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Xie X, Sun L, Xu H, Zhang M, Zhou J, Du S, Hu Q, Li Z. Exposure to hexa fluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) impairs 5-HT metabolism by impacting the brain-gut axis in mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142035. [PMID: 38663680 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA) has been found to cause hepatotoxicity, lipotoxicity, and cytotoxicity. However, the effects of HFPO-TA exposure on nervous system toxicity are still unclear. Here, six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were treated with 2, 20, and 200 μg/L HFPO-TA for six weeks. The untargeted transcriptome analysis was employed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs in the tissue of mouse hippocampi. Then, the levels of neurotransmitters were detected by ELISA analysis in hippocampal and colonic tissues. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting analysis were performed to detect the expression of genes associated with modulation of serotonin (5-HT) metabolism and blood-brain barrier. HFPO-TA exposure reduced the mRNA and protein expression of several tight junction protein-coded genes, including Occludin, Claudin-1, and ZO-1, in mice hippocampi, indicating that the blood-brain barrier was disrupted. Moreover, HFPO-TA exposure elevated the expression of neuroinflammatory factors, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, TGF-α, and TGF-β. Analysis of hippocampal transcriptomics suggested that HFPO-TA exposure would impair 5-HT generation and metabolic pathways. In keeping with this prediction, our findings confirmed that the levels of several neurotransmitters, including tryptophan (TRP), 5-HT, 5-HTP, and 5-HIAA, were all impaired by HFPO-TA exposure in the serum, colon, and hippocampus, as was the colonic and hippocampal expression of TRP and 5-HT metabolism-related genes such as SERT, MAO-A, and IDO. These results suggest that HFPO-TA nervous system toxicity in mice may be partly modulated by the brain-gut axis and that HFPO-TA exposure may negatively impact human mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxian Xie
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201109, China; Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, OX1 3QT, Oxford, UK
| | - Lei Sun
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, China
| | - Haoshen Xu
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, China
| | - Mengya Zhang
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, China
| | - Jiafeng Zhou
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, China
| | - Shulin Du
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510370, China
| | - Qinglian Hu
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310032, China
| | - Zezhi Li
- Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510370, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510370, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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2
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Dar W. Aspartame-induced cognitive dysfunction: Unveiling role of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and molecular remediation. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 135:112295. [PMID: 38776852 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112295] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is consumed by millions of people globally. There are multiple reports of aspartame and its metabolites affecting cognitive functions in animal models and humans, which include learning problems, headaches, seizures, migraines, irritable moods, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. These cognitive deficits and associated symptoms are partly attributed to dysregulated excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter balance due to aspartate released from aspartame, resulting in an excitotoxic effect in neurons, leading to neuronal damage. However, microglia, a central immunocompetent cell type in brain tissue and a significant player in inflammation can contribute to the impact. Microglia rapidly respond to changes in CNS homeostasis. Aspartame consumption might affect the microglia phenotype directly via methanol-induced toxic effects and indirectly via aspartic acid-mediated excitotoxicity, exacerbating symptoms of cognitive decline. Long-term oral consumption of aspartame thus might change microglia's phenotype from ramified to activated, resulting in chronic or sustained activation, releasing excess pro-inflammatory molecules. This pro-inflammatory surge might lead to the degeneration of healthy neurons and other glial cells, impairing cognition. This review will deliberate on possible links and research gaps that need to be explored concerning aspartame consumption, ecotoxicity and microglia-mediated inflammatory cognitive impairment. The study covers a comprehensive analysis of the impact of aspartame consumption on cognitive function, considering both direct and indirect effects, including the involvement of microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. We also propose a novel intervention strategy involving tryptophan supplementation to mitigate cognitive decline symptoms in individuals with prolonged aspartame consumption, providing a potential solution to address the adverse effects of aspartame on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Dar
- Translational Neurobiology and Disease Modelling Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Greater Noida, 201314, India.
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3
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Castle ME, Flanigan ME. The role of brain serotonin signaling in excessive alcohol consumption and withdrawal: A call for more research in females. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100618. [PMID: 38433994 PMCID: PMC10907856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but current treatments are insufficient in fully addressing the symptoms that often lead to relapses in alcohol consumption. The brain's serotonin system has been implicated in AUD for decades and is a major regulator of stress-related behaviors associated with increased alcohol consumption. This review will discuss the current literature on the association between neurobiological adaptations in serotonin systems and AUD in humans as well as the effectiveness of serotonin receptor manipulations on alcohol-related behaviors like consumption and withdrawal. We will further discuss how these findings in humans relate to findings in animal models, including a comparison of systemic pharmacological manipulations modulating alcohol consumption. We next provide a detailed overview of brain region-specific roles for serotonin and serotonin receptor signaling in alcohol-related behaviors in preclinical animal models, highlighting the complexity of forming a cohesive model of serotonin function in AUD and providing possible avenues for more effective therapeutic intervention. Throughout the review, we discuss what is known about sex differences in the sequelae of AUD and the role of serotonin in these sequelae. We stress a critical need for additional studies in women and female animals so that we may build a clearer path to elucidating sex-specific serotonergic mechanisms and develop better treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Castle
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Meghan E. Flanigan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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4
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Fitzgerald PJ. Affective disorders and the loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential: Serotonin and beyond. Neurosci Lett 2024; 827:137734. [PMID: 38499279 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137734] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Identifying additional noninvasive biomarkers for affective disorders, such as unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), could aid in the diagnosis and treatment of these prevalent and debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions. One such candidate biomarker is the loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP), an event-related potential that measures responsiveness of the auditory cortex to different intensities of sound. The LDAEP has been associated with MDD and BD, including therapeutic response to particular classes of antidepressant drugs, while also correlating with several other neuropsychiatric disorders. It has been suggested that increased values of the LDAEP indicate low central serotonergic neurotransmission, further implicating this EEG measure in depression. Here, we briefly review the literature on the LDAEP in affective disorders, including its association with serotonergic signaling, as well as with that of other neurotransmitters such as dopamine. We summarize key findings on the LDAEP and the genetics of these neurotransmitters, as well as prediction of response to particular classes of antidepressants in MDD, including SSRIs versus noradrenergic agents. The possible relationship between this EEG measure and suicidality is addressed. We also briefly analyze acute pharmacologic studies of serotonin and/or dopamine precursor depletion and the LDAEP. In conclusion, the existing literature suggests that serotonin and norepinephrine may modulate the LDAEP in an opposing manner, and that this event-related marker may be of use in predicting response to chronic treatment with particular pharmacologic agents in the context of affective disorders, such as MDD and BD, including in the presence of suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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5
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Wegiel J, Chadman K, London E, Wisniewski T, Wegiel J. Contribution of the serotonergic system to developmental brain abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2024. [PMID: 38500252 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
This review highlights a key role of the serotonergic system in brain development and in distortions of normal brain development in early stages of fetal life resulting in cascades of abnormalities, including defects of neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neuronal growth, differentiation, and arborization, as well as defective neuronal circuit formation in the cortex, subcortical structures, brainstem, and cerebellum of autistic subjects. In autism, defects in regulation of neuronal growth are the most frequent and ubiquitous developmental changes associated with impaired neuron differentiation, smaller size, distorted shape, loss of spatial orientation, and distortion of cortex organization. Common developmental defects of the brain in autism include multiregional focal dysplastic changes contributing to local neuronal circuit distortion, epileptogenic activity, and epilepsy. There is a discrepancy between more than 500 reports demonstrating the contribution of the serotonergic system to autism's behavioral anomalies, highlighted by lack of studies of autistic subjects' brainstem raphe nuclei, the center of brain serotonergic innervation, and of the contribution of the serotonergic system to the diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Discovery of severe fetal brainstem auditory system neuronal deficits and other anomalies leading to a spectrum of hearing deficits contributing to a cascade of behavioral alterations, including deficits of social and verbal communication in individuals with autism, is another argument to intensify postmortem studies of the type and topography of, and the severity of developmental defects in raphe nuclei and their contribution to abnormal brain development and to the broad spectrum of functional deficits and comorbid conditions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarek Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Kathryn Chadman
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Eric London
- Department of Psychology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, Pathology and Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York, USA
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Torres Irizarry VC, Feng B, Yang X, Patel N, Schaul S, Ibrahimi L, Ye H, Luo P, Carrillo-Sáenz L, Lai P, Kota M, Dixit D, Wang C, Lasek AW, He Y, Xu P. Estrogen signaling in the dorsal raphe regulates binge-like drinking in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:122. [PMID: 38413577 PMCID: PMC10899193 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02821-2] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Estrogens promote binge alcohol drinking and contribute to sex differences in alcohol use disorder. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. This study aims to test if estrogens act on 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN) to promote binge drinking. We found that female mice drank more alcohol than male mice in chronic drinking in the dark (DID) tests. This sex difference was associated with distinct alterations in mRNA expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and 5-HT-related genes in the DRN, suggesting a potential role of estrogen/ERs/5-HT signaling. In supporting this view, 5-HTDRN neurons from naïve male mice had lower baseline firing activity but higher sensitivity to alcohol-induced excitation compared to 5-HTDRN neurons from naïve female mice. Notably, this higher sensitivity was blunted by 17β-estradiol treatment in males, indicating an estrogen-dependent mechanism. We further showed that both ERα and ERβ are expressed in 5-HTDRN neurons, whereas ERα agonist depolarizes and ERβ agonist hyperpolarizes 5-HTDRN neurons. Notably, both treatments blocked the stimulatory effects of alcohol on 5-HTDRN neurons in males, even though they have antagonistic effects on the activity dynamics. These results suggest that ERs' inhibitory effects on ethanol-induced burst firing of 5-HTDRN neurons may contribute to higher levels of binge drinking in females. Consistently, chemogenetic activation of ERα- or ERβ-expressing neurons in the DRN reduced binge alcohol drinking. These results support a model in which estrogens act on ERα/β to prevent alcohol-induced activation of 5-HTDRN neurons, which in return leads to higher binge alcohol drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria C Torres Irizarry
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Bing Feng
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA
| | - Xiaohua Yang
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Regulation, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Nirali Patel
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Sarah Schaul
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Lucas Ibrahimi
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Hui Ye
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Pei Luo
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Animal Nutritional Regulation, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, 510642, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Leslie Carrillo-Sáenz
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Penghua Lai
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Maya Kota
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Devin Dixit
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Chunmei Wang
- Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Amy W Lasek
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics and Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VI, 23298, USA
| | - Yanlin He
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA.
| | - Pingwen Xu
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Lafta MS, Mwinyi J, Affatato O, Rukh G, Dang J, Andersson G, Schiöth HB. Exploring sex differences: insights into gene expression, neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and pathology. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1340108. [PMID: 38449735 PMCID: PMC10915038 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1340108] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Increased knowledge about sex differences is important for development of individualized treatments against many diseases as well as understanding behavioral and pathological differences. This review summarizes sex chromosome effects on gene expression, epigenetics, and hormones in relation to the brain. We explore neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, cognition, and brain pathology aiming to explain the current state of the art. While some domains exhibit strong differences, others reveal subtle differences whose overall significance warrants clarification. We hope that the current review increases awareness and serves as a basis for the planning of future studies that consider both sexes equally regarding similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muataz S. Lafta
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jessica Mwinyi
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Oreste Affatato
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gull Rukh
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Junhua Dang
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Andersson
- Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Helgi B. Schiöth
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Functional Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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8
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Lynch MA. A case for seeking sex-specific treatments in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1346621. [PMID: 38414633 PMCID: PMC10897030 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1346621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
There is no satisfactory explanation for the sex-related differences in the incidence of many diseases and this is also true of Alzheimer's disease (AD), where females have a higher lifetime risk of developing the disease and make up about two thirds of the AD patient population. The importance of understanding the cause(s) that account for this disproportionate distribution cannot be overestimated, and is likely to be a significant factor in the search for therapeutic strategies that will combat the disease and, furthermore, potentially point to a sex-targeted approach to treatment. This review considers the literature in the context of what is known about the impact of sex on processes targeted by drugs that are in clinical trial for AD, and existing knowledge on differing responses of males and females to these drugs. Current knowledge strongly supports the view that trials should make assessing sex-related difference in responses a priority with a focus on exploring the sex-stratified treatments.
