1
|
Mohammadi-Farani A, Farhangian S, Shirooie S. Sex differences in acetylcholinesterase modulation during spatial and fear memory extinction in the amygdala; an animal study in the single prolonged stress model of PTSD. Res Pharm Sci 2022; 17:686-696. [PMID: 36704427 PMCID: PMC9872177 DOI: 10.4103/1735-5362.359435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Men and women show different reactions to trauma and that is believed to be the reason behind the higher prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women. Cholinergic signaling has long been known to be involved in the processing of fear-related information and the amygdala is a critical center for fear modulation. The main goal of the current research was to find (a) whether trauma results in different learning/extinction of fear or spatial-related information among male and female rats and (b) if trauma is associated with different acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity in the amygdala. Experimental approach We used single prolonged stress (SPS) as a PTSD model in this study. Normal and SPS animals of both sexes were tested in contextual and spatial tasks (learning and extinction). AchE activity in the amygdala was also measured during each process. Findings / Results Results indicated that fear and spatial learning were impaired in SPS animals. SPS animals also had deficits in fear and spatial memory extinction and the effect was significantly higher in female- SPS than in the male-SPS group. In the enzymatic tests, AchE activity was increased during the fear extinction test and incremental changes were more significant in the female-SPS group. Conclusion and implications Collectively, these findings provided evidence that sex differences in response to trauma were at least partly related to less fear extinction potential in female subjects. It also indicated that the extinction deficit was associated with reduced cholinergic activity in the amygdala of female animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Mohammadi-Farani
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, I.R. Iran,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, I.R. Iran,Corresponding author: A. Mohammadi-Farani Tel: +98-9132267611, Fax: +98-8334265783 ;
| | - Sajad Farhangian
- Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| | - Samira Shirooie
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, I.R. Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jeong MJ, Lee C, Sung K, Jung JH, Pyo JH, Kim JH. Fear response-based prediction for stress susceptibility to PTSD-like phenotypes. Mol Brain 2020; 13:134. [PMID: 33028360 PMCID: PMC7539418 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00667-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Most individuals undergo traumatic stresses at some points in their life, but only a small proportion develop stress-related disorders such as anxiety diseases and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although stress susceptibility is one determinant of mental disorders, the underlying mechanisms and functional implication remain unclear yet. We found that an increased amount of freezing that animals exhibited in the intertrial interval (ITI) of a stress-enhanced fear learning paradigm, predicts ensuing PTSD-like symptoms whereas resilient mice show ITI freezing comparable to that of unstressed mice. To examine the behavioral features, we developed a systematic analytical approach for ITI freezing and stress susceptibility. Thus, we provide a behavioral parameter for prognosis to stress susceptibility of individuals in the development of PTSD-like symptoms as well as a new mathematical means to scrutinize freezing behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min-Jae Jeong
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhee Lee
- Department of Mathematics, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Kibong Sung
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Jung
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea.,Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jung Hyun Pyo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyungbuk, 37673, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Coprophagy prevention alters microbiome, metabolism, neurochemistry, and cognitive behavior in a small mammal. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2625-2645. [PMID: 32632263 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0711-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many small mammals engage in coprophagy, or the behavior of consuming feces, as a means to meet nutritional requirements when feeding on low-quality foods. In addition to nutritional benefits, coprophagy may also help herbivores retain necessary gut microbial diversity and function, which may have downstream physiological effects, such as maintaining energy balance and cognitive function. Here, we used collars to prevent Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) from engaging in coprophagy and monitored changes in microbial community structure, energy metabolism, and cognitive performance. In this research, we found that coprophagy prevention decreased alpha diversity of the gut microbiota, and altered proportions of microbial taxa such as Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Oscillospira. Preventing coprophagy resulted in a reduced body mass, and increased food intake. Importantly, coprophagy prevention decreased vole cognitive behavior and altered levels of neurotransmitters in brain. Daily acetate administration was able to reverse some of the coprophagy prevention-induced changes in microbiota composition, metabolism, neurochemistry, and cognitive behavior. These findings identify the functional importance of coprophagy behavior and interactions between the gut microbiota, energy metabolism, and neurological function. Our results suggest that coprophagy contributes to stabilizing the gut microbiota, promoting microbial metabolism, maintaining host energy balance and, consequently, altering cognitive performance.
