1
|
Deibel SH, Higdon S, Cassell TTS, House-Denine ML, Giberson E, Webb IC, Thorpe CM. Impaired Morris water task retention following T21 light dark cycle exposure is not due to reduced hippocampal c-FOS expression. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1025388. [PMID: 36311860 PMCID: PMC9596763 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1025388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms influence virtually all aspects of physiology and behavior. This is problematic when circadian rhythms no longer reliably predict time. Circadian rhythm disruption can impair memory, yet we don’t know how this fully works at the systems and molecular level. When trying to determine the root of a memory impairment, assessing neuronal activation with c-FOS is useful. This has yet to be assessed in the hippocampi of circadian rhythm disrupted rats in a hippocampal gold standard task. Rats were trained on the Morris water task (MWT), then received 6 days of a 21-h day (T21), 13 days of a normal light dark cycle, probe trial, and tissue extraction an hour later. Despite having impaired memory in the probe trial, compared to controls there were no differences in c-FOS expression in hippocampal sub regions: CA1; CA3; Dentate gyrus. These data confirm others in hamsters demonstrating that arrhythmicity which produces an impairment in spontaneous alternation does not affect c-FOS in the dentate gyrus. The current study indicates that the memory impairment induced by a lighting manipulation is likely not due to attenuated neuronal activation. Determining how the master clock in the brain communicates with the hippocampus is needed to untangle the relationship between circadian rhythms and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott H. Deibel
- Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Scott H. Deibel,
| | - S. Higdon
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - T. T. S. Cassell
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - M. L. House-Denine
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - E. Giberson
- Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - I. C. Webb
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| | - C. M. Thorpe
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kolesnikova TO, Galstyan DS, Demin KA, Barabanov MA, Pestov AV, S de Abreu M, Strekalova T, Kalueff AV. Pharmacological characterization of a novel putative nootropic beta-alanine derivative, MB-005, in adult zebrafish. J Psychopharmacol 2022; 36:892-902. [PMID: 35713386 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221098192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits represent an urgent biomedical problem, and are commonly reduced by nootropic drugs. Animal models, including both rodents and zebrafish, offer a valuable tool for studying cognitive phenotypes and screening novel nootropics. Beta-alanine and its derivatives have recently been proposed to exert nootropic activity. AIMS This study aimed to characterize putative nootropic profile of a novel β-alanine analogue, 1,3-diaminopropane (MB-005), in adult zebrafish. METHODS Nootropic profile of MB-005 was assessed in adult zebrafish in the novel tank and conditioned place aversion (CPA) tests acutely, and in cued-learning plus-maze (PMT) tests chronically. RESULTS/OUTCOMES MB-005 did not alter zebrafish anxiety-like behavior or monoamine neurochemistry acutely, improved short-term memory in the CPA test, but impaired cognitive performance in both CPA and PMT tests chronically. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION This study reveals high sensitivity of zebrafish cognitive phenotypes to MB-005, suggesting it as a potential novel cognitive enhancer acutely, but raises concerns over its cognitive (and, possibly, other) side-effects chronically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David S Galstyan
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Preclinical Bioscreening, Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Pesochny, Russia
| | - Konstantin A Demin
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Mikhail A Barabanov
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Alexander V Pestov
- Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.,Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | | | - Tatyana Strekalova
- Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Normal Physiology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Allan V Kalueff
- Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Preclinical Bioscreening, Granov Russian Research Center of Radiology and Surgical Technologies, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Pesochny, Russia.,Institute of Experimental Medicine, Almazov National Medical Research Centre, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg, Russia.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia.,Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,COBRAIN Center, Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia.,Scientific Research Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia.,School of Pharmacy, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Steiger A, Farfan J, Fisher N, Heller HC, Fernandez FX, Ruby NF. Reversible Suppression of Fear Memory Recall by Transient Circadian Arrhythmia. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:900620. [PMID: 35694186 PMCID: PMC9184752 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.900620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that a temporary period of circadian arrhythmia would transiently impair recall of an aversive memory in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus). Unlike mice or rats, circadian arrhythmia is easily induced in this species by a one-time manipulation of their ambient lighting [i.e., the disruptive phase shift (DPS) protocol]. Hamsters were conditioned to associate footshocks with a shock chamber (context) and with a predictive auditory tone (cue), and then exposed to the DPS protocol. Following DPS, animals either became arrhythmic (ARR), reentrained to the light-dark cycle (ENT), or became arrhythmic for < 14 days before their circadian locomotor rhythms spontaneously recovered and reentrained (ARR-ENT). Tests for contextual memory showed that freezing was decreased 9–10 days post-DPS when both ARR and ARR-ENT groups were arrhythmic. Once ARR-ENT animals reentrained (day 41), however, freezing was elevated back to Pre-DPS levels and did not differ from those observed in ENT hamsters. ENT animals maintained high levels of freezing at both time points, whereas, freezing remained low in ARR hamsters. In contrast to contextual responses, cued responses were unaffected by circadian arrhythmia; all three groups exhibited elevated levels of freezing in response to the tones. The differential impact of circadian arrhythmia on contextual versus cued associative memory suggests that arrhythmia preferentially impacts memory processes that depend on the hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athreya Steiger
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Julia Farfan
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nathan Fisher
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - H. Craig Heller
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Fabian-Xosé Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona College of Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Norman F. Ruby
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Norman F. Ruby,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hozer C, Pifferi F. Relationships between endogenous circadian period, physiological and cognitive parameters and sex in aged gray mouse lemurs ( Microcebus murinus). Chronobiol Int 2021; 39:363-373. [PMID: 34802342 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2021.2001478] [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: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The biological clock generates circadian rhythms, with an endogenous period tau close to 24 h. The circadian resonance theory proposes that lifespan is reduced when endogenous period goes far from 24 h. It has been suggested that daily resetting of the circadian clock to the 24 h external photoperiod might induce marginal costs that would accumulate over time and forward accelerate aging and affect fitness. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the link between the endogenous period and biomarkers of aging in order to investigate the mechanisms of the circadian resonance theory. We studied 39 middle-aged and aged Microcebus murinus, a nocturnal non-human primate whose endogenous period is about 23.1 h, measuring the endogenous period of locomotor activity, as well as several physiological and behavioral parameters (rhythm fragmentation and amplitude, energetic expenditure, oxidative stress, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations and cognitive performances) in both males and females. We found that aged males with tau far from 24 h displayed increased oxidative stress. We also demonstrated a positive correlation between tau and IGF-1 concentrations, as well as learning performances, in males and females. Together these results suggest that a great deviation of tau from 24 h leads to increased biomarkers of age-related impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Clara Hozer
- Department of Adaptive Mechanisms and Evolution, National Center for Scientific Research/National Museum of Natural History, Brunoy, France
| | - Fabien Pifferi
- Department of Adaptive Mechanisms and Evolution, National Center for Scientific Research/National Museum of Natural History, Brunoy, France
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Time-restricted feeding rescues high-fat-diet-induced hippocampal impairment. iScience 2021; 24:102532. [PMID: 34142043 PMCID: PMC8188491 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Feeding rodents a high-fat diet (HFD) disrupts normal behavioral rhythms, particularly meal timing. Within the brain, mistimed feeding shifts molecular rhythms in the hippocampus and impairs memory. We hypothesize that altered meal timing induced by an HFD leads to cognitive impairment and that restricting HFD access to the "active period" (i.e., night) rescues the normal hippocampal function. In male mice, ad-lib access to an HFD for 20 weeks increased body weight and fat mass, increased daytime meal consumption, reduced hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), and eliminated day/night differences in spatial working memory. Importantly, two weeks of time-restricted feeding (TRF) at the end of the chronic HFD protocol rescued spatial working memory and restored LTP magnitude, even though there was no change in body composition and total daily caloric intake. These findings suggest that short-term TRF is an effective mechanism for rescuing HFD-induced impaired cognition and hippocampal function.
