Abnormal expression of cortical cell cycle regulators underlying anxiety and depressive-like behavior in mice exposed to chronic stress

Abstract

BackgroundThe cell cycle is a critical mechanism for proper cellular growth, development and viability. The p16INK4a and p21Waf1/Cip1 are important regulators of the cell cycle progression in response to internal and external stimuli (e.g., stress). Accumulating evidence indicates that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is particularly vulnerable to stress, where stress induces, among others, molecular and morphological alterations, reflecting behavioral changes. Here, we investigated if the p16INK4a and p21Waf1/Cip1 expression are associated with behavioral outcomes.MethodsPrefrontal cortex mRNA and protein levels of p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 of mice (six independent groups of C57BL/6J, eight mice/group, 50% female) exposed from 0 to 35 days of chronic restraint stress (CRS) were quantified by qPCR and Western Blot, respectively. Correlation analyses were used to investigate the associations between cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) expression and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors.ResultsOur results showed that the PFC activated the cell cycle regulation pathways mediated by both CKIs p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 in mice exposed to CRS, with overall decreased mRNA expression and increased protein expression. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that mRNA and protein levels are statistically significant correlated with anxiety and depressive-like behavior showing a greater effect in males than females.ConclusionOur present study extends the existing literature providing evidence that PFC cells respond to chronic stress exposure by overexpressing CKIs. Furthermore, our findings indicated that abnormal expression of p16INK4A and p21Waf1/Cip1 may significantly contribute to non-adaptive behavioral responses.

Genes associated with cellular senescence as diagnostic markers of major depressive disorder and their correlations with immune infiltration

“…Although the prevalence of MDD varies among different populations, the overall 12-month and lifetime prevalences are approximately 6-10% and 15-20%, respectively (2)(3)(4). Also, MDD is a recurrent lifelong illness and is ranked as a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a highly heterogeneous and multifactorial disorder (5)(6)(7). Its diagnosis mainly relies on the subjective identification of patient symptoms by psychiatrists and depression rating scales, which results in a considerable misdiagnosis rate and limited effective treatment (3).…”