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang L, Hu XZ, Li H, Li X, Yu T, Dohl J, Ursano RJ. Updates in PTSD Animal Models Characterization. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2011:331-344. [PMID: 31273708 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9554-7_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating mental disorder afflicting more than 7% of the US population and 12% of military service members. Since the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, thousands of US service members have returned home with PTSD. Despite recent progress, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathology of PTSD are poorly understood. To promote research on PTSD (especially its molecular mechanisms) and to set a molecular basis for discovering novel medications for this disorder, well-validated animal models are needed. However, to develop PTSD animal models is a challenging process, due to predisposing factors such as physiological, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive changes that emerge after trauma. Currently, there is no well-validated animal model of PTSD, although several stress paradigms mimic the behavioral symptoms and neurological alterations seen in PTSD. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of animal models of PTSD including learned helplessness, footshock, restraint stress, inescapable tail shock, single-prolonged stress, underwater trauma, social isolation, social defeat, early-life stress, and predator-based stress. We emphasize rodent models because they reproduce some of the behavioral and biotical phenotypes seen in PTSD. We will also present data showing that homologous biological measures are increasingly incorporated in studies to assess markers of risk and therapeutic response in these models. Therefore, PTSD animal models may be refined in hopes of capitalizing on the understanding of the molecular mechanisms and delivering tools in order to develop new and more efficacious treatments for PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Xian-Zhang Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - He Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tianzheng Yu
- Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jacob Dohl
- Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert J Ursano
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Garlid AO, Polson JS, Garlid KD, Hermjakob H, Ping P. Equipping Physiologists with an Informatics Tool Chest: Toward an Integerated Mitochondrial Phenome. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2017; 240:377-401. [PMID: 27995389 DOI: 10.1007/164_2016_93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the complex involvement of mitochondrial biology in disease development often requires the acquisition, analysis, and integration of large-scale molecular and phenotypic data. An increasing number of bioinformatics tools are currently employed to aid in mitochondrial investigations, most notably in predicting or corroborating the spatial and temporal dynamics of mitochondrial molecules, in retrieving structural data of mitochondrial components, and in aggregating as well as transforming mitochondrial centric biomedical knowledge. With the increasing prevalence of complex Big Data from omics experiments and clinical cohorts, informatics tools have become indispensable in our quest to understand mitochondrial physiology and pathology. Here we present an overview of the various informatics resources that are helping researchers explore this vital organelle and gain insights into its form, function, and dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders Olav Garlid
- The NIH BD2K Center of Excellence in Biomedical Computing at UCLA, Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Jennifer S Polson
- The NIH BD2K Center of Excellence in Biomedical Computing at UCLA, Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Keith D Garlid
- The NIH BD2K Center of Excellence in Biomedical Computing at UCLA, Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Henning Hermjakob
- The NIH BD2K Center of Excellence in Biomedical Computing at UCLA, Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Molecular Systems Cluster, European Molecular Biology Laboratory-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Cambridge, UK
| | - Peipei Ping
- The NIH BD2K Center of Excellence in Biomedical Computing at UCLA, Departments of Physiology, Medicine, and Bioinformatics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wren-Dail MA, Dauchy RT, Ooms TG, Baker KC, Blask DE, Hill SM, Dupepe LM, Bohm RP. Effects of Colored Enrichment Devices on Circadian Metabolism and Physiology in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats. Comp Med 2016; 66:384-391. [PMID: 27780005 PMCID: PMC5073063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) gives laboratory animals opportunities to engage in species-specific behaviors. However, the effects of EE devices on normal physiology and scientific outcomes must be evaluated. We hypothesized that the spectral transmittance (color) of light to which rats are exposed when inside colored enrichment devices (CED) affects the circadian rhythms of various plasma markers. Pair-housed male Crl:SD rats were maintained in ventilated racks under a 12:12-h light:dark environment (265.0 lx; lights on, 0600); room lighting intensity and schedule remained constant throughout the study. Treatment groups of 6 subjects were exposed for 25 d to a colored enrichment tunnel: amber, red, clear, or opaque. We measured the proportion of time rats spent inside their CED. Blood was collected