type III overexpression). Nrg1 III tg and wild type-like (WT) control mice of both sexes underwent tail or tunnel handling before being assessed in the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), social preference/novelty, prepulse inhibition, and fear conditioning tests. Tunnel-handling reduced the startle response in all mice, increased OF locomotion and exploration in males and reduced anxiety in males (OF) and females (EPM) compared to tail-handling. Importantly, tunnel handling induced a more pronounced startle response to increasing startle stimuli in Nrg1 III tg females compared to respective controls, a phenomenon absent in tail-handled females. Finally, Nrg1 III tg males displayed reduced OF exploration and centre locomotion and Nrg1 III tg females displayed increased cue freezing over time compared to controls. In conclusion, handling methods have a significant impact on a variety of behavioural domains thus the impact of routine handling procedures need be considered when testing behavioural phenotypes. Handling did not change the main schizophrenia-relevant characteristics of Nrg1 III tg mice but affected the acoustic startle-response in a genotype- and sex-specific manner. Future research should evaluate the effect of handling on other genetic models.
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35
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Development and Control of Behaviour. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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36
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Du Preez A, Onorato D, Eiben I, Musaelyan K, Egeland M, Zunszain PA, Fernandes C, Thuret S, Pariante CM. Chronic stress followed by social isolation promotes depressive-like behaviour, alters microglial and astrocyte biology and reduces hippocampal neurogenesis in male mice. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 91:24-47. [PMID: 32755644 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) is one of the most commonly used, robust and translatable models for studying the neurobiological basis of major depression. Although the model currently has multiple advantages, it does not entirely follow the trajectory of the disorder, whereby depressive symptomology can often present months after exposure to stress. Furthermore, patients with depression are more likely to withdraw in response to their stressful experience, or as a symptom of their depression, and, in turn, this withdrawal/isolation can further exacerbate the stressful experience and the depressive symptomology. Therefore, we investigated the effect(s) of 6 weeks of UCMS followed by another 6 weeks of social isolation (referred to as UCMSI), on behaviour, corticosterone stress responsivity, immune system functioning, and hippocampal neurogenesis, in young adult male mice. We found that UCMSI induced several behavioural changes resembling depression but did not induce peripheral inflammation. However, UCMSI animals showed increased microglial activation in the ventral dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus and astrocyte activation in both the dorsal and ventral DG, with increased GFAP-positive cell immunoreactivity, GFAP-positive cell hypertrophy and process extension, and increased s100β-positive cell density. Moreover, UCMSI animals had significantly reduced neurogenesis in the DG and reduced levels of peripheral vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) - a trophic factor produced by astrocytes and that stimulates neurogenesis. Finally, UCMSI mice also had normal baseline corticosterone levels but a smaller increase in corticosterone following acute stress, that is, the Porsolt Swim Test. Our work gives clinically relevant insights into the role that microglial and astrocyte functioning, and hippocampal neurogenesis may play in the context of stress, social isolation and depression, offering a potentially new avenue for therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Du Preez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Diletta Onorato
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Inez Eiben
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Ksenia Musaelyan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Martin Egeland
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Patricia A Zunszain
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Sandrine Thuret
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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37
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Gui Y, Thomas MH, Garcia P, Karout M, Halder R, Michelucci A, Kollmus H, Zhou C, Melmed S, Schughart K, Balling R, Mittelbronn M, Nadeau JH, Williams RW, Sauter T, Buttini M, Sinkkonen L. Pituitary Tumor Transforming Gene 1 Orchestrates Gene Regulatory Variation in Mouse Ventral Midbrain During Aging. Front Genet 2020; 11:566734. [PMID: 33173537 PMCID: PMC7538689 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.566734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain are of particular interest due to their role in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. Genetic variation between individuals can affect the integrity and function of dopaminergic neurons but the DNA variants and molecular cascades modulating dopaminergic neurons and other cells types of ventral midbrain remain poorly defined. Three genetically diverse inbred mouse strains – C57BL/6J, A/J, and DBA/2J – differ significantly in their genomes (∼7 million variants), motor and cognitive behavior, and susceptibility to neurotoxins. To further dissect the underlying molecular networks responsible for these variable phenotypes, we generated RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data from ventral midbrains of the 3 mouse strains. We defined 1000–1200 transcripts that