Collapse
|
6
|
Faborode OS, Yusuf IO, Okpe PO, Okudaje AO, Onasanwo SA. Exposure to prolonged unpredictable light impairs spatial memory via induction of oxidative stress and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rats. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2021; 33:355-362. [PMID: 33873260 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0160] [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: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The human body physiology rapidly changes and adapt to several environmental stimuli, including light. Abnormal artificial light exposures have been shown to affect sleep cycle, cognition, and mood. Although studies have reported inconsistent effects of short-term or constant long-term light exposures, human exposures to artificial lights occur at varying, unpredictable times and duration daily. Here, we studied the effects of long-term unpredictable light exposure on learning, memory, oxidative status, and associated cytokines in rats. METHODS Artificial lighting was provided using an array of white light-emitting diodes coupled to a microcontroller that switches them on or off at unpredictable times and duration (light intensity = 200 ± 20 lx). Within the last eight days of 40 days exposure, animals were subjected to open field test, Morris water maze, and novel object recognition behavioral paradigms. Brain levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were assayed. RESULTS Exposed rats showed impaired spatial learning and memory (p<0.05), but no changes in object recognition memory or locomotor activity. Oxidative stress analyses also revealed significant changes in the concentrations of MDA, SOD, catalase, and GSH levels (p<0.05), not GST. Similarly, there was an increased TNF-α expression (p<0.05), not VEGF. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that oxidative stress is involved in memory impairment in rats exposed to prolonged unpredictable lights, which again suggests the detrimental effects of extended light exposure on the nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun S Faborode
- Department of Human Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria.,Neuroscience and Oral Physiology Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Issa O Yusuf
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester,MA, USA
| | - Paschal O Okpe
- Department of Human Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria
| | - Ann O Okudaje
- Department of Human Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Bingham University, Karu, Nigeria
| | - Samuel A Onasanwo
- Neuroscience and Oral Physiology Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ruby NF. Suppression of Circadian Timing and Its Impact on the Hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:642376. [PMID: 33897354 PMCID: PMC8060574 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.642376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article, I describe the development of the disruptive phase shift (DPS) protocol and its utility for studying how circadian dysfunction impacts memory processing in the hippocampus. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the Siberian hamster is a labile circadian pacemaker that is easily rendered arrhythmic (ARR) by a simple manipulation of ambient lighting. The DPS protocol uses room lighting to administer a phase-advancing signal followed by a phase-delaying signal within one circadian cycle to suppress clock gene rhythms in the SCN. The main advantage of this model for inducing arrhythmia is that the DPS protocol is non-invasive; circadian rhythms are eliminated while leaving the animals neurologically and genetically intact. In the area of learning and memory, DPS arrhythmia produces much different results than arrhythmia by surgical ablation of the SCN. As I show, SCN ablation has little to no effect on memory. By contrast, DPS hamsters have an intact, but arrhythmic, SCN which produces severe deficits in memory tasks that are accompanied by fragmentation of electroencephalographic theta oscillations, increased synaptic inhibition in hippocampal circuits, and diminished responsiveness to cholinergic signaling in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The studies reviewed here show that DPS hamsters are a promising model for translational studies of adult onset circadian dysfunction in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norman F. Ruby
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Tabuchi M, Coates KE, Bautista OB, Zukowski LH. Light/Clock Influences Membrane Potential Dynamics to Regulate Sleep States. Front Neurol 2021; 12:625369. [PMID: 33854471 PMCID: PMC8039321 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.625369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The circadian rhythm is a fundamental process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. This rhythm is regulated by core clock genes that oscillate to create a physiological rhythm of circadian neuronal activity. However, we do not know much about the mechanism by which circadian inputs influence neurons involved in sleep-wake architecture. One possible mechanism involves the photoreceptor cryptochrome (CRY). In Drosophila, CRY is receptive to blue light and resets the circadian rhythm. CRY also influences membrane potential dynamics that regulate neural activity of circadian clock neurons in Drosophila, including the temporal structure in sequences of spikes, by interacting with subunits of the voltage-dependent potassium channel. Moreover, several core clock molecules interact with voltage-dependent/independent channels, channel-binding protein, and subunits of the electrogenic ion pump. These components cooperatively regulate mechanisms that translate circadian photoreception and the timing of clock genes into changes in membrane excitability, such as neural firing activity and polarization sensitivity. In clock neurons expressing CRY, these mechanisms also influence synaptic plasticity. In this review, we propose that membrane potential dynamics created by circadian photoreception and core clock molecules are critical for generating the set point of synaptic plasticity that depend on neural coding. In this way, membrane potential dynamics drive formation of baseline sleep architecture, light-driven arousal, and memory processing. We also discuss the machinery that coordinates membrane excitability in circadian networks found in Drosophila, and we compare this machinery to that found in mammalian systems. Based on this body of work, we propose future studies that can better delineate how neural codes impact molecular/cellular signaling and contribute to sleep, memory processing, and neurological disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Tabuchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Kaylynn E Coates
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Oscar B Bautista
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lauren H Zukowski
- Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Signalling pathways contributing to learning and memory deficits in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome. Neuronal Signal 2021; 5:NS20200011. [PMID: 33763235 PMCID: PMC7955101 DOI: 10.1042/ns20200011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic trisomic disorder that produces life-long changes in physiology and cognition. Many of the changes in learning and memory seen in DS are reminiscent of disorders involving the hippocampal/entorhinal circuit. Mouse models of DS typically involve trisomy of murine chromosome 16 is homologous for many of the genes triplicated in human trisomy 21, and provide us with good models of changes in, and potential pharmacotherapy for, human DS. Recent careful dissection of the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS has revealed differences in key signalling pathways from the basal forebrain to the hippocampus and associated rhinal cortices, as well as changes in the microstructure of the hippocampus itself. In vivo behavioural and electrophysiological studies have shown that Ts65Dn animals have difficulties in spatial memory that mirror hippocampal deficits, and have changes in hippocampal electrophysiological phenomenology that may explain these differences, and align with expectations generated from in vitro exploration of this model. Finally, given the existing data, we will examine the possibility for pharmacotherapy for DS, and outline the work that remains to be done to fully understand this system.
Collapse
|
10
|
Lehr AB, McDonald RJ, Thorpe CM, Tetzlaff C, Deibel SH. A local circadian clock for memory? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:946-957. [PMID: 33476672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The master clock, suprachiasmatic nucleus, is believed to control peripheral circadian oscillators throughout the brain and body. However, recent data suggest there is a circadian clock involved in learning and memory, potentially housed in the hippocampus, which is capable of acting independently of the master clock. Curiously, the hippocampal clock appears to be influenced by the master clock and by hippocampal dependent learning, while under certain conditions it may also revert to its endogenous circadian rhythm. Here we propose a mechanism by which the hippocampal clock could locally determine the nature of its entrainment. We introduce a novel theoretical framework, inspired by but extending beyond the hippocampal memory clock, which provides a new perspective on how circadian clocks throughout the brain coordinate their rhythms. Importantly, a local clock for memory would suggest that hippocampal-dependent learning at the same time every day should improve memory, opening up a range of possibilities for non-invasive therapies to alleviate the detrimental effects of circadian rhythm disruption on human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Lehr
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Christian Tetzlaff
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Germany
| | - Scott H Deibel
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
McMartin L, Kiraly M, Heller HC, Madison DV, Ruby NF. Disruption of circadian timing increases synaptic inhibition and reduces cholinergic responsiveness in the dentate gyrus. Hippocampus 2021; 31:422-434. [PMID: 33439521 PMCID: PMC8048473 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We investigated synaptic mechanisms in the hippocampus that could explain how loss of circadian timing leads to impairments in spatial and recognition memory. Experiments were performed in hippocampal slices from Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) because, unlike mice and rats, their circadian rhythms are easily eliminated without modifications to their genome and without surgical manipulations, thereby leaving neuronal circuits intact. Recordings of excitatory postsynaptic field potentials and population spikes in area CA1 and dentate gyrus granule cells revealed no effect of circadian arrhythmia on basic functions of synaptic circuitry, including long-term potentiation. However, dentate granule cells from circadian-arrhythmic animals maintained a more depolarized resting membrane potential than cells from circadian-intact animals; a significantly greater proportion of these cells depolarized in response to the cholinergic agonist carbachol (10 μM), and did so by increasing their membrane potential three-fold greater than cells from the control (entrained) group. Dentate granule cells from arrhythmic animals also exhibited higher levels of tonic inhibition, as measured by the frequency of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. Carbachol also decreased stimulus-evoked synaptic excitation in dentate granule cells from both intact and arrhythmic animals as expected, but reduced stimulus-evoked synaptic inhibition only in cells from control hamsters. These findings show that loss of circadian timing is accompanied by greater tonic inhibition, and increased synaptic inhibition in response to muscarinic receptor activation in dentate granule cells. Increased inhibition would likely attenuate excitation in dentate-CA3 microcircuits, which in turn might explain the spatial memory deficits previously observed in circadian-arrhythmic hamsters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura McMartin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Marianna Kiraly
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - H Craig Heller
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Daniel V Madison
