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Minshall BL, Skipper RA, Riddle CA, Wasylyshyn CF, Claflin DI, Quinn JJ. Sex differences in acute early life stress-enhanced fear learning in adult rats. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22511. [PMID: 38837722 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present with a spectrum of debilitating anxiety symptoms resulting from exposure to trauma. Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD compared to men; however, the reason for this vulnerability remains unknown. We conducted four experiments where we first demonstrated a female vulnerability to stress-enhanced fear learning (SEFL) with a moderate, acute early life stress (aELS) exposure (4 footshocks in a single session), compared to a more intense aELS exposure (15 footshocks in a single session) where males and females demonstrated comparable SEFL. Next, we demonstrated that this female vulnerability does not result from differences in footshock reactivity or contextual fear conditioning during the aELS exposure. Finally, using gonadectomy or sham surgeries in adult male and female rats, we showed that circulating levels of gonadal steroid hormones at the time of adult fear conditioning do not explain the female vulnerability to SEFL. Additional research is needed to determine whether this vulnerability can be explained by organizational effects of gonadal steroid hormones or differences in sex chromosome gene expression. Doing so is critical for a better understanding of increased female vulnerability to certain psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna L Minshall
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Rachel A Skipper
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Collin A Riddle
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Catherine F Wasylyshyn
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
| | - Dragana I Claflin
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Jennifer J Quinn
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
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2
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Zarchev M, Grootendorst-van Mil NH, Bouter DC, Hoogendijk WJG, Mulder CL, Kamperman AM. Childhood adversity and psychopathology: the dimensions of timing, type and chronicity in a population-based sample of high-risk adolescents. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2024; 18:37. [PMID: 38500125 PMCID: PMC10949567 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-024-00727-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on childhood adversity and psychopathology has begun investigating the dimension of timing, however the results have been contradictory depending on the study population, outcome and how adverse life events (ALEs) were operationalized. Additionally, studies so far typically focus only on a narrow range of psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. The current cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between timing, type and chronicity of ALEs and adolescent mental health problems. METHODS Adolescents from a population-based cohort oversampled on emotional and behavioral problems (mean age 14.8; range 12-17, N = 861) were included in the current analysis. Primary caregivers were interviewed on what ALEs adolescents experienced. ALEs were defined in two ways: (1) broad operationalization, including school difficulties, parental divorce, and family sickness; and (2) physically threatening abuse only, including physical and sexual violence. After looking at lifetime ALEs, we turned to chronicity, timing and sex differences. We focused on overall psychiatric symptoms as well as specific domains of emotional and behavioral problems, assessed using the Youth Self Report (YSR) and psychotic experiences assessed using the Prodromal Questionnaire-16 (PQ-16). A series of linear models adjusted for sociodemographic and parental factors were used. RESULTS Lifetime ALEs were associated with all types of psychopathology, with relatively bigger effect sizes for broad than for physical ALEs. The latter associations were found to be more robust to unmeasured confounding. The 9-12 age period of experiencing both broad and physical ALE's was most saliently associated with any psychopathology. Girls were more at risk after experiencing any ALEs, especially if the adversity was chronic or ALEs took place after the age of 12. CONCLUSIONS Broad as well as physical ALEs are associated with psychopathology, especially ALEs experienced during the 9-12 age period. Physical ALEs may be more useful in investigating specific etiological factors than broad ALEs. Sex differences may not emerge in lifetime measures of ALEs, but can be important for chronic and later childhood adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Zarchev
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nina H Grootendorst-van Mil
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Epidemiological and Social Psychiatric Research Institute (ESPRi), Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Diandra C Bouter
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Witte J G Hoogendijk
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis L Mulder
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Epidemiological and Social Psychiatric Research Institute (ESPRi), Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Antes Mental Health Care, Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Albrandswaardsedijk 74, 3172 AA, Poortugaal, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid M Kamperman
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Epidemiological and Social Psychiatric Research Institute (ESPRi), Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, P.O. box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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3
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Ernst M, Cogo-Moreira H, Desai J, Merke DP. Sexual dimorphism in anxiety is programmed in-utero by sex-steroids: Proof of concept using a disease-model and stress responses to COVID pandemic. Psychiatry Res 2024; 331:115623. [PMID: 38064910 PMCID: PMC10872369 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences in the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have been consistently reported, showing disproportionally high rates of anxiety/distress in women relative to men. The mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism remain unclear. The present study queries the potential protective role of early hyperandrogenism on brain development. A natural model of sex-steroids abnormality, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), was used to test this question. CAH is characterized by adrenal androgen overproduction in utero (prenatal) through the neonatal critical developmental period. An online survey collected information on subjective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Matched on demographic variables, 60 adults carrying a diagnosis of classic CAH and 240 adults from the general population (non-CAH) were compared on levels of anxiety/distress in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020-April 2021). Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the modulation by CAH status of Sex effects on anxiety/distress. Results revealed lower levels of anxiety/distress in the female CAH group compared to the other 3 groups (male CAH, female non-CAH, and male non-CAH). This finding suggests that pre-neonatal hyperandrogenism might impact the development of neural circuits underlying anxiety processes, in a way that enhances resilience to chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Ernst
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Hugo Cogo-Moreira
- Department of Education, ICT and Learning, Østfold University College, Norway
| | - Jay Desai
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center US, USA
| | - Deborah P Merke
- National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; National Institutes of Health Clinical Center US, USA; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development US, USA.