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Sreeja V, Jose A, Patel S, Menon B, Athira KV, Chakravarty S. Pharmacogenetics of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI): A serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT)-based approach. Neurochem Int 2024; 173:105672. [PMID: 38157886 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105672] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are considered to be the most common cause of disability worldwide. Serotonin and its transporter is a prominent paradigm in mood disorders. Response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) is altered due to heterogeneity in the serotonin transporter gene, SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member 4). The reported polymorphisms are found to be in different regions of the transporter gene: promoter region (5-HTTLPR and various single nucleotide polymorphisms within it), intron (STin2), and exon 9 (I425V). The long and short alleles of the 5-HTTLPR gene, which are prevalent among variations, may mediate differential effects. In long allelic variant carriers, an increased response to SSRI and timely recovery is due to increased availability of SERT. Whereas, SERT availability is significantly decreased in short allelic carriers, necessitating a reduction in SSRI dosage due to the increased risk of adverse drug reactions. Thus, pharmacogenetic investigations are required to understand the impact of functional variations on the efficacy and tolerability of SSRI. Identifying the carrier variants may aid in clear-decision making of the treatment regimen, aiding the approach of personalized medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Sreeja
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - Anju Jose
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - Shashikant Patel
- Applied Biology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Tarnaka, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Bindu Menon
- Department of Psychiatry, Amrita School of Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, 682 041, Kerala, India
| | - K V Athira
- Department of Pharmacology, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, 682 041, Kerala, India.
| | - Sumana Chakravarty
- Applied Biology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Tarnaka, Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500007, Telangana, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India.
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Gilger MD, Hellrung L, Neukam PT, Kroemer NB, Nebe S, Pooseh S, Deza-Lougovski YI, Smolka MN. Arbitration between model-free and model-based control is not affected by transient changes in tonic serotonin levels. J Psychopharmacol 2024; 38:178-187. [PMID: 38151862 PMCID: PMC10863371 DOI: 10.1177/02698811231216325] [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] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Serotonin has been suggested to modulate decision-making by influencing the arbitration between model-based and model-free control. Disruptions in these control mechanisms are involved in mental disorders such as drug dependence or obsessive-compulsive disorder. While previous reports indicate that lower brain serotonin levels reduce model-based control, it remains unknown whether increases in serotonergic availability might thus increase model-based control. Moreover, the mediating neural mechanisms have not been studied yet. AIM The first aim of this study was to investigate whether increased/decreased tonic serotonin levels affect the arbitration between model-free and model-based control. Second, we aimed to identify the underlying neural processes. METHODS We employed a sequential two-stage Markov decision-task and measured brain responses during functional magnetic resonance imaging in 98 participants in a randomized, double-blind cross-over within-subject design. To investigate the influence of serotonin on the balance between model-free and model-based control, we used a tryptophan intervention with three intervention levels (loading, balanced, depletion). We hypothesized that model-based behaviour would increase with higher serotonin levels. RESULTS We found evidence that neither model-free nor model-based control were affected by changes in tonic serotonin levels. Furthermore, our tryptophan intervention did not elicit relevant changes in Blood-Oxygenation-Level Dependent activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian D. Gilger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lydia Hellrung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp T. Neukam
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nils B. Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Section of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Nebe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Shakoor Pooseh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Freiburg Center for Data Analysis and Modelling, Institute of Physics, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Yacila I. Deza-Lougovski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Ibáñez-Del Valle V, Ballestar-Tarín ML, Mafla-España MA, Cauli O, Navarro-Martínez R. Salivary Interleukin 1-Beta Concentration Associates With Sleep Quality in Older Individuals. Biol Res Nurs 2024; 26:21-34. [PMID: 37269122 DOI: 10.1177/10998004231181347] [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] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: Poor sleep quality is prevalent in older people and impairs their quality of life. Various studies show an association between sleep disorders and altered levels of inflammatory cytokines. The cytokine IL-1β has been shown to display both somnogenic and insomnia-promoting effects in experimental animals. Objectives: to evaluate the relationship between insomnia and salivary IL-1β concentration and the role of associated factors such as the symptoms of depression, use of hypnotics, intake of caffeinated beverages, smoking, and alcohol use in older individuals. An analytical, cross-sectional, observational research was carried out with a population of community-dwelling individuals over 60 years of age in Valencia (Spain). Sleep quality was measured with the Athens insomnia scale (AIS) and depressive symptoms with Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Results: 287 individuals participated in the study (mean age 74.08 years (76.7% women). 41.5% of the participants had insomnia, 36.9% took drugs for sleep problems, and 32.4% had relevant depressive symptoms. There was a significant inverse correlation between the IL-1β and total AIS score (rho = -0.302, p < 0.001), the sleep difficulty subdomain (rho = -0.259, p < 0.001), and the daytime sleepiness subdomain (rho = -0.322, p < 0.001). No significant correlation was observed between GDS and salivary IL-1β concentration. The IL-1β concentration was significantly lower in individuals taking drugs for sleeping compared with those not taking those drugs (1.11 ± 0.09 and 1.48 ± 0.08, respectively; p = 0.001). Regarding the AIS score, there was no significant difference in marital status, smoking, or the number of cups of tea or cola drinks, but there was a significant association with alcohol intake (p = 0.019) and in the number of daily intakes of coffee (p = 0.030). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of IL-1β for diagnosis of moderate-severe insomnia showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.71-0.85). At the cut-off of 0.83 pg/µL of Il-1β, it had a sensitivity of 70.3% and a specificity of 69.8%.
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Hori Y, Mimura K, Nagai Y, Hori Y, Kumata K, Zhang MR, Suhara T, Higuchi M, Minamimoto T. Reduced serotonergic transmission alters sensitivity to cost and reward via 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors in monkeys. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002445. [PMID: 38163325 PMCID: PMC10758260 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) deficiency is a core biological pathology underlying depression and other psychiatric disorders whose key symptoms include decreased motivation. However, the exact role of 5-HT in motivation remains controversial and elusive. Here, we pharmacologically manipulated the 5-HT system in macaque monkeys and quantified the effects on motivation for goal-directed actions in terms of incentives and costs. Reversible inhibition of 5-HT synthesis increased errors and reaction times on goal-directed tasks, indicating reduced motivation. Analysis found incentive-dependent and cost-dependent components of this reduction. To identify the receptor subtypes that mediate cost and incentive, we systemically administered antagonists specific to 4 major 5-HT receptor subtypes: 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, 5-HT2A, and 5-HT4. Positron emission tomography (PET) visualized the unique distribution of each subtype in limbic brain regions and determined the systemic dosage for antagonists that would achieve approximately 30% occupancy. Only blockade of 5-HT1A decreased motivation through changes in both expected cost and incentive; sensitivity to future workload and time delay to reward increased (cost) and reward value decreased (incentive). Blocking the 5-HT1B receptor also reduced motivation through decreased incentive, although it did not affect expected cost. These results suggest that 5-HT deficiency disrupts 2 processes, the subjective valuation of costs and rewards, via 5-HT1A and 5-HT1B receptors, thus leading to reduced motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukiko Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Koki Mimura
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
- Research Center for Medical and Health Data Science, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Nagai
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuki Hori
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Katsushi Kumata
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ming-Rong Zhang
- Department of Advanced Nuclear Medicine Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Suhara
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Makoto Higuchi
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan
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Liu C, Li K, Fu M, Zhang Y, Sindermann C, Montag C, Zheng X, Zhang H, Yao S, Wang Z, Zhou B, Kendrick KM, Becker B. A central serotonin regulating gene polymorphism (TPH2) determines vulnerability to acute tryptophan depletion-induced anxiety and ventromedial prefrontal threat reactivity in healthy young men. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 77:24-34. [PMID: 37666184 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.08.484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) has long been implicated in adaptive emotion regulation as well as the development and treatment of emotional dysregulations in mental disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests a genetic vulnerability may render some individuals at a greater risk for the detrimental effects of transient variations in 5-HT signaling. The present study aimed to investigate whether individual variations in the Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) genetics influence susceptibility for behavioral and neural threat reactivity dysregulations during transiently decreased 5-HT signaling. To this end, interactive effects between TPH2 (rs4570625) genotype and acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on threat reactivity were examined in a within-subject placebo-controlled pharmacological fMRI trial (n = 51). A priori genotype stratification of extreme groups (GG vs. TT) allowed balanced sampling. While no main effects of ATD on neural reactivity to threat-related stimuli and mood state were observed in the entire sample, accounting for TPH2 genotype revealed an ATD-induced increase in subjective anxious arousal in the GG but not the TT carriers. The effects were mirrored on the neural level, such that ATD specifically reduced ventromedial prefrontal cortex reactivity towards threat-related stimuli in the GG carriers. Furthermore, the ATD-induced increase in subjective anxiety positively associated with the extent of ATD-induced changes in ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity in response to threat-related stimuli in GG carriers. Together the present findings suggest for the first time that individual variations in TPH2 genetics render individuals susceptible to the anxiogenic and neural effects of a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Liu
- School of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, PR China; The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China.
| | - Keshuang Li
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Meina Fu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Yingying Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Interchange Forum for Reflecting on Intelligent Systems, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Xiaoxiao Zheng
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- School of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, PR China
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Zheng Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking. Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Bo Zhou
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, PR China.