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Norman F Ruby
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sharma A, Sethi G, Tambuwala MM, Aljabali AAA, Chellappan DK, Dua K, Goyal R. Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Alzheimer's Disease: The Dynamics of a Vicious Cycle. Curr Neuropharmacol 2020; 19:248-264. [PMID: 32348224 PMCID: PMC8033974 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x18666200429013041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
All mammalian cells exhibit circadian rhythm in cellular metabolism and energetics. Autonomous cellular clocks are modulated by various pathways that are essential for robust time keeping. In addition to the canonical transcriptional translational feedback loop, several new pathways of circadian timekeeping - non-transcriptional oscillations, post-translational modifications, epigenetics and cellular signaling in the circadian clock - have been identified. The physiology of circadian rhythm is expansive, and its link to the neurodegeneration is multifactorial. Circadian rhythm disruption is prevelant in contamporary society where light-noise, shift-work, and transmeridian travel are commonplace, and is also reported from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Circadian alignment by bright light therapy in conjunction with chronobiotics is beneficial for treating sundowning syndrome and other cognitive symptoms in advanced AD patients. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the clinical and translational reports to review the physiology of the circadian clock, delineate its dysfunction in AD, and unravel the dynamics of the vicious cycle between two pathologies. The review delineates the role of putative targets like clock proteins PER, CLOCK, BMAL1, ROR, and clock-controlled proteins like AVP, SIRT1, FOXO, and PK2 towards future approaches for management of AD. Furthermore, the role of circadian rhythm disruption in aging is delineated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Sharma
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan 173 212, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Medical Drive, 117 600, Singapore
| | - Murtaza M Tambuwala
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, County, Londonderry, BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Alaa A A Aljabali
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Rohit Goyal
- Neuropharmacology Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University, Solan 173 212, Himachal Pradesh, India
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Davis JA, Paul JR, McMeekin LJ, Nason SR, Antipenko JP, Yates SD, Cowell RM, Habegger KM, Gamble KL. High-Fat and High-Sucrose Diets Impair Time-of-Day Differences in Spatial Working Memory of Male Mice. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2020; 28:2347-2356. [PMID: 33043637 PMCID: PMC7686286 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate both the long-term and short-term impacts of high-fat diets (HFD) or high-sucrose diets (HSD) on the normal diurnal pattern of cognitive function, protein expression, and the molecular clock in mice. METHODS This study used both 6-month and 4-week feeding strategies by providing male C57BL/6J mice access to either a standard chow, HFD, or HSD. Spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity were assessed both day and night, and hippocampal tissue was measured for changes in NMDA and AMPA receptor subunits (GluN2B, GluA1), as well as molecular clock gene expression. RESULTS HFD and HSD both disrupted normal day/night fluctuations in spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity. Mice fed HFD altered their food intake to consume more calories during the day. Both diets disrupted normal hippocampal clock gene expression, and HFD reduced GluN2B levels in hippocampal tissue. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results suggest that both HFD and HSD induce a loss of day/night performance in spatial working memory and synaptic plasticity as well as trigger a cascade of changes that include disruption to the hippocampal molecular clock.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jodi R. Paul
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Shelly R. Nason
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes& Metabolism, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jessica P. Antipenko
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes& Metabolism, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Stefani D. Yates
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rita M. Cowell
- Department of Neuroscience, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Kirk M. Habegger
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes& Metabolism, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Karen L. Gamble
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Loss of Circadian Timing Disrupts Theta Episodes during Object Exploration. Clocks Sleep 2020; 2:523-535. [PMID: 33271811 PMCID: PMC7711584 DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep2040038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined whether theta oscillations were compromised by the type of circadian disruption that impairs hippocampal-dependent memory processes. In prior studies on Siberian hamsters, we developed a one-time light treatment that eliminated circadian timing in the central pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). These arrhythmic animals had impaired hippocampal-dependent memory whereas animals made arrhythmic with SCN lesions did not. The current study examined whether theta oscillations are compromised by the same light treatment that produced memory impairments in these animals. We found that both methods of inducing circadian-arrhythmia shortened theta episodes in the EEG by nearly 50%. SCN-lesioned animals, however, exhibited a 3-fold increase in the number of theta episodes and more than doubled the total time that theta dominated the EEG compared to SCN-intact circadian-arrhythmic animals. Video tracking showed that changes in theta were paralleled by similar changes in exploration behavior. These results suggest that the circadian-arrhythmic SCN interferes with hippocampal memory encoding by fragmenting theta oscillations. SCN-lesioned animals can, however, compensate for the shortened theta episodes by increasing their frequency. Implications for rhythm coherence and theta sequence models of memory formation are discussed.
Collapse
|
15
|
Flyer-Adams JG, Rivera-Rodriguez EJ, Yu J, Mardovin JD, Reed ML, Griffith LC. Regulation of Olfactory Associative Memory by the Circadian Clock Output Signal Pigment-Dispersing Factor (PDF). J Neurosci 2020; 40:9066-9077. [PMID: 33106351 PMCID: PMC7673005 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0782-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissociation between the output of the circadian clock and external environmental cues is a major cause of human cognitive dysfunction. While the effects of ablation of the molecular clock on memory have been studied in many systems, little has been done to test the role of specific clock circuit output signals. To address this gap, we examined the effects of mutations of Pigment-dispersing factor (Pdf) and its receptor, Pdfr, on associative memory in male and female Drosophila Loss of PDF signaling significantly decreases the ability to form associative memory. Appetitive short-term memory (STM), which in wild-type (WT) is time-of-day (TOD) independent, is decreased across the day by mutation of Pdf or Pdfr, but more substantially in the morning than in the evening. This defect is because of PDFR expression in adult neurons outside the core clock circuit and the mushroom body (MB) Kenyon cells (KCs). The acquisition of a TOD difference in mutants implies the existence of multiple oscillators that act to normalize memory formation across the day for appetitive processes. Interestingly, aversive STM requires PDF but not PDFR, suggesting that there are valence-specific pathways downstream of PDF that regulate memory formation. These data argue that the circadian clock uses circuit-specific and molecularly diverse output pathways to enhance the ability of animals to optimize responses to changing conditions.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT From humans to invertebrates, cognitive processes are influenced by organisms' internal circadian clocks, the pace of which is linked to the solar cycle. Disruption of this link is increasingly common (e.g., jetlag, social jetlag disorders) and causes cognitive impairments that are costly and long lasting. A detailed understanding of how the internal clock regulates cognition is critical for the development of therapeutic methods. Here, we show for the first time that olfactory associative memory in Drosophila requires signaling by Pigment-dispersing factor (PDF), a neuromodulatory signaling peptide produced only by circadian clock circuit neurons. We also find a novel role for the clock circuit in stabilizing appetitive sucrose/odor memory across the day.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna G Flyer-Adams
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| | - Emmanuel J Rivera-Rodriguez
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| | - Junwei Yu
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| | - Jacob D Mardovin
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| | - Martha L Reed
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| | - Leslie C Griffith
- Department of Biology, Volen National Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454-9110
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chatterjee S, Angelakos CC, Bahl E, Hawk JD, Gaine ME, Poplawski SG, Schneider-Anthony A, Yadav M, Porcari GS, Cassel JC, Giese KP, Michaelson JJ, Lyons LC, Boutillier AL, Abel T. The CBP KIX domain regulates long-term memory and circadian activity. BMC Biol 2020; 18:155. [PMID: 33121486 PMCID: PMC7597000 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00886-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CREB-dependent transcription necessary for long-term memory is driven by interactions with CREB-binding protein (CBP), a multi-domain protein that binds numerous transcription factors potentially affecting expression of thousands of genes. Identifying specific domain functions for multi-domain proteins is essential to understand processes such as cognitive function and circadian clocks. We investigated the function of the CBP KIX domain in hippocampal memory and gene expression using CBPKIX/KIX mice with mutations that prevent phospho-CREB (Ser133) binding. Results We found that CBPKIX/KIX mice were impaired in long-term memory, but not learning acquisition or short-term memory for the Morris water maze. Using an unbiased analysis of gene expression in the dorsal hippocampus after training in the Morris water maze or contextual fear conditioning, we discovered dysregulation of CREB, CLOCK, and BMAL1 target genes and downregulation of circadian genes in CBPKIX/KIX mice. Given our finding that the CBP KIX domain was important for transcription of circadian genes, we profiled circadian activity and phase resetting in CBPKIX/KIX mice. CBPKIX/KIX mice exhibited delayed activity peaks after light offset and longer free-running periods in constant dark. Interestingly, CBPKIX/KIX mice displayed phase delays and advances in response to photic stimulation comparable to wildtype littermates. Thus, this work delineates site-specific regulation of the circadian clock by a multi-domain protein. Conclusions These studies provide insight into the significance of the CBP KIX domain by defining targets of CBP transcriptional co-activation in memory and the role of the CBP KIX domain in vivo on circadian rhythms. Graphical abstract ![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Snehajyoti Chatterjee
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France.,Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Christopher C Angelakos
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ethan Bahl
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Joshua D Hawk
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Marie E Gaine
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Shane G Poplawski
- Neuroscience Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Pharmacology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Anne Schneider-Anthony
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,LNCA, CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | - Manish Yadav
