Effects of chronic social defeat on behavioral and neural correlates of sociality: Vasopressin, oxytocin and the vasopressinergic V1b receptor

Chronic social stress in rodents produces behavioral and neuroendocrine patterns analogous to symptoms associated with psychopathologies in humans. Chronic social defeat in mice has been used to study the genetic and epigenetic precursors of stress-related social disorders. The neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) are released in central targets to modulate anti- and pro-social behaviors, respectively. AVP binds to V1a and V1b receptors (V1bRs) in discrete brain regions related to anxiety, depression and affiliative behaviors. Recent evidence suggests that V1bRs are involved in stress and anxiety and may be an attractive target for the treatment of associated disorders. In the present series of experiments, we aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic social defeat stress on: 1) anxiety-related behaviors in a social investigation paradigm and their potential modulation by an acute dose of SSR149415, a V1bR antagonist; 2) AVP and Fos protein levels in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and; 3) AVP- and OT-receptor (OTR) mRNA levels in brain regions associated with sociality. When compared to undefeated animals, socially defeated mice exhibited an anxiogenic behavioral profile towards a novel male conspecific, with SSR149415 partly attenuating these effects. Histochemistry using immunofluorescence showed defeat produced significant elevations of Fos and double labeling of AVP and Fos proteins in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). SSR149415 attenuated the effects of defeat on Fos and AVP/Fos double labeling, consistent with an anxiolytic effect. Defeated mice showed elevated levels of OTR mRNA levels in the lateral septum (LS) in addition to increased V1bR and OTR mRNA in the medial amygdala (MeA). We suggest the involvement of V1bRs and OTRs in a circuit involving the PVN, MeA and LS in the effects of defeat on sociality. SSR149415 attenuated anxiogenesis in the social investigation model and both Fos and AVP/Fos labeling, suggesting V1bRs are an attractive target for the treatment of anxiety in general and disorders of sociality in particular.     

Effects of the vasopressin (V1b) receptor antagonist, SSR149415, and the corticotropin-releasing factor 1 receptor antagonist, SSR125543, on FG 7142-induced increase in acetylcholine and norepinephrine release in the rat

Arginine vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing factor are two neuroactive peptides that regulate hypothalamic-pituitary-axis and associated stress response. While the potential antidepressant and anxiolytic profiles of corticotropin-releasing factor 1 antagonists have been well studied, the concept of blockade of vasopressin system as another approach for the treatment of emotional processes has only been made available recently by the synthesis of the first non-peptide antagonist at the V1b receptor, SSR149415. In the present study SSR149415 has been compared with the corticotropin-releasing factor 1 antagonist SSR125543 and with anxiolytic and antidepressant drugs on the response of hippocampal cholinergic and cortical noradrenergic systems to the anxiogenic benzodiazepine receptor inverse agonist FG 7142. Acute (0.3-10 mg/kg, i.p.) and long-term administration (10 mg/kg, i.p., 21 days) of SSR149415 and SSR125543 reduced the FG 7142-induced increase in extracellular concentrations of acetylcholine in the hippocampus of anesthetized rats measured by microdialysis. By contrast acute and long-term administration of SSR149415 failed to reduce the FG 7142-induced increase in the release of norepinephrine in the cortex of freely moving rats. The present results demonstrate that the two compounds have similar profiles in a model of activation by an anxiogenic drug of the hippocampal cholinergic system and they suggest that SSR149415 and SSR125543 may have anti-stress anxiolytic and antidepressant effects via a mechanism of action different from classical benzodiazepine ligands and noradrenergic antidepressants.     

Low and moderate doses of acute ethanol do not impair spatial cognition but facilitate accelerating rotarod performance in adolescent and adult rats

Adolescents and adult rodents have differing sensitivities to the acute effects of ethanol on a variety of behavioral and electrophysiological measures. Often, these differences are revealed using high ethanol doses and consequently little is known about these age-related effects using lower ethanol doses. We sought to determine if low-dose ethanol produces differential effects on cognition and motor behavior in adolescent and adult rats. Adolescent (postnatal day PD 30–32) and adult (PD 70–72) male Sprague Dawley rats were trained on the standard version of the Morris Water Maze (MWM) for 5 days or received 5 training trials on an accelerating rotarod (ARR). Adolescents learned the location of the submerged platform in the MWM significantly slower than adults during training and, acute ethanol administration (0.5 g/kg, 0.75 g/kg, or 1.0 g/kg) 30 min before testing did not impair spatial memory in either age group. On the ARR test, adolescent rats spent significantly more time on the rotarod compared to adults and, alcohol exposure (1.0 g/kg) significantly increased ARR performance 30 min following administration. Our findings address the utility of investigating low and moderate doses of ethanol during different developmental stages in rats.     