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14
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Kunz M, Bär KJ, Karmann AJ, Wagner G, Lautenbacher S. Facial expressions of pain: the role of the serotonergic system. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2597-2605. [PMID: 37676276 PMCID: PMC10640419 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06455-y] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although interest in the neurobiology of facial communication of pain has increased over the last decades, little is known about which neurotransmitter systems might be involved in regulating facial expressions of pain. OBJECTIVES We aim to investigate whether the serotonergic system (5-HT), which has been implicated in various aspects of pain processing as well as in behavioral response inhibition, might play a role in facial expressions of pain. Using acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) to manipulate 5-HT function, we examined its effects on facial and subjective pain responses. METHODS In a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-subject design, 27 participants received either an ATD or a control drink in two separate sessions. Approximately 5-h post-oral consumption, we assessed pain thresholds (heat, pressure) as well as facial and subjective responses to phasic heat pain. Moreover, situational pain catastrophizing and mood were assessed as affective state indicators. RESULTS ATD neither influenced pain thresholds nor self-report ratings, nor catastrophizing or mood. Only facial responses were significantly affected by ATD. ATD led to a decrease in pain-indicative as well as in pain-non-indicative facial responses to painful heat, compared to the control condition. CONCLUSIONS Decrease in brain 5-HT synthesis via ATD significantly reduced facial responses to phasic heat pain; possibly due to (i) diminished disposition to display social behavior or due to (ii) decreased facilitation of excitatory inputs to the facial motor neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Kunz
- Department of Medical Psychology and Sociology, Medical Faculty, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
- Bamberger Living Lab Dementia (BamLiD), Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Anna J Karmann
- Bamberger Living Lab Dementia (BamLiD), Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Gerd Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Lautenbacher
- Bamberger Living Lab Dementia (BamLiD), Otto-Friedrich University Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany
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15
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Bîlc MI, Iacob A, Szekely-Copîndean RD, Kiss B, Ștefan MG, Mureșan RC, Pop CF, Pițur S, Szentágotai-Tătar A, Vulturar R, MacLeod C, Miu AC. Serotonin and emotion regulation: the impact of tryptophan depletion on emotional experience, neural and autonomic activity. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1414-1427. [PMID: 37430145 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The involvement of serotonin in emotion and psychopathology has been extensively examined. Studies using acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) have found limited effects on mood and aggression, and one of the explanations suggests that serotonin may be involved in higher-order functions, such as emotion regulation. However, there is very limited evidence for this hypothesis. The present study investigated the impact of ATD on emotion regulation in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. A sample of psychiatrically healthy men (N = 28) completed a cognitive task assessing reappraisal ability (i.e., the success of using reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy, to modulate emotional responses), following ATD and placebo. EEG frontal activity and asymmetry, as well as heart-rate variability (HRV), also were assessed in the reappraisal task. Both frequentist and Bayesian methods were employed for statistical analysis. Results indicated that ATD reduced plasma tryptophan, and reappraisal was effective in modulating emotional experience in the emotion regulation task. However, ATD had no significant effect on reappraisal ability, frontal activity, and HRV. These results offer direct and compelling evidence that decreasing serotonin synthesis through ATD does not alter an emotion regulation ability that is considered crucial in mood and aggression and has been linked with transdiagnostic risk of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirela I Bîlc
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Institute of Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexandra Iacob
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Raluca D Szekely-Copîndean
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Social and Human Research, Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Béla Kiss
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Maria-Georgia Ștefan
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Raul C Mureșan
- Department of Experimental and Theoretical Neuroscience, Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- STAR-UBB Institute, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Claudia Felicia Pop
- Nursing Discipline, Department Mother and Child, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Simina Pițur
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Aurora Szentágotai-Tătar
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Romana Vulturar
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Department of Molecular Sciences, "Iuliu Hațieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6 Pasteur Street, 400349, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Colin MacLeod
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Andrei C Miu
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, 400015, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
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16
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Markova TZ, Ciampa CJ, Parent JH, LaPoint MR, D'Esposito M, Jagust WJ, Berry AS. Poorer aging trajectories are associated with elevated serotonin synthesis capacity. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4390-4398. [PMID: 37460847 PMCID: PMC10792105 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02177-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is one of the earliest targets of Alzheimer's disease-related tau pathology and is a major source of brain serotonin. We used [18F]Fluoro-m-tyrosine ([18F]FMT) PET imaging to measure serotonin synthesis capacity in the DRN in 111 healthy adults (18-85 years-old). Similar to reports in catecholamine systems, we found elevated serotonin synthesis capacity in older adults relative to young. To establish the structural and functional context within which serotonin synthesis capacity is elevated in aging, we examined relationships among DRN [18F]FMT net tracer influx (Ki) and longitudinal changes in cortical thickness using magnetic resonance imaging, longitudinal changes in self-reported depression symptoms, and AD-related tau and β-amyloid (Aβ) pathology using cross-sectional [18F]Flortaucipir and [11C]Pittsburgh compound-B PET respectively. Together, our findings point to elevated DRN [18F]FMT Ki as a marker of poorer aging trajectories. Older adults with highest serotonin synthesis capacity showed greatest temporal lobe cortical atrophy. Cortical atrophy was associated with increasing depression symptoms over time, and these effects appeared to be strongest in individuals with highest serotonin synthesis capacity. We did not find direct relationships between serotonin synthesis capacity and AD-related pathology. Exploratory analyses revealed nuanced effects of sex within the older adult group. Older adult females showed the highest DRN synthesis capacity and exhibited the strongest relationships between entorhinal cortex tau pathology and increasing depression symptoms. Together these findings reveal PET measurement of the serotonin system to be a promising marker of aging trajectories relevant to both AD and affective changes in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Molly R LaPoint
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Mark D'Esposito
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - William J Jagust
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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Matiș L, Alexandru BA, Fodor R, Daina LG, Ghitea TC, Vlad S. Effect of Probiotic Therapy on Neuropsychiatric Manifestations in Children with Multiple Neurotransmitter Disorders: A Study. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2643. [PMID: 37893017 PMCID: PMC10604742 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Probiotics, also known as psychobiotics, have been linked to cognitive functions, memory, learning, and behavior, in addition to their positive effects on the digestive tract. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychoemotional effects and cognitive functioning in children with gastrointestinal disorders who undergo psychobiotherapy. A total of 135 participants, aged 5-18 years, were divided into three groups based on the pediatrician's diagnosis: Group I (Control) consisted of 37 patients (27.4%), Group II included 65 patients (48.1%) with psychoanxiety disorders, and Group III comprised 33 individuals (24.4%) with psychiatric disorders. The study monitored neurotransmitter levels such as serotonin, GABA, glutamate, cortisol, and DHEA, as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms including headaches, fatigue, mood swings, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, sleep disorders, and lack of concentration in patients who had gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal problems. The results indicate that psychobiotics have a significant impact on reducing hyperactivity and aggression, and improving concentration. While further extensive studies are needed, these findings offer promising insights into the complexity of a child's neuropsychic behavior and the potential for balancing certain behaviors through psychobiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Matiș
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medicine Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania; (L.M.); (B.A.A.); (R.F.); (L.G.D.)
| | - Bogdana Ariana Alexandru
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medicine Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania; (L.M.); (B.A.A.); (R.F.); (L.G.D.)
| | - Radu Fodor
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medicine Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania; (L.M.); (B.A.A.); (R.F.); (L.G.D.)
| | - Lucia Georgeta Daina
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medicine Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania; (L.M.); (B.A.A.); (R.F.); (L.G.D.)
| | - Timea Claudia Ghitea
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pharmacy Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania
| | - Silviu Vlad
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Medicine Department, University of Oradea, 410068 Oradea, Romania; (L.M.); (B.A.A.); (R.F.); (L.G.D.)
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Tortora F, Hadipour AL, Battaglia S, Falzone A, Avenanti A, Vicario CM. The Role of Serotonin in Fear Learning and Memory: A Systematic Review of Human Studies. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1197. [PMID: 37626553 PMCID: PMC10452575 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear is characterized by distinct behavioral and physiological responses that are essential for the survival of the human species. Fear conditioning (FC) serves as a valuable model for studying the acquisition, extinction, and expression of fear. The serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system is known to play a significant role in emotional and motivational aspects of human behavior, including fear learning and expression. Accumulating evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that brain regions involved in FC, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, possess a high density of 5-HT receptors, implicating the crucial involvement of serotonin in aversive learning. Additionally, studies exploring serotonin gene polymorphisms have indicated their potential influence on FC. Therefore, the objective of this work was to review the existing evidence linking 5-HT with fear learning and memory in humans. Through a comprehensive screening of the PubMed and Web of Science databases, 29 relevant studies were included in the final review. These studies investigated the relationship between serotonin and fear learning using drug manipulations or by studying 5-HT-related gene polymorphisms. The results suggest that elevated levels of 5-HT enhance aversive learning, indicating that the modulation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptors regulates the expression of fear responses in humans. Understanding the role of this neurochemical messenger in associative aversive learning can provide insights into psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Tortora
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98121 Messina, Italy; (F.T.); (A.F.)
| | - Abed L. Hadipour
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98121 Messina, Italy; (F.T.); (A.F.)
| | - Simone Battaglia
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia “Renzo Canestrari”, Campus di Cesena, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy;
| | - Alessandra Falzone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98121 Messina, Italy; (F.T.); (A.F.)
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia “Renzo Canestrari”, Campus di Cesena, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Rasi e Spinelli 176, 47521 Cesena, Italy;
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica Del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Carmelo M. Vicario
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cognitive, Psicologiche, Pedagogiche e Degli Studi Culturali, Università Degli Studi di Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98121 Messina, Italy; (F.T.); (A.F.)
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Villa NAE, Fiore GMP, Espiridion ED. Exploring the Link Between Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors and Depression: A Case Study. Cureus 2023; 15:e44363. [PMID: 37779774 PMCID: PMC10540242 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44363] [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] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This case probes the potential temporal relationship between pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (PNET) and depression. This patient has chronic symptoms of depression with no formal diagnosis until within a year of doctors suspecting her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. An excisional biopsy confirmed a grade 1 neuroendocrine tumor (NET) in the pancreas, and postoperative psychiatric consultation confirmed continued elevated depression. This report presents an illustrative example of the ongoing research questions surrounding the relationship between the timing of a depression diagnosis and a PNET diagnosis. The depression-before-diagnosis relationship in pancreatic cancer patients is an observation that warrants further studies as depression could be a valuable early warning sign of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eduardo D Espiridion
- Psychiatry, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg, USA
- Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
- Psychiatry, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, USA
- Psychiatry, Reading Hospital, Tower Health Systems, West Reading, USA
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20
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Wang G, Zhou Y, Duan J, Kan Q, Cheng Z, Tang S. Effects of adverse childhood health experiences on cognitive function in Chinese middle-aged and older adults: mediating role of depression. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1293. [PMID: 37407916 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16169-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences are critical factors in depression and cognitive decrease, but the effect of adverse childhood health experiences (ACHEs) on cognitive function and the role of depression have not been fully studied. METHODS Data were taken from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) of 2014 and 2018. This study used indicators of situational memory ability and mental status to measure cognitive capacity. Besides analyzing the different types of ACHEs, scores for ACHEs were calculated to represent the severity of ACHEs. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression. The analysis of this study employed two different analytical strategies in order to examine the mediated effects of depression. We used Sobel's test and Baron and Kenny's causal step approach, which utilized a generalized least squares regression model. Furthermore, a logistic regression model was used to evaluate the robustness of the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) approach. RESULTS In this study, 6301 individuals who met the requirements of the study were included. We found that being confined to bed (ACHE3) (β=-0.3846, p = 0.022) in childhood had a negative impact on cognitive function. Similarly, ACHEs had a negative effect on cognitive function (β=-0.0819, p = 0.090). And after the depression had been introduced into the model, the regression coefficient of ACHEs on cognitive function was no longer significant (β=-0.0170, p = 0.727). The Sobel test showed that for ACHE3, the mediated proportion of the total effect of depression was 36.92%. While for ACHEs, the proportion of the mediated effect of depression was 70.11%. Finally, a robustness test of the mediating effect using the KHB method revealed that the mediating effect still existed. Further, based on different gender, age, and educational levels, the heterogeneity test indicated that the relationship between ACHEs and cognitive function and mediating effects of the depression were different as well as passing the robustness test of the interaction. CONCLUSION The decline in cognition had been shown to be correlated with ACHEs and depression mediated this relationship. Positive interventions might help to improve cognitive performance in individuals suffering from ACHEs and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaoling Wang
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuqin Zhou
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Duan
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
| | - Qianqian Kan
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaopeng Cheng
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China
| | - Shaoliang Tang
- School of Health Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Road, Qixia District, Nanjing, China.