at 0400, 0800, 1200, 1600, 2000, and 2400 and analyzed for plasma melatonin, total fatty acids, and corticosterone. Rats spent more time in amber, red, and opaque CED than in clear tunnels. All tubes were used significantly less after blood draws had started, except for the clear tunnel, which showed no change in use from before blood sampling began. Normal peak nighttime melatonin concentrations showed significant disruption in the opaque CED group. Food and water intakes and body weight change in rats with red-tinted CED and total fatty acid concentrations in the opaque CED group differed from those in other groups. These results demonstrate that the color of CED altered normal circadian rhythms of plasma measures of metabolism and physiology in rats and therefore might influence the outcomes of scientific investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Wren-Dail
- Departments of Comparative Medicine and Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
| | - Robert T Dauchy
- Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Tara G Ooms
- Section of Laboratory Animal Medicine, IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kate C Baker
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - David E Blask
- Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Steven M Hill
- Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Lynell M Dupepe
- Departments of Comparative Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Rudolf P Bohm
- Division of Veterinary Medicine, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang L, Li H, Hu X, Benedek DM, Fullerton CS, Forsten RD, Naifeh JA, Li X, Wu H, Benevides KN, Le T, Smerin S, Russell DW, Ursano RJ. Mitochondria-focused gene expression profile reveals common pathways and CPT1B dysregulation in both rodent stress model and human subjects with PTSD. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e580. [PMID: 26080315 PMCID: PMC4490278 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a trauma-related mental disorder, is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain. However, the biologic approach to identifying the mitochondria-focused genes underlying the pathogenesis of PTSD is still in its infancy. Previous research, using a human mitochondria-focused cDNA microarray (hMitChip3) found dysregulated mitochondria-focused genes present in postmortem brains of PTSD patients, indicating that those genes might be PTSD-related biomarkers. To further test this idea, this research examines profiles of mitochondria-focused gene expression in the stressed-rodent model (inescapable tail shock in rats), which shows characteristics of PTSD-like behaviors and also in the blood of subjects with PTSD. This study found that 34 mitochondria-focused genes being upregulated in stressed-rat amygdala. Ten common pathways, including fatty acid metabolism and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) pathways were dysregulated in the amygdala of the stressed rats. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B), an enzyme in the fatty acid metabolism and PPAR pathways, was significantly over-expressed in the amygdala (P < 0.007) and in the blood (P < 0.01) of stressed rats compared with non-stressed controls. In human subjects with (n = 28) or without PTSD (n = 31), significant over-expression of CPT1B in PTSD was also observed in the two common dysregulated pathways: fatty acid metabolism (P = 0.0027, false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.043) and PPAR (P = 0.006, FDR = 0.08). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction validated the microarray findings and the CPT1B result. These findings indicate that blood can be used as a specimen in the search for PTSD biomarkers in fatty acid metabolism and PPAR pathways, and, in addition, that CPT1B may contribute to the pathology of PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- L Zhang
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA,Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. E-mail:
| | - H Li
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - X Hu
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - D M Benedek
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - C S Fullerton
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R D Forsten
- U.S. Army Pacific Command, Hawaiian Islands, HI, USA
| | - J A Naifeh
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - X Li
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - H Wu
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - K N Benevides
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T Le
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S Smerin
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - D W Russell
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R J Ursano
- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang HN, Bai YH, Chen YC, Zhang RG, Wang HH, Zhang YH, Gan JL, Peng ZW, Tan QR. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ameliorates anxiety-like behavior and impaired sensorimotor gating in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117189. [PMID: 25659132 PMCID: PMC4320076 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been employed for decades as a non-pharmacologic treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although a link has been suggested between PTSD and impaired sensorimotor gating (SG), studies assessing the effects of rTMS against PTSD or PTSD with impaired SG are scarce. Aim To assess the benefit of rTMS in a rat model of PTSD. Methods Using a modified single prolonged stress (SPS&S) rat model of PTSD, behavioral parameters were acquired using open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze test (EPMT), and prepulse inhibition trial (PPI), with or without 7 days of high frequency (10Hz) rTMS treatment of SPS&S rats. Results Anxiety-like behavior, impaired SG and increased plasma level of cortisol were observed in SPS&S animals after stress for a prolonged time. Interestingly, rTMS administered immediately after stress prevented those impairment. Conclusion Stress-induced anxiety-like behavior, increased plasma level of cortisol and impaired PPI occur after stress and high-frequency rTMS has the potential to ameliorate this behavior, suggesting that high frequency rTMS should be further evaluated for its use as a method for preventing PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hua-ning Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yuan-han Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yun-chun Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Rui-guo Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Huai-hai Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Ya-hong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jing-li Gan
- Department of Psychiatry, 91 Hospital of P. L. A., Jiaozuo, 454150, China
| | - Zheng-wu Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- * E-mail: (Z-WP); (Q-RT)
| | - Qing-rong Tan
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- * E-mail: (Z-WP); (Q-RT)
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang Y, Simpson-Durand CD, Standifer KM. Nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor antagonist JTC-801 reverses pain and anxiety symptoms in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 172:571-82. [PMID: 24666365 PMCID: PMC4292969 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Single-prolonged stress (SPS), a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), also induces long-lasting hyperalgesia associated with hypocortisolism and elevated nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) levels in serum and CSF. Here, we determined the effect of JTC-801 (N-(4-amino-2-methylquinolin-6-yl)-2-(4-ethylphenoxymethyl) benzamide monohydrochloride), a nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide (NOP) receptor antagonist, on symptoms of pain and anxiety in rats after SPS exposure, and examined N/OFQ-NOP receptor system changes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Male Sprague Dawley rats received JTC-801 (6 mg kg(-1) i.p., once daily) during days 7-21 of SPS. The ability of JTC-801 to inhibit N/OFQ-stimulated [(35) S]-GTPγS binding was confirmed in rat brain membranes. Anxiety-like behaviour and pain sensitivity were monitored by changes in elevated plus maze performance and withdrawal responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli. Serum corticosterone and N/OFQ content in CSF, serum and brain tissues were determined by radioimmunoassay; NOP receptor protein and gene expression in amygdala, hippocampus and periaqueductal grey (PAG) were examined by immunoblotting and real-time PCR respectively. KEY RESULTS JTC-801 treatment reversed SPS-induced mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, anxiety-like behaviour and hypocortisolism. Elevated N/OFQ levels in serum, CSF, PAG and hippocampus at day 21 of SPS were blocked by JTC-801; daily JTC-801 treatment also reversed NOP receptor protein and mRNA up-regulation in amygdala and PAG. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS JTC-801 reversed SPS-induced anxiety- and pain-like behaviours, and NOP receptor system up-regulation. These findings suggest that N/OFQ plays an important role in hyperalgesia and allodynia maintenance after SPS. NOP receptor antagonists may provide effective treatment for co-morbid PTSD and pain. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Li H, Li X, Smerin SE, Zhang L, Jia M, Xing G, Su YA, Wen J, Benedek D, Ursano R. Mitochondrial Gene Expression Profiles and Metabolic Pathways in the Amygdala Associated with Exaggerated Fear in an Animal Model of PTSD. Front Neurol 2014; 5:164. [PMID: 25295026 PMCID: PMC4172054 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2014.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The metabolic mechanisms underlying the development of exaggerated fear in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are not well defined. In the present study, alteration in the expression of genes associated with mitochondrial function in the amygdala of an animal model of PTSD was determined. Amygdala tissue samples were excised from 10 non-stressed control rats and 10 stressed rats, 14 days post-stress treatment. Total RNA was isolated, cDNA was synthesized, and gene expression levels were determined using a cDNA microarray. During the development of the exaggerated fear associated with PTSD, 48 genes were found to be significantly upregulated and 37 were significantly downregulated in the amygdala complex based on stringent criteria (p < 0.01). Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed up- or downregulation in the amygdala complex of four signaling networks – one associated with inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, one with immune mediators and metabolism, one with transcriptional factors, and one with chromatin remodeling. Thus, informatics of a neuronal gene array allowed us to determine the expression profile of mitochondrial genes in the amygdala complex of an animal model of PTSD. The result is a further understanding of the metabolic and neuronal signaling mechanisms associated with delayed and exaggerated fear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics, Georgetown University Medical Center , Washington, DC , USA