Memory performance and scopolamine: Hypoactivity of the thalamus revealed by cytochrome oxidase histochemistry

Spatial memory learning is related to the functioning of a neuronal circuit composed of cortical, hippocampal and diencephalic brain regions. The Morris water maze (MWM) is frequently used to assess spatial memory in rats. In this study, the neuronal functional activity of some brain limbic system regions after a memory task in adult male Wistar rats injected with scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.) was assessed using cytochrome oxidase (COx) histochemistry. The rats were trained following a working memory schedule in the MWM. A trained group injected with saline and an untreated control group were examined to compare changes in COx activity in the dorsal hippocampus, anterior thalamus, mammillary nuclei, prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area. The scopolamine-treated group showed an impairment of spatial learning. Also, a decrease in COx activity was found in this group as compared to the saline group in the anteroventral and anteromedial thalamic nuclei. Overall, these findings suggest that memory deficits induced by scopolamine may be due to impairment of the cholinergic function in the anterior thalamic nuclei.     

The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor modulator GLYX-13 enhances learning and memory, in young adult and learning impaired aging rats

NMDA receptor (NMDAR) activity has been strongly implicated in both in vitro and in vivo learning models and the decline in cognitive function associated with aging and is linked to a decrease in NMDAR functional expression. GLYX-13 is a tetrapeptide (Thr-Pro-Pro-Thr) which acts as a NMDAR receptor partial agonist at the glycine site. GLYX-13 was administered to young adult (3 months old) and aged (27-32 months old) Fischer 344 X Brown Norway F1 rats (FBNF1), and behavioral learning tested in trace eye blink conditioning (tEBC), a movable platform version of the Morris water maze (MWM), and alternating t-maze tasks. GLYX-13 (1 mg/kg, i.v.) enhanced learning in both young adult and aging animals for MWM and alternating t-maze, and increased tEBC in aging rats. We previously showed optimal enhancement of tEBC in young adult rats given GLYX-13 at the same dose. Of these learning tasks, the MWM showed the most robust age related deficit in learning. In the MWM, GLYX-13 enhancement of learning was greater in the old compared to the young adult animals. Examination of the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) at Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses in hippocampal slices showed that aged rats showed marked, selective impairment in the magnitude of LTP evoked by a sub-maximal tetanus, and that GLYX-13 significantly enhanced the magnitude of LTP in slices from both young adult and aged rats without affecting LTD. These data, combined with the observation that the GLYX-13 enhancement of learning was greater in old than in young adult animals, suggest that GLYX-13 may be a promising treatment for deficits in cognitive function associated with aging.     

Zinc supplementation provides behavioral resiliency in a rat model of traumatic brain injury

Depression, anxiety, and impairments in learning and memory are all associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because of the strong link between zinc deficiency, depression, and anxiety, in both humans and rodent models, we hypothesized that dietary zinc supplementation prior to injury could provide behavioral resiliency to lessen the severity of these outcomes after TBI. Rats were fed a marginal zinc deficient (5 ppm), zinc adequate (30 ppm), or zinc supplemented (180 ppm) diet for 4 weeks followed by a moderately-severe TBI using the well-established model of controlled cortical impact (CCI). Following CCI, rats displayed depression-like behaviors as measured by the 2-bottle saccharin preference test for anhedonia. Injury also resulted in evidence of stress and impairments in Morris water maze (MWM) performance compared to sham-injured controls. While moderate zinc deficiency did not worsen outcomes following TBI, rats that were fed the zinc supplemented diet for 4 weeks showed significantly attenuated increases in adrenal weight (p < 0.05) as well as reduced depression-like behaviors (p < 0.001). Supplementation prior to injury improved resilience such that there was not only significant improvements in cognitive behavior compared to injured rats fed an adequate diet (p < 0.01), there were no significant differences between supplemented and sham-operated rats in MWM performance at any point in the 10-day trial. These data suggest a role for supplemental zinc in preventing cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with TBI.     

