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ABSTRACT: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and complex psychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 2-3%. Recent work has shown that OCD rituals were not only characterized by a high rate of repetition but also by an increased behavioral repertoire due to additional non-functional unique acts. These two behavioral characteristics may provide an ethological basis for studying compulsive behavior in an animal model of OCD. Here, quinpirole induced behavior (so far only investigated in rats) has been studied in A/J and C57BL/6J mice by using behavioral pattern analysis. The aim of this study is to investigate whether genetic background is mediating this behavior. Results showed that open field motor activity levels of saline treated C57BL/6J mice was significantly higher compared to A/J treated saline mice. Long-term quinpirole treatment increased open field motor activity levels in A/J, but not in C57BL/6J. Quinpirole treatment induced a strain dependent difference in behavioral repertoire. There was a dose dependent increase in the number of different behavioral patterns in A/J, whereas, in C57BL/6J there was a dose dependent decrease. This data suggest that genetic background is important in expressing quinpirole induced compulsive like behavior. Following quinpirole treatment, A/J mice express a greater behavioral repertoire with a high rate of repetition. This phenotype resembles that of OCD rituals in patients and indicates that this strain is very interesting to further validate for studying neurobiological mechanisms of compulsive behavior.
European neuropsychopharmacology: the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology 02/2012; 22(9):657-63. · 3.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Animal studies are very useful in detection of early disease indicators and in unravelling the pathophysiological processes underlying core psychiatric disorder phenotypes. Early indicators are critical for preventive and efficient treatment of progressive psychiatric disorders like anorexia nervosa. Comparable to physical hyperactivity observed in anorexia nervosa patients, in the activity-based anorexia rodent model, mice and rats express paradoxical high voluntary wheel running activity levels when food restricted. Eleven inbred mouse strains and outbred Wistar WU rats were exposed to the activity-based anorexia model in search of identifying susceptibility predictors. Body weight, food intake and wheel running activity levels of each individual mouse and rat were measured. Mouse strains and rats with high wheel running activity levels during food restriction exhibited accelerated body weight loss. Linear mixed models for repeated measures analysis showed that baseline wheel running activity levels preceding the scheduled food restriction phase strongly predicted activity-based anorexia susceptibility (mice: Beta = -0.0158 (±0.003 SE), P<0.0001; rats: Beta = -0.0242 (±0.004 SE), P<0.0001) compared to other baseline parameters. These results suggest that physical activity levels play an important role in activity-based anorexia susceptibility in different rodent species with genetically diverse background. These findings support previous retrospective studies on physical activity levels in anorexia nervosa patients and indicate that pre-morbid physical activity levels could reflect an early indicator for disease severity.
PLoS ONE 01/2012; 7(11):e50453. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The neuropeptide Y (NPY) system in the brain regulates a wide variety of behavioral, metabolic and hormonal homeostatic processes required for energy balance control. During times of limited food availability, NPY promotes behavioral hyperactivity necessary to explore and prepare for novel food resources. As NPY can act via 5 different receptor subtypes, we investigated the path through which NPY affects different behavioral components relevant for adaptation to such conditions. We tested NPY Y1 and Y2 receptor knockout mice and their wild-type littermate controls in a daily scheduled limited food access paradigm with unlimited access to running wheel. Here we show that NPY Y1 receptor deficient mice lack the expression of appetitive behavior and that NPY Y2 receptors control the level of hyperactive behavior under these conditions. Thus, receptor specificity determines the differential expression of NPY-mediated behavioral adaptations to overcome a negative energy status.
