Sex Differences in Stress and Group Housing Effects on the Number of Newly Proliferated Cells and Neuroblasts in Middle-Aged Dentate Gyrus

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) occurs in one-third of stroke survivors, is more prevalent in women, and negatively impacts quality of life and recovery. Our previous work showed that acyclic middle-aged female rats display depressive behaviors after stroke, and IV treatment with mir363-3p attenuates these behaviors. Serotonin has been implicated in affective behaviors, and loss of this neurotransmitter is also associated with decreased neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The present study determined (a) whether stroke affected tryptophan, a gut metabolite, and precursor for serotonin, and cell proliferation in the hippocampus and (b) whether serum tryptophan levels and hippocampal cell proliferation was restored by mir363-3p. Methods: Ischemic stroke was induced by stereotaxic delivery of endothelin-1 to the MCA of middle-aged female rats. Animals received a single injection of mir363-3p or scrambled oligos 4h after stroke. Depressive-like behaviors were assessed by the Effort-based sucrose consumption test, Social Interaction and Forced Swim Test 3 months after stroke. Blood was collected at termination. Serum tryptophan levels were quantified by ELISA. Bacterial composition was analyzed by 16S sequencing of fecal samples. Ki67 immunohistochemistry was performed on brain tissue collected at termination and quantified within the dentate gyrus by two blind observers. Results: Animals subjected to stroke exhibited depressive-like behaviors and had decreased tryptophan levels as compared to sham treated animals. This is also accompanied by microbiota dysbiosis as measured by an elevated ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Mir363-3p treatment increased tryptophan levels as compared to scrambled controls and were no different from sham (non-stroke) animals. Moreover, miR363-3p treated rats exhibit a significantly more dentate gyrus-specific Ki67 expression a proliferation marker. Conclusions: Together, these data indicate that miR363-3p attenuates post stroke depression via a mechanism that prevents microbiota dysbiosis and increases hippocampal cell proliferation.

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Age groups changes in self-rated health: A prospective longitudinal study over a 20-year period using Health Survey of North Trøndelag data

Scandinavian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1177/1403494820904626 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 140349482090462

Author(s):

Frode Lysberg ◽

Siw Tone Innstrand ◽

Milada Cvancarova Småstuen ◽

Cathrine Lysberg ◽

Magnhild Mjåvatn Høie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Health Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Group ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Prospective Longitudinal Study ◽

Future Studies ◽

Self Rated Health ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate changes in self-rated health (SRH) between different age groups and sexes over a 20-year period. Methods: Data were retrieved from the large longitudinal Health Survey of North Trøndelag, Norway, which includes data collected from more than 190,000 participants aged 20–70+ years between the years 1984 and 2008. Data were analysed using logistic regression and adjusted for sex. Results: From 1984 to 2008, the odds of scoring higher on SRH decreased by 46% in the youngest age group (20–29 years) and increased by approximately 35% in the middle-aged and older age groups (40–70+ years). When considering sex differences, women in most age groups scored lower than the men on their SRH. Conclusions: Our finding suggest a trending shift in SRH, with a reduction in the youngest age group (20–29 years) and an increase in the middle-aged and older age groups (40–70+ years). Despite the sex differences being small, our data indicate that in most age groups, women tend to score lower than men on their SRH. Future studies should focus on these trends to understand better the mechanisms underlying these changes in SRH and to follow future trends to see if the trend is reinforced or diminished.

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Sex differences in the burying behavior test in middle-aged rats: Effects of diazepam

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.pbb.2011.05.030 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 99 (4) ◽

pp. 532-539 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sandra Olvera-Hernández ◽

Alonso Fernández-Guasti

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Aged Rats ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Behavior Test

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Associates by Age, Sex, and Method to Aggressive Words with Double Meaning

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1978.43.1.151 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 151-155 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sara R. Staats ◽

Cynthia Brockman ◽

Molly Gates

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Word Association ◽

Sensitive Indicator ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Association Method ◽

General Correspondence

Associates for 12 words with at least one aggressive meaning were obtained from 80 middle-aged and 92 college individuals using the word-association method. A second sample of 120 individuals (30 in each of 4 age-sex groups) used the same words in a sentence. A general correspondence of the primary associates across age, sex, and method was observed. The sentence method appeared to be a more sensitive indicator of age-sex differences than the word association method. While being female or being over 35 was associated with fewer aggressive responses, age was seen as a more powerful moderator of aggressive responses than sex.

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