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4
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Aguilar LA, Coker CR, McCullers Z, Evans A, Showemimo O, Melkumyan M, Keller BN, Snyder AE, Bingaman SS, Randall PA, Hajnal A, Browning KN, Arnold AC, Silberman Y. Adolescent alcohol disrupts development of noradrenergic neurons in the nucleus of the tractus solitarius and enhances stress behaviors in adulthood in mice in a sex specific manner. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 9:100132. [PMID: 38162404 PMCID: PMC10756564 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are common mental health issues worldwide and can lead to other chronic diseases. Stress is a major factor in the development and continuation of AUDs, and adolescent alcohol exposure can lead to enhanced stress-responsivity and increased risk for AUD development in adulthood. The exact mechanisms behind the interaction between adolescence, stress, and alcohol are not fully understood and require further research. In this regard, the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) provides dense norepinephrine projections to the extended amygdala, providing a key pathway for stress-related alcohol behaviors. While NTS norepinephrine neurons are known to be alcohol sensitive, whether adolescent alcohol disrupts NTS-norepinephrine neuron development and if this is related to altered stress-sensitivity and alcohol preference in adulthood has not previously been examined. Here, we exposed male and female C57Bl/6J mice to the commonly used adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) vapor model during postnatal day 28-42 and examined AIE effects on: 1) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA expression in the NTS across various ages (postnatal day 21-90), 2) behavioral responses to acute stress in the light/dark box test in adulthood, 3) NTS TH neuron responses to acute stress and ethanol challenges in adulthood, and 4) ethanol conditioned place preference behavior in adulthood. Overall the findings indicate that AIE alters NTS TH mRNA expression and increases anxiety-like behaviors following acute stress exposure in a sex-dependent manner. These mRNA expression and behavioral changes occur in the absence of AIE-induced changes in NTS TH neuron sensitivity to either acute stress or acute alcohol exposure or changes to ethanol conditioned place preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liz A. Aguilar
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Currently at Department of Biology, Indiana University Bloomington, USA
| | - Caitlin R. Coker
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Anatomy, USA
- Currently at Georgetown University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Zari McCullers
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, USA
| | - Alexandra Evans
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, USA
| | - Opeyemi Showemimo
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Anatomy, USA
| | - Mariam Melkumyan
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - Bailey N. Keller
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - Angela E. Snyder
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
- Penn State College of Medicine, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, USA
| | - Sarah S. Bingaman
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Andras Hajnal
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
| | - Kirsteen N. Browning
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
| | - Amy C. Arnold
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
| | - Yuval Silberman
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, USA
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5
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Giannotta G, Murrone A, Giannotta N. COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: The Molecular Basis of Some Adverse Events. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:747. [PMID: 37112659 PMCID: PMC10145134 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Each injection of any known vaccine results in a strong expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This is the result of the innate immune system activation, without which no adaptive response to the injection of vaccines is possible. Unfortunately, the degree of inflammation produced by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is variable, probably depending on genetic background and previous immune experiences, which through epigenetic modifications could have made the innate immune system of each individual tolerant or reactive to subsequent immune stimulations.We hypothesize that we can move from a limited pro-inflammatory condition to conditions of increasing expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines that can culminate in multisystem hyperinflammatory syndromes following COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (MIS-V). We have graphically represented this idea in a hypothetical inflammatory pyramid (IP) and we have correlated the time factor to the degree of inflammation produced after the injection of vaccines. Furthermore, we have placed the clinical manifestations within this hypothetical IP, correlating them to the degree of inflammation produced. Surprisingly, excluding the possible presence of an early MIS-V, the time factor and the complexity of clinical manifestations are correlated to the increasing degree of inflammation: symptoms, heart disease and syndromes (MIS-V).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonio Murrone
- Oncologia Territoriale, Hospice Cure Palliative ASUFC, 33030 Udine, Italy;
| | - Nicola Giannotta
- Medical and Surgery Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Magna Græcia University, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
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6
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Luo S, Ban Y, Qiu T, Liu C. Effects of stress on school bullying behavior among secondary school students: Moderating effects of gender and grade level. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1074476. [PMID: 37008878 PMCID: PMC10050707 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1074476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of stress on school bullying behaviors among middle school students, and the moderating role of gender and grade level in this relationship. To this end, the Olweus Child Bullying Questionnaire (OBVQ) secondary school version of the child bullying questionnaire and the stressor scale for secondary school students were used to survey 3,566 secondary school students in Guizhou Province, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results showed that stress was significantly and positively associated with school bullying among secondary school students. Furthermore, both gender and grade moderated the relationship between stress and school bullying, showing that boys and middle school children are more likely to engage in bullying than girls and high school students, respectively. The results of the study provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and intervention of school bullying behaviors among middle school students.
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7
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Simmons SC, Grecco GG, Atwood BK, Nugent FS. Effects of prenatal opioid exposure on synaptic adaptations and behaviors across development. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109312. [PMID: 36334764 PMCID: PMC10314127 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on prenatal opioid exposure (POE) given the significant concern for the mental health outcomes of children with parents affected by opioid use disorder (OUD) in the view of the current opioid crisis. We highlight some of the less explored interactions between developmental age and sex on synaptic plasticity and associated behavioral outcomes in preclinical POE research. We begin with an overview of the rich literature on hippocampal related behaviors and plasticity across POE exposure paradigms. We then discuss recent work on reward circuit dysregulation following POE. Additional risk factors such as early life stress (ELS) could further influence synaptic and behavioral outcomes of POE. Therefore, we include an overview on the use of preclinical ELS models where ELS exposure during key critical developmental periods confers considerable vulnerability to addiction and stress psychopathology. Here, we hope to highlight the similarity between POE and ELS on development and maintenance of opioid-induced plasticity and altered opioid-related behaviors where similar enduring plasticity in reward circuits may occur. We conclude the review with some of the limitations that should be considered in future investigations. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Opioid-induced addiction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Simmons
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Greg G Grecco
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brady K Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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8
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Vargas Y, Parra-Montes de Oca M, Sánchez-Jaramillo E, Jaimes-Hoy L, Sánchez-Islas E, Uribe RM, Joseph-Bravo P, Charli JL. Sex-dependent and -independent regulation of thyrotropin-releasing hormone expression in the hypothalamic dorsomedial nucleus by negative energy balance, exercise, and chronic stress. Brain Res 2022; 1796:148083. [PMID: 36108782 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.148083] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (DMH) is part of the brain circuits that modulate organism responses to the circadian cycle, energy balance, and psychological stress. A large group of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (Trh) neurons is localized in the DMH; they comprise about one third of the DMH neurons that project to the lateral hypothalamus area (LH). We tested their response to various paradigms. In male Wistar rats, food restriction during adulthood, or chronic variable stress (CVS) during adolescence down-regulated adult DMH Trh mRNA levels compared to those in sedentary animals fed ad libitum; two weeks of voluntary wheel running during adulthood enhanced DMH Trh mRNA levels compared to pair-fed rats. Except for their magnitude, female responses to exercise were like those in male rats; in contrast, in female rats CVS did not change DMH Trh mRNA levels. A very strong negative correlation between DMH Trh mRNA levels and serum corticosterone concentration in rats of either sex was lost in CVS rats. CVS canceled the response to food restriction, but not that to exercise in either sex. TRH receptor 1 (Trhr) cells were numerous along the rostro-caudal extent of the medial LH. In either sex, fasting during adulthood reduced DMH Trh mRNA levels, and increased LH Trhr mRNA levels, suggesting fasting may inhibit the activity of TRHDMH->LH neurons. Thus, in Wistar rats DMH Trh mRNA levels are regulated by negative energy balance, exercise and chronic variable stress through sex-dependent and -independent pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamili Vargas
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Marco Parra-Montes de Oca
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Edith Sánchez-Jaramillo
- Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología Molecular, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM), Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Lorraine Jaimes-Hoy
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Eduardo Sánchez-Islas
- Departamento de Neuromorfología Funcional, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz (INPRFM), Ciudad de México 14370, Mexico
| | - Rosa María Uribe
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Patricia Joseph-Bravo
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Jean-Louis Charli
- Departamento de Genética del Desarrollo y Fisiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
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Petković A, Chaudhury D. Encore: Behavioural animal models of stress, depression and mood disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:931964. [PMID: 36004305 PMCID: PMC9395206 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.931964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies over the past two decades have led to extensive advances in our understanding of pathogenesis of depressive and mood disorders. Among these, rodent behavioural models proved to be of highest informative value. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of the most popular behavioural models with respect to physiological, circuit, and molecular biological correlates. Behavioural stress paradigms and behavioural tests are assessed in terms of outcomes, strengths, weaknesses, and translational value, especially in the domain of pharmacological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Laboratory of Neural Systems and Behaviour, Department of Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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Neurobiological Mechanisms Modulating Emotionality, Cognition and Reward-Related Behaviour in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rodents. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147952. [PMID: 35887310 PMCID: PMC9317076 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Affective and substance-use disorders are associated with overweight and obesity-related complications, which are often due to the overconsumption of palatable food. Both high-fat diets (HFDs) and psychostimulant drugs modulate the neuro-circuitry regulating emotional processing and metabolic functions. However, it is not known how they interact at the behavioural level, and whether they lead to overlapping changes in neurobiological endpoints. In this literature review, we describe the impact of HFDs on emotionality, cognition, and reward-related behaviour in rodents. We also outline the effects of HFD on brain metabolism and plasticity involving mitochondria. Moreover, the possible overlap of the neurobiological mechanisms produced by HFDs and psychostimulants is discussed. Our in-depth analysis of published results revealed that HFDs have a clear impact on behaviour and underlying brain processes, which are largely dependent on the developmental period. However, apart from the studies investigating maternal exposure to HFDs, most of the published results involve only male rodents. Future research should also examine the biological impact of HFDs in female rodents. Further knowledge about the molecular mechanisms linking stress and obesity is a crucial requirement of translational research and using rodent models can significantly advance the important search for risk-related biomarkers and the development of clinical intervention strategies.
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11
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Sicher AR, Duerr A, Starnes WD, Crowley NA. Adolescent Alcohol and Stress Exposure Rewires Key Cortical Neurocircuitry. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:896880. [PMID: 35655755 PMCID: PMC9152326 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.896880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human adolescence is a period of development characterized by wide ranging emotions and behavioral risk taking, including binge drinking (Konrad et al., 2013). These behavioral manifestations of adolescence are complemented by growth in the neuroarchitecture of the brain, including synaptic pruning (Spear, 2013) and increases in overall white matter volume (Perrin et al., 2008). During this period of profound physiological maturation, the adolescent brain has a unique vulnerability to negative perturbations. Alcohol consumption and stress exposure, both of which are heightened during adolescence, can individually and synergistically alter these neurodevelopmental trajectories in positive and negative ways (conferring both resiliency and susceptibility) and influence already changing neurotransmitter systems and circuits. Importantly, the literature is rapidly changing and evolving in our understanding of basal sex differences in the brain, as well as the interaction between biological sex and life experiences. The animal literature provides the distinctive opportunity to explore sex-specific stress- and alcohol- induced changes in neurocircuits on a relatively rapid time scale. In addition, animal models allow for the investigation of individual neurons and signaling molecules otherwise inaccessible in the human brain. Here, we review the human and rodent literature with a focus on cortical development, neurotransmitters, peptides, and steroids, to characterize the field's current understanding of the interaction between adolescence, biological sex, and exposure to stress and alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery R. Sicher
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Arielle Duerr
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - William D. Starnes
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Nicole A. Crowley
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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Cattane N, Vernon AC, Borsini A, Scassellati C, Endres D, Capuron L, Tamouza R, Benros ME, Leza JC, Pariante CM, Riva MA, Cattaneo A. Preclinical animal models of mental illnesses to translate findings from the bench to the bedside: Molecular brain mechanisms and peripheral biomarkers associated to early life stress or immune challenges. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2022; 58:55-79. [PMID: 35235897 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Animal models are useful preclinical tools for studying the pathogenesis of mental disorders and the effectiveness of their treatment. While it is not possible to mimic all symptoms occurring in humans, it is however possible to investigate the behavioral, physiological and neuroanatomical alterations relevant for these complex disorders in controlled conditions and in genetically homogeneous populations. Stressful and infection-related exposures represent the most employed environmental risk factors able to trigger or to unmask a psychopathological phenotype in animals. Indeed, when occurring during sensitive periods of brain maturation, including pre, postnatal life and adolescence, they can affect the offspring's neurodevelopmental trajectories, increasing the risk for mental disorders. Not all stressed or immune challenged animals, however, develop behavioral alterations and preclinical animal models can explain differences between vulnerable or resilient phenotypes. Our review focuses on different paradigms of stress (prenatal stress, maternal separation, social isolation and social defeat stress) and immune challenges (immune activation in pregnancy) and investigates the subsequent alterations in several biological and behavioral domains at different time points of animals' life. It also discusses the "double-hit" hypothesis where an initial early adverse event can prime the response to a second negative challenge. Interestingly, stress and infections early in life induce the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, alter the levels of neurotransmitters, neurotrophins and pro-inflammatory cytokines and affect the functions of microglia and oxidative stress. In conclusion, animal models allow shedding light on the pathophysiology of human mental illnesses and discovering novel molecular drug targets for personalized treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Cattane
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandra Borsini
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Catia Scassellati
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Dominique Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lucile Capuron
- Univ. Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ryad Tamouza
- Département Medico-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie (DMU ADAPT), Laboratoire Neuro-psychiatrie translationnelle, AP-HP, UniversitéParis Est Créteil, INSERM U955, IMRB, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Fondation FondaMental, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - Michael Eriksen Benros
- Biological and Precision Psychiatry, Copenhagen Research Centre for Mental Health, Copenhagen University Hospital, Gentofte Hospitalsvej 15, 4th floor, 2900 Hellerup, Denmark; Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Juan C Leza
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), IUIN-UCM. Spain
| | - Carmine M Pariante
- Stress, Psychiatry and Immunology Laboratory, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Marco A Riva
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
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13
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Woodward EM, Coutellier L. Age- and sex-specific effects of stress on parvalbumin interneurons in preclinical models: Relevance to sex differences in clinical neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1228-1242. [PMID: 34718048 PMCID: PMC8642301 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress is a major risk factor for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, with the capacity to impact susceptibility to disease as well as long-term neurobiological and behavioral outcomes. Parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, the most prominent subtype of GABAergic interneurons in the cortex, are uniquely responsive to stress due to their protracted development throughout the highly plastic neonatal period and into puberty and adolescence. Additionally, PV + interneurons appear to respond to stress in a sex-specific manner. This review aims to discuss existing preclinical studies that support our overall hypothesis that the sex-and age-specific impacts of stress on PV + interneurons contribute to differences in individual vulnerability to stress across the lifespan, particularly in regard to sex differences in the diagnostic rate of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric diseases in clinical populations. We also emphasize the importance of studying sex as a biological variable to fully understand the mechanistic and behavioral differences between males and females in models of neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, 255 Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research Building, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States
| | - Laurence Coutellier
- Department of Neuroscience, Ohio State University, 255 Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research Building, 460 Medical Center Drive, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States; Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, 53 Psychology Building, 1835 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, United States.
