scholarly journals Repeated Three-Hour Maternal Separation Induces Depression-Like Behavior and Affects the Expression of Hippocampal Plasticity-Related Proteins in C57BL/6N Mice

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaoyao Bian ◽  
Lili Yang ◽  
Zhongli Wang ◽  
Qing Wang ◽  
Li Zeng ◽  
...  

Adverse early life experiences can negatively affect behaviors later in life. Maternal separation (MS) has been extensively investigated in animal models in the adult phase of MS. The study aimed to explore the mechanism by which MS negatively affects C57BL/6N mice, especially the effects caused by MS in the early phase. Early life adversity especially can alter plasticity functions. To determine whether adverse early life experiences induce changes in plasticity in the brain hippocampus, we established an MS paradigm. In this research, the mice were treated with mild (15 min, MS15) or prolonged (180 min, MS180) maternal separation from postnatal day 2 to postnatal day 21. The mice underwent a forced swimming test, a tail suspension test, and an open field test, respectively. Afterward, the mice were sacrificed on postnatal day 31 to determine the effects of MS on early life stages. Results implied that MS induces depression-like behavior and the effects may be mediated partly by interfering with the hippocampal GSK-3β-CREB signaling pathway and by reducing the levels of some plasticity-related proteins.

Author(s):  
Jack M. Gorman

Psychiatry downplayed the importance of life events in causing mental illness from the 1960s on, favoring a view that all disorders except one are the result of abnormal genes affecting chemical processes in the brain. Studying the exception, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), when it was defined in 1980 helped lead to renewed recognition that early life adversity is central to all psychiatric conditions. At the same time, neuroscientists showed that early life experiences are capable of changing life-long behavior and brain function in laboratory animals. One mechanism by which this occurs is through the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Epigenetics is the way that the expression levels of genes are controlled without changing the underlying genetic code. Epigenetics is an attractive way of understanding how individual life experiences are translated in the brain into each person’s unique set of emotions, behaviors, abilities, and risks for psychiatric abnormalities.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (24) ◽  
pp. 4569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariyawan Tantipongpiradet ◽  
Orawan Monthakantirat ◽  
Onchuma Vipatpakpaiboon ◽  
Charinya Khampukdee ◽  
Kaoru Umehara ◽  
...  

Daily treatment of ovariectomized (OVX) ICR mice with puerarin, a glycosyl isoflavone isolated from the root bark of Pueraria candollei var. mirifica, and 17β-estradiol attenuated ovariectomy-induced depression-like behavior, as indicated by a decrease in immobility times in the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST), an increase in the uterine weight and volume, a decrease in serum corticosterone levels, and dose-dependently normalized the downregulated transcription of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and estrogen receptor (Erβ and Erα) mRNAs. Like 17β-estradiol, puerarin also inhibited ovariectomy-induced suppression of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (increased the number of doublecortin (DCX)-immunosuppressive cells). These results suggest that puerarin exerts antidepressant-like effects in OVX animals, possibly by attenuating the OVX-induced hyperactivation of the HPA axis and/or normalizing the downregulated transcription of BDNF and ER mRNA in the brain.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minghui Tang ◽  
Yong Ai ◽  
Siyang Zhu ◽  
Ni Song ◽  
Xian Xu ◽  
...  

Abstract Citrus reticulata, has been used for various diseases such as cough. According to previous studies, the essential oil of C. reticulata (CREOs) have been shown to be effectively alleviate depression-like behaviors in mice. This study is aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of CREOs in the rapid reserpine-induced depression model mice as well as its possible mechanisms. The experiment was conducted in six groups, each with four mice. The essential oil group and the control group were administered by sniffing (1h/d), while the reserpine group and fluoxetine group by intraperitoneal injection. Body weight, forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used to assess depressive behavior. The compositions and contents of CREOs were analyzed by GC-MS. The results indicated that reserpine could reduce the weight of mice and prolong the immobility time of FST and TST. Moreover, the level of 5HT-1A, GR and Nissl bodies in the brain tissue were significantly reduced, while the level of BDNF was increased in reserpine-treated mice. The administration of CREOs could effectively inhibit the weight loss and the prolongation of immobility time caused by reserpine. In addition, the treatment of CREOs has also been shown to reverse the changes in Nissl body, 5-HT, GR and BDNF levels. Limonene was the main active component of CREOs and might be related to the reduction of BDNF. By up-regulating the level of BDNF, CREOs could regulate the hyperexcitability of the HPA axis, thereby increasing the level of neurotransmitters and restoring neurons.


2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1927-1931
Author(s):  
Li-shu Gao ◽  
Min Wu ◽  
Yue Gao ◽  
En-ping Xu ◽  
Jian Xie

Purpose: To study the antidepressant effects of Shu-Gan-Jie-Yu granule (SJG) and its possible mechanisms in mice.Methods: The anti-depressive effects of SJG were evaluated by three techniques, viz, forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and open field test (OFT). The levels of the neurotransmitters norepinephrine (NE), DA, and 5-HT in the brains of depressive mice were determined using commercially available kits. In addition, the effects of SJG on the BDNF expression in the mice brain were determined by western blot.Results: Administration of SJG significantly reduced the duration time of immobility in the experiments of FST and TST. In addition, relative to the control mice, SJG (800 mg/kg) administration significantly affected the mobility performance (p < 0.05) of mice. The levels of the three  neurotransmitters (DA, NE and 5-HT) and BDNF in the brains of depressive mice were increased by treatment with SJG at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg (p < 0.05). The results suggested that SJG exerted a significant antidepressant effect, which could be attributed to increases in the levels of neurotransmitters, and the up-regulation of BDNF expression.Conclusion: The results suggested that SJG exerted a significant antidepressant effect, most probably via regulation of related neurotransmitters (including DA, NE, and 5-HT) and BDNF in the brain. Keywords: Shu-Gan-Jie-Yu granule, Antidepressant, dopamine, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, brain-derived neurotrophic factor


