Plastic changes induced by neonatal handling in the hypothalamus of female rats

Duarte, Elisa Cristiana Winkelmann; Todeschin, Anelise Schindler; Fernandes, Marilda da Cruz; Bittencourt, Lisandra C.; Pereira, Gabriela Magalhães; Samios, Vinicius N.; Schuh, Artur Francisco Schumacher; Achaval, Matilde; Xavier, Léder Leal; Sanvitto, Gilberto Luiz; Mandarim-de-Lacerda, Carlos Alberto; Lucion, Aldo Bolten

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2007.07.030

Cited by 35 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…47,48 Contrary to this explanation and our findings, rodents have shown reduced numbers of cells in the parvocellular part of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus after 10 days of neonatal handling. 49 Despite this reduction in cell number, the volume of the nuclei remained unchanged, indicating that cell loss does not directly lead to volume loss. It also has to be considered that the rodent brain at birth is far less developed than the human brain, which complicates the translation of animal to human studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Morphometric differences in central stress-regulating structures between women with and without borderline personality disorder

Kuhlmann

Bertsch

Schmidinger

et al. 2013

J Psychiatry Neurosci

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IntroductionPsychosocial stress plays an important role in the development and manifestation of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Early life stress and traumatization are risk factors for BPD, and reports of traumatic childhood abuse are frequent in patients with BPD.1 Furthermore, patients with BPD ex peri ence psychosocial daily hassles more intensely than healthy individuals, indicating a reactivity and vulnerability to stress.2 Kuo and Linehan 3 measured higher skin conductance response in patients with BPD, which is positively correlated with stress. Moreover, the acute symptoms of patients with BPD are precipitated by acute stress. They show higher dissoci ative symptom scores than subjective stress ratings in comparison to healthy individuals and patients with major depressive and panic disorders. 4 Furthermore, high dissociation scores in patients with BPD correlate with greater childhood trauma and greater hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to stress, 5 indicating a link between traumatic childhood experiences, endocrine stress response and acute symptoms. Under subjective stress, patients with BPD display a higher pain threshold, 6 and self-injurious behaviour is used as a means of stress reduction.7 It seems plausible that these stress-related symptoms may be linked to dysregulations in the functioning of the HPA axis, which is crucially involved in the body's response to stress. Correspondingly, patients with BPD show signs of abnormal cortisol reactivity and feedback regulation, indicating disturbed HPA axis functioning, although findings on baseline cortisol, HPA feedback sensitivity and cortisol responses to psychosocial stress in Background: Experiences of early life stress, increased psychological arousal and the body's physiologic stress response seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis and maintenance of borderline personality disorder (BPD). In the present study, we investigated alterations in grey matter of central stress-regulating structures in female patients with BPD. Methods: We examined T 1 -weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging scans of unmedicated, right-handed female patients with BPD (according to DSM-IV criteria) and healthy controls matched for age, intelligence and education using fully automated DARTEL voxel-based morphometry. Our regions of interest analyses included the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hypothalamus. Results: We enrolled 30 patients and 33 controls in our study. The grey matter of patients with BPD was reduced in the hippocampus, but increased in the hypothalamus compared with healthy participants. Hypothalamic volume correlated positively with the history of traumatization in patients with BPD. No significant alterations were found in the amygdala and ACC. Limitations: This study is limited by the lack of measures of corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels. Furthermore, moderate sample size and comorbid disorders need to be considered. Conclusion: Our ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Morphometric differences in central stress-regulating structures between women with and without borderline personality disorder

Kuhlmann

Bertsch

Schmidinger

et al. 2013

J Psychiatry Neurosci

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“…Importantly, the development of the oxytocin and AVP systems can be altered by the early-life environment, including neonatal handling (Veenema, 2012). Neonatal handling appears to reduce the number of oxytocin-positive neurons in the PVN (Todeschin et al, 2009; Winkelmann-Duarte et al, 2007) and amygdala (Oreland, Gustafsson-Ericson, & Nylander, 2010), but increases AVP-positive neurons in the PVN (Todeschin et al, 2009). Decreases in oxytocin neurons in the PVN and amygdala may explain, at least in part, some of the deficits in social behavior induced by neonatal handling, while increases in AVP neurons in the PVN may be associated with the increased aggression observed in neonatal handled rats.…”

Section: Neonatal Handling and Social Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Neonatal handling: An overview of the positive and negative effects

Raineki

Lucion

Weinberg³

2014

Developmental Psychobiology

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As one of the first rodent models designed to investigate the effects of early-life experiences, the neonatal handling paradigm has helped us better understand how subtle changes in the infant environment can powerfully drive neurodevelopment of the immature brain in typical or atypical trajectories. Here, we review data from more than 50 years demonstrating the compelling effects of neonatal handling on behavior, physiology, and neural function across the lifespan. Moreover, we present data that challenge the classical view of neonatal handling as an animal model that results only in positive/beneficial outcomes. Indeed, the overall goal of this review is to offer the suggestion that the effects of early-life experiences—including neonatal handling—are nuanced rather than unidirectional. Both beneficial and negative outcomes may occur, depending on the parameters of testing, sex of the subject, and neurobehavioral system analyzed.

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“…In rodent pups, the first suckling episodes can activate OXT-secreting system through gastrointestinal signals, which facilitate the development of a preference for the mother [20, 21]. These early-life events can exert profound long-lasting effects on various behaviors such as fear/anxiety, stress responses, and reproductive functions [22]. OXT deficient mice fail to recognize familiar conspecifics after repeated social encounters, which can be restored by central OXT administration into the amygdala [23].…”

Section: Human Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonsocial Functions of Hypothalamic Oxytocin

et al. 2013

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Oxytocin (OXT) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide composed of nine amino acids. The functions of OXT cover a variety of social and nonsocial activity/behaviors. Therapeutic effects of OXT on aberrant social behaviors are attracting more attention, such as social memory, attachment, sexual behavior, maternal behavior, aggression, pair bonding, and trust. The nonsocial behaviors/functions of brain OXT have also received renewed attention, which covers brain development, reproduction, sex, endocrine, immune regulation, learning and memory, pain perception, energy balance, and almost all the functions of peripheral organ systems. Coordinating with brain OXT, locally produced OXT also involves the central and peripheral actions of OXT. Disorders in OXT secretion and functions can cause a series of aberrant social behaviors, such as depression, autism, and schizophrenia as well as disturbance of nonsocial behaviors/functions, such as anorexia, obesity, lactation failure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and carcinogenesis. As more and more OXT functions are identified, it is essential to provide a general view of OXT functions in order to explore the therapeutic potentials of OXT. In this review, we will focus on roles of hypothalamic OXT on central and peripheral nonsocial functions.

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Plastic changes induced by neonatal handling in the hypothalamus of female rats

Cited by 35 publications

References 41 publications

Morphometric differences in central stress-regulating structures between women with and without borderline personality disorder

Morphometric differences in central stress-regulating structures between women with and without borderline personality disorder

Neonatal handling: An overview of the positive and negative effects

Nonsocial Functions of Hypothalamic Oxytocin

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