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Polcz VE, Barrios EL, Chapin B, Price C, Nagpal R, Chakrabarty P, Casadesus G, Foster T, Moldawer L, Efron PA. Sex, sepsis and the brain: defining the role of sexual dimorphism on neurocognitive outcomes after infection. Clin Sci (Lond) 2023; 137:963-978. [PMID: 37337946 PMCID: PMC10285043 DOI: 10.1042/cs20220555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphisms exist in multiple domains, from learning and memory to neurocognitive disease, and even in the immune system. Male sex has been associated with increased susceptibility to infection, as well as increased risk of adverse outcomes. Sepsis remains a major source of morbidity and mortality globally, and over half of septic patients admitted to intensive care are believed to suffer some degree of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE). In the short term, SAE is associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality, and in the long term, has the potential for significant impairment of cognition, memory, and acceleration of neurocognitive disease. Despite increasing information regarding sexual dimorphism in neurologic and immunologic systems, research into these dimorphisms in sepsis-associated encephalopathy remains critically understudied. In this narrative review, we discuss how sex has been associated with brain morphology, chemistry, and disease, sexual dimorphism in immunity, and existing research into the effects of sex on SAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie E. Polcz
- Department of Surgery and Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Evan L. Barrios
- Department of Surgery and Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Benjamin Chapin
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Catherine C. Price
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Ravinder Nagpal
- Florida State University College of Health and Human Sciences, Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Paramita Chakrabarty
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Gemma Casadesus
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Thomas Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Lyle L. Moldawer
- Department of Surgery and Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
| | - Philip A. Efron
- Department of Surgery and Sepsis and Critical Illness Research Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A
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22
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Yu S, Fan C, Li Y, Pei H, Tian Y, Zuo Z, Wang Z, Liu C, Zhao X, Wang Z. Network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the anti-migraine mechanism of Yufeng Ningxin Tablet. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 310:116384. [PMID: 36924863 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Yufeng Ningxin Tablet (YNT) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula, that has been used clinically to treat migraine for many years. It is composed of one herb Pueraria lobata var. lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (Relevant Chinese name: Gegen). Previously, it has been recorded by traditional Chinese doctor that Gegen could be used as medicine to treat migraine. However, the underlying mechanism of action remains to be investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY It was to explore the effect and mechanism of YNT on migraine based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, with the network pharmacology, the effective chemical components and target genes of YNT were filtrated, the YNT-compound-migraine-targets network was constructed. The protein-protein interaction network (PPI) and literature reports were combined to identify potential targets of YNT in the treatment of migraine. Then, the representative compounds of YNT were characterized by LC-MS/MS and the major effect components were identified. Finally, the prediction results of network pharmacology were verified by animal and cell experiments. RESULTS 7 bioactive components of YNT could act on 97 migraine potential targets. The 5 bioactive components could be characterized comprehensively of YNT. The key therapeutic targets and pathways were collected including 5-HT, CGRP, inflammation and nociceptive factors, and NF-κB signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that YNT could increase the expression level of 5-HT and reduce the expression of CGRP, NF-κB, c-fos and IL-1β. YNT could inhibit LPS-induced neuroinflammation by NF-κB in BV2 cells in vitro. Western blotting analysis results showed YNT inhibited the NF-κB and phospho-NF-κB levels. CONCLUSIONS It is the first time to verify the consistency between the metabolic components of YNT by LC-MS/MS and the active components predicted by network pharmacology. Meanwhile, the potential mechanism of YNT in the treatment of migraine was studied by combining network pharmacology and in vitro and in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangyue Yu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China.
| | - Chunlan Fan
- Beijing Institution of Tongrentang, Beijing, 100071, China.
| | - Yilin Li
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Hailuan Pei
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Yingying Tian
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Zeping Zuo
- Beijing Institution of Tongrentang, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Zijian Wang
- Beijing Institution of Tongrentang, Beijing, 100071, China
| | - Chuang Liu
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xinyue Zhao
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Zhibin Wang
- Beijing Institution of Tongrentang, Beijing, 100071, China.
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Steding J, Ritschel F, Boehm I, Geisler D, King JA, Roessner V, Smolka MN, Zepf FD, Ehrlich S. The effects of acute tryptophan depletion on instrumental reward learning in anorexia nervosa - an fMRI study. Psychol Med 2023; 53:3426-3436. [PMID: 35343412 PMCID: PMC10277771 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721005493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The serotonin (5-HT) hypothesis of anorexia nervosa (AN) posits that individuals predisposed toward or recovered from AN (recAN) have a central nervous hyperserotonergic state and therefore restrict food intake as a means to reduce 5-HT availability (via diminished tryptophan-derived precursor supply) and alleviate associated negative mood states. Importantly, the 5-HT system has also been generally implicated in reward processing, which has also been shown to be altered in AN. METHODS In this double-blind crossover study, 22 individuals recAN and 25 healthy control participants (HC) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an established instrumental reward learning paradigm during acute tryptophan depletion (ATD; a dietary intervention that lowers central nervous 5-HT availability) as well as a sham depletion. RESULTS On a behavioral level, the main effects of reward and ATD were evident, but no group differences were found. fMRI analyses revealed a group × ATD × reward level interaction in the ventral anterior insula during reward anticipation as well as in the medial orbitofrontal cortex during reward consumption. DISCUSSION The precise pattern of results is suggestive of a 'normalization' of reward-related neural responses during ATD in recAN compared to HC. Our results lend further evidence to the 5-HT hypothesis of AN. Decreasing central nervous 5-HT synthesis and availability during ATD and possibly also by dieting may be a means to normalize 5-HT availability and associated brain processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julius Steding
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Franziska Ritschel
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilka Boehm
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel Geisler
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Joseph A. King
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Florian Daniel Zepf
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Murakami Y, Imamura Y, Kasahara Y, Yoshida C, Momono Y, Fang K, Sakai D, Konishi Y, Nishiyama T. Maternal Inflammation with Elevated Kynurenine Metabolites Is Related to the Risk of Abnormal Brain Development and Behavioral Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071087. [PMID: 37048160 PMCID: PMC10093447 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies show that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the onset and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders. Maternal immune activation (MIA) during gestation is considered one of the major environmental factors driving this process. The kynurenine pathway (KP) is a major route of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (Trp) catabolism in mammalian cells. Activation of the KP following neuro-inflammation can generate various endogenous neuroactive metabolites that may impact brain functions and behaviors. Additionally, neurotoxic metabolites and excitotoxicity cause long-term changes in the trophic support, glutamatergic system, and synaptic function following KP activation. Therefore, investigating the role of KP metabolites during neurodevelopment will likely promote further understanding of additional pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this review, we describe the changes in KP metabolism in the brain during pregnancy and represent how maternal inflammation and genetic factors influence the KP during development. We overview the patients with ASD clinical data and animal models designed to verify the role of perinatal KP elevation in long-lasting biochemical, neuropathological, and behavioral deficits later in life. Our review will help shed light on new therapeutic strategies and interventions targeting the KP for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Murakami
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Yukio Imamura
- Department of Architecture and Architectual Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8530, Japan
- Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine/Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Kasahara
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshida
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Yuta Momono
- Department of Maternal and Fetal Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Ke Fang
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
| | - Daisuke Sakai
- Department of Biology, Kanazawa Medical University, Kanazawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Yukuo Konishi
- Center for Baby Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe 619-0225, Japan
- Healthcare and Medical Data Multi-Level Integration Platform Group, RIKEN Medical Sciences Innovation Hub Program, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Toshimasa Nishiyama
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata 573-1010, Japan
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25
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Zahar S, Schneider N, Makwana A, Chapman S, Corthesy J, Amico M, Hudry J. Dietary tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate can acutely impact physiological and psychological measures of mood and stress in healthy adults. Nutr Neurosci 2023; 26:303-312. [PMID: 35343881 DOI: 10.1080/1028415x.2022.2047435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tryptophan is the precursor to the mood regulating neurotransmitter serotonin. Its brain bioavailability from food can be dependent on the dietary source. Egg protein hydrolysate (EPH), a dietary supplement rich in tryptophan, has previously shown to acutely impact cognition, mood and stress benefits at 2 g dose. No data exist on the acute effects of lower doses in a food matrix. METHODS This exploratory study tested the acute effects of low-doses EPH (0.5, 1 g) in a food matrix on cognition, mood and stress. The study employed a double-blinded randomized controlled parallel design in 45 participants with three arms. The effects of the interventions were measured after a multi-task cognitive stressor on blood biomarkers, self-reported mood states, performances of attention, autonomic parameters and, emotional reactivity responses from electroencephalographic recording. RESULTS As compared to the reference, the 1 g EPH dose increased tryptophan bioavailability from baseline, and, both doses improved heart rate variability parameters related to parasympathetic activation while showing differences in the late neural response to negative versus neutral emotions. Post-hoc analyses indicated a gender difference in the baseline tryptophan bioavailability and further examination suggested the change in mood rating depends on the interaction between gender and change from baseline of tryptophan bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study suggests that low levels of tryptophan rich EPH in a food matrix positively impact mood or stress in acute settings and adds to the body of evidence linking tryptophan and dietary sources thereof with these benefits. Confirmatory randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.Trial registration number: CER-VD N°2019-00218.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sélima Zahar
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nora Schneider
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aidan Makwana