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14
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Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT, Baratta MV. Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1037-1055. [PMID: 34673111 PMCID: PMC8642312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Flexible calibration of threat responding in accordance with the environment is an adaptive process that allows an animal to avoid harm while also maintaining engagement of other goal-directed actions. This calibration process, referred to as threat response regulation, requires an animal to calculate the probability that a given encounter will result in a threat so they can respond accordingly. Here we review the neural correlates of two highly studied forms of threat response suppression: extinction and safety conditioning. We focus on how relative levels of certainty or uncertainty in the surrounding environment alter the acquisition and application of these processes. We also discuss evidence indicating altered threat response regulation following stress exposure, including enhanced fear conditioning, and disrupted extinction and safety conditioning. To conclude, we discuss research using an animal model of coping that examines the impact of stressor controllability on threat responding, highlighting the potential for previous experiences with control, or other forms of coping, to protect against the effects of future adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Jason J Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
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15
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Mikhailenko VA, Butkevich IP, Vershinina EA. The Effect of Neonatal Inflammatory Pain on Cognitive Processes and Reactivity of the Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis in Prepubertal Rats. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2021. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093021050057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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16
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Developmental emergence of persistent memory for contextual and auditory fear in mice. Learn Mem 2021; 28:414-421. [PMID: 34663694 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053471.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability to generate memories that persist throughout a lifetime (that is, memory persistence) emerges in early development across species. Although it has been shown that persistent fear memories emerge between late infancy and adolescence in mice, it is unclear exactly when this transition takes place, and whether two major fear conditioning tasks, contextual and auditory fear, share the same time line of developmental onset. Here, we compared the ontogeny of remote contextual and auditory fear in C57BL/6J mice across early life. Mice at postnatal day (P)15, 21, 25, 28, and 30 underwent either contextual or auditory fear training and were tested for fear retrieval 1 or 30 d later. We found that mice displayed 30-d memory for context- and tone-fear starting at P25. We did not find sex differences in the ontogeny of either type of fear memory. Furthermore, 30-d contextual fear retrieval led to an increase in the number of c-Fos positive cells in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex only at an age in which the contextual fear memory was successfully retrieved. These data delineate a precise time line for the emergence of persistent contextual and auditory fear memories in mice and suggest that the prelimbic cortex is only recruited for remote memory recall upon the onset of memory persistence.
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17
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Yuen N, Szulc-Lerch KU, Li YQ, Morshead CM, Mabbott DJ, Wong CS, Nieman BJ. Metformin effects on brain development following cranial irradiation in a mouse model. Neuro Oncol 2021; 23:1523-1536. [PMID: 34042964 PMCID: PMC8408860 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cranial radiation therapy (CRT) is a mainstay of treatment for malignant pediatric brain tumors and high-risk leukemia. Although CRT improves survival, it has been shown to disrupt normal brain development and result in cognitive impairments in cancer survivors. Animal studies suggest that there is potential to promote brain recovery after injury using metformin. Our aim was to evaluate whether metformin can restore brain volume outcomes in a mouse model of CRT. METHODS C57BL/6J mice were irradiated with a whole-brain radiation dose of 7 Gy during infancy. Two weeks of metformin treatment started either on the day of or 3 days after irradiation. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging was performed prior to irradiation and at 3 subsequent time points to evaluate the effects of radiation and metformin on brain development. RESULTS Widespread volume loss in the irradiated brain appeared within 1 week of irradiation with limited subsequent recovery in volume outcomes. In many structures, metformin administration starting on the day of irradiation exacerbated radiation-induced injury, particularly in male mice. Metformin treatment starting 3 days after irradiation improved brain volume outcomes in subcortical regions, the olfactory bulbs, and structures of the brainstem and cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that metformin treatment has the potential to improve neuroanatomical outcomes after CRT. However, both timing of metformin administration and subject sex affect structure outcomes, and metformin may also be deleterious. Our results highlight important considerations in determining the potential benefits of metformin treatment after CRT and emphasize the need for caution in repurposing metformin in clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nili Yuen
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kamila U Szulc-Lerch
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yu-Qing Li
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cindi M Morshead
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Terrence Donelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donald J Mabbott
- Department of Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - C Shun Wong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Translational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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18
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Stress Diminishes BDNF-stimulated TrkB Signaling, TrkB-NMDA Receptor Linkage and Neuronal Activity in the Rat Brain. Neuroscience 2021; 473:142-158. [PMID: 34298123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to intense or repeated stressors can lead to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Neurological changes induced by stress include impaired neurotrophin signaling, which is known to influence synaptic integrity and plasticity. The present study used an ex vivo approach to examine the impact of acute or repeated stress on BDNF-stimulated TrkB signaling in hippocampus (HIPPO) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Rats in an acute multiple stressor group experienced five stressors in one day whereas rats in a repeated unpredictable stressor group experienced 20 stressors across 10 days. After stress exposure, slices were incubated with vehicle or BDNF, followed by immunoprecipitation and immunoblot assays to assess protein levels, activation states and protein-protein linkage associated with BDNF-TrkB signaling. Three key findings are (1) exposure to stressors significantly diminished BDNF-stimulated TrkB signaling in HIPPO and PFC such that reductions in TrkB activation, diminished recruitment of adaptor proteins to TrkB, reduced activation of downstream signaling molecules, disruption of TrkB-NMDAr linkage, and changes in basal and BDNF-stimulated Arc expression were observed. (2) After stress, BDNF stimulation enhanced TrkB-NMDAr linkage in PFC, suggestive of compensatory mechanisms in this region. (3) We discovered an uncoupling between TrkB signaling, TrkB-NMDAr linkage and Arc expression in PFC and HIPPO. In addition, a robust surge in pro-inflammatory cytokines was observed in both regions after repeated exposure to stressors. Collectively, these data provide therapeutic targets for future studies that investigate how to reverse stress-induced downregulation of BDNF-TrkB signaling and underscore the need for functional studies that examine stress-related TrkB-NMDAr activities in PFC.