are differentially expressed among them. These widespread differences may be due to altered activity or expression of upstream transcription factors. Interestingly, transcription factors were significantly underrepresented among the differentially expressed genes, and only one transcription factor, Pttg1, showed significant differences between all three strains. The changes in Pttg1 expression were accompanied by consistent alterations in histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation at Pttg1 transcription start site. The ventral midbrain transcriptome of 3-month-old C57BL/6J congenic Pttg1–/– mutants was only modestly altered, but shifted toward that of A/J and DBA/2J in 9-month-old mice. Principle component analysis (PCA) identified the genes underlying the transcriptome shift and deconvolution of these bulk RNA-seq changes using midbrain single cell RNA-seq data suggested that the changes were occurring in several different cell types, including neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes. Taken together, our results show that Pttg1 contributes to gene regulatory variation between mouse strains and influences mouse midbrain transcriptome during aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Gui
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Mélanie H Thomas
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Pierre Garcia
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg.,National Center of Pathology, Laboratoire National de Santé, Dudelange, Luxembourg.,Luxembourg Centre of Neuropathology, Dudelange, Luxembourg
| | - Mona Karout
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Rashi Halder
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Alessandro Michelucci
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg.,Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Heike Kollmus
- Department of Infection Genetics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cuiqi Zhou
- Cedars Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Shlomo Melmed
- Cedars Sinai Medical Centre, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Klaus Schughart
- Department of Infection Genetics, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Infection Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Rudi Balling
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Michel Mittelbronn
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg.,National Center of Pathology, Laboratoire National de Santé, Dudelange, Luxembourg.,Luxembourg Centre of Neuropathology, Dudelange, Luxembourg.,Department of Oncology, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Joseph H Nadeau
- Pacific Northwest Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.,Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, ME, United States
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Thomas Sauter
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Manuel Buttini
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - Lasse Sinkkonen
- Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Belvaux, Luxembourg
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38
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Du Preez A, Law T, Onorato D, Lim YM, Eiben P, Musaelyan K, Egeland M, Hye A, Zunszain PA, Thuret S, Pariante CM, Fernandes C. The type of stress matters: repeated injection and permanent social isolation stress in male mice have a differential effect on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviours, and associated biological alterations. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:325. [PMID: 32958745 PMCID: PMC7505042 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01000-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress can alter the immune system, adult hippocampal neurogenesis and induce anxiety- and depressive-like behaviour in rodents. However, previous studies have not discriminated between the effect(s) of different types of stress on these behavioural and biological outcomes. We investigated the effect(s) of repeated injection vs. permanent social isolation on behaviour, stress responsivity, immune system functioning and hippocampal neurogenesis, in young adult male mice, and found that the type of stress exposure does indeed matter. Exposure to 6 weeks of repeated injection resulted in an anxiety-like phenotype, decreased systemic inflammation (i.e., reduced plasma levels of TNFα and IL4), increased corticosterone reactivity, increased microglial activation and decreased neuronal differentiation in the dentate gyrus (DG). In contrast, exposure to 6 weeks of permanent social isolation resulted in a depressive-like phenotype, increased plasma levels of TNFα, decreased plasma levels of IL10 and VEGF, decreased corticosterone reactivity, decreased microglial cell density and increased cell density for radial glia, s100β-positive cells and mature neuroblasts-all in the DG. Interestingly, combining the two distinct stress paradigms did not have an additive effect on behavioural and biological outcomes, but resulted in yet a different phenotype, characterized by increased anxiety-like behaviour, decreased plasma levels of IL1β, IL4 and VEGF, and decreased hippocampal neuronal differentiation, without altered neuroinflammation or corticosterone reactivity. These findings demonstrate that different forms of chronic stress can differentially alter both behavioural and biological outcomes in young adult male mice, and that combining multiple stressors may not necessarily cause more severe pathological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Du Preez
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Thomas Law
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Diletta Onorato
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yau M Lim
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paola Eiben
