Insult-induced aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis: Functional consequences and possible therapeutic strategies.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis plays a critical role in a wide spectrum of hippocampus-dependent functions. Brain pathologies that involve the hippocampus like epilepsy, stroke, and traumatic brain injury, are commonly associated with cognitive impairments and mood disorders. These insults can affect neural stem cells and the subsequent neurogenic cascade in the hippocampus, resulting in the induction of aberrant neurogenesis, which is thought to compromise hippocampal network function, thereby hampering hippocampus-dependent behavior. We here summarize recent preclinical literature on hippocampal insult-induced changes in neurogenesis and based on that, we propose that normalizing aberrant neurogenesis post-insult may help to prevent or rescue behavioral deficits which could help develop novel therapeutic strategies.

Inducing a long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus is sufficient to produce rapid antidepressant-like effects.

Recent hypotheses propose that one prerequisite to obtain a rapid antidepressant (AD) effect would reside in processes of synaptic reinforcement occurring within the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus independently from neurogenesis. However, to date no relationship has been established between an increased DG synaptic plasticity, and rapid AD-like action. To the best of our knowledge, this study shows for the first time that inducing a long-term potentiation (LTP) within the DG by stimulating the perforant pathway (PP) is sufficient to induce such effects. Thus, Sprague-Dawley rats having undergone a successful LTP displayed a significant reduction of immobility when passed acutely 3 days thereafter in the forced swimming test (FST). Further, in a longitudinal paradigm using the pseudo-depressed Wistar-Kyoto rat strain, LTP elicited a decrease of FST immobility after only 2 days, whereas the AD desipramine was not effective before 16 days. In both models, the influence of LTP was transient, as it was no more observed after 8-9 days. No effects were observed on the locomotor activity or on anxiety-related behavior. Theta-burst stimulation of a brain region anatomically adjacent to the PP remained ineffective in the FST. Immunoreactivity of DG cells for phosphorylated histone H3 and doublecortin were not modified three days after LTP, indicating a lack of effect on both cell proliferation and neurogenesis. Finally, depleting brain serotonin contents reduced the success rate of LTP but did not affect its subsequent AD-like effects. These results confirm the 'plastic DG' theory of rapid AD efficacy. Beyond, they point out stimulations of the entorhinal cortex, from which the PP originates, as putative new approaches in AD research.

Functions for adult neurogenesis in memory: an introduction to the neurocomputational approach and to its contribution.

Until recently, it was believed that the introduction of new neurons in neuronal networks was incompatible with memory function. Since the rediscovery of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, behavioral data demonstrate that adult neurogenesis is required for memory processing. We examine neurocomputational studies to identify which basic mechanisms involved in memory might be mediated by adult neurogenesis. Mainly, adult neurogenesis might be involved in the reduction of catastrophic interference and in a time-related pattern separation function. Artificial neuronal networks suggest that the selective recruitment of new-born or old neurons is not stochastic, but depends on environmental requirements. This leads us to propose the novel concept of "soft-supervision". Soft-supervision would be a biologically plausible process, by which the environment is able to influence activation and learning rules of neurons differentially.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is involved in anxiety-related behaviors.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a unique example of structural plasticity, the functional role of which has been a matter of intense debate. New transgenic models have recently shown that neurogenesis participates in hippocampus-mediated learning. Here, we show that transgenic animals, in which adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been specifically impaired, exhibit a striking increase in anxiety-related behaviors. Our results indicate that neurogenesis plays an important role in the regulation of affective states and could be the target of new treatments for anxiety disorders.

Exercise-induced promotion of hippocampal cell proliferation requires beta-endorphin.

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is influenced by a variety of stimuli, including exercise, but the mechanisms by which running affects neurogenesis are not yet fully understood. Because beta-endorphin, which is released in response to exercise, increases cell proliferation in vitro, we hypothesized that it could exert a similar effect in vivo and mediate the stimulatory effects of running on neurogenesis. We thus analyzed the effects of voluntary wheel-running on adult neurogenesis (proliferation, differentiation, survival/death) in wild-type and beta-endorphin-deficient mice. In wild-type mice, exercise promoted cell proliferation evaluated by sacrificing animals 24 h after the last 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) pulse and by using endogenous cell cycle markers (Ki67 and pH(3)). This was accompanied by an increased survival of 4-wk-old BrdU-labeled cells, leading to a net increase of neurogenesis. Beta-endorphin deficiency had no effect in sedentary mice, but it completely blocked the running-induced increase in cell proliferation; this blockade was accompanied by an increased survival of 4-wk-old cells and a decreased cell death. Altogether, adult neurogenesis was increased in response to exercise in knockout mice. We conclude that beta-endorphin released during running is a key factor for exercise-induced cell proliferation and that a homeostatic balance may regulate the final number of new neurons.