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19
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Butkevich IP, Mikhailenko VA, Vershinina EA, Barr GA. The Long-Term Effects of Neonatal Inflammatory Pain on Cognitive Function and Stress Hormones Depend on the Heterogeneity of the Adolescent Period of Development in Male and Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:691578. [PMID: 34366805 PMCID: PMC8334561 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.691578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress at an early age programs the HPA axis which can lead to cognitive deficits in adults. However, it is not known whether these deficits emerge in adulthood or are expressed earlier in life. The aims of the study were to investigate (1) the immediate effects of early injury-induced stress in one-day-old (P1) and repeated stress on at P1 and P2 rat pups on plasma corticosterone levels; and (2) examine the subsequent long-term effects of this early stress on spatial learning and memory, and stress reactivity in early P26-34 and late P45-53 adolescent male and female rats. Intra-plantar injection of formalin induced prolonged and elevated levels of corticosterone in pups and impaired spatial learning and short- and long-term memory in late adolescent males and long-term memory in early adolescent females. There were sex differences in late adolescence in both learning and short-term memory. Performance on the long-term memory task was better than that on the short-term memory task for all early adolescent male and female control and stressed animals. Short-term memory was better in the late age control rats of both sexes and for formalin treated females as compared with the early age rats. These results are consistent with an impaired function of structures involved in memory (the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex) after newborn pain. However, activation of the HPA axis by neonatal pain did not directly correlate with spatial learning and memory outcomes and the consequences of neonatal pain remain are likely multi-determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina P. Butkevich
- Laboratory of Ontogenesis of the Nervous System, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Viktor A. Mikhailenko
- Laboratory of Ontogenesis of the Nervous System, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena A. Vershinina
- Department of Information Technologies and Mathematical Modeling, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Gordon A. Barr
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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20
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Florido A, Perez-Caballero L, Velasco ER, Molina P, Marin-Blasco I, Andero R. Direct and Indirect Measurements of Sex Hormones in Rodents During Fear Conditioning. Curr Protoc 2021; 1:e102. [PMID: 33950571 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fear conditioning (FC) is a widely accepted tool for the assessment of learning and memory processes in rodents related to normal and dysregulated acquired fear. The study of sex differences in fear learning and memory is vast and currently increasing. Sex hormones have proven to be crucial for fear memory formation in males and females, and several methods have been developed to assess this hormonal state in rats and mice. Herein, we explain a routine FC and extinction protocol, together with the evaluation of sex hormonal state in male and female rodents. We explain three protocols for the evaluation of this hormonal state directly from blood samples extracted during the procedure or indirectly through histological verification of the estrous cycle for females or behavioral assessment of social hierarchies in males. Although females have typically been considered to present great variability in sex hormones, it is highlighted that sex hormone assessment in males is as variable as in females and equally important for fear memory formation. The readout of these protocols has had a great impact on different fields of fear learning and memory study and appears essential when studying FC. The proven interaction with drugs involved in the modulation of these processes makes sex hormone assessment during FC a valuable tool for the development of effective treatments for fear-related disorders in men and women. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Fear conditioning and fear extinction Basic Protocol 2: Blood collection for direct measurement of sex hormone levels in fear conditioning Basic Protocol 3: Indirect measurement of sex hormones in females during fear conditioning Basic Protocol 4: Assessment of dominance status in males before a fear conditioning protocol Support Protocol: Construction of a confrontation tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Perez-Caballero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eric Raúl Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patricia Molina
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Unitat de Fisiologia Animal (Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia), Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Marin-Blasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raül Andero
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Meade GM, Charron LS, Kilburn LW, Pei Z, Wang HY, Robinson S. A model of negative emotional contagion between male-female rat dyads: Effects of voluntary exercise on stress-induced behavior and BDNF-TrkB signaling. Physiol Behav 2021; 234:113286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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22
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Janšáková K, Belica I, Rajčániová E, Rajčáni J, Kyselicová K, Celušáková H, Laznibatová J, Ostatníková D. The acute effect of psychosocial stress on the level of oxidative stress in children. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 161:86-90. [PMID: 33454319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The effect of chronic stress on oxidative stress (OS) is commonly discussed while the effect of acute stress situation is not fully examined yet. The present study was aimed to analyse whether acute psychosocial strain causes changes in OS and antioxidant status. Unstimulated saliva was collected from 46 healthy prepubertal children during the control and stress day. On the stress day, collection was performed before and after a stress situation induced by the Trier social stress test. Saliva collection during the control day imitated the stress day without the stress strain. Samples were used for analysis of lipid peroxidation, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and markers of antioxidant status, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). On the stress day, increased level of FRAP was observed in the second saliva collection in comparison with the first collection. Within the same day, no significant changes in the levels of TBARS, AGEs and TAC were observed in samples taken before and after stress strain. Significantly higher levels of TBARS were observed on stress day in comparison to control day. In summary, acute psychosocial stress caused increase of FRAP during the stress day. TBARS did not increase during the stress day in the second sample but it was higher compared to the control day. None of the interactions with gender were statistically significant. It appears the short-term exposure to stress could potentially stimulate antioxidant activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Janšáková
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Ivan Belica
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia; Research Institute for Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Eva Rajčániová
- Research Institute for Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, Trnava University in Trnava, Slovakia
| | - Jakub Rajčáni
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Klaudia Kyselicová
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Hana Celušáková
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jolana Laznibatová
- Research Institute for Child Psychology and Pathopsychology, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Ostatníková
- Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
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23
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Hennessy MB, Willen RM, Schiml PA. Psychological Stress, Its Reduction, and Long-Term Consequences: What Studies with Laboratory Animals Might Teach Us about Life in the Dog Shelter. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2061. [PMID: 33171805 PMCID: PMC7694980 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a long history of laboratory studies of the physiological and behavioral effects of stress, its reduction, and the later psychological and behavioral consequences of unmitigated stress responses. Many of the stressors employed in these studies approximate the experience of dogs confined in an animal shelter. We review how the laboratory literature has guided our own work in describing the reactions of dogs to shelter housing and in helping formulate means of reducing their stress responses. Consistent with the social buffering literature in other species, human interaction has emerged as a key ingredient in moderating glucocorticoid stress responses of shelter dogs. We discuss variables that appear critical for effective use of human interaction procedures in the shelter as well as potential neural mechanisms underlying the glucocorticoid-reducing effect. We also describe recent studies in which enrichment centered on human interaction has been found to reduce aggressive responses in a temperament test used to determine suitability for adoption. Finally, we suggest that a critical aspect of the laboratory stress literature that has been underappreciated in studying shelter dogs is evidence for long-term behavioral consequences-often mediated by glucocorticoids-that may not become apparent until well after initial stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patricia A. Schiml
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA;
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24