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Giulia S Porcari
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Cassel
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - K Peter Giese
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jacob J Michaelson
- Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Iowa Institute of Human Genetics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Lisa C Lyons
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Anne-Laurence Boutillier
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France. .,LNCA, CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Ted Abel
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Barca‐Mayo O, Boender AJ, Armirotti A, De Pietri Tonelli D. Deletion of astrocytic BMAL1 results in metabolic imbalance and shorter lifespan in mice. Glia 2020; 68:1131-1147. [PMID: 31833591 PMCID: PMC7496695 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of the circadian cycle is strongly associated with metabolic imbalance and reduced longevity in humans. Also, rodent models of circadian arrhythmia, such as the constitutive knockout of the clock gene Bmal1, leads to metabolic disturbances and early death. Although astrocyte clock regulates molecular and behavioral circadian rhythms, its involvement in the regulation of energy balance and lifespan is unknown. Here, we show that astrocyte-specific deletion of Bmal1 is sufficient to alter energy balance, glucose homeostasis, and reduce lifespan. Mutant animals displayed impaired hypothalamic molecular clock, age-dependent astrogliosis, apoptosis of hypothalamic astrocytes, and increased glutamate and GABA levels. Importantly, modulation of GABAA-receptor signaling completely restored glutamate levels, delayed the reactive gliosis as well as the metabolic phenotypes and expanded the lifespan of the mutants. Our results demonstrate that the astrocytic clock can influence many aspects of brain function and neurological disease and suggest astrocytes and GABAA receptor as pharmacological targets to prevent the metabolic dysfunctions and shortened lifespan associated with alterations of circadian rhythms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Barca‐Mayo
- Neurobiology of miRNA labFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenoaItaly
| | - Arjen J. Boender
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits LabFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenoaItaly
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- D3 PharmaChemistryFondazione Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenoaItaly
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Long-term exposure to constant light induces dementia, oxidative stress and promotes aggregation of sub-pathological Aβ42 in Wistar rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 192:172892. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
|
19
|
Chuluun B, Pittaras E, Hong H, Fisher N, Colas D, Ruby NF, Heller HC. Suprachiasmatic lesions restore object recognition in down syndrome model mice. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2020; 8:100049. [PMID: 32195448 PMCID: PMC7075983 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2020.100049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Ts65Dn mouse is a well-studied model of trisomy 21, Down syndrome. This mouse strain has severe learning disability as measured by several rodent learning tests that depend on hippocampal spatial memory function. Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is deficient in these mice. Short-term daily treatment with low-dose GABA receptor antagonists rescue spatial learning and LTP in Ts65Dn mice leading to the hypothesis that the learning disability is due to GABAergic over-inhibition of hippocampal circuits. The fact that the GABA receptor antagonists were only effective if delivered during the daily light phase suggested that the source of the excess GABA was controlled directly or indirectly by the circadian system. The central circadian pacemaker of mammals is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is largely a GABAergic nucleus. In this study we investigated whether elimination of the SCN in Ts65Dn mice would restore their ability to form recognition memories as tested by the novel object recognition (NOR) task. Full, but not partial lesions of the SCN of Ts65Dn mice normalized their ability to perform on the NOR test. These results suggest that the circadian system modulates neuroplasticity over the time frame involved in the process of consolidation of recognition memories.
Collapse
|
20
|
Gulinello M, Mitchell HA, Chang Q, Timothy O'Brien W, Zhou Z, Abel T, Wang L, Corbin JG, Veeraragavan S, Samaco RC, Andrews NA, Fagiolini M, Cole TB, Burbacher TM, Crawley JN. Rigor and reproducibility in rodent behavioral research. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 165:106780. [PMID: 29307548 PMCID: PMC6034984 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral neuroscience research incorporates the identical high level of meticulous methodologies and exacting attention to detail as all other scientific disciplines. To achieve maximal rigor and reproducibility of findings, well-trained investigators employ a variety of established best practices. Here we explicate some of the requirements for rigorous experimental design and accurate data analysis in conducting mouse and rat behavioral tests. Novel object recognition is used as an example of a cognitive assay which has been conducted successfully with a range of methods, all based on common principles of appropriate procedures, controls, and statistics. Directors of Rodent Core facilities within Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers contribute key aspects of their own novel object recognition protocols, offering insights into essential similarities and less-critical differences. Literature cited in this review article will lead the interested reader to source papers that provide step-by-step protocols which illustrate optimized methods for many standard rodent behavioral assays. Adhering to best practices in behavioral neuroscience will enhance the value of animal models for the multiple goals of understanding biological mechanisms, evaluating consequences of genetic mutations, and discovering efficacious therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gulinello
- IDDRC Behavioral Core Facility, Neuroscience Department, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Heather A Mitchell
- IDD Models Core, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Qiang Chang
- IDD Models Core, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - W Timothy O'Brien
- IDDRC Preclinical Models Core, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Zhaolan Zhou
- IDDRC Preclinical Models Core, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ted Abel
- IDDRC Preclinical Models Core, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Current affiliation: Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Li Wang
- IDDRC Neurobehavioral Core, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Joshua G Corbin
- IDDRC Neurobehavioral Core, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Surabi Veeraragavan
- IDDRC Neurobehavioral Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rodney C Samaco
- IDDRC Neurobehavioral Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nick A Andrews
- IDDRC Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michela Fagiolini
- IDDRC Neurodevelopmental Behavior Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Toby B Cole
- IDDRC Rodent Behavior Laboratory, Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Thomas M Burbacher
- IDDRC Rodent Behavior Laboratory, Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- IDDRC Rodent Behavior Core, MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Heller HC, Ruby NF. Functional Interactions Between Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Learning and Learning Disabilities. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2019; 253:425-440. [PMID: 30443786 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
The propensity for sleep is timed by the circadian system. Many studies have shown that learning and memory performance is affected by circadian phase. And, of course it is well established that critical processes of memory consolidation occur during and depend on sleep. This chapter presents evidence that sleep and circadian rhythms do not just have separate influences on learning and memory that happen to coincide because of the circadian timing of sleep, but rather sleep and circadian systems have a critical functional interaction in the processes of memory consolidation. The evidence comes primarily from research on two models of learning disability: Down's syndrome model mice and Siberian hamsters. The Down's syndrome model mouse (Ts65Dn) has severe learning disability that has been shown to be due to GABAergic over-inhibition. Short-term, chronic therapies with GABAA antagonists restore learning ability in these mice long-term, but only if the antagonist treatments are given during the dark or sleep phase of the daily rhythm. The Siberian hamster is a model circadian animal except for the fact that a light treatment that gives the animal a phase advance on one day and a phase delay on the next day can result in total circadian arrhythmia for life. Once arrhythmic, the hamsters cannot learn. Learning, but not rhythmicity, is restored by short-term chronic treatment with GABA antagonists. Like many other species, if these hamsters are made arrhythmic by SCN lesion, their learning is unaffected. However, if made arrhythmic and learning disabled by the light treatment, subsequent lesions of their SCNs restore learning. SCN lesions also appear to restore learning in the Ts65Dn mice. The collective work on these two animal models of learning disability suggests that the circadian system modulates neuroplasticity. Our hypothesis is that a previously unrecognized function of the circadian system is to dampen neuroplasticity during the sleep phase to stabilize memory transcripts during their transfer to long-term memory. Thus, sleep and circadian systems have integrated roles to play in memory consolidation and do not just have separate but coincident influences on that process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- H Craig Heller
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Norman F Ruby
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Duncan MJ, Farlow H, Tirumalaraju C, Yun DH, Wang C, Howard JA, Sanden MN, O'Hara BF, McQuerry KJ, Bachstetter AD. Effects of the dual orexin receptor antagonist DORA-22 on sleep in 5XFAD mice. ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA-TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS 2019; 5:70-80. [PMID: 30859123 PMCID: PMC6396100 DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Sleep disruption is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that may exacerbate disease progression. This study tested whether a dual orexin receptor antagonist (DORA) would enhance sleep and attenuate neuropathology, neuroinflammation, and cognitive deficits in an AD-relevant mouse model, 5XFAD. Methods Wild-type (C57Bl6/SJL) and 5XFAD mice received chronic treatment with vehicle or DORA-22. Piezoelectric recordings monitored sleep and spatial memory was assessed via spontaneous Y-maze alternations. Aβ plaques, Aβ levels, and neuroinflammatory markers were measured by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Results In 5XFAD mice, DORA-22 significantly increased light-phase sleep without reducing Aβ levels, plaque density, or neuroinflammation. Effects of DORA-22 on cognitive deficits could not be determined because the 5XFAD mice did not exhibit deficits. Discussion These findings suggest that DORAs may improve sleep in AD patients. Further investigations should optimize the dose and duration of DORA-22 treatment and explore additional AD-relevant animal models and cognitive tests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn J Duncan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Hannah Farlow
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Chairtra Tirumalaraju
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Do-Hyun Yun
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Chanung Wang
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - James A Howard
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Madison N Sanden
- Department of Statistics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Bruce F O'Hara