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephen Chapman
- Nestlé Product Technology Centre (NPTC), Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., York Yorkshire and the Humber, United Kingdom
| | - John Corthesy
- Department of Analytical Science, Nestlé Institute of Food Safety & Analytical Science, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maïlis Amico
- Clinical Research Unit, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julie Hudry
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A, Lausanne, Switzerland
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26
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Pais ML, Martins J, Castelo-Branco M, Gonçalves J. Sex Differences in Tryptophan Metabolism: A Systematic Review Focused on Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24066010. [PMID: 36983084 PMCID: PMC10057939 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24066010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tryptophan (Tryp) is an essential amino acid and the precursor of several neuroactive compounds within the central nervous system (CNS). Tryp metabolism, the common denominator linking serotonin (5-HT) dysfunctions and neuroinflammation, is involved in several neuropsychiatric conditions, including neurological, neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric diseases. Interestingly, most of those conditions occur and progress in a sex-specific manner. Here, we explore the most relevant observations about the influence of biological sex on Tryp metabolism and its possible relation to neuropsychiatric diseases. Consistent evidence suggests that women have a higher susceptibility than men to suffer serotoninergic alterations due to changes in the levels of its precursor Tryp. Indeed, female sex bias in neuropsychiatric diseases is involved in a reduced availability of this amino acid pool and 5-HT synthesis. These changes in Tryp metabolism could lead to sexual dimorphism on the prevalence and severity of some neuropsychiatric disorders. This review identifies gaps in the current state of the art, thus suggesting future research directions. Specifically, there is a need for further research on the impact of diet and sex steroids, both involved in this molecular mechanism as they have been poorly addressed for this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Lapo Pais
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Martins
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Joana Gonçalves
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CIBIT), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health (ICNAS), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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27
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Massoud S, Salmanian M, Tabibian M, Ghamari R, Tavabe Ghavami TS, Alizadeh F. The contribution of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2 A gene polymorphisms rs6311 and rs6313 to Schizophrenia in Iran. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:2633-2639. [PMID: 36639522 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-08222-2] [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: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schizophrenia is an acute mental disorder with an undefined etiology. Its high heritability suggests that several genetic variants and polymorphisms may contribute to the severity and emergence of its symptoms. Former molecular evidence has shed some light on the association of serotonergic pathway genetic polymorphisms with schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate the association between schizophrenia and two SNPs from one haplotype block, which lies in the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2 A (5-HTR2A) gene in the Iranian population. MATERIAL AND METHODS Blood samples were collected from one-hundred and fifty-two patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and one-hundred and fifty-eight cases of the healthy control, who were matched in terms of age and gender. The participants were genotyped for rs6311 and rs6313 using PCR-RFLP. R programming language and Haploview software were respectively leveraged for statistical and haplotype inferencing. RESULTS The results showed that there was no significant association between rs6313 and schizophrenia. However, the rs6311 T allele was independently associated with schizophrenia, and it was significantly associated with SCZ in an rs6311-rs6313 haplotype. Moreover, the general linear model confirmed the potential predictor role of rs6311 for schizophrenia and the C allele of rs6313 demonstrated a higher frequency among females compared to males. CONCLUSION The findings of this study indicated the association of rs6311 and rs6311-rs6313 haplotype with schizophrenia in the Iranian population and also suggested a potential schizophrenia risk predictor role for rs6311.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sareh Massoud
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), Roozbeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Salmanian
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mobina Tabibian
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Rana Ghamari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Alizadeh
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), Roozbeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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28
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Mackay Phillips K, Orssatto LBR, Polman R, Van der Pols JC, Trajano GS. The effects of α-lactalbumin supplementation and handgrip contraction on soleus motoneuron excitability. Eur J Appl Physiol 2023; 123:395-404. [PMID: 36443491 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-022-05101-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We tested two strategies that hypothetically increase serotonin availability (α-lactalbumin consumption and a remote submaximal handgrip contraction) on estimates of persistent inward currents (PICs) amplitude of soleus muscle in healthy participants. METHODS With a randomised, double-blind, and cross-over design, 13 healthy participants performed triangular-shaped ramp contractions with their plantar flexors (20% of maximal torque), followed by a 30-s handgrip sustained contraction (40% of maximal force) and consecutive repeated triangular-shaped contractions. This was performed before and after the consumption of either 40 g of α-lactalbumin, an isonitrogenous beverage (Zein) or an isocaloric beverage (Corn-starch). Soleus motor units discharge rates were analysed from high-density surface electromyography signals. PICs were estimated by calculating the delta frequency (ΔF) of motor unit train spikes using the paired motor unit technique. RESULTS ΔF (0.19 pps; p = 0.001; d = 0.30) and peak discharge rate (0.20 pps; p < 0.001; d = 0.37) increased after the handgrip contraction, irrespective of the consumed supplement. No effects of α-lactalbumin were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that 40 g of α-lactalbumin was unable to modify intrinsic motoneuron excitability. However, performing a submaximal handgrip contraction before the plantar flexion triangular contraction was capable of increasing ΔF and discharge rates on soleus motor units. These findings highlight the diffused effects of serotonergic input, its effects on motoneuron discharge behaviour, and suggest a cross-effector effect within human motoneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Mackay Phillips
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
| | - Lucas B R Orssatto
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Remco Polman
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University, Berwick, Australia
| | - Jolieke C Van der Pols
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Gabriel S Trajano
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
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29
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Matuskey D, Gallezot JD, Nabulsi N, Henry S, Torres K, Dias M, Angarita GA, Huang Y, Shoaf SE, Carson RE, Mehrotra S. Neurotransmitter transporter occupancy following administration of centanafadine sustained-release tablets: A phase 1 study in healthy male adults. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:164-171. [PMID: 36515395 PMCID: PMC9912308 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221140008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Centanafadine is an inhibitor of reuptake transporters for norepinephrine (NET), dopamine (DAT) and serotonin (SERT). AIMS This phase 1, adaptive-design positron emission tomography study investigated the occupancy time course of NET, DAT, and SERT and the relationship to centanafadine plasma concentrations. METHODS Healthy adult males received centanafadine sustained-release 400 mg/day for 4 days (N = 6) or 800 mg in a single day (N = 4). Assessments included safety monitoring; time course of occupancy of NET, DAT, and SERT; and centanafadine plasma concentrations. RESULTS Transporter occupancy was numerically higher for NET versus DAT or SERT. For NET, estimated (mean ± standard error [SE]) maximal observable target occupancy (TOmax) and concentration at half maximal occupancy (IC50) were 64 ± 7% and 132 ± 65 ng/mL, respectively, for all regions and 82 ± 13% and 135 ± 97 ng/mL after excluding the thalamus, which showed high nonspecific binding. For DAT and SERT, TOmax could not be established and was assumed to be 100%; estimated IC50 (mean ± SE) values were 1580 ± 186 ng/mL and 1,760 ± 309 ng/mL, respectively. For centanafadine, the estimated in vivo affinity ratio was 11.9 ± 6.0 (mean ± SE) for NET/DAT, 13.3 ± 7.0 for NET/SERT, and 1.1 ± 0.2 for DAT/SERT. DAT and SERT occupancies at a plasma concentration of 1400 ng/mL were estimated to be 47 and 44%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS High occupancy at NET and moderate occupancy at DAT and SERT was observed at peak concentrations achieved following 400 mg total daily doses of centanafadine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Matuskey
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jean-Dominique Gallezot
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shannan Henry
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristen Torres
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mark Dias
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gustavo A Angarita
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale
University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Susan E Shoaf
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development &
Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA
- Susan E Shoaf, Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Development & Commercialization, Inc., 508 Carnegie Center, Princeton, NJ
08540, USA.
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical
Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shailly Mehrotra
- Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development &
Commercialization, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA
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Mackay-Phillips K, Orssatto LBR, Polman R, Van der Pols JC, Trajano GS. Effects of α-lactalbumin on strength, fatigue and psychological parameters: a randomised double-blind cross-over study. Eur J Appl Physiol 2023; 123:381-393. [PMID: 36443490 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-022-05103-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The neurotransmitter serotonin has a strong effect on behaviour and motor control. Regarding motor control, serotonin contributes to the development of fatigue and is also involved in the ability of motor neurones to operate across a large range of forces (gain control). The consumption of tryptophan-rich supplements (such as α-lactalbumin) is of interest because this amino acid is the only precursor for brain serotonin synthesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of α-lactalbumin supplementation on neuromuscular performance. METHODS Using a randomised double-blind cross-over design, 16 healthy participants performed plantar flexor and handgrip maximal voluntary contractions, a 30-s submaximal handgrip contraction, and a plantar flexor fatigue protocol before and 90 min after consuming either 40 g of α-lactalbumin, an isonitrogenous beverage (Zein) or an isocaloric beverage (corn-starch). Sleepiness, mood, and cognition were assessed to evaluate any psychological effects. RESULTS α-Lactalbumin decreased force steadiness by 25% during the sustained submaximal handgrip contraction (p < 0.01) and induced greater fatigue (15% reduction in total torque-time integral, p = 0.01) during the fatigue protocol. These effects were not observed for the other control beverages. No effects were found for maximal or explosive strength, or psychological measurements. CONCLUSIONS 40 g of α-lactalbumin increased handgrip force variability and reduced performance during fatiguing muscle contractions but did not influence brief maximal contractions or psychological parameters in healthy individuals. These findings support the hypothesis that the consumption of α-lactalbumin can increase motor neurone input-output gain and exacerbate central fatigue during sustained maximal exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Mackay-Phillips
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia.