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Perry CJ, Campbell EJ, Drummond KD, Lum JS, Kim JH. Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: Impact of early life stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:963-981. [PMID: 33025572 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic events during early life have been linked with later life psychopathology. To understand this risk factor, researchers have studied the effects of prenatal and postnatal early life stress on neurochemical changes. Here we review the rodent literature on sex differences and sex-specific impact of early life stress on frontal cortex neurochemistry. This region is implicated in regulating motivation and emotion, which are often disrupted in psychological disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in particular is one of the last brain regions to develop, and there are sex differences in the rate of this development. To draw direct comparisons between sexes, our review of the literature was restricted to studies where the effects of prenatal or postnatal stress had been described in male and female littermates. This literature included research describing glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), corticosteroids, monoamines, and cannabinoids. We found that sex-dependent effects of stress are mediated by the age at which stress is experienced, age at test, and type of stress endured. More research is required, particularly into the effects of adolescent stress on male and female littermates. We hope that a greater understanding of sex-specific susceptibilities in response to stress across development will help to uncover risk factors for psychological disorders in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Jeremy S Lum
- Neuropharmacology and Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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25
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Chad-Friedman E, Botdorf M, Riggins T, Dougherty LR. Parental hostility predicts reduced cortical thickness in males. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13052. [PMID: 33091205 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although impacts of negative parenting on children's brain development are well-documented, little is known about how these associations may differ for males and females in childhood. We examined interactions between child sex and early and concurrent parental hostility on children's cortical thickness and surface area. Participants included 63 children (50.8% female) assessed during early childhood (Wave 1: M age = 4.23 years, SD = 0.84) and again three years later (Wave 2: M age = 7.19 years, SD = 0.89) using an observational parent-child interaction task. At Wave 2, children completed a structural MRI scan. Analyses focused on regions of interest. After correcting for multiple comparisons, Wave 1 parental hostility predicted males' reduced thickness in middle frontal and fusiform cortices, and Wave 2 parental hostility was concurrently associated with males' reduced thickness in the middle frontal cortex. Interactions between sex and parenting on children's surface area did not survive corrections for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide support for a male-specific neural vulnerability of hostile parenting across development. Results have important implications for uncovering neural pathways to sex-differences in psychopathology, learning, and cognitive disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Botdorf
- University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA
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Italia M, Forastieri C, Longaretti A, Battaglioli E, Rusconi F. Rationale, Relevance, and Limits of Stress-Induced Psychopathology in Rodents as Models for Psychiatry Research: An Introductory Overview. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7455. [PMID: 33050350 PMCID: PMC7589795 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207455] [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: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional and cognitive information processing represent higher-order brain functions. They require coordinated interaction of specialized brain areas via a complex spatial and temporal equilibrium among neuronal cell-autonomous, circuitry, and network mechanisms. The delicate balance can be corrupted by stressful experiences, increasing the risk of developing psychopathologies in vulnerable individuals. Neuropsychiatric disorders affect twenty percent of the western world population, but therapies are still not effective for some patients. Elusive knowledge of molecular pathomechanisms and scarcity of objective biomarkers in humans present complex challenges, while the adoption of rodent models helps to improve our understanding of disease correlate and aids the search for novel pharmacological targets. Stress administration represents a strategy to induce, trace, and modify molecular and behavioral endophenotypes of mood disorders in animals. However, a mouse or rat model will only display one or a few endophenotypes of a specific human psychopathology, which cannot be in any case recapitulated as a whole. To override this issue, shared criteria have been adopted to deconstruct neuropsychiatric disorders, i.e., depression, into specific behavioral aspects, and inherent neurobiological substrates, also recognizable in lower mammals. In this work, we provide a rationale for rodent models of stress administration. In particular, comparing each rodent model with a real-life human traumatic experience, we intend to suggest an introductive guide to better comprehend and interpret these paradigms.
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Notaras M, van den Buuse M. Neurobiology of BDNF in fear memory, sensitivity to stress, and stress-related disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:2251-2274. [PMID: 31900428 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0639-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is widely accepted for its involvement in resilience and antidepressant drug action, is a common genetic locus of risk for mental illnesses, and remains one of the most prominently studied molecules within psychiatry. Stress, which arguably remains the "lowest common denominator" risk factor for several mental illnesses, targets BDNF in disease-implicated brain regions and circuits. Altered stress-related responses have also been observed in animal models of BDNF deficiency in vivo, and BDNF is a common downstream intermediary for environmental factors that potentiate anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. However, BDNF's broad functionality has manifested a heterogeneous literature; likely reflecting that BDNF plays a hitherto under-recognized multifactorial role as both a regulator and target of stress hormone signaling within the brain. The role of BDNF in vulnerability to stress and stress-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is a prominent example where inconsistent effects have emerged across numerous models, labs, and disciplines. In the current review we provide a contemporary update on the neurobiology of BDNF including new data from the behavioral neuroscience and neuropsychiatry literature on fear memory consolidation and extinction, stress, and PTSD. First we present an overview of recent advances in knowledge on the role of BDNF within the fear circuitry, as well as address mounting evidence whereby stress hormones interact with endogenous BDNF-TrkB signaling to alter brain homeostasis. Glucocorticoid signaling also acutely recruits BDNF to enhance the expression of fear memory. We then include observations that the functional common BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates stress susceptibility as well as stress-related and stress-inducible neuropsychiatric endophenotypes in both man and mouse. We conclude by proposing a BDNF stress-sensitivity hypothesis, which posits that disruption of endogenous BDNF activity by common factors (such as the BDNF Val66Met variant) potentiates sensitivity to stress and, by extension, vulnerability to stress-inducible illnesses. Thus, BDNF may induce plasticity to deleteriously promote the encoding of fear and trauma but, conversely, also enable adaptive plasticity during extinction learning to suppress PTSD-like fear responses. Ergo regulators of BDNF availability, such as the Val66Met polymorphism, may orchestrate sensitivity to stress, trauma, and risk of stress-induced disorders such as PTSD. Given an increasing interest in personalized psychiatry and clinically complex cases, this model provides a framework from which to experimentally disentangle the causal actions of BDNF in stress responses, which likely interact to potentiate, produce, and impair treatment of, stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Notaras
- Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. .,College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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de Guia RM. Stress, glucocorticoid signaling pathway, and metabolic disorders. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2020; 14:1273-1280. [PMID: 32755820 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Glucocorticoids and the GR serve as an essential molecular mediator of stress and different physiologic processes. This review summarizes main findings from studies on the role of the GC/GR signaling in the modulation of genes for nutrient processing by the different organs involved in metabolic diseases. METHODS Descriptive review of relevant papers known to the author was conducted. RESULTS Several high-throughput screenings in the past 15 years have identified potential GR DNA-binding regions in different cell types with genes that are annotated to be important for the control of metabolism. Transcriptional regulation of these GC-responsive genes provides links between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and systemic energy homeostasis in both physiological and pathophysiological states. Future studies must reconsider the use of agonist, the utilization of animal models of stress and metabolic disorders, and validation in humans. CONCLUSION This review recapitulates the significant role of the GC/GR signaling in molecular metabolic control and metabolic disorders. Potential future research focus and optimizations have also been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roldan M de Guia
- Joint Division Molecular Metabolic Control, DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance and Network Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Keio Global Research Institute (KGRI) and Department of Pharmacology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Czech Centre for Phenogenomics (CCP), Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Vestec, Czech Republic.