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Adam D Bachstetter
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Duncan MJ. Interacting influences of aging and Alzheimer's disease on circadian rhythms. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:310-325. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn J. Duncan
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of Kentucky Medical School Lexington Kentucky
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lucia D, Burgess D, Cullen CL, Dorey ES, Rawashdeh O, Moritz KM. Periconceptional maternal alcohol consumption leads to behavioural changes in adult and aged offspring and alters the expression of hippocampal genes associated with learning and memory and regulators of the epigenome. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:249-257. [PMID: 30633938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Maternal alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy can result in long term behavioural deficits in offspring. However, less is known about the impact of alcohol during the periconceptional period (PC). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of PC ethanol (PC:EtOH) exposure on long term cognitive function; including memory and anxiety. Rats were exposed to a liquid diet containing ethanol (EtOH) (12.5% vol;vol) or a control diet from 4 days prior to mating until day 4 of pregnancy. Separate cohorts of animals were tested at 6 months (adult) or 15-18 months of age (aged). Offspring underwent a series of behavioural tests to assess anxiety, spatial and recognition memory. The hippocampus was collected, and mRNA expression of epigenetic modifiers and genes implicated in learning and memory were examined. PC:EtOH exposure resulted in a subtle anxiety like behaviour in adult female offspring with a significant reduction in directed exploring/head dipping behaviour during holeboard testing. In aged male offspring, PC:EtOH exposure resulted in a tendency for increased directed exploring/head dipping behaviour during holeboard testing. No differences between treatments were observed in the elevated plus maze. Aged female offspring exposed to PC:EtOH demonstrated short term spatial memory impairment (P < 0.05). PC:EtOH resulted in an upregulation of hippocampal mRNA expression of bdnf, grin2a and grin2b at 18 months of age along with increased expression of epigenetic modifiers (dnmt1, dnmt3a and hdac2). In conclusion, PC:EtOH can lead to sex specific anxiety-like behaviour and impairments in spatial memory and altered hippocampal gene expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Lucia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - D Burgess
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - C L Cullen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia
| | - E S Dorey
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - O Rawashdeh
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - K M Moritz
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia; Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Wang KW, Ye XL, Huang T, Yang XF, Zou LY. Optogenetics-induced activation of glutamate receptors improves memory function in mice with Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2019; 14:2147-2155. [PMID: 31397354 PMCID: PMC6788230 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.262593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is a combination of optics and genetics technology that can be used to activate or inhibit specific cells in tissues. It has been used to treat Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and neurological diseases, but rarely Alzheimer’s disease. Adeno-associated virus carrying the CaMK promoter driving the optogenetic channelrhodopsin-2 (CHR2) gene (or without the CHR2 gene, as control) was injected into the bilateral dentate gyri, followed by repeated intrahippocampal injections of soluble low-molecular-weight amyloid-β1–42 peptide (Aβ1–42). Subsequently, the region was stimulated with a 473 nm laser (1–3 ms, 10 Hz, 5 minutes). The novel object recognition test was conducted to test memory function in mice. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to analyze the numbers of NeuN and synapsin Ia/b-positive cells in the hippocampus. Western blot assay was carried out to analyze the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein, NeuN, synapsin Ia/b, metabotropic glutamate receptor-1a (mGluR-1a), mGluR-5, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR1, glutamate receptor 2, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-10. Optogenetic stimulation improved working and short-term memory in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. This neuroprotective effect was associated with increased expression of NR1, glutamate receptor 2 and mGluR-5 in the hippocampus, and decreased expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and interleukin-6. Our results show that optogenetics can be used to regulate the neuronal-glial network to ameliorate memory functions in mice with Alzheimer’s disease. The study was approved by the Animal Resources Committee of Jinan University, China (approval No. LL-KT-2011134) on February 28, 2011.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology), Second Clinical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Ye
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology), Second Clinical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ting Huang
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology), Second Clinical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xi-Fei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Liang-Yu Zou
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology), Second Clinical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Agorastos A, Nicolaides NC, Bozikas VP, Chrousos GP, Pervanidou P. Multilevel Interactions of Stress and Circadian System: Implications for Traumatic Stress. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:1003. [PMID: 32047446 PMCID: PMC6997541 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.01003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The dramatic fluctuations in energy demands by the rhythmic succession of night and day on our planet has prompted a geophysical evolutionary need for biological temporal organization across phylogeny. The intrinsic circadian timing system (CS) represents a highly conserved and sophisticated internal "clock," adjusted to the 24-h rotation period of the earth, enabling a nyctohemeral coordination of numerous physiologic processes, from gene expression to behavior. The human CS is tightly and bidirectionally interconnected to the stress system (SS). Both systems are fundamental for survival and regulate each other's activity in order to prepare the organism for the anticipated cyclic challenges. Thereby, the understanding of the temporal relationship between stressors and stress responses is critical for the comprehension of the molecular basis of physiology and pathogenesis of disease. A critical loss of the harmonious timed order at different organizational levels may affect the fundamental properties of neuroendocrine, immune, and autonomic systems, leading to a breakdown of biobehavioral adaptative mechanisms with increased stress sensitivity and vulnerability. In this review, following an overview of the functional components of the SS and CS, we present their multilevel interactions and discuss how traumatic stress can alter the interplay between the two systems. Circadian dysregulation after traumatic stress exposure may represent a core feature of trauma-related disorders mediating enduring neurobiological correlates of trauma through maladaptive stress regulation. Understanding the mechanisms susceptible to circadian dysregulation and their role in stress-related disorders could provide new insights into disease mechanisms, advancing psychochronobiological treatment possibilities and preventive strategies in stress-exposed populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agorastos Agorastos
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.,VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health (CESAMH), VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Nicolas C Nicolaides
- First Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasilios P Bozikas
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- First Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.,Unit of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Unit of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Price K, Obrietan K. Modulation of learning and memory by the genetic disruption of circadian oscillator populations. Physiol Behav 2018; 194:387-393. [PMID: 29944860 PMCID: PMC7875063 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.06.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
While a rich literature has documented that the efficiency of learning and memory varies across circadian time, a close survey of that literature reveals extensive heterogeneity in the time of day (TOD) when peak cognitive performance occurs. Moreover, most previous experiments in rodents have not focused on the question of discriminating which memory processes (e.g., working memory, memory acquisition, or retrieval) are modulated by the TOD. Here, we use assays of contextual fear conditioning and spontaneous alternation in WT (C57Bl/6 J) mice to survey circadian modulation of hippocampal-dependent memory at multiple timescales - including working memory (seconds to a few minutes), intermediate-term memory (a delay of thirty minutes), and acquisition and retrieval of long-term memory (a delay of two days). Further, in order to test the relative contributions of circadian timing mechanisms to the modulation of memory, a parallel set of studies were performed in mice lacking clock timing mechanisms. These transgenic mice lacked the essential circadian gene Bmal1, either globally (Bmal1 null) or locally (floxed Bmal1 mice, which lack Bmal1 in excitatory forebrain neurons, e.g. cortical and hippocampal neurons). Here, we show that in WT mice, retrieval (but not working memory, intermediate-term memory, or acquisition of long-term memory) is modulated by TOD. However, transgenic mouse models lacking Bmal1 - both globally, and only in forebrain excitatory neurons - show deficits regardless of the memory process tested (and lack circadian modulation of retrieval). These results provide new clarity regarding the impact of the TOD on hippocampal-dependent memory and support the key role of hippocampal and cortical circadian oscillations in circadian gating of cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kaiden Price
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, 333 W 10(th) Ave, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Karl Obrietan
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, 333 W 10(th) Ave, Columbus, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Circadian Regulation of Hippocampal-Dependent Memory: Circuits, Synapses, and Molecular Mechanisms. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:7292540. [PMID: 29593785 PMCID: PMC5822921 DOI: 10.1155/2018/7292540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian modulation of learning and memory efficiency is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon, occurring in organisms ranging from invertebrates to higher mammalian species, including humans. While the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus functions as the master mammalian pacemaker, recent evidence suggests that forebrain regions, including the hippocampus, exhibit oscillatory capacity. This finding, as well as work on the cellular signaling events that underlie learning and memory, has opened promising new avenues of investigation into the precise cellular, molecular, and circuit-based mechanisms by which clock timing impacts plasticity and cognition. In this review, we examine the complex molecular relationship between clock timing and memory, with a focus on hippocampal-dependent tasks. We evaluate how the dysregulation of circadian timing, both at the level of the SCN and at the level of ancillary forebrain clocks, affects learning and memory. Further, we discuss experimentally validated intracellular signaling pathways (e.g., ERK/MAPK and GSK3β) and potential cellular signaling mechanisms by which the clock affects learning and memory formation. Finally, we examine how long-term potentiation (LTP), a synaptic process critical to the establishment of several forms of memory, is regulated by clock-gated processes.