Author(s):  
Ajoy Borah ◽  
Binita Singha ◽  
Swopna Phukan

Objective: Depression is a major psychiatric disorder affecting nearly 350 million people worldwide and imposes a substantial health burden on the society. Ceftriaxone has demonstrated neuroprotective effects in animals. It has also undergone trials as a treatment option for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of ceftriaxone in mice.Methods: Ceftriaxone was administered at three different doses (0.130, 0.195 and 0.260g/kg) to Swiss albino mice of either sex by intra peritoneal (i. p.) route. The period of immobility in control and drug-treated mice were recorded in forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The antidepressant effect of ceftriaxone indicated by the decrease in duration of immobility was compared to that of fluoxetine (0.020 g/kg, i. p.).Results: Ceftriaxone decreased the duration of immobility in mice. It showed a significant dose-dependent antidepressant effect. The antidepressant effect of 0.260g/kg of ceftriaxone was comparable to that of fluoxetine in the TST but not in the FST.Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate antidepressant activity of Ceftriaxone. The study shows that ceftriaxone has additional action on the central nervous system other than neuroprotection. Ceftriaxone therapy in cases of encephalomeningitis and in various cases of hemorrhages in the brain can, therefore, prevent the development of depression in future


2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 403-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Q Moreira ◽  
M JSS Faria ◽  
E G Moreira

We investigated the effects of gestational exposure to fenproporex, one of the most used anorectic drugs in Brazil, on the behavior of adolescent and adult pups (30 and 60 days of age, respectively). Pregnant Swiss mice were treated daily, by gavage, with 15 mg/kg of fenproporex chloride or water during the whole gestational period. Male pups were submitted to open-field, forced swimming test, tail suspension test and fenproporexinduced stereotyped behavior. The results demonstrated that gestational exposure to fenproporex induces antidepressant-like effect and decreases fenproporexinduced stereotyped behavior in both adolescent and adult pups. Moreover, fenproporex-exposed adolescent pups tended (P–0.06) to be more active than control pups. Our data show, for the first time, that gestational exposure to fenproporex leads to long-lasting behavioral toxicity in male mice characteristic of altered dopaminergic transmission.


2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Rincel ◽  
Muriel Darnaudéry

The developmental period constitutes a critical window of sensitivity to stress. Indeed, early-life adversity increases the risk to develop psychiatric diseases, but also gastrointestinal disorders such as the irritable bowel syndrome at adulthood. In the past decade, there has been huge interest in the gut–brain axis, especially as regards stress-related emotional behaviours. Animal models of early-life adversity, in particular, maternal separation (MS) in rodents, demonstrate lasting deleterious effects on both the gut and the brain. Here, we review the effects of MS on both systems with a focus on stress-related behaviours. In addition, we discuss more recent findings showing the impact of gut-directed interventions, including nutrition with pre- and probiotics, illustrating the role played by gut microbiota in mediating the long-term effects of MS. Overall, preclinical studies suggest that nutritional approaches with pro- and prebiotics may constitute safe and efficient strategies to attenuate the effects of early-life stress on the gut–brain axis. Further research is required to understand the complex mechanisms underlying gut–brain interaction dysfunctions after early-life stress as well as to determine the beneficial impact of gut-directed strategies in a context of early-life adversity in human subjects.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki H. Kamkar ◽  
Cassandra J Lowe ◽  
J. Bruce Morton

Although there is an abundance of evidence linking the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to adverse early-life experiences, the precise nature of the association remains unclear. Some evidence suggests early-life adversity leads to cortisol hyper-reactivity, while other evidence suggests adversity leads to cortisol hypo-reactivity. Here, we distinguish between trauma and adversity, and use p-curves to interrogate the conflicting literature. In Study 1, trauma was operationalized according to DSM-5 criteria; the p-curve analysis included 68 articles and revealed that the literature reporting associations between trauma and blunted cortisol reactivity contains evidential value. Study 2 examined the relationship between adversity and cortisol reactivity. Thirty articles were included in the analysis, and p-curve demonstrated that adversity is related to heightened cortisol reactivity. These results support an inverted U-shaped function relating severity of adversity and cortisol reactivity, and underscore the importance of distinguishing between “trauma” and “adversity”.


Author(s):  
Bruce S. McEwen

The response to the social and physical environment involves two-way communication between the brain and the body and epigenetic adaptation (‘allostasis’) via mediators of the cardiovascular, immune, metabolic, neuroendocrine, and neural mechanisms. Chronic stress causes wear and tear on the brain and body (‘allostatic load and overload’), reflecting also the impact of health-damaging behaviours and lasting effects of early life experiences interacting with genetic predispositions. Hormonal and other mediators of allostasis promote adaptation in the short run but cause allostatic load/overload when they are overused or dysregulated. The brain is key because it determines what is threatening and the physiological and behavioural responses, while showing structural remodelling that affects its function. Besides pharmaceuticals, there are ‘top–down’ interventions, like physical activity, that engage ‘the wisdom of the body’ to change itself, as well as the impact of policies of government and business that encourage individuals to manage their own lives and promote increased ‘healthspan’.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document