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He T, Guo C, Wang C, Hu C, Chen H. Effect of early life stress on anxiety and depressive behaviors in adolescent mice. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01526. [PMID: 31961515 PMCID: PMC7066350 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Adolescence is a critical period for physical and mental development. The effect of early life stress on mood disorders has been intensively studied in adults using rodent models, but it has been less studied in adolescents. The present study aimed to examine the effect of early life stress on anxiety-related and depression-like behaviors in adolescent C57BL/6 mice and the sex difference. METHODS C57BL/6 mice of both sexes were used, and early life stressors included maternal separation (MS, P2-12, 4 hr per day), restraint stress (RS, P33 to 39, 4 hr per day), and their combination (MRS). Open field test, elevated plus maze, and forced swimming test were performed at different time points during adolescence and adulthood. RESULTS It was found that MS did not affect the anxiety-related behaviors of both males and females tested on P30-31 and P41-42. RS decreased the anxiety level in adolescent males but did not affect it in the females. MS, RS, and MRS all significantly increased the depression-like behavior in adolescent males, but only MRS increased the depression-like behavior in adolescent females. All effects on adolescent males and females did not persist into adulthood. CONCLUSION The present results showed that early life stress affected anxiety-related and depression-like behavior in adolescent mice in manners depending on the nature of stress, the developmental period, and sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting He
- Key Lab of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of EducationCollaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceSchool of PsychologySouthwest UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Chen Guo
- Key Lab of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of EducationCollaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceSchool of PsychologySouthwest UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Chunlian Wang
- Key Lab of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of EducationCollaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceSchool of PsychologySouthwest UniversityChongqingChina
| | - Chunrong Hu
- Department of Alternative MedicineNo. 9 Chongqing HospitalChongqingChina
| | - Huanxin Chen
- Key Lab of Cognition and Personality of the Ministry of EducationCollaborative Innovation Center for Brain ScienceSchool of PsychologySouthwest UniversityChongqingChina
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Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a risk factor in the development of psychiatric disorders. The underlying biological mechanisms governing this phenomenon are not fully understood, but dysregulation of stress responses is likely to play a key role. Males and females differ in their propensity to develop psychiatric disorders, with far higher rates of anxiety, major depressive disorder, affective disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder found in women. We hypothesized that sex differences in response to ELS may play a crucial role in differential vulnerability between the sexes. To test this, we evaluated the consequences of pre-pubertal stress (PPS) on the HPA axis in adult female and male Lister Hooded rats. PPS animals were exposed to swim, restraint and elevated platform stress on postnatal days 25-27, controls remained in their home cage. Once adult, animals were either a) sacrificed directly and brains collected or b) sacrificed 20 minutes or 1 week after a social test and trunk blood collected. In the female hippocampal formation, PPS increased expression of FKBP5 and AVPR1a. In the female prefrontal cortex, PPS resulted in increased glucocorticoid receptor expression, increased glucocorticoid:mineralocorticoid (GR:MR) receptor expression ratio and decreased AVPR1a expression. Females exposed to PPS did not show the normal rise in blood corticosterone levels following a social interaction test. In contrast, PPS did not alter the expression of oxytocin or oxytocin receptors, and no effects of PPS were seen in males. However, striking sex differences were found. Females had higher oxytocin receptor expression in the prefrontal cortex and AVPR1a and oxytocin expression in the hypothalamus, whereas males demonstrated higher expression of GR, MR, GR:MR, FKBP5 and oxytocin receptor in the hypothalamus. These results demonstrate heightened reactivity of the female HPA axis to PPS and may help explain why in humans females display an increased susceptibility to certain stress-related psychopathologies.LAY SUMMARYWomen are at greater risk of developing several psychiatric illnesses. Using a rodent model, we show that the female stress system is more reactive to the lasting effects of early life stress. This heightened reactivity of the female stress response may help explain why women are at a greater risk of developing psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichola M Brydges
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Caroline Best
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Maneenet J, Daodee S, Monthakantirat O, Boonyarat C, Khamphukdee C, Kwankhao P, Pitiporn S, Awale S, Chulikhit Y, Kijjoa A. Kleeb Bua Daeng, a Thai Traditional Herbal Formula, Ameliorated Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress-Induced Cognitive Impairment in ICR Mice. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24244587. [PMID: 31847401 PMCID: PMC6943511 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24244587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 12/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Thai traditional herbal formula ''Kleeb Bua Daeng (KBD)''consists of a 1:1:1 ratio (dry weight) of three medicinal plants: Piper nigrum fruit, the aerial part of Centella asiatica and the petals of Nelumbo nucifera. Oral administration of KBD to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) mice significantly improved their cognitive function caused by chronic mild stress. Daily administration of KBD significantly decreased the serum corticosterone (CORT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels but increased the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in both frontal cortex and hippocampus. The effects of KBD were similar to those caused by oral administration of vitamin E. HPLC analysis of the KBD extract revealed the presence of piperine, madecassoside, asiaticoside, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, rutin, kaempferol-3-glucoside, quercetin, kaempferol and ferulic acid as major constituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juthamart Maneenet
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand;
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
| | - Supawadee Daodee
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
| | - Orawan Monthakantirat
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
| | - Chantana Boonyarat
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
| | - Charinya Khamphukdee
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
| | - Pakakrong Kwankhao
- Department of Pharmacy, Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Prachinburi, Thailand 25000, Thailand; (P.K.); (S.P.)
| | - Supaporn Pitiporn
- Department of Pharmacy, Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, Prachinburi, Thailand 25000, Thailand; (P.K.); (S.P.)
| | - Suresh Awale
- Division of Natural Drug Discovery, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Yaowared Chulikhit
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand; (S.D.); (O.M.); (C.B.); (C.K.)