| | - Lucas B R Orssatto
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Remco Polman
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University, Berwick, Australia
| | - Jolieke C Van der Pols
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
| | - Gabriel S Trajano
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, 149 Victoria Park Rd, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD, 4059, Australia
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Alcantara-Zapata DE, Lucero N, De Gregorio N, Astudillo Cornejo P, Ibarra Villanueva C, Baltodano-Calle MJ, Gonzales GF, Behn C. Women's mood at high altitude. sexual dimorphism in hypoxic stress modulation by the tryptophan-melatonin axis. Front Physiol 2023; 13:1099276. [PMID: 36733695 PMCID: PMC9887123 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1099276] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual (and gender)-dimorphism in tolerance to hypobaric hypoxia increasingly matters for a differential surveillance of human activities at high altitude (HA). At low altitudes, the prevalence of anxiety and depression in women has already been found to double when compared with men; it could be expected to even increase on exposure to HA. In purposefully caring for the health of women at HA, the present work explores the potential involvement of the tryptophan (Trp)-melatonin axis in mood changes on exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. The present work highlights some already known anxiogenic effects of HA exposure. Hypoxia and insomnia reduce serotonin (5-HT) availability; the latter defect being expressed as failure of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation and mood disorders. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep organization and synapsis restoration that are additionally affected by hypoxia impair memory consolidation. Affective complaints may thus surge, evolving into anxiety and depression. Sex-related differences in neural network organization and hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, and certainly also during the life cycle, underscore the possibility of 5-HT-related mood alterations, particularly in women on HA exposure. The mean brain rate of 5-HT synthesis at sea level is already 1.5-fold higher in males than in females. sexual dimorphism also evidences the overexpression effects of SERT, a 5-HT transporter protein. Gonadal and thyroid hormones, as influenced by HA exposure, further modulate 5-HT availability and its effects in women. Besides caring for adequate oxygenation and maintenance of one's body core temperature, special precautions concerning women sojourning at HA should include close observations of hormonal cycles and, perhaps, also trials with targeted antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. E. Alcantara-Zapata
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Reproducción, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo (LID), Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - N. Lucero
- Occupational Health Program, School of Public Health, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - N. De Gregorio
- Laboratory of Extreme Environments, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Biomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - P. Astudillo Cornejo
- Occupational Ergonomics Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Atacama, Copiapó, Chile
| | - C. Ibarra Villanueva
- Occupational Ergonomics Program, Department of Kinesiology, University of Atacama, Copiapó, Chile
| | - M. J. Baltodano-Calle
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Reproducción, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo (LID), Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - G. F. Gonzales
- Laboratorio de Endocrinología y Reproducción, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo (LID), Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú,High Altitude Research Institute, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - C. Behn
- Laboratory of Extreme Environments, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Biomedical Science Institute (ICBM), Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, University of Atacama, Copiapó, Chile,*Correspondence: C. Behn,
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Oh SJ, Lee N, Nam KR, Kang KJ, Lee KC, Lee YJ, Seok JH, Choi JY. Effect of developmental stress on the in vivo neuronal circuits related to excitation-inhibition balance and mood in adulthood. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1086370. [PMID: 36846229 PMCID: PMC9950095 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1086370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Traumatic events in early life have a deleterious effect on the development of normal brain developments, which may be a cause of various psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Most prior studies focused on molecular biological aspects, and research on functional changes in neural circuits is still limited. We aimed to elucidate the effect of early life stress on in vivo excitation-inhibition and serotonergic neurotransmission in the adulthood using non-invasive functional molecular imaging (positron emission tomography, PET). METHODS To compare the effect of stress intensity, early life stress animal models were divided into single trauma (MS) and double trauma groups (MRS). MS was derived from maternal separation, whereas MRS was derived from maternal separation and restraint stress after birth. And to evaluate the stress vulnerability on the sex, we used male and female rats. RESULTS The MRS group showed greater weight loss and more severe depressive/anxiety-like behaviors than the MS and control groups. Corticosterone levels in MRS showed a greater extent of decline than in the MS group; however, there was no significant difference in the change of T3 and T4 between MS and MRS. In the PET, the stress exposure groups showed lower brain uptake for GABAergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic systems compared with the control group. The excitatory/inhibitory balance, which was derived by dividing glutamate brain uptake into GABAergic uptake, increased as stress intensity increased. Neuronal degeneration in the stress exposure groups was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. In the sex comparison, female showed the greater changes of body weight, corticosterone level, depressive/anxiety-like behavior, and neurotransmission systems than those in male. CONCLUSION Taken together, we demonstrated that developmental stress induces dysfunction of neurotransmission in vivo, and that females are more vulnerable to stress than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Jong Oh
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Namhun Lee
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Rok Nam
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Jun Kang
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyo Chul Lee
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jin Lee
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Ho Seok
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yong Choi
- Division of Applied RI, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Radiological and Medico-Oncological Sciences, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Meccia J, Lopez J, Bagot RC. Probing the antidepressant potential of psilocybin: integrating insight from human research and animal models towards an understanding of neural circuit mechanisms. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:27-40. [PMID: 36564671 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06297-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Interest in the therapeutic potential of serotonergic psychedelic compounds including psilocybin has surged in recent years. While human clinical research suggests psilocybin holds promise as a rapid and long-lasting antidepressant, little is known about how its acute mechanisms of action mediate enduring alterations in cognition and behavior. Human neuroimaging studies point to both acute and sustained modulation of functional connectivity in key cortically dependent brain networks. Emerging evidence in preclinical models highlights the importance of psilocybin-induced neuroplasticity and alterations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Overviewing research in both humans and preclinical models suggests avenues to increase crosstalk between fields. We review how acute modulation of PFC circuits may contribute to long-term structural and functional alterations to mediate antidepressant effects. We highlight the potential for preclinical circuit and behavioral neuroscience approaches to provide basic mechanistic insight into how psilocybin modulates cognitive and affective neural circuits to support further development of psilocybin as a promising new treatment for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Meccia
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Ave Dr. Penfield, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Joëlle Lopez
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Ave Dr. Penfield, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Rosemary C Bagot
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Ave Dr. Penfield, Montréal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada. .,Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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34
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Jamu IM, Okamoto H. Recent advances in understanding adverse effects associated with drugs targeting the serotonin receptor, 5-HT GPCR. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:1012463. [PMID: 36619589 PMCID: PMC9812521 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.1012463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been acknowledged that more women suffer from adverse effects of drugs than men globally. A group of drugs targeting serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine] (5-HT) binding G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have been reported to preferentially affect women more than men, causing adverse effects such as breast cancer and infertility. 5-HT GPCR-targeted drugs in the central nervous system (CNS) manage psychiatric conditions, such as depression or bipolar and in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) treat migraines. Physiological characteristics such as specific types of hormones, higher body fat density and smaller body mass in women result in disparities in pharmacodynamics of drugs, thus explaining sex-related differences in the observed adverse effects. In this review, we discuss the side effects of drugs targeting 5-HT GPCRs based on serotonin's roles in the CNS and PNS. We have systematically reviewed adverse effects of drugs targeting 5-HT GPCR using information from the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Further information on drug side effects and receptor targets was acquired from the SIDER and DrugBank databases, respectively. These drugs bind to 5-HT GPCRs in the CNS, namely the brain, and PNS such as breasts, ovaries and testes, potentially causing side effects within these areas. Oestrogen affects both the biosynthesis of 5-HT and the densities of 5-HT GPCRs in given tissues and cells. 5-HT GPCR-targeting drugs perturb this process. This is likely a reason why women are experiencing more adverse effects than men due to their periodic increase and the relatively high concentrations of oestrogen in women and, thus a greater incidence of the oestrogen-mediated 5-HT system interference. In addition, women have a lower concentration of serotonin relative to men and also have a relatively faster rate of serotonin metabolism which might be contributing to the former. We discuss potential approaches that could mitigate at least some of the adverse effects experienced by women taking the 5-HT GPCR-targeting drugs.
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35
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Jadhav VV, Han J, Fasina Y, Harrison SH. Connecting gut microbiomes and short chain fatty acids with the serotonergic system and behavior in Gallus gallus and other avian species. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1035538. [PMID: 36406988 PMCID: PMC9667555 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1035538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The chicken gastrointestinal tract has a diverse microbial community. There is increasing evidence for how this gut microbiome affects specific molecular pathways and the overall physiology, nervous system and behavior of the chicken host organism due to a growing number of studies investigating conditions such as host diet, antibiotics, probiotics, and germ-free and germ-reduced models. Systems-level investigations have revealed a network of microbiome-related interactions between the gut and state of health and behavior in chickens and other animals. While some microbial symbionts are crucial for maintaining stability and normal host physiology, there can also be dysbiosis, disruptions to nutrient flow, and other outcomes of dysregulation and disease. Likewise, alteration of the gut microbiome is found for chickens exhibiting differences in feather pecking (FP) behavior and this alteration is suspected to be responsible for behavioral change. In chickens and other organisms, serotonin is a chief neuromodulator that links gut microbes to the host brain as microbes modulate the serotonin secreted by the host's own intestinal enterochromaffin cells which can stimulate the central nervous system via the vagus nerve. A substantial part of the serotonergic network is conserved across birds and mammals. Broader investigations of multiple species and subsequent cross-comparisons may help to explore general functionality of this ancient system and its increasingly apparent central role in the gut-brain axis of vertebrates. Dysfunctional behavioral phenotypes from the serotonergic system moreover occur in both birds and mammals with, for example, FP in chickens and depression in humans. Recent studies of the intestine as a major site of serotonin synthesis have been identifying routes by which gut microbial metabolites regulate the chicken serotonergic system. This review in particular highlights the influence of gut microbial metabolite short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on the serotonergic system. The role of SCFAs in physiological and brain disorders may be considerable because of their ability to cross intestinal as well as the blood-brain barriers, leading to influences on the serotonergic system via binding to receptors and epigenetic modulations. Examinations of these mechanisms may translate into a more general understanding of serotonergic system development within chickens and other avians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya V. Jadhav
- Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States
| | - Jian Han
- Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States
| | - Yewande Fasina
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Yewande Fasina, ; Scott H. Harrison,
| | - Scott H. Harrison
- Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Yewande Fasina, ; Scott H. Harrison,
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36
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Helman TJ, Headrick JP, Vider J, Peart JN, Stapelberg NJC. Sex-specific behavioral, neurobiological, and cardiovascular responses to chronic social stress in mice. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2004-2027. [PMID: 36059192 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25115] [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: 01/16/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress promotes and links mood and cardiovascular disorders in a sex-specific manner. However, findings in animal models are equivocal, in some cases opposing human dimorphisms. We examined central nervous system (CNS), behavioral, endocrine, cardiac, and hepatic outcomes in male or female C57Bl/6 mice subjected to chronic social stress (56 days of social isolation, with intermittent social confrontation encounters twice daily throughout the final 20 days). Females exhibited distinct physiological and behavioral changes, including relative weight loss, and increases in coronary resistance, hepatic inflammation, and thigmotaxic behavior in the open field. Males evidence reductions in coronary resistance and cardiac ischemic tolerance, with increased circulating and hippocampal monoamine levels and emerging anhedonia. Shared CNS gene responses include reduced hippocampal Maoa and increased Htr1b expression, while unique responses include repression of hypothalamic Ntrk1 and upregulation of cortical Nrf2 and Htr1b in females; and repression of hippocampal Drd1 and hypothalamic Gabra1 and Oprm in males. Declining cardiac stress resistance in males was associated with repression of cardiac leptin levels and metabolic, mitochondrial biogenesis, and anti-inflammatory gene expression. These integrated data reveal distinct biological responses to social stress in males and females, and collectively evidence greater biological disruption or allostatic load in females (consistent with propensities to stress-related mood and cardiovascular disorders in humans). Distinct stress biology, and molecular to organ responses, emphasize the importance of sex-specific mechanisms and potential approaches to stress-dependent disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa J Helman
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - John P Headrick
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jelena Vider
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jason N Peart
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
| | - Nicolas J C Stapelberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Robina, Queensland, Australia.,Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Southport, Queensland, Australia
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Boehm I, Hennig J, Ritschel F, Geisler D, King JA, Lesch I, Roessner V, Zepf FD, Ehrlich S. Acute tryptophan depletion balances altered resting-state functional connectivity of the salience network in female patients recovered from anorexia nervosa. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2022; 47:E351-E358. [PMID: 36195339 PMCID: PMC9533767 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.210161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that individuals predisposed to or recovered from anorexia nervosa experience a hyperserotonergic state associated with anxiety that might be mitigated by restricted food intake, because diminished levels of the tryptophan precursor lower the central availability of serotonin (5-HT). At the neural level, the salience network is a system of functionally connected brain regions; it has been closely associated with 5-HT functioning and mental disorders (including anorexia nervosa). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect on the salience network of a temporary dietary manipulation of 5-HT synthesis in patients with anorexia nervosa. METHODS In this double-blind crossover study, we obtained data on resting-state functional connectivity from 22 weight-recovered female patients with a history of anorexia nervosa, and 22 age-matched female healthy controls. The study procedure included acute tryptophan depletion (a dietary intervention that lowers the central 5-HT synthesis rate) and a sham condition. RESULTS We identified an interaction of group and experimental condition in resting-state functional connectivity between the salience network and the orbitofrontal cortex extending to the frontal pole (F 1,42 = 12.52; p FWE = 0.026). Further analysis revealed increased resting-state functional connectivity during acute tryptophan depletion in patients recovered from anorexia nervosa, resembling that of healthy controls during the sham condition (T 42 = -0.66; p = 0.51). LIMITATIONS The effect of acute tryptophan depletion on the central availability of 5-HT can be judged only indirectly using plasma ratios of tryptophan to large neutral amino acids. Moreover, the definition of anorexia nervosa recovery varies widely across studies, limiting comparability. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings support the notion of 5-HT dysregulation in anorexia nervosa and indicate that reduced 5-HT synthesis and availability during acute tryptophan depletion (and possibly with food restriction) may balance hyperserotonergic functioning and the associated resting-state functional connectivity of the salience network.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stefan Ehrlich
- From the Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany (Boehm, Hennig, Ritschel, Geisler, King, Lesch, Ehrlich); the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital C. G. Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany (Roessner); the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany (Zepf); the Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Centre, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany (Ehrlich)
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38
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Zhang Y, Yao S, Schmitt H, Becker B, Kendrick KM, Montag C. Molecular genetic associations between a prominent serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR/rs25531) and individual differences in tendencies toward autistic traits and generalized internet use disorder in China and Germany. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2747. [PMID: 36106519 PMCID: PMC9575603 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The serotonin transporter polymorphism 5-HTTLPR is an extensively investigated genetic marker of autistic traits or autism spectrum disorder, and recently has also been studied in the realm of internet use disorder (IUD), yet the findings remain controversial. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore associations between 5-HTTLPR (also including SNP rs25531) and autistic traits/IUD tendencies and to assess whether the relationship between autistic traits and IUD tendencies varies by this genetic marker in participants from China and Germany. METHODS A total of 540 Chinese and 563 German subjects were genotyped for 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 and completed the Adult Autism Spectrum Quotient questionnaire and the short version of the Internet Addiction Test. RESULTS Carriers of the low expressing S'S' genotype (S, LG ) showed significantly higher levels of autistic traits than the high expressing allele (e.g. LA ) carriers in both samples. There was no significant effect of 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 on IUD either in the Chinese or Germany samples, whereas positive correlations between autistic traits and IUD varied by 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotypes and also differed between Chinese and German samples. In the Chinese sample, positive correlations were mainly driven by S'S' and S'L' carriers, while they were mainly determined by S'L' and L'L' carriers in the German sample. Further analyses revealed that the associations between autistic traits and IUD tended in parts to be more strongly pronounced in the complete German sample compared to the complete Chinese sample, and also varied depending on 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 genotypes (in S'S' carriers: China > Germany; in S'L' and L'L' carriers: China < Germany; both in terms of more positive associations). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest carriers of low expressing alleles (S, LG ) are more likely to show higher autistic traits in both Chinese and German samples. Furthermore, the present work shows that both 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 and cultural differences might be of relevance to understand associations between autistic traits and IUD tendencies, but this needs to be further backed up.
