Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle Hen-Shoval, Lital Moshe, Talia Indig-Naimer, Raphael Mechoulam, Gal Shoval, Gil Zalsman, Natalya M. Kogan, Aron Weller
Summary: This study explored the anti-depressant effects of Cannabidiolic Acid-Methyl Ester (CBDA-ME) in female Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and found that females require higher doses of CBDA-ME to induce anti-depressant effects. Furthermore, the anti-depressant effects of CBDA-ME in females may be related to serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), endocannabinoid levels, and hippocampal expression of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ping-Rui Tsai, Kun-Huang Chen, Tzay-Ming Hong, Fu-Nien Wang, Teng-Yi Huang
Summary: This article discusses a method that simplifies the analysis of mental disorders by using decision trees and fMRI encoding, revealing different states of mental disorders by fitting power-law distributions. It also constructs a transformation matrix connecting different disorders, using mentally disordered rats as samples. The attempt may contribute to unraveling the mystery of psychological processes, although it is still in its early stages.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jiangfeng Liao, Xue Mi, Guirong Zeng, Yuanxiang Wei, Xiaoman Dai, Qinyong Ye, Xiaochun Chen, Jing Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the genetic susceptibility to depression in the WKY rat model. Comparison with Wistar rats reveals significant differences in depression-like behaviors and synaptic plasticity in the WKY strain. Proteomic analysis identifies brain region-specific differentially-expressed proteins that closely correlate with depression-like phenotypes. These findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of depression in males.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Juhyun Song, Young-Kook Kim
Summary: Depressive disorder is a common psychiatric pathology worldwide, with increasing numbers of patients each year according to a report by the World Health Organization. Research has shown that the risk of depression is influenced by various factors including genetics and environmental stress. Understanding the pathogenesis of depressive disorder is crucial for identifying mechanisms and genetic disorders underlying depression.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Franco Rafael Mir, Antonella Pollano, Maria Angelica Rivarola
Summary: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common mood disorder in the postnatal period with potential long-lasting effects on the well-being of mother and infants, making it a priority in public health. Despite efforts in clinical investigation and preclinical studies, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this disorder remain unknown in detail. Animal models, especially rodent models, have contributed significantly to the progress in this area and are crucial tools for understanding the pathophysiological basis of PPD and developing new therapeutic strategies.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jiangfeng Liao, Guirong Zeng, Wenting Fang, Weibin Huang, Xiaoman Dai, Qinyong Ye, Jing Zhang, Xiaochun Chen
Summary: This study investigated the role of disrupted Notch signaling in chronic social defeat stress mice and depression WKY rats, identifying changes associated with depression and suggesting that increased Notch2/NF-kappa B signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex may mediate depression susceptibility.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Review
Plant Sciences
Xiao-Le Wang, Ya-Ting Wang, Zhen-Yu Guo, Ning-Ning Zhang, Yuan-Yuan Wang, Die Hu, Zhen-Zhen Wang, Yi Zhang
Summary: This study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the effectiveness of paeoniflorin in relieving depressive-like behaviors in animal models. The results showed that paeoniflorin significantly improved depressive-like symptoms in animals, suggesting its potential as a therapy for depression in the future.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Katharina Gryksa, Anna K. Schmidtner, Marianella Masis-Calvo, Odir A. Rodriguez-Villagra, Andrea Havasi, Gwendolyn Wirobski, Rodrigue Maloumby, Herbert Jaegle, Oliver J. Bosch, David A. Slattery, Inga D. Neumann
Summary: Animal models of selective breeding for extremes in emotionality are an important tool in studying psychopathologies. In this study, Wistar rats selectively bred for high and low anxiety-related behavior are extensively discussed. The study confirms the differences between high and low anxiety rats in trait anxiety, depressive-like behavior, social behavior, and cognitive behavior. The study also identifies a genetic factor causative for neuropeptide overexpression in high anxiety rats. These findings demonstrate that HAB and LAB rats are reliable models for studying high trait anxiety and its comorbidity with depression-like behavior and social dysfunctions.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marina A. Ryazanova, Vladislava S. Plekanchuk, Olga I. Prokudina, Yulia V. Makovka, Tatiana A. Alekhina, Olga E. Redina, Arcady L. Markel
Summary: Research on the genetic and physiological mechanisms of widespread disorders is important in academic and practical medicine and biology. Animal models are used to overcome limitations and difficulties in such studies. Different approaches, including genetic technologies and breeding, have been used to create animal models of human pathologies. This review describes three rat models developed through breeding in a research institute.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Cecilie Bay-Richter, Gregers Wegener
Summary: In recent years, there has been significant focus on the neuroimmune mechanisms of depression. This article systematically reviews the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on depressive-like behavior in rodent models of depression. The results suggest that stress models are the best choice for examining the antidepressant effects of NSAIDs, and rat models show a more homogeneous response compared to mouse models.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
David M. Lyons, Sarah Ayash, Alan F. Schatzberg, Marianne B. Muller