Impact of intra- and interstrain cross-fostering on mouse maternal care.

The importance of maternal care in shaping an individual's phenotype in health and disease is becoming more and more apparent in both human and animal studies. However, in mouse studies using inbred strains or knockout mice to analyze the genetic influences on the development of normal and aberrant behavioral phenotypes, maternal behavior is very poorly characterized and often ignored. This study provides an extensive analysis of spontaneous maternal behavior of inbred mice in three conditions: (1) comparing two commonly used strains, (2) analyzing the impact of adopting pups from the same strain (intrastrain cross-fostering) and (3) analyzing the impact of adopting pups from a different strain (interstrain cross-fostering). For each condition, maternal behavior was analyzed continuously over 23-h periods on postnatal days 2, 4, 6 and 9. We report that (1) the maternal behavior of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J dams toward their biological offspring is highly similar, (2) intrastrain cross-fostering has minimal impact on maternal behavior of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J dams, (3) interstrain cross-fostering does not modify the strain differences in maternal care observed between AKR and C3H/He mothers and (4) the pup strain does influence the amount of maternal behavior shown by both mothers in interstrain cross-fostering. These latter findings demonstrate that both mother strain and pup strain are key determinants of maternal behavior.

Lifelong corticosterone level determines age-related decline in neurogenesis and memory.

Ageing is accompanied by an alteration of spatial memory, a decline in hippocampal neurogenesis and a dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) leading to elevated levels of circulating corticosterone. However, the role of the HPA axis in age-related decline in cognitive functions and in neurogenesis decline remains unclear. We found that suppression of glucocorticoids secretion from midlife to the rest of the animals' life increases neurogenesis in old animals and prevents the emergence of age-related memory disorders. Reciprocally, aged rats with a chronic upregulation of the HPA axis exhibit not only spatial memory impairments but also very low levels of hippocampal cell proliferation and survival. Altogether, these results indicate that the extent of lifetime exposure to glucocorticoids determines the extent of age-related decline in hippocampal neurogenesis and consequently age-related cognitive dysfunctions.

Pregnenolone sulfate enhances neurogenesis and PSA-NCAM in young and aged hippocampus.

Age-dependent cognitive impairments have been correlated with functional and structural modifications in the hippocampal formation. In particular, the brain endogenous steroid pregnenolone-sulfate (Preg-S) is a cognitive enhancer whose hippocampal levels have been linked physiologically to cognitive performance in senescent animals. However, the mechanism of its actions remains unknown. Because neurogenesis is sensitive to hormonal influences, we examined the effect of Preg-S on neurogenesis, a novel form of plasticity, in young and old rats. We demonstrate that in vivo infusion of Preg-S stimulates neurogenesis and the expression of the polysialylated forms of NCAM, PSA-NCAM, in the dentate gyrus of 3- and 20-month-old rats. These influences on hippocampal plasticity are mediated by the modulation of the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor complex A (GABA(A)) receptors present on hippocampal neuroblasts. In vitro, Preg-S stimulates the division of adult-derived spheres suggesting a direct influence on progenitors. These data provide evidence that neurosteroids represent one of the local secreted signals controlling hippocampal neurogenesis. Thus, therapies which stimulate neurosteroidogenesis could preserve hippocampal plasticity and prevent the appearance of age-related cognitive disturbances.

Environmentally induced long-term structural changes: cues for functional orientation and vulnerabilities.

Environmental challenges profoundly modify phenotypes and disrupt inherent developmental programs both at functional and structural levels. As an example, we have studied the impact of these environmental influences on adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Neurogenesis results from an inherent program, participates to hippocampal network organization and, as a consequence, to the various functional abilities depending on this region, including memories. In preclinical studies of aging we have shown that phenotypes vulnerable to the development of spatial memory disorders are characterized by lower hippocampal neurogenesis. We have hypothesized that these interindividual variations in functional expression of neurogenesis in senescent subjects could be predicted early in life. Indeed, a behavioral response (novelty-induced locomotor reactivity) and a biological trait (hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis activity), which are predictive of cognitive impairments later in life, are related to neurogenesis in young adult rats. This suggests that subjects starting off with an impaired neurogenesis, here rats that are high reactive to stress, are predisposed for the development of age-related cognitive disorders. We have further shown that these inter-individual differences result from early deleterious life events. Indeed, prenatal stress orients neurogenesis in pathological ways for the entire life, and precipitates age-related cognitive impairments. Altogether these data suggest first that hippocampal neurogenesis plays a pivotal role in environmentally-induced vulnerability to the development of pathological aging, and second that environmental challenges and life events orient structural developments, leading to different phenotypes.