Collapse
|
29
|
Recording Field Potentials and Synaptic Plasticity From Freely Behaving Rodents. HANDBOOK OF BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-812028-6.00001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
|
30
|
Scheduled feeding restores memory and modulates c-Fos expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and septohippocampal complex. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6755. [PMID: 28754901 PMCID: PMC5533780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06963-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruptions in circadian timing impair spatial memory in humans and rodents. Circadian-arrhythmic Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) exhibit substantial deficits in spatial working memory as assessed by a spontaneous alternation (SA) task. The present study found that daily scheduled feeding rescued spatial memory deficits in these arrhythmic animals. Improvements in memory persisted for at least 3 weeks after the arrhythmic hamsters were switched back to ad libitum feeding. During ad libitum feeding, locomotor activity resumed its arrhythmic state, but performance on the SA task varied across the day with a peak in daily performance that corresponded to the previous daily window of food anticipation. At the end of scheduled feeding, c-Fos brain mapping revealed differential gene expression in entrained versus arrhythmic hamsters in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that paralleled changes in the medial septum and hippocampus, but not in other neural structures. These data show that scheduled feeding can improve cognitive performance when SCN timing has been compromised, possibly by coordinating activity in the SCN and septohippocampal pathway.
Collapse
|
31
|
Circadian Rhythms in Fear Conditioning: An Overview of Behavioral, Brain System, and Molecular Interactions. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:3750307. [PMID: 28698810 PMCID: PMC5494081 DOI: 10.1155/2017/3750307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The formation of fear memories is a powerful and highly evolutionary conserved mechanism that serves the behavioral adaptation to environmental threats. Accordingly, classical fear conditioning paradigms have been employed to investigate fundamental molecular processes of memory formation. Evidence suggests that a circadian regulation mechanism allows for a timestamping of such fear memories and controlling memory salience during both their acquisition and their modification after retrieval. These mechanisms include an expression of molecular clocks in neurons of the amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex and their tight interaction with the intracellular signaling pathways that mediate neural plasticity and information storage. The cellular activities are coordinated across different brain regions and neural circuits through the release of glucocorticoids and neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, which integrate circadian and memory-related activation. Disturbance of this interplay by circadian phase shifts or traumatic experience appears to be an important factor in the development of stress-related psychopathology, considering these circadian components are of critical importance for optimizing therapeutic approaches to these disorders.
Collapse
|
32
|
Contestabile A, Magara S, Cancedda L. The GABAergic Hypothesis for Cognitive Disabilities in Down Syndrome. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:54. [PMID: 28326014 PMCID: PMC5339239 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21. DS affects multiple organs, but it invariably results in altered brain development and diverse degrees of intellectual disability. A large body of evidence has shown that synaptic deficits and memory impairment are largely determined by altered GABAergic signaling in trisomic mouse models of DS. These alterations arise during brain development while extending into adulthood, and include genesis of GABAergic neurons, variation of the inhibitory drive and modifications in the control of neural-network excitability. Accordingly, different pharmacological interventions targeting GABAergic signaling have proven promising preclinical approaches to rescue cognitive impairment in DS mouse models. In this review, we will discuss recent data regarding the complex scenario of GABAergic dysfunctions in the trisomic brain of DS mice and patients, and we will evaluate the state of current clinical research targeting GABAergic signaling in individuals with DS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Contestabile
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Genova, Italy
| | - Salvatore Magara
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)Genova, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon InstituteGenova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Constant Light Desynchronizes Olfactory versus Object and Visuospatial Recognition Memory Performance. J Neurosci 2017; 37:3555-3567. [PMID: 28264977 PMCID: PMC5373134 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3213-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms optimize physiology and behavior to the varying demands of the 24 h day. The master circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus and it regulates circadian oscillators in tissues throughout the body to prevent internal desynchrony. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that, under standard 12 h:12 h light/dark (LD) cycles, object, visuospatial, and olfactory recognition performance in C57BL/6J mice is consistently better at midday relative to midnight. However, under repeated exposure to constant light (rLL), recognition performance becomes desynchronized, with object and visuospatial performance better at subjective midday and olfactory performance better at subjective midnight. This desynchrony in behavioral performance is mirrored by changes in expression of the canonical clock genes Period1 and Period2 (Per1 and Per2), as well as the immediate-early gene Fos in the SCN, dorsal hippocampus, and olfactory bulb. Under rLL, rhythmic Per1 and Fos expression is attenuated in the SCN. In contrast, hippocampal gene expression remains rhythmic, mirroring object and visuospatial performance. Strikingly, Per1 and Fos expression in the olfactory bulb is reversed, mirroring the inverted olfactory performance. Temporal desynchrony among these regions does not result in arrhythmicity because core body temperature and exploratory activity rhythms persist under rLL. Our data provide the first demonstration that abnormal lighting conditions can give rise to temporal desynchrony between autonomous circadian oscillators in different regions, with different consequences for performance across different sensory domains. Such a dispersed network of dissociable circadian oscillators may provide greater flexibility when faced with conflicting environmental signals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus regulates physiology and behavior across the 24 h day by synchronizing peripheral clocks throughout the brain and body. Without the SCN, these peripheral clocks rapidly become desynchronized. Here, we provide a unique demonstration that, under lighting conditions in which the central clock in the SCN is dampened, peripheral oscillators in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb become desynchronized, along with the behavioral processes mediated by these clocks. Multiple clocks that adopt different phase relationships may enable processes occurring in different brain regions to be optimized to specific phases of the 24 h day. Moreover, such a dispersed network of dissociable circadian clocks may provide greater flexibility when faced with conflicting environmental signals (e.g., seasonal changes in photoperiod).