Summary: Laboratory mouse models play a crucial role in bridging the gap between basic neuroscience and applied stress research. This study examines the ecological validity of social defeat stressors in mouse models of emotional vulnerability and resilience. It was found that the majority of the reviewed reports (95%) focus on males, and many reports (71%) discuss vulnerability and resilience. Limited ecological validity leads to increased vulnerability and decreased resilience. Elements of limited ecological validity include repeated exposure to defeat stressors without opportunities to avoid or escape from pre-screened aggressive conspecifics, which is not representative of naturalistic conditions. Research is needed to establish causality and determine if ecologically valid stressors can build resilience in both sexes of mice.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Jiayi Zheng, Weiwu Cai, Xuen Lu, Wei He, Ding Li, Haoyu Zhong, Liangjun Yang, Siyi Li, Haishan Li, Sereen Rafee, Ziming Zhao, Qi Wang, Huafeng Pan
Summary: The study found that chronic stress exacerbates the condition of gastric precancerous lesions, shortens the disease process, and increases the risk of tumor development. Close monitoring of the mental health of cancer survivors and precancerous lesion patients is crucial in the prevention and treatment of cancer.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Karolina Noworyta, Rafal Rygula
Summary: This study investigates how individual trait sensitivity to reinforcement affects the reactivity of rats to acute antidepressant treatment, revealing that different types of reinforcement sensitivity may lead to different vulnerabilities to mood disorders.
EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno, Natalia Maria Simionato, Vanessa Manchim Favaro, Lucas Oliveira Maia
Summary: This article reviews and summarizes the available data on ayahuasca research using animal models. The results show that ayahuasca has toxicological effects at high doses but is safe at ceremonial-based doses. It exhibits antidepressant effects and has the potential to reduce the reward effects of ethanol and amphetamines. However, its anxiolytic effects are inconclusive. Ayahuasca also affects brain structures involved in memory, emotion, and learning. Animal models are essential for further studying the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Iveta Pavlova, Jana Ruda-Kucerova
Summary: This review summarises the current knowledge of 1H MRS findings from rodent models of MDD, which suggest lower levels of glutamine, glutamate + glutamine, and higher levels of myo-inositol and taurine in most of the brain regions of MDD models. Bias-introducing factors in these studies include the diversity of measured volumes, data processing, and metabolite concentration expression. Biological variables such as strain, sex, species, model, and exploration method also contribute to the variability of the results.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Noa Hazut, Kayla Rapps, Aron Weller, Abraham J. Susswein
Summary: Nitric oxide (NO) has complex, state-dependent effects on both the quantity of food eaten and on patterns of feeding in rats, mediating feeding inhibition caused by satiation through unconventional pathways.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Aron Weller, Gal Yadid, Alexander Friedman
Summary: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in the Western world, characterized by increased negative affect and decreased positive affect, with some types having a risk for suicide attempts. Recent studies suggest a relationship between alterations in dopaminergic activity and depression, with imaging studies revealing decreased activity in brain reward circuits in major depression. This review explores the crosstalk between endocannabinoid and dopamine receptors in reward circuits and their vulnerability to stress, particularly in corticostriatal regions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Aron Weller, Michal Ben-Shachar, Gil Klinger, Ronny Geva
Summary: This paper proposes a theory on the ontogenetic-neurobiological basis of self-regulation, suggesting that it is a complex mechanism starting from early brainstem development and progressing to cortical control. The paper discusses the synchronous reactivity between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, as well as the development of cardiovascular and white matter, in creating self-regulatory functions. It also proposes hypotheses for further investigation of the clock circuitry and its associations with other biological clocks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Danielle Hen-Shoval, Aron Weller, Abraham Weizman, Gal Shoval
Summary: Depression and anxiety disorders are common and growing mental health concerns in adolescents, with antidepressant medication use increasing accordingly. Cannabis use may affect the efficacy of antidepressants, particularly among adolescents, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Aron Weller, Rotem Maor, Yuval Feldman, Yossi Harel-Fisch, Mario Mikulincer
Summary: The study found that perceived support in close relationships was negatively associated with the intensity of depression, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Larger rings of potential support, such as perceived belongingness to a community and trust in government, were also negatively related to anxiety and depression but positively associated with the intensity of OCD and PTSD.
ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING
(2022)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Ronny Geva, Aron Weller
Summary: In this editorial, the neurobiological processes underlying the early emergence of awareness are discussed, focusing on the timing and mechanism of the mind's integration into the body. A developmental perspective based on Perceptual Control Theory is proposed, highlighting the coupling of behavioral manifestations with underlying mechanisms on various levels. The potential interference of pharmacological treatments administered to preterm infants is also addressed, emphasizing the importance of considering the side effects of current pharmaceuticals in the development of novel treatments.