| | - Stanley E Smerin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Min Jia
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Guoqiang Xing
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Yan A Su
- Department of Gene and Protein Biomarkers, GenProMarkers , Rockville, MD , USA
| | - Jillian Wen
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - David Benedek
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Robert Ursano
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Expression profiling associates blood and brain glucocorticoid receptor signaling with trauma-related individual differences in both sexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:13529-34. [PMID: 25114262 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1401660111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Delineating the molecular basis of individual differences in the stress response is critical to understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, 7 d after predator-scent-stress (PSS) exposure, male and female rats were classified into vulnerable (i.e., "PTSD-like") and resilient (i.e., minimally affected) phenotypes on the basis of their performance on a variety of behavioral measures. Genome-wide expression profiling in blood and two limbic brain regions (amygdala and hippocampus), followed by quantitative PCR validation, was performed in these two groups of animals, as well as in an unexposed control group. Differentially expressed genes were identified in blood and brain associated with PSS-exposure and with distinct behavioral profiles postexposure. There was a small but significant between-tissue overlap (4-21%) for the genes associated with exposure-related individual differences, indicating convergent gene expression in both sexes. To uncover convergent signaling pathways across tissue and sex, upstream activated/deactivated transcription factors were first predicted for each tissue and then the respective pathways were identified. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling was the only convergent pathway associated with individual differences when using the most stringent statistical threshold. Corticosterone treatment 1 h after PSS-exposure prevented anxiety and hyperarousal 7 d later in both sexes, confirming the GR involvement in the PSS behavioral response. In conclusion, genes and pathways associated with extreme differences in the traumatic stress behavioral response can be distinguished from those associated with trauma exposure. Blood-based biomarkers can predict aspects of brain signaling. GR signaling is a convergent signaling pathway, associated with trauma-related individual differences in both sexes.
Collapse
|
12
|
Xing G, Barry ES, Benford B, Grunberg NE, Li H, Watson WD, Sharma P. Impact of repeated stress on traumatic brain injury-induced mitochondrial electron transport chain expression and behavioral responses in rats. Front Neurol 2013; 4:196. [PMID: 24376434 PMCID: PMC3859919 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A significant proportion of the military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have suffered from both mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder. The mechanisms are unknown. We used a rat model of repeated stress and mTBI to examine brain activity and behavioral function. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Naïve; 3 days repeated tail-shock stress; lateral fluid percussion mTBI; and repeated stress followed by mTBI (S-mTBI). Open field activity, sensorimotor responses, and acoustic startle responses (ASRs) were measured at various time points after mTBI. The protein expression of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complex subunits (CI-V) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDHE1α1) were determined in four brain regions at day 7-post mTBI. Compared to Naïves, repeated stress decreased horizontal activity; repeated stress and mTBI both decreased vertical activity; and the mTBI and S-mTBI groups were impaired in sensorimotor and ASRs. Repeated stress significantly increased CI, CII, and CIII protein levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), but decreased PDHE1α1 protein in the PFC and cerebellum, and decreased CIV protein in the hippocampus. The mTBI treatment decreased CV protein levels in the ipsilateral hippocampus. The S-mTBI treatment resulted in increased CII, CIII, CIV, and CV protein levels in the PFC, increased CI level in the cerebellum, and increased CIII and CV levels in the cerebral cortex, but decreased CI, CII, CIV, and PDHE1α1 protein levels in the hippocampus. Thus, repeated stress or mTBI alone differentially altered ETC expression in heterogeneous brain regions. Repeated stress followed by mTBI had synergistic effects on brain ETC expression, and resulted in more severe behavioral deficits. These results suggest that repeated stress could have contributed to the high incidence of long-term neurologic and neuropsychiatric morbidity in military personnel with or without mTBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Xing
- Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Erin S Barry
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Brandi Benford
- Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Neil E Grunberg
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - He Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - William D Watson
- Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| | - Pushpa Sharma
- Department of Anesthesiology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, MD , USA
| |
Collapse
|