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ksenia Musaelyan
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Martin Egeland
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Abdul Hye
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Patricia A Zunszain
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Sandrine Thuret
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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39
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Warden AS, DaCosta A, Mason S, Blednov YA, Mayfield RD, Harris RA. Inbred Substrain Differences Influence Neuroimmune Response and Drinking Behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1760-1768. [PMID: 32640038 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The inbred mouse strain C57BL/6 is widely used in both models of addiction and immunological disease. However, there are pronounced phenotypic differences in ethanol (EtOH) consumption and innate immune response between C57BL/6 substrains. The focus of this study was to examine the effects of substrain on innate immune response and neuroimmune-induced escalation of voluntary EtOH consumption. The main goal was to identify whether substrain differences in immune response can account for differences in EtOH behavior. METHODS We compared acute innate immune response with a viral dsRNA mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), in brain using qRT-PCR in both C57BL/6N and C57BL/6J mice. Next, we used a neuroimmune model of escalation using poly(I:C) to compare drinking behavior between substrains. Finally, we compared brain neuroimmune response with both EtOH and repeated poly(I:C) in both substrains as a way to account for differences in EtOH behavior. RESULTS We found that C57BL/6 substrains have differing immune response and drinking behaviors. C57BL/6N mice have a shorter but more robust inflammatory response to acute poly(I:C). In contrast, C57BL/6J mice have a smaller but longer-lasting acute immune response to poly(I:C). In our neuroimmune-induced escalation model, C57BL/6J mice but not C57BL/6N mice escalate EtOH intake after poly(I:C). Finally, only C57BL/6J mice show enhanced proinflammatory transcript abundance after poly(I:C) and EtOH, suggesting that longer-lasting immune responses are critical to neuroimmune drinking phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, this work has elucidated additional influences that substrain has on both innate immune response and drinking phenotypes. Our observations highlight the importance of considering and reporting the source and background used for production of transgenic and knockout mice. These data provide further evidence that genetic background must be carefully considered when investigating the role of neuroimmune signaling in EtOH abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Warden
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Adriana DaCosta
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Sonia Mason
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Yuri A Blednov
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Roy Dayne Mayfield
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Robert Adron Harris
- From the Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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40
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Burrows E, Koyama L, May C, Hill-Yardin E, Hannan A. Environmental enrichment modulates affiliative and aggressive social behaviour in the neuroligin-3 R451C mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 195:172955. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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41
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Sequential habituation to space, object and stranger is differentially modulated by glutamatergic, cholinergic and dopaminergic transmission. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 31:652-670. [PMID: 32649364 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Novel object and social interaction tasks allow assessments of rodent cognition and social behavior. Here, we combined these tasks and defined unequivocal locations of interest. Our procedure, termed OF-NO-SI, comprised habituation to the open field (OF), novel object (NO) and social interaction (SI) stages. Habituation was measured within- and between-trials (10 minutes each, two per stage). Ambulation emerged as the appropriate proxy during the OF stage, but NO and SI trials were best quantified via direct exploration measures. We pharmacologically validated the paradigm using 5-month old C57BL/6J male mice, treated intraperitoneally with (1) 0.5 mg/kg scopolamine, (2) 0.05 mg/kg MK-801 and (3) 0.05 mg/kg SCH-23390 to block muscarinic (M1), NMDA, and D1 receptors, respectively, or (4) vehicle (distilled water). Activity and gross exploratory behavior were affected by all compounds cf. vehicle: scopolamine and MK-801 cohorts were hyperactive, while SCH-23390 caused hypo-locomotion throughout. Vehicle treated mice showed reliable habituation to all stages for time in interaction zone, directed exploration and number of visits. Exploration was severely impaired by scopolamine. MK-801 mostly affected within-session exploration but also increased exploration of the conspecific compared to the object. Interestingly, even though within-trial habituation was lacking in the SCH-23390 cohort, between-trial habituation was largely intact, despite reduced locomotion. Our data suggest that the OF-NO-SI task is a convenient and robust paradigm to measure habituation to different experimental settings and stimuli. It allows the dissociation of proxies related to activity and non-associative learning/memory, as revealed by distinct pharmacological treatment effects within- vs. between-trials.