Implication of corticosteroid receptors in the regulation of hippocampal structural plasticity.

The dentate gyrus is one of the few areas of the adult brain that continues to produce neurons and to express the embryonic polysialylated isoforms of neuronal cell adhesion molecules (PSA-NCAM). The stress hormone corticosterone exerts a complex modulation on neurogenesis and PSA-NCAM, and previous studies have shown that mature granule cells require corticosterone for their survival. Thus, the aim of our work was to investigate the respective role of the different corticosteroid receptors on these three parameters in adrenalectomized rats. It was found that treatment with a low dose of the mineralocorticoid receptor agonist, aldosterone, prevents only the adrenalectomy-induced increase in cell death. Treatment with a higher dose of aldosterone normalized cell proliferation whereas PSA-NCAM expression was normalized only by treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor agonist, RU 28362. It is concluded that stimulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor is sufficient to mediate the effects of corticosterone on neurogenesis and to protect mature cells from cell death whereas stimulation of the glucocorticoid receptor is necessary to modulate PSA-NCAM expression.

Differential effects of learning on neurogenesis: learning increases or decreases the number of newly born cells depending on their birth date.

The hippocampal formation, to which new neurons are added on a daily basis throughout life, is important in spatial learning. Surviving de novo produced cells integrate into the functional circuitry, where they can influence both normal and pathological behaviors. In this study, we examined the effect of the water-maze (a hippocampal-dependent spatial task) on neurogenesis. Learning in this task can be divided into two phases, an early phase during which performance improves rapidly, and a late phase during which asymptotic levels of performance are reached. Here we demonstrate that the late phase of learning has a multifaceted effect on neurogenesis depending on the birth date of new neurons. The number of newly born cells increased contingently with the late phase and a large proportion of these cells survived for at least 4 weeks and differentiated into neurons. In contrast, late-phase learning decreased the number of newly born cells produced during the early phase. This decline in neurogenesis was positively correlated with performance in the water-maze. Thus, rats with the highest de novo cell number were less able to acquire and use spatial information than those with low numbers of new cells. These results show that learning has a complex effect on hippocampal neurogenesis, and reveals a novel mechanism through which neurogenesis may influence normal and pathological behaviors.

Pregnenolone sulfate and aging of cognitive functions: behavioral, neurochemical, and morphological investigations.

Neurosteroids are a subclass of steroids that can be synthesized in the central nervous system independently of peripheral sources. Several neurosteroids influence cognitive functions. Indeed, in senescent animals we have previously demonstrated a significant correlation between the cerebral concentration of pregnenolone sulfate (PREG-S) and cognitive performance. Indeed, rats with memory impairments exhibited low PREG-S concentrations compared to animals with correct memory performance. Furthermore, these memory deficits can be reversed by intracerebral infusions of PREG-S. Neurotransmitter systems modulated by this neurosteroid were unknown until our recent report of an enhancement of acetylcholine (ACh) release in basolateral amygdala, cortex, and hippocampus induced by central administrations of PREG-S. Central ACh neurotransmission is involved in the regulation of memory processes and is affected in normal aging and in human neurodegenerative pathologies like Alzheimer's disease. ACh neurotransmission is also involved in the modulation of sleep-wakefulness cycle and relationships between paradoxical sleep and memory are well documented in the literature. PREG-S infused at the level of ACh cell bodies induces a dramatic increase of paradoxical sleep in young animals. Cognitive dysfunctions, particularly those observed in Alzheimer's disease, have also been related to alterations of cerebral plasticity. Among these mechanisms, neurogenesis has been recently studied. Preliminary data suggest that PREG-S central infusions dramatically increase neurogenesis. Taken together these data suggest that PREG-S can influence cognitive processes, particularly in senescent subjects, through a modulation of ACh neurotransmission associated with paradoxical sleep modifications; furthermore our recent data suggest a role for neurosteroids in the modulation of hippocampal neurogenesis.

Influence of glucocorticoids on dopaminergic transmission in the rat dorsolateral striatum.

