Brief Maternal Separation Promotes Resilience to Anxiety-like and Depressive-like Behaviors in Female C57BL/6J Offspring with Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that often causes depression. Early life experience affects brain development and relates to depression. Whether the effect of different MS protocols in early life on anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in female offspring with imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis is unknown. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were subjected to no separation (NMS), brief MS (15 min/day, MS15) or long MS (180 min/day, MS180) from postpartum days (PPD) 1 to PPD21. Then, 5% imiquimod cream was applied for 8 days in adults. Behavioral tests, skin lesions and hippocampal protein expression were also assessed. Results: We found significant psoriasis-like skin lesions in female mice following IMQ application, and mice showed anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors. Further, increased microglial activation and decreased expression of neuroplasticity were detected in mice following IMQ application. However, after MS15 in early life, mice showed decreased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, indicating resilience. Further, inhibited hippocampal neuroinflammation and increased neuroplasticity were detected. Conclusions: Collectively, this study confirms that brief MS confers resilience to the behavior deficits in female offspring with IMQ-induced psoriasis and reverses the activation of neuroinflammation and the damage of neuroplasticity injury.

Resveratrol ameliorates maternal separation-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and reduces Sirt1-NF-kB signaling-mediated neuroinflammation

“…However, the results of studies on the effects of maternal separation on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in adulthood have been contradictory, with some reporting no alterations in behaviors, or even a reduction in anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in different protocols. For example, brief maternal separation (15 min per day) was reported to reduce both anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in female C57BL/6J mice with imiquimod-induced psoriasis as evaluated using the sucrose preference and open field tasks ( Zhou et al, 2022 ). Additionally, adult male BALB/c mice that underwent maternal separation for 4 h per day were categorized as exhibiting anxiolytic behavior in the elevated plus maze and marble-burying tests ( Jarrar et al, 2022 ).…”

A single 24 h maternal separation at PND 9 promotes behavioral resilience of female C57BL/6J mice and the possible role of hippocampal Homer1a

“…Our findings of resilience to MS in female C57BL/6J mice are in agreement with previous studies. Brief MS was found to promote resilience to anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in female C57BL/6J offspring and reverse the damage of neuroplasticity injury [ 18 ]. Another study reported subtle decrease in anxiety and minor increase in activity in male C57BL/6J mice after MS [ 10 ].…”

“…Although psychiatric disorders appear more prevalent in females than in males, there are relatively fewer studies on females than males including animal research [ 17 ]. Past research has mostly focused on the effects of MS on male offspring; few studies have focused on the effects on female offspring [ 18 ]. Our former research found that female rats were more resilient to early life stress than males [ 19 ].…”

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Towards Psoriasis Among Patients and Their Family Members

“… 6 Depression can exacerbate the recurrence of psoriasis and deteriorate the quality of life of patients, potentially leading to suicide and other grave outcomes. 7 …”