Recombinant human NGF-loaded microspheres promote survival of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and improve memory impairments of spatial learning in the rat model of Alzheimer's disease with fimbria-fornix lesion

Neurotrophic factors are used for the experimental treatment of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. However, delivery of the neurotrophic factors into the brain remains a big challenge. Recombinant human nerve growth factor (NGF)-loaded microspheres were fabricated and characterized in vitro and in vivo in our previous study. The present study was to assess the therapeutic benefit of rhNGF-loaded microspheres in treating the rat model of Alzheimer's disease with fimbria-fornix lesion. Recombinant human NGF-loaded microspheres were implanted into the basal forebrain of the rats with fimbria-fornix lesion. Four weeks after implantation in the basal forebrain, immunohistochemical analysis showed that rhNGF-loaded microspheres had a significant effect on the survival of axotomized cholinergic neurons in the medial septum (MS) and vertical diagonal branch (VDB) (p < 0.05). Y-maze tests showed rhNGF-loaded microspheres can significantly improve the ability of spatial learning and memory of the rats with fimbria-fornix lesion (p < 0.05). These results indicate that rhNGF-loaded microspheres are an effective means for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.     

SKF 83566 attenuates the effects of ghrelin on performance in the object location memory task

Increasing research implicates ghrelin, a metabolic signaling peptide, in memory processes including acquisition, consolidation, and retention. The present study investigated the effects of ghrelin on spatial memory acquisition by utilizing the object location memory task paradigm. Given the co-expression of ghrelin and dopamine D₁ receptors within hippocampal neurons, we examined a potential interaction between these two systems on memory performance. When injected into the dorsal third ventricle (D3V) of male Sprague-Dawley rats, proximal to hippocampal tissue, ghrelin (500 pmol) increased the amount of time spent with objects in novel locations. This effect was completely reversed by the D₁ antagonist SKF 83566 (100 μg/kg IP), although when administered alone, the antagonist had no effect on task performance (10-100 μg/kg). We also examined the feeding effects of D3V ghrelin and found that the peptide reliably increased food intake (500 pmol) but that this effect was not blocked by SKF 83566 (100 μg/kg). When given alone, SKF 83566 did not alter food intake (10-100 μg/kg). Our findings indicate that, in addition to an orexigenic effect, ghrelin improves acquisition of spatial location memories. Furthermore, D₁ receptor activation is necessary for ghrelin to improve the encoding of spatial memories but does not impact the increase in food intake elicited by the peptide.     

Dietary trans-fat combined with monosodium glutamate induces dyslipidemia and impairs spatial memory

Aims

Recent evidence suggests that intake of excessive dietary fat, particularly saturated fat and trans-hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids: TFA) can impair learning and memory. Central obesity, which can be induced by neonatal injections of monosodium Glutamate (MSG), also impairs learning and memory. To further clarify the effects of dietary fat and MSG, we treated C57BL/6 J mice with either a TFA-enriched diet, dietary MSG, or a combination of both and examined serum lipid profile and spatial memory compared to mice fed standard chow. Spatial learning was assessed at 6, 16 and 32 weeks of age in a Morris Water Maze (MWM). The subjects were given four days of training to find a hidden platform and a fifth day of reversal learning, in which the platform was moved to a new location.

Results

The TFA + MSG combination caused a central adiposity that was accompanied by impairment in locating the hidden platform in the MWM. Females in the TFA + MSG group showed a greater impairment compared to the other diet groups, and also showed elevated levels of fasting serum LDL-C and T-CHOL:HDL-C ratio, together with the lowest levels of HDL-C. Similarly, males in the TFA + MSG diet group were less successful than control mice at locating the hidden platform and had the highest level of abdominal adiposity and elevated levels of fasting serum LDL-C.

Conclusion

Dietary trans-fat combined with MSG increased central adiposity, promoted dyslipidemia and impaired spatial learning.     

Parietal and frontal object areas underlie perception of object orientation in depth

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder of cognition. Behavioral symptoms of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. We investigated the effects of treadmill exercise and methylphenidate (MPH) on activity and spatial learning memory in relation to dopamine synthesis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression using spontaneously hypertensive adult male rats. The rats in the MPH-treated group received 1 mg/kg MPH orally once a day for 28 days. The rats in the treadmill exercise group were made to run on a treadmill for 30 min once a day, five times a week, for 28 days. Activity was determined by an open-field test and spatial learning memory was evaluated by an 8-arm maze test. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were conducted to examine the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of dopamine, and BDNF. The rats in the ADHD group showed hyperactivity and spatial learning memory deficit. Reduction of TH in the striatum and substantia nigra and BDNF in the hippocampus was observed of the rats in the ADHD group. Treadmill exercise and MPH alleviated the ADHD-induced hyperactivity and spatial learning memory impairment. Expressions of TH and BDNF in the ADHD rats were also increased by both treadmill exercise and MPH. These findings provide a possibility that exercise may be used as an effective therapeutic intervention for ADHD patients as MPH treatment.     