Glucocorticoid hormones exert strong influences on central neurotransmitter systems. In the present work, we examined the functional consequences of corticosterone suppression on the dopaminergic transmission in the dorsolateral striatum by studying the expression of Fos-like proteins and extracellular dopamine levels. Glucocorticoid hormones were suppressed by adrenalectomy, and the specificity of the effects assessed by restoring physiological plasmatic corticosterone concentrations. We show that, in the dorsolateral striatum, glucocorticoids modify postsynaptic dopaminergic transmission. Suppression of glucocorticoids decreased the induction of Fos proteins in response to a direct agonist of dopamine D(1) receptors (SKF 82958, 1.5 mg/kg, i.p.), but not the release of dopamine induced by morphine (2 mg/kg, s.c.) or the density of the limiting enzyme of dopamine synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase. In contrast to the dopaminergic response to morphine, the response to cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.) was modified by the suppression of corticosterone. In this case, adrenalectomy increased cocaine-induced changes in extracellular dopamine but did not modify the expression of Fos-like proteins. This absence of changes in cocaine-induced Fos-like proteins might result from a compensatory mechanism between the increase in the dopaminergic response and the decrease in the functional activity of dopamine D(1) receptors. The increased dopaminergic response to cocaine also contrasts with the decreased response previously observed in the shell of the nucleus accumbens [Barrot et al. (2000) Eur. J. Neurosci., 12, 973-979]. The present data highlight the profound heterogeneous influence of glucocorticoids within dopaminergic projections.

Disruption of the mouse Necdin gene results in hypothalamic and behavioral alterations reminiscent of the human Prader-Willi syndrome.

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex neurogenetic disorder with considerable clinical variability that is thought in large part to be the result of a hypothalamic defect. PWS results from the absence of paternal expression of imprinted genes localized in the 15q11-q13 region; however, none of the characterized genes has so far been shown to be involved in the etiology of PWS. Here, we provide a detailed investigation of a mouse model deficient for NECDIN: Linked to the mutation, a neonatal lethality of variable penetrance is observed. Viable NECDIN: mutants show a reduction in both oxytocin-producing and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH)-producing neurons in hypothalamus. This represents the first evidence of a hypothalamic deficiency in a mouse model of PWS. NECDIN:-deficient mice also display increased skin scraping activity in the open field test and improved spatial learning and memory in the Morris water maze. The latter features are reminiscent of the skin picking and improved spatial memory that are characteristics of the PWS phenotype. These striking parallels in hypothalamic structure, emotional and cognitive-related behaviors strongly suggest that NECDIN is responsible for at least a subset of the multiple clinical manifestations of PWS.

Prenatal stress produces learning deficits associated with an inhibition of neurogenesis in the hippocampus.

Early experiences such as prenatal stress significantly influence the development of the brain and the organization of behavior. In particular, prenatal stress impairs memory processes but the mechanism for this effect is not known. Hippocampal granule neurons are generated throughout life and are involved in hippocampal-dependent learning. Here, we report that prenatal stress in rats induced lifespan reduction of neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and produced impairment in hippocampal-related spatial tasks. Prenatal stress blocked the increase of learning-induced neurogenesis. These data strengthen pathophysiological hypotheses that propose an early neurodevelopmental origin for psychopathological vulnerabilities in aging.

The dopaminergic hyper-responsiveness of the shell of the nucleus accumbens is hormone-dependent.

The dopaminergic projection to the shell of the nucleus accumbens is the most reactive to stress, reward and drugs of abuse and this subregion of the nucleus accumbens is also considered a target of therapeutic effects of atypical antipsychotic drugs (APD). In this report we show, by means of in vivo microdialysis and Fos immunohistochemistry, that the hyper-responsiveness which characterizes the dopaminergic transmission to the shell is dependent on glucocorticoid hormones. In Sprague-Dawley rats, after suppression of endogenous glucocorticoids by adrenalectomy, extracellular dopamine levels selectively decreased in the shell, whilst they remained unchanged in the core. This effect was observed in basal conditions, after a mild stress (vehicle injection), as well as after subcutaneous administration of morphine (2 mg/kg, s.c. ) or intraperitoneal injection of cocaine (15 mg/kg, i.p.). The decrease in dopamine observed in the shell had a postsynaptic impact, as shown by less induction of Fos-like proteins selectively in the shell in response to cocaine. However, the induction of Fos-like proteins by the full D1 agonist SKF82958 (1.5 mg/kg, i.p.) remained unchanged after adrenalectomy, suggesting that the changes in Fos expression after cocaine injection were likely to depend on changes in extracellular dopamine levels rather than on changes in postsynaptic sensitivity to dopamine. The effects of adrenalectomy were glucocorticoid-specific given that they were prevented by corticosterone treatment. This anatomical specificity in the control of neuronal activity by a hormonal input highlights the role of steroid hormones in shaping the functional activity of the brain.