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Affiliation(s)
- YingYing Zhang
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Ministry of Education Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Helena Schmitt
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Ministry of Education Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Ministry of Education Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Ministry of Education Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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Legan TB, Lavoie B, Mawe GM. Direct and indirect mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influence host serotonin systems. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2022; 34:e14346. [PMID: 35246905 PMCID: PMC9441471 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence highlights the pivotal role of enteric microbes as a dynamic interface with the host. Indeed, the gut microbiota, located in the lumen of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, influence many essential physiological processes that are evident in both healthy and pathological states. A key signaling molecule throughout the body is serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), which acts in the GI tract to regulate numerous gut functions including intestinal motility and secretion. The gut microbiota can modulate host 5-HT systems both directly and indirectly. Direct actions of gut microbes, evidenced by studies using germ-free animals or antibiotic administration, alter the expression of key 5-HT-related genes to promote 5-HT biosynthesis. Indirectly, the gut microbiota produce numerous microbial metabolites, whose actions can influence host serotonergic systems in a variety of ways. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding mechanisms by which gut bacteria act to regulate host 5-HT and 5-HT-mediated gut functions, as well as implications for 5-HT in the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa B Legan
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Brigitte Lavoie
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Gary M Mawe
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
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Haleem DJ. Nutritional importance of tryptophan for improving treatment in depression and diabetes. Nutr Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The importance of nutrients in our diet is becoming increasingly recognized. From the viewpoint of protein synthesis and other physiologic and metabolic functions, all amino acids are important, but some of these amino acids are not synthesized endogenously. This subset, called essential amino acids, comprise dietarily indispensable nutrients. Tryptophan, an essential amino acid, is the sole precursor of neuronal as well as peripheral serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine). Its systemic or oral administration increases serotonin synthesis because tryptophan hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-hydroxytryptamine biosynthesis, is physiologically unsaturated with its substrate. Central serotonin is implicated in a number of psychiatric illnesses, including depression, and in responses to stress. Acting peripherally, serotonin affects vasoconstriction, intestinal motility, control of T cell–mediated immunity, and liver and pancreatic functions. Depression and diabetes are 2 highly prevalent diseases that often coexist. There is evidence that occurrence of depression is 2–3 times higher in people with diabetes mellitus. A comorbid condition of diabetes and depression worsens the treatment and increases risk for death. Stress, known for its causal role in depression, can also enhance risk for diabetes. Stress-induced decreases in the circulating levels of tryptophan can impair brain and pancreatic serotonin-dependent functions to precipitate these diseases. The importance of tryptophan supplementation for improving therapeutic intervention in depression and diabetes is the focus of this article. A deficiency of this essential amino acid may enhance risk for depression as well as diabetes, and can also weaken treatment efficacy of medicinal compounds for treating these diseases. Guidelines for optimal levels of circulating tryptophan can help if supplements of this amino acid can improve treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darakhshan Jabeen Haleem
- University of Karachi Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine & Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Science, and the Department of Biochemistry, Neurochemistry and Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory, , Karachi, Pakistan
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Siddiqui SA, Singh S, Rawat A, Arshad M, Kumar S. Region specific differential regulation of 5HT-5A and 5B receptor is associated with the difference in stress level between male and female rats. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10242. [PMID: 36033311 PMCID: PMC9404348 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders affect nearly all people worldwide irrespective of the age and sex of the person. Females are supposed to experience a higher stress and anxiety as compared to the male individuals. The role of serotonin receptor in stress and anxiety condition is supposed to affect this sex-based difference in stress and anxiety condition between male and female animals. Serotonin receptor system is one of the most important molecular mechanism in brain function involved in a number of vital functions such as apetite, sleep, thermoregulation, aggression, learning, mood, cognition as well as in stress and anxiety. The current preclinical study is analyzing the role of serotonin 5HT-5A and 5B receptor in stress and anxiety in male and female rodents. The study suggests here a differential region specific association of both the serotonin receptor under stressful condition between male and female animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sanjay Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, BBAU, Lucknow, India
| | - Atul Rawat
- Department of Biotechnology, BBAU, Lucknow, India
| | - Md Arshad
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
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Winek K, Tzur Y, Soreq H. Biological underpinnings of sex differences in neurological disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 164:27-67. [PMID: 36038206 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The importance of sex differences in neurological disorders has been increasingly acknowledged in recent clinical and basic research studies, but the complex biology and genetics underlying sex-linked biological heterogeneity and its brain-to-body impact remained incompletely understood. Men and women differ substantially in their susceptibility to certain neurological diseases, in the severity of symptoms, prognosis as well as the nature and efficacy of their response to treatments. The detailed mechanisms underlying these differences, especially at the molecular level, are being addressed in many studies but leave a lot to be further revealed. Here, we provide an overview of recent advances in our understanding of how sex differences in the brain and brain-body signaling contribute to neurological disorders and further present some future prospects entailed in terms of diagnostics and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Winek
- The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yonat Tzur
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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Trentini A, Manfrinato MC, Castellazzi M, Bellini T. Sex-Related Differences of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs): New Perspectives for These Biomarkers in Cardiovascular and Neurological Diseases. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12081196. [PMID: 35893290 PMCID: PMC9331234 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12081196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now established that sex differences occur in clinical manifestation, disease progression, and prognosis for both cardiovascular (CVDs) and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. As such, a great deal of effort is now being put into understanding these differences and turning them into “advantages”: (a) for the discovery of new sex-specific biomarkers and (b) through a review of old biomarkers from the perspective of the “newly” discovered sex/gender medicine. This is also true for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling, which play a role in both CVDs and CNS disorders. However, most of the studies conducted up to now relegated sex to a mere confounding variable used for statistical model correction rather than a determining factor that can influence MMP levels and, in turn, disease prognosis. Consistently, this approach causes a loss of information that might help clinicians in identifying novel patterns and improve the applicability of MMPs in clinical practice by providing sex-specific threshold values. In this scenario, the current review aims to gather the available knowledge on sex-related differences in MMPs levels in CVDs and CNS conditions, hoping to shed light on their use as sex-specific biomarkers of disease prognosis or progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Trentini
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Manfrinato
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (M.C.M.); (T.B.)
| | - Massimiliano Castellazzi
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (M.C.M.); (T.B.)
- Interdepartmental Research Center for the Study of Multiple Sclerosis and Inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases of the Nervous System, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Tiziana Bellini
- University Center for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (M.C.M.); (T.B.)