重复Morris水迷宫训练提高大鼠空间学习能力却不影响空间记忆能力

采用每周一个周期的Morris水迷宫(MWM)训练(包括第1d的定位航行实验和第2d的空间探索实验),探讨重复MWM训练对大鼠空间学习、记忆能力的影响。在定位航行实验中,动物随机从不同象限连续入水5次以寻找隐藏站台,测量其上台潜伏期来评定其空间学习能力;在第二个训练日中,空间探索实验时撤去隐藏在靶象限的站台,计算大鼠在靶象限活动时间的百分比,评定大鼠的空间记忆能力。采用雄性SD大鼠20只,连续四周重复给予MWM定位航行和探索训练,分别评定大鼠空间学习和记忆能力。结果显示:随着训练次数的增加,动物的上台潜伏期逐渐缩短。同时,第一次的MWM训练能够提高大鼠的空间记忆能力,然而重复训练则轻微提高大鼠的空间记忆能力,但无统计学差异:在1、2、3、4周测得的靶象限内活动时间百分比分别为39.29%±1.62%,39.97%±2.34%,42.05%±2.32%,39.30%±1.64%。本实验结果提示:重复MWM定位航行能够增强动物的空间学习能力,但不影响动物的空间记忆能力。空间学习和记忆能力可能存在不同的形成机制。     

Cross state-dependency of learning between WIN55, 212-2 and scopolamine in rat dorsal hippocampus

In the current study, cross state-dependent learning between the cannabinoid CB1/CB2 receptor agonist WIN55, 212-2 (WIN) and muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine (SCO) in a step-through inhibitory avoidance task was investigated. All drugs were injected bilaterally into the dorsal hippocampus (intra-CA1) of rats. Data indicated that the immediate post-training administration of WIN (0.25 and 0.5 μg/rat) and SCO (2 and 4 μg/rat) decreased memory consolidation and induced amnesia. Moreover, the amnesia induced by the post-training injections of WIN (0.5 μg/rat) or SCO (2 μg/rat) was restored by either pre-test injections of WIN (0.25 and 0.5 μg/rat) or SCO (2 and 4 μg/rat). Furthermore, pre-test co-administration of ineffective doses of WIN (0.1 μg/rat) with SCO (1 μg/rat) restored amnesia induced by the post-training injections of WIN (0.5 μg/rat) or SCO (2 μg/rat). In conclusion, the data strongly revealed a cross state-dependent learning between WIN and SCO in the rat dorsal hippocampus.     

Capsid protein identification and analysis of mature Triatoma virus (TrV) virions and naturally occurring empty particles

Triatoma virus (TrV) is a non-enveloped + ssRNA virus belonging to the insect virus family Dicistroviridae. Mass spectrometry (MS) and gel electrophoresis were used to detect the previously elusive capsid protein VP4. Its cleavage sites were established by sequencing the N-terminus of the protein precursor and MS, and its stoichiometry with respect to the other major capsid proteins (VP1-3) was found to be 1:1. We also characterized the polypeptides comprising the naturally occurring non-infectious empty capsids, i.e., RNA-free TrV particles. The empty particles were composed of VP0-VP3 plus at least seven additional polypeptides, which were identified as products of the capsid precursor polyprotein. We conclude that VP4 protein appears as a product of RNA encapsidation, and that defective processing of capsid proteins precludes genome encapsidation.     

Water T-maze,an improved method to assess spatial working memory in rats: Pharmacological validation

The present study was performed to validate a spatial working memory task using pharmacological manipulations. The water escape T-maze combines the advantages of the Morris water maze and the T-maze while minimizing the disadvantages. Scopolamine (1 mg/kg), a drug that affects cognitive function in spatial working memory tasks, significantly decreased the rats’ performance in the present delayed alternation task. Glutamate neurotransmission plays an important role in the maintenance of working memory; rats treated with dizocilpine (MK-801; 0.125–0.25 mg/kg), a N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, were impaired in this task. In agreement with evidence showing a functional interaction between ionotropic and metabotropic glutamatergic receptors, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (MPEP), a mGlu₅ receptor antagonist, at a dose (1 mg/kg) which by itself had no significant effects, enhanced MK-801-induced impairments of spatial working memory. These evidences suggest that the water escape T-maze might be a valid method to assess spatial working memory, sensitive to pharmacological manipulations.     