CURRENT NEUROPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Maya Levhar, Anat Schonblum, Liat Arnon, Yaron Michael, Liat Salzer Sheelo, Michal Eisner, Eran Hadar, Israel Meizner, Arnon Wiznitzer, Aron Weller, Lee Koren, Keren Agay-Shay
Summary: The study found that exposure to more greenness during the first trimester was associated with reduced maternal cortisol levels. This association was particularly strong among those of lower sociodemographic status. The findings suggest potential benefits of promoting greenness exposure during early pregnancy for disadvantaged populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Aron Weller
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for remote psychotherapy and explores its effectiveness in treating patients. The article introduces the concept of 'the inanimate third', referring to the electronic device used in therapy, and discusses its objectivity compared to the subjective emotional processes involved. It also addresses emotional themes relevant to the pandemic and evaluates the existence of transference and countertransference processes in remote therapy. The term 'social paradox' is suggested to describe the conflicting nature of digital media symbolizing both distance and intimacy, separation and unity. The article concludes that therapeutic dialogue can help deal with the social paradox by eliminating its conflicting elements.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Reut Hazani, Michal Lavidor, Aron Weller
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of available treatments for social deficits in different animal models of schizophrenia. The results showed that treatment significantly improved social deficit in almost all models. There were significant subgroup differences across models and treatment subgroups. The perinatal and adult pharmacological models showed the most substantial influence, and atypical antipsychotic drugs had the highest effect within each model subgroup.
SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kayla Rapps, Tatiana Kisliouk, Asaf Marco, Aron Weller, Noam Meiri
Summary: KDM4D plays a role in energy balance by regulating the expression of AgRP. Downregulation of Kdm4d mRNA results in enrichment of H3K9me2 on the AgRP promoter and transcriptional repression of AgRP. Upregulation of Kdm4d mRNA in calorically restricted rats leads to demethylation of H3K9 on the AgRP promoter and transcriptional increase of AgRP. Inhibition of KDM4D activity leads to transcriptional repression of AgRP, inhibiting hunger.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sari Goldstein Ferber, Gal Shoval, Rodolfo Rossi, Viviana Trezza, Giorgio Di Lorenzo, Gil Zalsman, Aron Weller, J. John Mann
Summary: The psychiatric burden related to COVID-19 is not limited to a single diagnosis, but spans across multiple diagnostic categories. Understanding the diverse range of symptoms associated with COVID-19 can lead to better prevention and treatment strategies.
WORLD JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CASES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle Hen-Shoval, Lital Moshe, Talia Indig-Naimer, Raphael Mechoulam, Gal Shoval, Gil Zalsman, Natalya M. Kogan, Aron Weller
Summary: This study explored the anti-depressant effects of Cannabidiolic Acid-Methyl Ester (CBDA-ME) in female Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats and found that females require higher doses of CBDA-ME to induce anti-depressant effects. Furthermore, the anti-depressant effects of CBDA-ME in females may be related to serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), endocannabinoid levels, and hippocampal expression of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ygal Rotenstreich, Inbal Sharvit-Ginon, Ifat Sher, Ofira Zloto, Ido Didi Fabian, Amir Abd-Elkader, Aron Weller, Anthony Heymann, Michal Schnaider Beeri, Ramit Ravona-Springer
Summary: This study compared the retinal layers' thickness between apolipoprotein E (APOE) sigma 4 carriers and non-carriers, and found that asymptomatic midlife APOE sigma 4 carriers at high Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk have thicker macular layers.
ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Ophthalmology
Ygal Rotenstreich, Yael Lustig, Inbal Sharvit-Ginon, Yael Feldman, Michael Mrejen, Michal Schnaider Beeri, Aron Weller, Ramit Ravona-Springer, Ifat Sher-Rosenthal
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Shivang Parikh, Roma Parikh, Keren Michael, Lior Bikovski, Georgina Barnabas, Mariya Mardamshina, Rina Hemi, Paulee Manich, Nir Goldstein, Hagar Malcov-Brog, Tom Ben-Dov, Ohad Glaich, Daphna Liber, Yael Bornstein, Koral Goltseker, Roy Ben-Bezalel, Mor Pavlovsky, Tamar Golan, Liron Spitzer, Hagit Matz, Pinchas Gonen, Ruth Percik, Lior Leibou, Tomer Perluk, Gil Ast, Jacob Frand, Ronen Brenner, Tamar Ziv, Mehdi Khaled, Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu, Segev Barak, Orit Karnieli-Miller, Eran Levin, Yftach Gepner, Ram Weiss, Paul Pfluger, Aron Weller, Carmit Levy
Summary: Ultraviolet exposure on the skin increases food intake and body weight in males, but not in females. This sexual dimorphism is mediated by the expression of ghrelin in skin adipocytes. These findings highlight the significant metabolic differences between males and females and the important role of the skin in energy homeostasis. Furthermore, this research may lead to potential sex-based treatments for endocrine-related diseases.