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42
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Eltokhi A, Kurpiers B, Pitzer C. Behavioral tests assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes in adolescent mice reveal strain- and sex-specific effects. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11263. [PMID: 32647155 PMCID: PMC7347854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67758-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, infancy and adolescence are associated with major changes in synaptic functions and ongoing maturation of neural networks, which underlie the major behavioral changes during these periods. Among adult cases with neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity, and bipolar disorders, 50% have developed behavioral symptoms and received a diagnosis before 15 years of age. However, most of the behavioral studies in mice modeling neuropsychiatric phenotypes are performed in adult animals, missing valuable phenotypic information related to the effect of synaptic maturation during development. Here, we explored which behavioral experiments assessing neuropsychiatric phenotypes can be performed during a specific window of development in adolescent male and female C57BL/6N, DBA/2, and FVB/N mice that are typically used as background strains for generating genetically-modified mouse models. The three wild-type strains were evaluated across anxiety, social behaviors, and cognitive functions in order to cover the main behavioral impairments that occur in neuropsychiatric disorders. During adolescence, the three strains displayed significant differences under certain behavioral paradigms. In addition, C57BL/6N and FVB/N, but not DBA/2 mice revealed some sex-related differences. Our results provide new insights into discrete behaviors during development and emphasize the crucial importance of the genetic background, sex, and experimental settings in the age-dependent regulation of different behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Eltokhi
- Department of Neurology and Epileptology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Barbara Kurpiers
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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43
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König C, Plank AC, Kapp A, Timotius IK, von Hörsten S, Zimmermann K. Thirty Mouse Strain Survey of Voluntary Physical Activity and Energy Expenditure: Influence of Strain, Sex and Day-Night Variation. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:531. [PMID: 32733181 PMCID: PMC7358574 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We measured indirect calorimetry and activity parameters, VO2 and VCO2 to extract respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and energy expenditure in both sexes of 30 inbred mouse strains of 6 genetic families at 9–13 weeks during one photophase and the subsequent scotophase. We observed a continuous distribution of all traits. While males had higher body weights than females, we observed no sex difference for food and water intake. All strains drank and fed more during the night even if they displayed no day–night difference in activity traits. Several strains showed absent or weak day–night variation in one or more activity traits and these included FVB and 129X1, males of 129S1, SWR, NZW, and SM, and females of SJL. In general females showed higher rearing and ambulatory activity with 6 and 9 strains, respectively, showing a sex difference. Fine motor movements, like grooming, showed less sex differences. RER underlied a strong day–night difference and no sex effect. Only FVB females and males of the RIIIS and SM strain had no day–night variation. Energy expenditure underlies a large day–night variation which was absent in SWR and in FVB females and RIIIS males. In general, female bodies had a tendency to higher energy expenditure values, which became a significant difference in C3H, MAMy, SM, DBA1, and BUB. Our data illustrate the diversity of these traits in male and female inbred mice and provide a resource in the selection of strains for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine König
- Department of Anesthesiology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anne-Christine Plank
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander Kapp
- Department of Anesthesiology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ivanna K Timotius
- Machine Learning & Data Analytics Lab, Department of Computer Science, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Electronics Engineering, Satya Wacana Christian University, Salatiga, Indonesia
| | - Stephan von Hörsten
- Department of Experimental Therapy, Preclinical Experimental Center, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Katharina Zimmermann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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44
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Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR, Hitzemann RJ, Spence SE, Hack WR, Schlumbohm JP, Metten P. Tetracycline derivatives reduce binge alcohol consumption in High Drinking in the Dark mice. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 4:100061. [PMID: 34589846 PMCID: PMC8474687 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are prevalent, and are characterized by binge-like drinking, defined by patterns of focused drinking where dosages ingested in 2-4 h reach intoxicating blood alcohol levels (BALs). Current medications are few and compliance with the relatively rare prescribed usage is low. Hence, novel and more effective medications are needed. We developed a mouse model of genetic risk for binge drinking (HDID: High Drinking in the Dark mice) by selectively breeding for high BALs after binge drinking. A transcriptional analysis of HDID brain tissue with RNA-Seq implicated neuroinflammatory mechanisms, and, more specifically extracellular matrix genes, including those encoding matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Prior experiments from other groups have shown that the tetracycline derivatives doxycycline, minocycline, and tigecycline, reduce binge drinking in inbred C57BL/6J mice. We tested these three compounds in female and male HDID mice and found that all three reduced DID and BAL. They had drug-specific effects on intake of water or saccharin in the DID assay. Thus, our results show that the effectiveness of synthetic tetracycline derivatives as potential therapeutic agents for AUDs is not limited to the single C57BL/6J genotype previously targeted, but extends to a mouse model of a population at high risk for AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Robert J. Hitzemann
