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Alonso L, Peeva P, Fernández-del Valle Alquicira T, Erdelyi N, Gil Nolskog Á, Bader M, Winter Y, Alenina N, Rivalan M. Poor Decision Making and Sociability Impairment Following Central Serotonin Reduction in Inducible TPH2-Knockdown Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5003. [PMID: 38732220 PMCID: PMC11084943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095003] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is an essential neuromodulator for mental health and animals' socio-cognitive abilities. However, we previously found that a constitutive depletion of central serotonin did not impair rat cognitive abilities in stand-alone tests. Here, we investigated how a mild and acute decrease in brain serotonin would affect rats' cognitive abilities. Using a novel rat model of inducible serotonin depletion via the genetic knockdown of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), we achieved a 20% decrease in serotonin levels in the hypothalamus after three weeks of non-invasive oral doxycycline administration. Decision making, cognitive flexibility, and social recognition memory were tested in low-serotonin (Tph2-kd) and control rats. Our results showed that the Tph2-kd rats were more prone to choose disadvantageously in the long term (poor decision making) in the Rat Gambling Task and that only the low-serotonin poor decision makers were more sensitive to probabilistic discounting and had poorer social recognition memory than other low-serotonin and control individuals. Flexibility was unaffected by the acute brain serotonin reduction. Poor social recognition memory was the most central characteristic of the behavioral network of low-serotonin poor decision makers, suggesting a key role of social recognition in the expression of their profile. The acute decrease in brain serotonin appeared to specifically amplify the cognitive impairments of the subgroup of individuals also identified as poor decision makers in the population. This study highlights the great opportunity the Tph2-kd rat model offers to study inter-individual susceptibilities to develop cognitive impairment following mild variations of brain serotonin in otherwise healthy individuals. These transgenic and differential approaches together could be critical for the identification of translational markers and vulnerabilities in the development of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Fernández-del Valle Alquicira
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Narda Erdelyi
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
| | - Ángel Gil Nolskog
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Michael Bader
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - York Winter
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- NeuroPSI—Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS—Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Saclay, France
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Drugs and Endogenous Factors as Protagonists in Neurogenic Stimulation. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 18:2852-2871. [PMID: 35962176 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10423-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Neurogenesis is a biological process characterized by new neurons formation from stem cells. For decades, it was believed that neurons only multiplied during development and in the postnatal period but the discovery of neural stem cells (NSCs) in mature brain promoted a revolution in neuroscience field. In mammals, neurogenesis consists of migration, differentiation, maturation, as well as functional integration of newborn cells into the pre-existing neuronal circuit. Actually, NSC density drops significantly after the first stages of development, however in specific places in the brain, called neurogenic niches, some of these cells retain their ability to generate new neurons and glial cells in adulthood. The subgranular (SGZ), and the subventricular zones (SVZ) are examples of regions where the neurogenesis process occurs in the mature brain. There, the potential of NSCs to produce new neurons has been explored by new advanced methodologies and in neuroscience for the treatment of brain damage and/or degeneration. Based on that, this review highlights endogenous factors and drugs capable of stimulating neurogenesis, as well as the perspectives for the use of NSCs for neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.
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