Collapse
|
34
|
Barca-Mayo O, Pons-Espinal M, Follert P, Armirotti A, Berdondini L, De Pietri Tonelli D. Astrocyte deletion of Bmal1 alters daily locomotor activity and cognitive functions via GABA signalling. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14336. [PMID: 28186121 PMCID: PMC5309809 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian rhythms are controlled by a network of clock neurons in the central pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Core clock genes, such as Bmal1, are expressed in SCN neurons and in other brain cells, such as astrocytes. However, the role of astrocytic clock genes in controlling rhythmic behaviour is unknown. Here we show that ablation of Bmal1 in GLAST-positive astrocytes alters circadian locomotor behaviour and cognition in mice. Specifically, deletion of astrocytic Bmal1 has an impact on the neuronal clock through GABA signalling. Importantly, pharmacological modulation of GABAA-receptor signalling completely rescues the behavioural phenotypes. Our results reveal a crucial role of astrocytic Bmal1 for the coordination of neuronal clocks and propose a new cellular target, astrocytes, for neuropharmacology of transient or chronic perturbation of circadian rhythms, where alteration of astrocytic clock genes might contribute to the impairment of the neurobehavioural outputs such as cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Barca-Mayo
- Neurobiology of miRNA Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
- NetS3 Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Meritxell Pons-Espinal
- Neurobiology of miRNA Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Philipp Follert
- Neurobiology of miRNA Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- D3 PharmaChemistry, Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Luca Berdondini
- NetS3 Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| | - Davide De Pietri Tonelli
- Neurobiology of miRNA Lab, Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Harrison EM, Carmack SA, Block CL, Sun J, Anagnostaras SG, Gorman MR. Circadian waveform bifurcation, but not phase-shifting, leaves cued fear memory intact. Physiol Behav 2017; 169:106-113. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
36
|
Ruby CL, Palmer KN, Zhang J, Risinger MO, Butkowski MA, Swartzwelder HS. Differential Sensitivity to Ethanol-Induced Circadian Rhythm Disruption in Adolescent and Adult Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 41:187-196. [PMID: 27997028 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Growing evidence supports a central role for the circadian system in alcohol use disorders, but few studies have examined this relationship during adolescence. In mammals, circadian rhythms are regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a biological clock whose timing is synchronized (reset) to the environment primarily by light (photic) input. Alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) disrupts circadian timing in part by attenuating photic phase-resetting responses in adult rodents. However, circadian rhythms change throughout life and it is not yet known whether EtOH has similar effects on circadian regulation during adolescence. METHODS General circadian locomotor activity was monitored in male C57BL6/J mice beginning in adolescence (P27) or adulthood (P61) in a 12-hour light, 12-hour dark photocycle for ~2 weeks to establish baseline circadian activity measures. On the day of the experiment, mice received an acute injection of EtOH (1.5 g/kg, i.p.) or equal volume saline 15 minutes prior to a 30-minute light pulse at Zeitgeber Time 14 (2 hours into the dark phase) and then were released into constant darkness (DD) for ~2 weeks to assess phase-resetting responses. Control mice of each age-group received injections but no light pulse prior to DD. RESULTS While adults showed the expected decrease in photic phase-delays induced by acute EtOH, this effect was absent in adolescent mice. Adolescents also showed baseline differences in circadian rhythmicity compared to adults, including advanced photocycle entrainment, larger photic phase-delays, a shorter free-running (endogenous) circadian period, and greater circadian rhythm amplitude. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, our results indicate that adolescent mice are less sensitive to the effect of EtOH on circadian photic phase-resetting and that their daily activity rhythms are markedly different than those of adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina L Ruby
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
| | - Kaitlyn N Palmer
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
| | - Jiawen Zhang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
| | - Megan O Risinger
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
| | - Melissa A Butkowski
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania
| | - H Scott Swartzwelder
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Neurobiology Research Laboratory, VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Müller L, Weinert D. Individual recognition of social rank and social memory performance depends on a functional circadian system. Behav Processes 2016; 132:85-93. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
38
|
Shimizu K, Kobayashi Y, Nakatsuji E, Yamazaki M, Shimba S, Sakimura K, Fukada Y. SCOP/PHLPP1β mediates circadian regulation of long-term recognition memory. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12926. [PMID: 27686624 PMCID: PMC5056436 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning and memory depend on the time of day in various organisms, but it is not clear whether and how the circadian clock regulates memory performance. Here we show that consolidation of long-term recognition memory is a circadian-regulated process, which is blunted by disruption of the hippocampal clock. We focused on SCOP, a key molecule regulating hippocampus-dependent long-term memory for objects. The amounts of SCOP and its binding partner K-Ras in the hippocampal membrane rafts exhibit robust circadian changes, and SCOP knockdown in the hippocampal CA1 impairs long-term memory at night. Circadian changes in stimulus-dependent activation of ERK in the hippocampal neurons are dependent on the SCOP levels in the membrane rafts, while Scop knockout abrogates the activation rhythm. We conclude that long-term memory formation is regulated by the circadian clock through SCOP dynamics in the membrane rafts of the hippocampal CA1. Learning and memory are subject to circadian variation, though the molecular mechanisms behind this are unclear. Here, the authors show SCOP, a regulator of hippocampal memory, undergoes circadian changes in CA1 membrane raft dynamics and contributes to time-dependent changes in long-term memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimiko Shimizu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yodai Kobayashi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Erika Nakatsuji
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Maya Yamazaki
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Shigeki Shimba
- Department of Health Science, School of Pharmacology, Nihon University, Chiba 274-8555, Japan
| | - Kenji Sakimura
- Department of Cellular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Fukada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Agorastos A, Linthorst ACE. Potential pleiotropic beneficial effects of adjuvant melatonergic treatment in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Pineal Res 2016; 61:3-26. [PMID: 27061919 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Loss of circadian rhythmicity fundamentally affects the neuroendocrine, immune, and autonomic system, similar to chronic stress and may play a central role in the development of stress-related disorders. Recent articles have focused on the role of sleep and circadian disruption in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suggesting that chronodisruption plays a causal role in PTSD development. Direct and indirect human and animal PTSD research suggests circadian system-linked neuroendocrine, immune, metabolic and autonomic dysregulation, linking circadian misalignment to PTSD pathophysiology. Recent experimental findings also support a specific role of the fundamental synchronizing pineal hormone melatonin in mechanisms of sleep, cognition and memory, metabolism, pain, neuroimmunomodulation, stress endocrinology and physiology, circadian gene expression, oxidative stress and epigenetics, all processes affected in PTSD. In the current paper, we review available literature underpinning a potentially beneficiary role of an add-on melatonergic treatment in PTSD pathophysiology and PTSD-related symptoms. The literature is presented as a narrative review, providing an overview on the most important and clinically relevant publications. We conclude that adjuvant melatonergic treatment could provide a potentially promising treatment strategy in the management of PTSD and especially PTSD-related syndromes and comorbidities. Rigorous preclinical and clinical studies are needed to validate this hypothesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agorastos Agorastos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Astrid C E Linthorst
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Neurobiology of Stress and Behaviour Research Group, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Weinert D, Schöttner K, Müller L, Wienke A. Intensive voluntary wheel running may restore circadian activity rhythms and improves the impaired cognitive performance of arrhythmic Djungarian hamsters. Chronobiol Int 2016; 33:1161-1170. [DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2016.1205083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Weinert
- Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Konrad Schöttner
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lisa Müller
- Institute of Biology, Department of Zoology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Andreas Wienke
- Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Circadian Regulation of Synaptic Plasticity. BIOLOGY 2016; 5:biology5030031. [PMID: 27420105 PMCID: PMC5037350 DOI: 10.3390/biology5030031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms refer to oscillations in biological processes with a period of approximately 24 h. In addition to the sleep/wake cycle, there are circadian rhythms in metabolism, body temperature, hormone output, organ function and gene expression. There is also evidence of circadian rhythms in synaptic plasticity, in some cases driven by a master central clock and in other cases by peripheral clocks. In this article, I review the evidence for circadian influences on synaptic plasticity. I also discuss ways to disentangle the effects of brain state and rhythms on synaptic plasticity.
Collapse
|
42
|
Chai AP, Ma WP, Wang LP, Cao J, Xu L, Yang YX, Mao RR. Chronic constant light-induced hippocampal late-phase long-term potentiation impairment in vitro is attenuated by antagonist of D1/D5 receptors. Brain Res 2015; 1622:72-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
43
|
Johansson M, Agusti A, Llansola M, Montoliu C, Strömberg J, Malinina E, Ragagnin G, Doverskog M, Bäckström T, Felipo V. GR3027 antagonizes GABAA receptor-potentiating neurosteroids and restores spatial learning and motor coordination in rats with chronic hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2015; 309:G400-9. [PMID: 26138462 PMCID: PMC4556948 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00073.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the primary complications of liver cirrhosis. Current treatments for HE, mainly directed to reduction of ammonia levels, are not effective enough because they cannot completely eliminate hyperammonemia and inflammation, which induce the neurological alterations. Studies in animal models show that overactivation of GABAA receptors is involved in cognitive and motor impairment in HE and that reducing this activation restores these functions. We have developed a new compound, GR3027, that selectively antagonizes the enhanced activation of GABAA receptors by neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone and 3α,21-dihydroxy-5α-pregnan-20-one (THDOC). This work aimed to assess whether GR3027 improves motor incoordination, spatial learning, and circadian rhythms of activity in rats with HE. GR3027 was administered subcutaneously to two main models of HE: rats with chronic hyperammonemia due to ammonia feeding and rats with portacaval shunts (PCS). Motor coordination was assessed in beam walking and spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze and the radial maze. Circadian rhythms of ambulatory and vertical activity were also assessed. In both hyperammonemic and PCS rats, GR3027 restores motor coordination, spatial memory in the Morris water maze, and spatial learning in the radial maze. GR3027 also partially restores circadian rhythms of ambulatory and vertical activity in PCS rats. GR3027 is a novel approach to treatment of HE that would normalize neurological functions altered because of enhanced GABAergic tone, affording more complete normalization of cognitive and motor function than current treatments for HE.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maja Johansson
