Article
Neurosciences
Xuansong Mao, Kolter B. Grigsby, Taylor J. Kelty, Nathan R. Kerr, Thomas E. Childs, Frank W. Booth
Summary: The study aimed to analyze the effects of intra-NAc inhibition of AP-1 on voluntary wheel running behavior and transcript expression in WT and LVR rats, revealing different responses to AP-1 among different rat lines and differential regulation of specific gene products.
Article
Neurosciences
Xuansong Mao, Kolter B. Grigsby, Taylor J. Kelty, Nathan R. Kerr, Thomas E. Childs, Frank W. Booth
Summary: This study investigates the effects of inhibiting activator protein-1 (AP-1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) on voluntary wheel running behavior in rats and identifies the transcriptional profile associated with AP-1 inhibition. The results show that AP-1 inhibition decreases overnight running distance in wild-type rats and increases it in low voluntary running rats, with differential involvement of gene products related to cellular proliferation and development, intracellular calcium homeostasis, calcium ion binding, and neuronal excitability.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline J. Smith, Danielle N. Rendina, Marcy A. Kingsbury, Karen E. Malacon, Dang M. Nguyen, Jessica J. Tran, Benjamin A. Devlin, Ravikiran M. Raju, Madeline J. Clark, Lauren Burgett, Jason H. Zhang, Murat Cetinbas, Ruslan I. Sadreyev, Kevin Chen, Malvika S. Iyer, Staci D. Bilbo
Summary: Environmental toxicant exposure, particularly air pollution, disproportionately affects low-income and minority communities, leading to higher levels of psychosocial stress. This study shows that combined exposure to air pollution and maternal stress during pregnancy induces social behavior deficits in male mice, accompanied by changes in microglial morphology and gene expression, as well as decreased dopamine receptor expression and dopaminergic fiber input in the nucleus accumbens. Importantly, the gut microbiome composition and intestinal epithelium structure are significantly altered in these exposed males, and shifting the gut microbiome at birth can prevent social deficits and microglial alterations. However, while social deficits can be reversed by activating dopamine neurons, modulation of the gut microbiome does not impact dopamine endpoints. These findings highlight the male-specific changes in the gut-brain axis following environmental toxicant exposure and emphasize the importance of the gut microbiome in modulating social behavior and microglia.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ida Fredriksson, Pei-Jung Tsai, Aniruddha Shekara, Ying Duan, Sarah V. Applebey, Angelica Minier-Toribio, Ashley Batista, Jonathan J. Chow, Lindsay Altidor, Estelle Barbier, Carlo Cifani, Xuan Li, David J. Reiner, F. Javier Rubio, Bruce T. Hope, Yihong Yang, Jennifer M. Bossert, Yavin Shaham
Summary: High relapse rate is a key feature of opioid addiction which can be modeled in a rat model of incubation of oxycodone craving after voluntary abstinence. The vSub neuronal ensembles play a key role in the incubation of oxycodone craving in this model. Functional connectivity changes in vSub-related circuits can predict opioid relapse after abstinence induced by adverse consequences.
Article
Biology
Monica P. McNamara, Emily M. Venable, Marcell D. Cadney, Alberto A. Castro, Margaret P. Schmill, Lawrence Kazzazi, Rachel N. Carmody, Theodore Garland
Summary: In this study, the fecal microbial community composition and diversity were compared between a group of mice selectively bred for high wheel-running activity and a control group. The results showed that the high wheel-running mice had a higher relative abundance of the bacterial family Clostridiaceae, which differed from a previous study on rats. Additionally, the replicate lines within the high wheel-running and control groups had unique microbiomes, indicating potential random genetic drift and/or multiple adaptive responses to selection.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Cigdem Aydin, Karla Frohmader, Michael Emery, Peter Blandino Jr, Huda Akil
Summary: Stress experienced during adolescence affects the onset and severity of drug dependence later in life. This study using a rat model of innate differences in emotional reactivity demonstrates that the interplay between individual temperament and previous experience of adolescent stress/trauma determines vulnerability or resilience to develop substance use disorders later in life. Additionally, the study suggests that the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain's reward center, nucleus accumbens, may play a role in this interaction.