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Stephanie E. Spence
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Wyatt R. Hack
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jason P. Schlumbohm
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
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45
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Ozburn AR, Metten P, Potretzke S, Townsley KG, Blednov YA, Crabbe JC. Effects of Pharmacologically Targeting Neuroimmune Pathways on Alcohol Drinking in Mice Selectively Bred to Drink to Intoxication. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:553-566. [PMID: 31853996 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent models of high alcohol drinking offer opportunities to better understand factors for alcohol use disorders (AUD) and test potential treatments. Selective breeding was carried out to create 2 unique High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1, HDID-2) mouse lines that represent models of genetic risk for binge-like drinking. A number of studies have indicated that neuroimmune genes are important for regulation of alcohol drinking. We tested whether compounds shown to reduce drinking in other models also reduce alcohol intake in these unique genetic lines. METHODS We report tests of gabapentin, tesaglitazar, fenofibrate, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), ibrutinib, and rolipram. Although these compounds have different mechanisms of action, they have all been shown to reduce inflammatory responses. We evaluated effects of these compounds on alcohol intake. In order to facilitate comparison with previously published findings for some compounds, we employed similar schedules that were previously used for that compound. RESULTS Gabapentin increased ethanol (EtOH) binge-like alcohol drinking in female HDID-1 and HS/NPT mice. Tesaglitazar and fenofibrate did not alter 2-bottle choice (2BC) drinking in male HDID-1 or HS/NPT mice. However, tesaglitazar had no effect on DID EtOH intake but reduced blood alcohol levels (BAL), and fenofibrate increased DID intake with no effects on BAL. CAPE had no effect on EtOH intake. Ibrutinib reduced intake in female HDID-1 in initial testing, but did not reduce intake in a second week of testing. Rolipram reduced DID intake and BALs in male and female HDID-1, HDID-2, and HS/NPT mice. CONCLUSIONS A number of compounds shown to reduce EtOH drinking in other models, and genotypes are not effective in HDID mice or their genetically heterogeneous founders, HS/NPT. The most promising compound was the PDE4 inhibitor, rolipram. These results highlight the importance of assessing generalizability when rigorously testing compounds for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Pamela Metten
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Sheena Potretzke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Kayla G Townsley
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Yuri A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - John C Crabbe
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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Kalinichenko LS, Kornhuber J, Müller CP. Individual differences in inflammatory and oxidative mechanisms of stress-related mood disorders. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100783. [PMID: 31415777 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Emotional stress leads to the development of peripheral disorders and is recognized as a modifiable risk factor for psychiatric disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. However, not all individuals develop the negative consequences of emotional stress due to different stress coping strategies and resilience to stressful stimuli. In this review, we discuss individual differences in coping styles and the potential mechanisms that contribute to individual vulnerability to stress, such as parameters of the immune system and oxidative state. Initial differences in inflammatory and oxidative processes determine resistance to stress and stress-related disorders via the alteration of neurotransmitter content in the brain and biological fluids. Differences in coping styles may serve as possible predictors of resistance to stress and stress-related disorders, even before stressful conditions. The investigation of natural variabilities in stress resilience may allow the development of new methods for preventive medicine and the personalized treatment of stress-related conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Kalinichenko
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
| | - J Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - C P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
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Kelleher AM, DeMayo FJ, Spencer TE. Uterine Glands: Developmental Biology and Functional Roles in Pregnancy. Endocr Rev 2019; 40:1424-1445. [PMID: 31074826 PMCID: PMC6749889 DOI: 10.1210/er.2018-00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