Alterations in fear response and spatial memory in pre- and post-natal zinc supplemented rats: Remediation by copper

The role of zinc in the nervous system is receiving increased attention. At a time when dietary fortification and supplementation have increased the amount of zinc being consumed, little work has been done on the effects of enhanced zinc on behavior. Both zinc and copper are essential trace minerals that are acquired from the diet; under normal conditions the body protects against zinc overload, but at excessive dosages, copper deficiency has been seen. In order to examine the effect of enhanced metal administration on learning and memory, Sprague Dawley rats were given water supplemented with 10 ppm Zn, 10 ppm Zn + 0.25 ppm Cu, or normal lab water, during pre- and post-natal development. Fear conditioning tests at 4 months showed significantly higher freezing rates during contextual retention and extinction and cued extinction for rats drinking water supplemented with zinc, suggesting increased anxiety compared to controls raised on lab water. During the MWM task at 9 months, zinc-enhanced rats had significantly longer latencies to reach the platform compared to controls. The addition of copper to the zinc supplemented water brought freezing and latency levels closer to that of controls. These data demonstrate the importance of maintaining appropriate intake of both metals simultaneously, and show that long-term supplementation with zinc may cause alterations in memory.     

Effects of beta-adrenergic antagonist,propranolol on spatial memory and exploratory behavior in mice

The beta-adrenergic system has been suggested to be involved in novelty detection and memory modulation. The present study aimed to investigate the role of beta-adrenergic receptors on novelty-based spatial recognition memory and exploratory behavior in mice using Y-maze test and open-field respectively. Mice were injected with three doses of beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol (2, 10 and 20 mg/kg) or saline at three different time points (15 min prior to training, immediately after training and 15 min before test). The results showed that higher doses of propranolol (10 and 20 mg/kg) given before the training trial impaired spatial recognition memory while those injected at other two time points did not. A detailed analysis of exploratory behavior in open-field showed that lower dose (2 mg/kg) of propranolol reduced exploratory behavior of mice. Our findings indicate that higher dose of propranolol can impair acquisition of spatial information in the Y-maze without altering locomotion, suggesting that the beta-adrenergic system may be involved in modulating memory processes at the time of learning.     

Neuropeptide S facilitates spatial memory and mitigates spatial memory impairment induced by N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist in mice

Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a recently discovered peptide shown to be involved in regulating arousal and anxiety. NPS receptor (NPSR) mRNA is expressed significantly in the major input and output regions of hippocampal formation, which are critical in the modulation of learning and memory. However, the role of NPS/NPSR system in regulating of learning and memory is still unknown. Here, we use the Morris water maze (MWM) to determine the effects of NPS on spatial learning and memory following intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection in mice. Our data show that i.c.v. injection of NPS facilitates spatial memory in the MWM without significant alteration of latency to the target and swimming speed. Furthermore, NPS (i.c.v.) mitigates spatial memory impairment induced by the selective N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist MK801. Taken together, our results firstly demonstrate that NPS facilitates spatial memory and mitigates MK801-induced spatial memory impairment in mice.     

Age-related spatial cognitive impairment is correlated with a decrease in ChAT in the cerebral cortex,hippocampus and forebrain of SAMP8 mice

At present, the mechanisms underlying cognitive disorders remain unclear. The senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) prone/8 (P8) has been proposed as a useful model for the study of aging, and SAM resistant/1 (R1) is its control as a normal aging strain. The purpose of this study was to investigate choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression in SAM brain. The age-related decline of learning and memory ability in P8 mice (4, 8 and 12 months old, n = 10 for each group) was proved in Morris water maze test (MWM). After the behavioral test, protein and mRNA levels of ChAT were determined in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and forebrain by means of immunostaining, Western blotting, and real time quantitative PCR (QPCR). Comparing with 4-month-old P8 and R1, 8- and 12-month-old P8 showed age-related cognitive impairment in MWM test. The latencies of the 4-month-old P8 in a hidden platform trial were significantly shorter, and the retention time was significantly longer than that of the older P8 groups. In addition, significantly low level of ChAT protein was observed in older P8 groups. Comparing with the 4-month-old P8, ChAT mRNA in the 12-month-old P8 declined significantly in all three regions of P8 brain. Pearson correlation test showed that the latencies in the MWM were positively correlated with the level of ChAT in P8. Such phenomenon could not be detected in normal aging R1 mice. These findings suggest that the decrease of ChAT in P8 mice was responsible for the age-related learning and memory impairments in some sense.