STRESS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON THE BIOLOGY OF STRESS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Qiang Lyu, Hecun Zou, Li Luo, Wei Liu, Xiang He, Fei-Fei Shang
Summary: This study found that increasing the expression of eIF5A1 in NAc neurons enhances LPS-induced depressive behavior and promotes neuroplasticity in the NAc. Additionally, eIF5A1 regulates the expression of several proteins related to neuroplasticity.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Ege Kingir, Cem Sevinc, Gunes Unal
Summary: Chronic oral ketamine prevents the reduction of daily activity and loss of desire caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress. This preventive effect is achieved by altering neuronal activation in the lateral habenula and nucleus accumbens shell.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Joel A. Tripp, Alejandro Berrio, Lisa A. McGraw, Mikhail V. Matz, Jamie K. Davis, Kiyoshi Inoue, James W. Thomas, Larry J. Young, Steven M. Phelps
Summary: This study found that gene expression differences in species and brain regions play a key role in pair bonding behavior. Gene ontology analysis supported the hypothesis that the pair-bond formation involves transcriptional regulation and changes in neuronal structure. Overall, the results expand knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in bond formation.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Andrew Yousef, Leighton B. Hinkley, Srikantan S. Nagarajan, Steven W. Cheung
Summary: This study investigated neuroanatomic volume differences in tinnitus and hearing loss using structural magnetic resonance imaging. Results showed that both tinnitus and hearing loss cohorts exhibited specific volume changes in regions such as the nucleus accumbens and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, highlighting overlapping effects on neurovolumetric alterations.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wenjing Wang, Lihong Wang, Liyan Wang, Ye Li, Tian Lan, Changmin Wang, Xiao Chen, Shihong Chen, Shuyan Yu
Summary: Depression is a common psychological disease with unclear underlying mechanisms. Inflammation-induced neuronal damage is considered an important risk factor for depression. The combined treatment of ginsenoside-Rg1 and voluntary running exercise shows higher efficacy in depression treatment by anti-inflammation and improvement of neuroplasticity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gavin C. Jones, Christina A. Small, Dallin Z. Otteson, Caylor W. Hafen, Jacob T. Breinholt, Paul D. Flora, Matthew D. Burris, David W. Sant, Tysum R. Ruchti, Jordan T. Yorgason, Scott C. Steffensen, Kyle B. Bills
Summary: This study used a Wistar rat model to evaluate the effectiveness of whole-body vibration (WBV) as a preventative measure for the neuronal and behavioral effects of morphine withdrawal. The results showed that concurrent administration of WBV at 80 Hz with morphine significantly reduced adaptations in neuronal activity and dopamine release, as well as modulated the expression of δ-opioid receptors on cholinergic interneurons in the nucleus accumbens. WBV represents a promising adjunct to current intervention for opioid use disorder (OUD).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jarren C. Kay, James Colbath, Robert J. Talmadge, Theodore Garland Jr
Summary: Muscle injuries can be caused by strenuous exercise, repetitive tasks, or external forces. Populations that have been selected for high locomotor activity may not have enhanced resistance to these injuries, contrary to expectations.
Article
Neurosciences
Guendalina Bastioli, Jennifer C. Arnold, Maria Mancini, Adam C. Mar, Begona Gamallo-Lana, Khalil Saadipour, Moses Chao, Margaret E. Rice
Summary: Physical exercise improves motor performance in individuals with Parkinson's disease and elevates mood in those with depression. This study investigated the influence of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and dopamine release in the striatum. The findings suggest a causal role for BDNF in exercise-enhanced striatal dopamine release and provide mechanistic insight into the beneficial effects of exercise in neuropsychiatric disorders.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nagiua Cuomo-Haymour, Hannes Sigrist, Christian Ineichen, Giancarlo Russo, Ursina Nuesch, Felix Gantenbein, Luka Kulic, Irene Knuesel, Giorgio Bergamini, Christopher Robert Pryce
Summary: Immune-inflammatory activation affects the composition of extracellular vesicles, specifically their miRNA content. This mouse study investigated the impact of systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and chronic social stress (CSS) on the miRNA expression of plasma-derived EVs. Additionally, it examined the physiological and behavioral effects of peripheral or central administration of LPS-activated EVs in recipient mice. The results show that both LPS and CSS altered the expression of specific miRNAs in plasma EVs. Furthermore, the administration of LPS-EVs had significant effects on bodyweight, immune-relevant gene expression, and reward motivation in the recipient mice. These findings provide causal evidence of the impact of EVs on physiological and behavioral processes, and their potential relevance to neuropsychiatric disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)