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Albright JA, Rebello E, Kosinski LR, Patel DD, Spears JR, Gil JA, Katarincic JA. Characterization of the Epidemiology and Risk Factors for Hand Fractures in Patients Aged 1 to 19 Presenting to United States Emergency Departments: A Retrospective Study of 21,031 Cases. J Pediatr Orthop 2022; 42:335-340. [PMID: 35475776 DOI: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000002164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hand fractures are among the most common injuries presenting in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) with incidence reported as high as 624 hand fractures per 100,000 person-years. If gone untreated, these injuries can lead to pain, loss of function, and psychological trauma. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors and characterize pediatric hand fractures over a 5-year period. METHODS The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for all hand fractures in patients aged 1 to 19 years presenting to US EDs between 2016 and 2020. Incidence was calculated using US census data. Cases were retrospectively analyzed using age, location of the injury, sex, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) era, and etiology of injury. Bivariate logistic regression was used where appropriate. RESULTS A total of 21,031 pediatric hand fractures were identified, representing an estimated 565,833 pediatric hand fractures presenting to EDs between 2016 and 2020. The mean incidence of pediatric hand fractures was 138.3 fractures for 100,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 136.2-140.4], with a 39.2% decrease in incidence occurring between 2019 and 2020. It was found that 42.2% of the fractures were in patients aged 10 to 14. The incidence of hand fractures for males and females was 97.9 (95% CI: 96.2-99.7) and 40.4 (95% CI: 39.2-41.5), respectively, with the male rate peaking at age 14 and the female rate peaking at age 12. Age, sex, location of the injury, and injury during the COVID-19 pandemic were demonstrated to influence the frequency and etiology of the fracture. CONCLUSION This study determined the incidence of pediatric hand fractures presenting to EDs across the United States. In addition, it identified risk factors for common hand fracture etiologies (sports-related, falling, crush, punching) and demonstrated the change in rates of different etiologies of pediatric hand fractures that presented to US EDs during the COVID-19 pandemic. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-retrospective comparative study.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lindsay R Kosinski
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
| | - Devan D Patel
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
| | - J Reid Spears
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
| | - Joseph A Gil
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
| | - Julia A Katarincic
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI
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Li Y, Zhu S, Xie K, Feng X, Chen L, Wu X, Sun Z, Shu G, Wang S, Zhu C, Gao P, Jiang Q, Wang L. TLR4 in Tph2 neurons modulates anxiety-related behaviors in a sex-dependent manner. Neuropharmacology 2022; 216:109175. [PMID: 35787402 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109175] [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: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
TLR4 belongs to the TLR receptor family and can induce a proinflammatory response to invading pathogens. Recent studies have identified that TLR4 is associated with major anxiety disorder. Tph2 is a rate-limiting enzyme for 5-HT biosynthesis that is expressed at high levels in the DRN, which includes the main 5-HT projection to the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex and regulates anxiety disorder. Here, we show that TLR4 expressed in Tph2 neurons in the DRN can modulate anxiety-like behaviors in a sex-dependent manner. Deletion of TLR4 in Tph2 neurons decreases anxiety-like behaviors in male but not in female mice. Meanwhile, a similar phenotype was found by selectively ablating TLR4 in the DRN of adult male but not female mice using AAV-Cre-GFP virus. Inhibition of TLR4 in DRN by infusion of LPS-RS via intra-Aq is sufficient to reverse anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic immobilization stress (CIS). The underlying mechanisms seem to involve alterations in the excitability of Tph2 neurons and key components of 5-HT transmission, including synthesis, reuptake, and transmission. Our results suggest that TLR4 in Tph2 neurons is a key modulator in anxiety-like behaviors and the 5-HT system in the brain between different sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxiang Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Shuqing Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Kailai Xie
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Xiajie Feng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Lvshuang Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Zhonghua Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Gang Shu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Songbo Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Canjun Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Ping Gao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China
| | - Qingyan Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China.
| | - Lina Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition Control, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China; National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510642, China.
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Lan C, Liu C, Li K, Zhao Z, Yang J, Ma Y, Scheele D, Yao S, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Oxytocinergic Modulation of Stress-Associated Amygdala-Hippocampus Pathways in Humans Is Mediated by Serotonergic Mechanisms. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 25:807-817. [PMID: 35723242 PMCID: PMC9593216 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) may exert anxiolytic and stress-reducing actions via modulatory effects on amygdala circuits. Animal models and initial findings in humans suggest that some of these effects are mediated by interactions with other neurotransmitter systems, in particular the serotonin (5-HT) system. Against this background, the present pharmacological resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study aimed to determine whether effects of OXT on stress-associated amygdala intrinsic networks are mediated by 5-HT. METHODS We employed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind parallel-group, pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging resting-state experiment with 4 treatment groups in n = 112 healthy male participants. Participants underwent a transient decrease in 5-HT signaling via acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) or a corresponding placebo-control protocol before the administration of intranasal OXT (24 IU) or placebo intranasal spray. RESULTS OXT and 5-HT modulation exerted interactive effects on the coupling of the left amygdala with the ipsilateral hippocampus and adjacent midbrain. OXT increased intrinsic coupling in this pathway, whereas this effect of OXT was significantly attenuated during transiently decreased central serotonergic signaling induced via acute tryptophan depletion. In the absence of OXT or 5-HT modulation, this pathway showed a trend for an association with self-reported stress perception in everyday life. No interactive effects were observed for the right amygdala. CONCLUSIONS Together, the findings provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that the effects of OXT on stress-associated amygdala-hippocampal-midbrain pathways are critically mediated by the 5-HT system in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Keshuang Li
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiying Zhao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yina Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University HospitalBonn, Bonn, Germany,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Correspondence: Benjamin Becker, PhD, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Xiyuan Avenue 2006, 611731 Chengdu, China ()
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Biancardi V, Patrone LGA, Vicente MC, Marques DA, Bicego KC, Funk GD, Gargaglioni LH. Prenatal fluoxetine has long lasting, differential effects on respiratory control in male and female rats. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2022; 133:371-389. [PMID: 35708704 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00020.2022] [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: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is an important modulator of brain networks that control breathing. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (FLX) is the first-line antidepressant drug prescribed during pregnancy. We investigated the effects of prenatal FLX on baseline breathing, ventilatory and metabolic responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia as well as number of brainstem 5-HT and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons of rats during postnatal development (P0-82). Prenatal FLX exposure of males showed a lower baseline that appeared in juveniles and remained in adulthood, with no sleep-wake state dependency. Prenatal FLX exposure of females did not affect baseline breathing. Juvenile male FLX rats showed increased CO2 and hypoxic ventilatory responses, normalizing by adulthood. Alterations in juvenile-FLX treated males were associated with greater number of 5-HT neurons in the ROB and RMAG. Adult FLX-exposed males showed greater number of 5-HT neurons in the RPA and TH neurons in the A5, while reduced number of TH neurons in A7. Prenatal FLX exposure of female rats was associated with greater hyperventilation induced by hypercapnia at P0-2 and juveniles whereas P12-14 and adult FLX (NREM sleep) rats showed an attenuation of the hypercapnic hyperventilation.FLX-exposed females had fewer 5-HT neurons in the RPA and reduced TH A6 density at P0-2; and greater number of TH neurons in the A7 at P12-14. These data indicate that prenatal FLX exposure affects the number of neurons of some monoaminergic regions in the brain and results in long lasting, sex specific changes in baseline breathing pattern and ventilatory responses to respiratory challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Biancardi
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Luis Gustavo A Patrone
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariane C Vicente
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danuzia A Marques
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Pediatrics, Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
| | - Kênia C Bicego
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gregory D Funk
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Women and Children's Health Research Institute, Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Luciane H Gargaglioni
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Sao Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Kynurenine pathway and autism spectrum phenotypes: an investigation among adults with autism spectrum disorder and their first-degree relatives. CNS Spectr 2022; 28:374-385. [PMID: 35634735 DOI: 10.1017/s1092852922000840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing literature highlighted alterations of tryptophan (TRP) metabolism and kynurenine (KYN) pathway in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no study specifically focused on adult samples. Meanwhile, several authors stressed the relevance of investigating neurobiological correlates of adult forms of ASD and of those subthreshold ASD manifestations frequently found in relatives of ASD probands, known as broad autism phenotype (BAP). This work aimed to evaluate circulating levels of TRP and metabolites of KYN pathway in a sample of ASD adults, their first-degree relatives and controls (CTLs), investigating also the correlations between biochemical variables' levels and ASD symptoms. METHODS A sample of ASD adults, together with a group of first-degree relatives (BAP group) and unrelated CTLs were assessed by means of psychometric scales. Circulating levels of TRP, KYN, quinolinic acid (QA), and kynurenic acid (KYNA) were assessed in all subjects. RESULTS ASD patients reported significantly higher total scores than the other groups on all psychometric scales. BAP subjects scored significantly higher than CTLs. ASD patients reported significantly lower TRP levels than BAP and CTL groups. Moreover, significantly lower levels of KYNA were reported in both ASD and BAP groups than in CTLs. Specific patterns of associations were found between autism symptoms and biochemical variables. CONCLUSIONS Our findings confirm in adult samples the presence of altered TRP metabolism through KYN pathway. The intermediate alterations reported among relatives of ASD patients further stress the presence of a continuum between subthreshold and full-threshold ASD phenotypes also from a biochemical perspective.
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Wang B, Shi H, Ren L, Miao Z, Wan B, Yang H, Fan X, Gustafsson JA, Sun M, Xu X. Ahi1 regulates serotonin production by the GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway involving sexual differences in depressive behaviors. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:74. [PMID: 35643536 PMCID: PMC9148486 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00894-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common psychiatric diseases. The monoamine transmitter theory suggests that neurotransmitters are involved in the mechanism of depression; however, the regulation on serotonin production is still unclear. We previously showed that Ahi1 knockout (KO) mice exhibited depression-like behavior accompanied by a significant decrease in brain serotonin. METHODS In the present study, western blot, gene knockdown, immunofluorescence, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue assay were used to detect changes in the Ahi1/GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway in the brains of male stressed mice and male Ahi1 KO mice to explain the pathogenesis of depression-like behaviors. In addition, E2 levels in the blood and brain of male and female mice were measured to investigate the effect on the ERβ/TPH2 pathway and to reveal the mechanisms for the phenomenon of gender differences in depression-like behaviors. RESULTS We found that the serotonin-producing pathway-the ERβ/TPH2 pathway was inhibited in male stressed mice and male Ahi1 KO mice. We further demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) as a transcription factor bound to the promoter of ERβ that contains glucocorticoid response elements and inhibited the transcription of ERβ. Our recent study had indicated that Ahi1 regulates the nuclear translocation of GR upon stress, thus proposing the Ahi1/GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway for serotonin production. Interestingly, female Ahi1 KO mice did not exhibit depressive behaviors, indicating sexual differences in depressive behaviors compared with male mice. Furthermore, we found that serum 17β-estradiol (E2) level was not changed in male and female mice; however, brain E2 level significantly decreased in male but not female Ahi1 KO mice. Further, ERβ agonist LY-500307 increased TPH2 expression and 5-HT production. Therefore, both Ahi1 and E2 regulate the ERβ/TPH2 pathway and involve sexual differences in brain serotonin production and depressive behaviors. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, although it is unclear how Ahi1 controls E2 secretion in the brain, our findings demonstrate that Ahi1 regulates serotonin production by the GR/ERβ/TPH2 pathway in the brain and possibly involves the regulation on sex differences in depressive behaviors. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixia Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyan Ren
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhigang Miao
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotang Fan
- Department of Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Psychology, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jan-Ake Gustafsson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
- Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Miao Sun
- Department of Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xingshun Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215004, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, People's Republic of China.
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An X, Guo W, Wu H, Fu X, Li M, Zhang Y, Li Y, Cui R, Yang W, Zhang Z, Zhao G. Sex Differences in Depression Caused by Early Life Stress and Related Mechanisms. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:797755. [PMID: 35663561 PMCID: PMC9157793 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.797755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a common psychiatric disease caused by various factors, manifesting with continuous low spirits, with its precise mechanism being unclear. Early life stress (ELS) is receiving more attention as a possible cause of depression. Many studies focused on the mechanisms underlying how ELS leads to changes in sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis function, and epigenetics. The adverse effects of ELS on adulthood are mainly dependent on the time window when stress occurs, sex and the developmental stage when evaluating the impacts. Therefore, with regard to the exact sex differences of adult depression, we found that ELS could lead to sex-differentiated depression through multiple mechanisms, including 5-HT, sex hormone, HPA axis, and epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianquan An
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wanxu Guo
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Huiying Wu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xiying Fu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ming Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yizhi Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yanlin Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Zhuo Zhang,
| | - Guoqing Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Guoqing Zhao,
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