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (A.K.); Tel.: +351-22042-8331 (A.K.)
| | - Anake Kijjoa
- ICBAS-Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar and CIIMAR, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: (Y.C.); (A.K.); Tel.: +351-22042-8331 (A.K.)
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Das L, Patel B, Patri M. Adolescence benzo[a]pyrene treatment induces learning and memory impairment and anxiolytic like behavioral response altering neuronal morphology of hippocampus in adult male Wistar rats. Toxicol Rep 2019; 6:1104-1113. [PMID: 31720231 PMCID: PMC6838974 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2019.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraperitoneal B[a]P administration induces anxiolytic like behavior in rats. B[a]P induces oxidative stress and reduces antioxidant enzyme activity. Exposure to B[a]P-induces decrease in dendrite length and spine density through oxidative stress affecting antioxidant defence system. Alteration in the neuronal architecture of the hippocampal cells after B[a]P administration is associated with learning and memory defict.
Exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), a prototype of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) easily cross blood brain barrier (BBB) and is associated with impaired learning and memory in adult rats. However, there is no symmetric study reported on association between B[a]P exposure during the early development and hippocampal dendritic architecture causing behavioral changes like learning and memory deficit of adult rats. We investigated a fourteen day consecutive B[a]P administration, intraperitonial (i.p.), with two different doses (0.1 and 1μM) during early adolescence at PND30-44 and learning behavior assessed between PND 45-60 in adult male rats. The anxiolytic like behavioural analysis was done by LDPT. Depressive like behaviour was estimated through sucrose preference and learning and memory by T-maze. After B[a]P administration oxidative stress markers like glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) were evaluated. To parallel these behavioral and antioxidant level changes to alteration in dendritic morphology, Golgi-Cox staining was performed in the hippocampus. Our study showed anxiolytic like behavioral response with significant increase in time spent in light zone and significant (p < 0.05) decrease in preference for sucrose and a reduction in percentage of spontaneous responses in T-maze test in B[a]P administered group as compared to vehicle control. B[a]P exposed male rats showed significant increase in GST activity (p < 0.05) and concentration of GSSG with a decay in GSH, GPx and GR in both the groups as compared to control. B[a]P administered rats showed significant loss in total dendritic length and number (28%) with reduced spine density (18%) in both higher and lower doses. These results suggested that B[a]P administration can be associated with an increase ROS production showing altered antioxidant defence system through glutathione biosynthesis and causing profound alterations in dendritic length and spine density of hippocampal neurons leading towards learning and memory deficits in adult rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lipsa Das
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, 753003, Odisha, India
| | - Bhupesh Patel
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, 753003, Odisha, India
| | - Manorama Patri
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, School of Life Sciences, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, 753003, Odisha, India
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McGowan EC, Vohr BR. Impact of Nonmedical Factors on Neurobehavior and Language Outcomes of Preterm Infants. Neoreviews 2019; 20:e372-e384. [PMID: 31261104 DOI: 10.1542/neo.20-7-e372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Preterm infants are at increased risk for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The impact of maternal, NICU, and social environmental factors on early neurobehavior and language outcomes of preterm infants is recognized. There is a need for health care professionals to have a clear understanding of the importance of facilitating positive mother-infant relationships, and to address not only the infant's sensory and language environment, but also focus on adverse maternal mental health and social adversities to optimize infant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth C McGowan
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI
| | - Betty R Vohr
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI
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Abstract
Childhood exposure to traumatic events, termed early life stress (ELS), is now widely recognized for causing long-term negative health effects that may not manifest until adulthood. Allostatic load (AL) describes the cumulative "wear-and-tear" effects of chronic stress on the body that may adversely affect human health by accelerating other disease processes. Recent epidemiological studies have reported higher stress levels in industrialized countries and trends of increasing prevalence in autoimmune diseases during recent decades. To elucidate mechanisms of stress-related immune dysregulation, most animal studies up to now have focused on AL and stress-triggered events occurring in adults but have not explored ELS in the context of autoimmune disorders. We have identified a current gap in understanding the impact of ELS on immune system ontogeny and its potential for priming genetically susceptible individuals who are at increased risk for autoimmune diseases later in life, through mechanisms involving neuroendocrine-immune cross talk. In this review, we highlight the intersection between stress and immune function, with a focus on ELS as consequential for increased autoimmune disorder risks later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Y. Choe
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
- Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
| | - Maya Nair
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
| | - Riyaz Basha
- Department of Pediatrics and Women’s Health, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
| | - Byung-Jin Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231
| | - Harlan P. Jones
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76107
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Kentrop J, Smid CR, Achterberg EJM, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Joëls M, van der Veen R. Effects of Maternal Deprivation and Complex Housing on Rat Social Behavior in Adolescence and Adulthood. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:193. [PMID: 30254573 PMCID: PMC6141926 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life context and stressful experiences are known to increase the risk of developing psychiatric disorders later in life, including disorders with deficits in the social domain. Our study aimed to investigate the influence of early life environment on social behavior in a well-controlled animal model. To this end we tested the effects of maternal deprivation (MD) on rat social play behavior in adolescence and social interaction in adulthood. Additionally, we provided a stimulating environment during adolescence (complex housing) as a potential intervention to diminish the effects of early life stress. Male and female Wistar rats were deprived from their mother for 24 h on postnatal day 3 (PND 3) or were left undisturbed. Complex housing started 5 days after weaning and consisted of housing 10 same-sex conspecifics in large, two-floor MarlauTM cages until the end of the study. Social play behavior in adolescence was tested under different conditions (3 h vs. 24 h social isolation prior to testing). Maternally deprived males – but not females – showed a longer latency to play and a decreased total amount of social play behavior, after a 24 h isolation period. In adulthood, social discrimination was impaired in deprived male and female rats in the three-chamber social approach task. Complex housing did not moderate the effects of MD, but in itself induced a strong behavioral phenotype. Both complex housed males and females hardly displayed any play behavior after a 3 h isolation period. However, after 24 h of isolation, these animals showed shorter latencies to engage in social play behavior. Only complex housed males truly showed more social play behavior here, while showing less social interest in adulthood. We conclude that MD has mild negative effects on social behavior in adolescence and adulthood, which are not counteracted by complex housing. Complex housing induces a specific phenotype associated with rapid habituation; a lack of social play after short isolation periods, while increasing play behavior after a prolonged period of isolation in adolescence, and less social interest, paired with intact social discrimination in adulthood. In both early life settings, males seem to be more influenced by the early life environment compared to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiska Kentrop
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Claire R Smid
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - E J M Achterberg
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Primary Care Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Rixt van der Veen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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