All mammalian uteri contain glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. Gland development or adenogenesis in the postnatal uterus is intrinsically regulated by proliferation, cell-cell interactions, growth factors and their inhibitors, as well as transcription factors, including forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) and estrogen receptor α (ESR1). Extrinsic factors regulating adenogenesis originate from other organs, including the ovary, pituitary, and mammary gland. The infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss observed in uterine gland knockout sheep and mouse models support a primary role for secretions and products of the glands in pregnancy success. Recent studies in mice revealed that uterine glandular epithelia govern postimplantation pregnancy establishment through effects on stromal cell decidualization and placental development. In humans, uterine glands and, by inference, their secretions and products are hypothesized to be critical for blastocyst survival and implantation as well as embryo and placental development during the first trimester before the onset of fetal-maternal circulation. A variety of hormones and other factors from the ovary, placenta, and stromal cells impact secretory function of the uterine glands during pregnancy. This review summarizes new information related to the developmental biology of uterine glands and discusses novel perspectives on their functional roles in pregnancy establishment and success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Kelleher
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Francesco J DeMayo
- Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute on Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Thomas E Spencer
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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48
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Minimum Information in In Vivo Research. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 257:197-222. [PMID: 31541320 DOI: 10.1007/164_2019_285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
Data quality, reproducibility and reliability are a matter of concern in many scientific fields including biomedical research. Robust, reproducible data and scientific rigour form the foundation on which future studies are built and determine the pace of knowledge gain and the time needed to develop new and innovative drugs that provide benefit to patients. Critical to the attainment of this is the precise and transparent reporting of data. In the current chapter, we will describe literature highlighting factors that constitute the minimum information that is needed to be included in the reporting of in vivo research. The main part of the chapter will focus on the minimum information that is essential for reporting in a scientific publication. In addition, we will present a table distinguishing information necessary to be recorded in a laboratory notebook or another form of internal protocols versus information that should be reported in a paper. We will use examples from the behavioural literature, in vivo studies where the use of anaesthetics and analgesics are used and finally ex vivo studies including histological evaluations and biochemical assays.
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49
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Fertan E, Wong AA, Vienneau NA, Brown RE. Age and sex differences in motivation and spatial working memory in 3xTg-AD mice in the Hebb–Williams maze. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111937. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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50
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Reinehr S, Koch D, Weiss M, Froemel F, Voss C, Dick HB, Fuchshofer R, Joachim SC. Loss of retinal ganglion cells in a new genetic mouse model for primary open-angle glaucoma. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:5497-5507. [PMID: 31144440 PMCID: PMC6653331 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is one of the most common causes for blindness worldwide. Although an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor, the exact pathology remained indistinguishable. Therefore, it is necessary to have appropriate models to investigate these mechanisms. Here, we analysed a transgenic glaucoma mouse model (βB1-CTGF) to elucidate new possible mechanisms of the disease. Therefore, IOP was measured in βB1-CTGF and wildtype mice at 5, 10 and 15 weeks of age. At 5 and 10 weeks, the IOP in both groups were comparable (P > 0.05). After 15 weeks, a significant elevated IOP was measured in βB1-CTGF mice (P < 0.001). At 15 weeks, electroretinogram measurements were performed and both the a- and b-wave amplitudes were significantly decreased in βB1-CTGF retinae (both P < 0.01). Significantly fewer Brn-3a+ retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) were observed in the βB1-CTGF group on flatmounts (P = 0.02), cross-sections (P < 0.001) and also via quantitative real-time PCR (P = 0.02). Additionally, significantly more cleaved caspase 3+ RGCs were seen in the βB1-CTGF group (P = 0.002). Furthermore, a decrease in recoverin+ cells was observable in the βB1-CTGF animals (P = 0.004). Accordingly, a significant down-regulation of Recoverin mRNA levels were noted (P < 0.001). Gfap expression, on the other hand, was higher in βB1-CTGF retinae (P = 0.023). Additionally, more glutamine synthetase signal was noted (P = 0.04). Although no alterations were observed regarding photoreceptors via immunohistology, a significant decrease of Rhodopsin (P = 0.003) and Opsin mRNA (P = 0.03) was noted. We therefore assume that the βB1-CTGF mouse could serve as an excellent model for better understanding the pathomechanisms in POAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Reinehr
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Dennis Koch
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Maximilian Weiss
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Franziska Froemel
- Institute of Human Anatomy and EmbryologyUniversity RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| | - Christina Voss
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
| | - H. Burkhard Dick
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
| | - Rudolf Fuchshofer
- Institute of Human Anatomy and EmbryologyUniversity RegensburgRegensburgGermany
| | - Stephanie C. Joachim
- Experimental Eye Research InstituteUniversity Eye Hospital, Ruhr‐University BochumBochumGermany
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