- 1Umecrine Cognition AB, Solna, Sweden; ,2Umeå Neurosteroid Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
| | | | | | | | - Jessica Strömberg
- 2Umeå Neurosteroid Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
| | - Evgenya Malinina
- 2Umeå Neurosteroid Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
| | - Gianna Ragagnin
- 2Umeå Neurosteroid Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
| | | | - Torbjörn Bäckström
- 2Umeå Neurosteroid Research Center, Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Krishnan HC, Lyons LC. Synchrony and desynchrony in circadian clocks: impacts on learning and memory. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 22:426-37. [PMID: 26286653 PMCID: PMC4561405 DOI: 10.1101/lm.038877.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Circadian clocks evolved under conditions of environmental variation, primarily alternating light dark cycles, to enable organisms to anticipate daily environmental events and coordinate metabolic, physiological, and behavioral activities. However, modern lifestyle and advances in technology have increased the percentage of individuals working in phases misaligned with natural circadian activity rhythms. Endogenous circadian oscillators modulate alertness, the acquisition of learning, memory formation, and the recall of memory with examples of circadian modulation of memory observed across phyla from invertebrates to humans. Cognitive performance and memory are significantly diminished when occurring out of phase with natural circadian rhythms. Disruptions in circadian regulation can lead to impairment in the formation of memories and manifestation of other cognitive deficits. This review explores the types of interactions through which the circadian clock modulates cognition, highlights recent progress in identifying mechanistic interactions between the circadian system and the processes involved in memory formation, and outlines methods used to remediate circadian perturbations and reinforce circadian adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harini C Krishnan
- Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
| | - Lisa C Lyons
- Department of Biological Science, Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ruby NF, Patton DF, Bane S, Looi D, Heller HC. Reentrainment Impairs Spatial Working Memory until Both Activity Onset and Offset Reentrain. J Biol Rhythms 2015. [PMID: 26224657 DOI: 10.1177/0748730415596254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Compression of the active phase (α) during reentrainment to phase-shifted light-dark (LD) cycles is a common feature of circadian systems, but its functional consequences have not been investigated. This study tested whether α compression in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) impaired their spatial working memory as assessed by spontaneous alternation (SA) behavior in a T-maze. Animals were exposed to a 1- or 3-h phase delay of the LD cycle (16 h light/8 h dark). SA behavior was tested at 4 multiday intervals after the phase shift, and α was quantified for those days. All animals failed at the SA task while α was decompressing but recovered spatial memory ability once α returned to baseline levels. A second experiment exposed hamsters to a 2-h light pulse either early or late at night to compress α without phase-shifting the LD cycle. SA behavior was impaired until α decompressed to baseline levels. In a third experiment, α was compressed by changing photoperiod (LD 16:8, 18:6, 20:4) to see if absolute differences in α were related to spatial memory ability. Animals performed the SA task successfully in all 3 photoperiods. These data show that the dynamic process of α compression and decompression impairs spatial working memory and suggests that α modulation is a potential biomarker for assessing the impact of transmeridian flight or shift work on memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norman F Ruby
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Danica F Patton
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Shalmali Bane
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - David Looi
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - H Craig Heller
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Abstract
The main Zeitgeber, the day-night cycle, synchronizes the central oscillator which determines behaviors rhythms as sleep-wake behavior, body temperature, the regulation of hormone secretion, and the acquisition and processing of memory. Thus, actions such as acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval performed in the hippocampus are modulated by the circadian system and show a varied dependence on light and dark. To investigate changes in the hippocampus' cellular mechanism invoked by the day and night in a diurnal primate, this study analyzed the expression of PER2 and the calcium binding proteins (CaBPs) calbindin, calretinin and parvalbumin in the hippocampus of Sapajus apella, a diurnal primate, at two different time points, one during the day and one during the dark phase. The PER2 protein expression peaked at night in the antiphase described for the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the same primate, indicating that hippocampal cells can present independent rhythmicity. This hippocampal rhythm was similar to that presented by diurnal but not nocturnal rodents. The CaBPs immunoreactivity also showed day/night variations in the cell number and in the cell morphology. Our findings provide evidence for the claim that the circadian regulation in the hippocampus may involve rhythms of PER2 and CaBPs expression that may contribute to the adaptation of this species in events and activities relevant to the respective periods.
Collapse
|
47
|
Abstract
Schizophrenia patients often show irregularities in sleep and circadian rhythms and deficits in recognition memory. Similar phenotypes are seen in schizophrenia-relevant genetic mouse models, such as synaptosomal associated protein of 25 kDa (Snap-25) point mutant mice, vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2 (Vipr2) knockout mice, and neuregulin 1 (Nrg1)-deficient mice. Sleep and circadian abnormalities and impaired recognition memory may be causally related in both schizophrenia patients and schizophrenia-relevant mouse models, since sleep deprivation, abnormal photic input, and the manipulation of core clock genes (cryptochrome 1/2) can all disrupt object recognition memory in rodent models. The recognition deficits observed in patients and mouse models (both schizophrenia-related and -unrelated) are discussed here in terms of the dual-process theory of recognition, which postulates that there are two recognition mechanisms-recollection versus familiarity-that can be selectively impaired by brain lesions, neuropsychiatric conditions, and putatively, sleep and circadian rhythm disruption. However, based on this view, the findings from patient studies and studies using genetic mouse models (Nrg1 deficiency) seem to be inconsistent with each other. Schizophrenia patients are impaired at recollection (and to a lesser extent, familiarity judgments), but Nrg1-deficient mice are impaired at familiarity-based object recognition, raising concerns regarding the validity of using these genetically modified mice to model recognition phenotypes observed in patients. This issue can be resolved in future animal studies by examining performance in different variants of the spontaneous recognition task-the standard, perirhinal cortex-dependent, object recognition task versus the hippocampus-dependent object-place recognition task-in order to see which of the two recognition mechanisms is more disrupted.
Collapse
|
48
|
Müller L, Fritzsche P, Weinert D. Novel object recognition of Djungarian hamsters depends on circadian time and rhythmic phenotype. Chronobiol Int 2014; 32:458-67. [DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2014.992526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
|
49
|
Fernandez F, Lu D, Ha P, Costacurta P, Chavez R, Heller HC, Ruby NF. Circadian rhythm. Dysrhythmia in the suprachiasmatic nucleus inhibits memory processing. Science 2014; 346:854-7. [PMID: 25395537 DOI: 10.1126/science.1259652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Chronic circadian dysfunction impairs declarative memory in humans but has little effect in common rodent models of arrhythmia caused by clock gene knockouts or surgical ablation of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). An important problem overlooked in these translational models is that human dysrhythmia occurs while SCN circuitry is genetically and neurologically intact. Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) are particularly well suited for translational studies because they can be made arrhythmic by a one-time photic treatment that severely impairs spatial and recognition memory. We found that once animals are made arrhythmic, subsequent SCN ablation completely rescues memory processing. These data suggest that the inhibitory effects of a malfunctioning SCN on cognition require preservation of circuitry between the SCN and downstream targets that are lost when these connections are severed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Fernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Derek Lu
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA
| | - Phong Ha
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA
| | | | - Renee Chavez
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA
| | - H Craig Heller
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA
| | - Norman F Ruby
- Biology Department, Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Sakhi K, Wegner S, Belle MDC, Howarth M, Delagrange P, Brown TM, Piggins HD. Intrinsic and extrinsic cues regulate the daily profile of mouse lateral habenula neuronal activity. J Physiol 2014; 592:5025-45. [PMID: 25194046 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.280065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithalamic lateral habenula (LHb) is implicated as part of the mammalian brain's circadian system. Anatomical evidence suggests that the LHb receives extrinsic circadian timing cues from retinal ganglion cells and the master clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). Intriguingly, some LHb neurones contain the molecular circadian clock, but it is unclear if and how intrinsic and extrinsic circadian processes influence neuronal activity in the mouse LHb. Here, using an in vitro brain slice preparation isolating the LHb from the SCN, we show through whole-cell patch-clamp recordings that LHb neurones exhibit heterogeneity in their resting state, but the majority spontaneously fire action potentials (APs). Discharge rate of APs varied from low firing in the early day to higher firing later in the day and was absent in LHb brain slices prepared from Cry1(-/-)Cry2(-/-) mice that lack a functional molecular clock. Low amplitude circadian oscillations in the molecular circadian clock were also monitored in LHb brain slices, but were absent in Cry1(-/-)Cry2(-/-) LHb brain tissue. A putative neurochemical output signal of the SCN, prokineticin 2 (PK2), inhibited some LHb neurones by elevating the frequency of GABA release in the LHb. Using multi-electrode recordings in vivo, we found that LHb neurones sluggishly respond to retinal illumination, suggesting that they receive such information through polysynaptic processes. In summary, our results show for the first time that intrinsic circadian signals are important for regulating LHb neuronal state, while the SCN-derived signal PK2 is less influential. Moreover, we demonstrate that mouse LHb neurones have access to and can respond to visual input, but such signals are unlikely to be directly communicated to the LHb. Broadly, these findings raise the possibility that intrinsic circadian signals are likely to be influential in shaping LHb contributions to cognition and emotionality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kanwal Sakhi
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sven Wegner
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Mino D C Belle
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael Howarth
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Philippe Delagrange
- Unité de Recherches et Découvertes en Neurosciences, Institut de Recherches Servier, 78290, Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Timothy M Brown
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Hugh D Piggins
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|