Serotonergic systems in the spinal cord of the amphibian urodele Pleurodeles waltl.

The role of the monoamine serotonin (5-HT) in modulating the neural networks underlying axial locomotor movements was studied in an adult amphibian urodele, Pleurodeles waltl. 5-HT was applied to an in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparation of P. waltl, which displayed fictive axial locomotor patterns following bath application of N-methyl-D-aspartate (5 microM) with D-serine (10 microM). Our results showed that 5-HT (1-25 microM) produces a reversible increase in the cycle duration and the duration of rhythmic bursting activity recorded extracellularly from ventral roots innervating the axial musculature. When applied alone, 5-HT does not trigger axial locomotor activity. The distribution pattern of 5-HT immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) cells along the spinal cord was investigated both in intact and in chronic spinal animals. The number of 5-HT-ir cell bodies is higher at brachial levels and decreases through crural levels. Sparse oval or fusiform 5-HT-ir somata are present within the gray matter, just ventrolateral to the central canal. Longitudinal fibers were detected throughout the entire white matter, except in the medial part of the dorsal funiculi. Two columns of intensely labeled and profusely branching thick and thin fibers associated with numerous varicosities run continuously along the ventrolateral surface of the spinal cord. Three weeks following full spinal cord transection at the level of the second spinal root, all longitudinal processes had disappeared, indicating their supraspinal origin, whereas the ventrolateral plexes remained, suggesting that they originated from intraspinal 5-HT-ir cell bodies. Our data showing that spinal 5-HT is organized according to a rostrocaudal gradient suggest that the 5-HT systems of P. waltl are not related to the presence of limb motor pools but more likely are related to axial central pattern generators (CPGs) networks down the length of the spinal cord. The possible involvement of these two sources (descending vs. intraspinal) of 5-HT innervation in the modulation of the axial CPGs is discussed.

PSA-NCAM: an important regulator of hippocampal plasticity.

The Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (NCAM) serves as a temporally and spatially regulated modulator of a variety of cell-cell interactions. This review summarizes recent results of studies aimed at understanding its regulation of expression and biological function, thereby focussing on its polysialylated isoforms (PSA-NCAM). The detailed analysis of the expression of PSA and NCAM in the hippocampal mossy fiber system and the morphological consequences of PSA-NCAM deficiency in mice support the notion that the levels of expression of NCAM are important not only for the regulation and maintenance of structural changes, such as migration, axonal growth and fasciculation, but also for activity-induced plasticity. There is evidence that PSA-NCAM can specifically contribute to a presynaptic form of plasticity, namely long-term potentiation at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. This is consistent with previous observations that NCAM-deficient mice show deficits in spatial learning and exploratory behavior. Furthermore, our data points to an important role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which is the principle adaptive response of the organism to environmental challenges, in the control of PSA-NCAM expression in the hippocampal formation. In particular, we evidence an inhibitory influence of corticosterone on PSA-NCAM expression.

Evaluation of simple and complex sensorimotor behaviours in rats with a partial lesion of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system.

We have examined the behavioural consequences of a partial unilateral dopaminergic denervation of the rat striatum. This partial lesion was obtained by an intrastriatal 6-hydroxy-dopamine injection (6-OHDA, 20 or 10 microgram divided between two injection sites) and was compared with a unilateral complete lesion resulting from an injection of 6-OHDA (2 x 6 microgram) into the medial forebrain bundle. Quantification of striatal dopamine (DA) and its metabolites, and the immunohistochemical evaluation of the nigrostriatal DA system confirmed the complete and partial lesions. Animals with complete striatal denervation displayed both apomorphine- and amphetamine-induced rotations whereas the partial denervation elicited amphetamine-induced rotations only. However, the rates of amphetamine-induced rotation were not correlated with the size of the lesion. In contrast, the paw-reaching impairments were significantly correlated with the striatal dopaminergic depletion. When evaluated in the staircase test, animals with partial denervation were impaired exclusively for the paw contralateral to the side of the lesion. This motor deficit (50-75%) included all components of the skilled paw use (i.e. attempt, motor coordination and success) and was observed at least 12 weeks after the lesion. However, these animals were able to perform normal stepping adjustments with the impaired paw, indicating that the partial lesion induced a coordination deficit of the paw rather than a deficit of movement initiation. After a complete lesion, stepping adjustments of the contralateral paw were dramatically impaired (by 80%), an akinesia which almost certainly accounted for the great deficit in skilled paw use. The paw-reaching impairments resulting from the partial striatal denervation are proposed as a model of the early symptoms of Parkinson's disease and may be useful for the development of restorative therapies.