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Georgiou P, Zanos P, Mou TCM, An X, Gerhard DM, Dryanovski DI, Potter LE, Highland JN, Jenne CE, Stewart BW, Pultorak KJ, Yuan P, Powels CF, Lovett J, Pereira EFR, Clark SM, Tonelli LH, Moaddel R, Zarate CA, Duman RS, Thompson SM, Gould TD. Experimenters' sex modulates mouse behaviors and neural responses to ketamine via corticotropin releasing factor. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1191-1200. [PMID: 36042309 PMCID: PMC10186684 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01146-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We show that the sex of human experimenters affects mouse behaviors and responses following administration of the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine and its bioactive metabolite (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine. Mice showed aversion to the scent of male experimenters, preference for the scent of female experimenters and increased stress susceptibility when handled by male experimenters. This human-male-scent-induced aversion and stress susceptibility was mediated by the activation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neurons in the entorhinal cortex that project to hippocampal area CA1. Exposure to the scent of male experimenters before ketamine administration activated CA1-projecting entorhinal cortex CRF neurons, and activation of this CRF pathway modulated in vivo and in vitro antidepressant-like effects of ketamine. A better understanding of the specific and quantitative contributions of the sex of human experimenters to study outcomes in rodents may improve replicability between studies and, as we have shown, reveal biological and pharmacological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polymnia Georgiou
- Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panos Zanos
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ta-Chung M Mou
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoxian An
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Danielle M Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dilyan I Dryanovski
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Liam E Potter
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jaclyn N Highland
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,The Graduate Program in Toxicology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carleigh E Jenne
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brent W Stewart
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,The Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Katherine J Pultorak
- The Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peixiong Yuan
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Chris F Powels
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jacqueline Lovett
- Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Edna F R Pereira
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sarah M Clark
- Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leonardo H Tonelli
- Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ruin Moaddel
- Biomedical Research Center, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carlos A Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Scott M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Georgiou P, Zanos P, Jenne CE, Gould TD. Sex-Specific Involvement of Estrogen Receptors in Behavioral Responses to Stress and Psychomotor Activation. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:81. [PMID: 30863326 PMCID: PMC6399411 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluctuating hormone levels, such as estradiol might underlie the difference in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders observed in women vs. men. Estradiol exert its effects primarily through binding on the two classical estrogen receptor subtypes, alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ). Both receptors have been suggested to a have role in the development of psychiatric disorders, however, most of the current literature is limited to their role in females. We investigated the role of estrogen receptors on cognition (novel-object recognition), anxiety (open-field test, elevated-plus maze, and light/dark box), stress-responsive behaviors (forced-swim test, learned helplessness following inescapable shock, and sucrose preference), pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) and amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in both male and female mice either lacking the ERα or ERβ receptor. We found that female Esr1 -/- mice have attenuated pre-pulse inhibition, whereas female Esr2 -/- mice manifested enhanced pre-pulse inhibition. No pre-pulse inhibition difference was observed in male Esr1 -/- and Esr2 -/- mice. Moreover, amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion was decreased in male Esr1 -/-, but not Esr2 -/- mice, while female Esr1 -/- and Esr2 -/- mice showed an enhanced response. Genetic absence of ERα did not alter the escape capability or sucrose preference following inescapable shock in both male and female mice. In contrast, female, but not male Esr2 -/- mice, manifested decreased escape failures compared with controls. Lack of Esr2 gene in male mice was associated with decreased sucrose preference following inescapable shock, suggesting susceptibility for development of anhedonia following stress. No sucrose preference differences were found in female Esr2 -/- mice following inescapable shock stress. Lastly, we demonstrated that lack of Esr1 or Esr2 genes had no effect on memory and anxiety-like behaviors in both male and female mice. Our findings indicate a differential sex-specific involvement of estrogen receptors in the development of stress-mediated maladaptive behaviors as well as psychomotor activation responses suggesting that these receptors might act as potential treatment targets in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polymnia Georgiou
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Panos Zanos
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Carleigh E Jenne
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, United States
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