Genes Brain and Behavior 09/2011; 11(1):105-12. · 3.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In this study, we show that the covariance between behavior and gene expression in the brain can help further unravel the determinants of neurobehavioral traits. Previously, a QTL for novelty induced motor activity levels was identified on murine chromosome 15 using consomic strains. With the goal of narrowing down the linked region and possibly identifying the gene underlying the quantitative trait, gene expression data from this F(2)-population was collected and used for expression QTL analysis. While genetic variation in these mice was limited to chromosome 15, eQTL analysis of gene expression showed strong cis-effects as well as trans-effects elsewhere in the genome. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we were able to identify modules of co-expressed genes related to novelty induced motor activity levels. In eQTL analyses, the expression of Ly6a (a.k.a. Sca-1) was found to be cis-regulated by chromosome 15. Ly6a also surfaced in a group of genes resulting from the network analysis that was correlated with behavior. Behavioral analysis of Ly6a knock-out mice revealed reduced novelty induced motor activity levels when compared to wild type controls, confirming functional importance of Ly6a in this behavior, possibly through regulating other genes in a pathway. This study shows that gene expression profiling can be used to narrow down a previously identified behavioral QTL in mice, providing support for Ly6a as a candidate gene for functional involvement in novelty responsiveness.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(6):e20716. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Identifying susceptibility genes for endophenotypes by studying analogous behaviors across species is an important strategy for understanding the pathophysiology underlying psychiatric disorders. This approach provides novel biological pathways plus validated animal models critical for selective drug development. One such endophenotype is avoidance behavior.
In the present study, novel automated registration methods for longitudinal behavioral assessment in home cages are used to screen a panel of recently generated mouse chromosome substitution strains that are very powerful in quantitative trait loci (QTL) detection of complex traits. In this way, we identified chromosomes regulating avoidance behavior (increased sheltering preference) independent of motor activity levels (horizontal distance moved). Genetic information from the mouse QTL-interval was integrated with that from the homologous human linkage region for a mood disorder.
We genetically mapped a QTL for avoidance behavior on mouse chromosome 15, homologous with a human genome region (8q24) linked to bipolar disorder. Integrating the syntenic mouse QTL-interval with genotypes of 1868 BPD cases versus 14,311 control subjects revealed two associated genes (ADCY8 and KCNQ3). Adenylyl cyclase 8 (Adcy8) was differentially expressed in specific brain regions of mouse strains that differ in avoidance behavior levels. Finally, we showed that chronic infusion of the human mood stabilizer carbamazepine (that acts via adenylyl cyclase activity) significantly reduced mouse avoidance behavior, providing a further link between human mood disorders and this mouse home cage behavior.
Our data suggest that Adcy8 might encode a translational behavioral endophenotype of bipolar disorder.
Biological psychiatry 09/2009; 66(12):1123-30. · 8.93 Impact Factor
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M J H Kas,
J G de Mooij-van Malsen,
M de Krom,
K L I van Gassen,
H A van Lith,
B Olivier, H Oppelaar,
J Hendriks,
M de Wit,
M J A Groot Koerkamp,
F C P Holstege,
B A van Oost,
P N E de Graan
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ABSTRACT: The generation of motor activity levels is under tight neural control to execute essential behaviors, such as movement toward food or for social interaction. To identify novel neurobiological mechanisms underlying motor activity levels, we studied a panel of chromosome substitution (CS) strains derived from mice with high (C57BL/6J strain) or low motor activity levels (A/J strain) using automated home cage behavioral registration. In this study, we genetically mapped the expression of baseline motor activity levels (horizontal distance moved) to mouse chromosome 1. Further genetic mapping of this trait revealed an 8.3-Mb quantitative trait locus (QTL) interval. This locus is distinct from the QTL interval for open-field anxiety-related motor behavior on this chromosome. By data mining, an existing phenotypic and genotypic data set of 2445 genetically heterogeneous mice (http://gscan.well.ox.ac.uk/), we confirmed linkage to the peak marker at 79 970 253 bp and refined the QTL to a 312-kb interval containing a single gene (A830043J08Rik). Sequence analysis showed a nucleotide deletion in the 3' untranslated region of the Riken gene. Genome-wide microarray gene expression profiling in brains of discordant F(2) individuals from CS strain 1 showed a significant upregulation of Epha4 in low-active F(2) individuals. Inclusion of a genetic marker for Epha4 confirmed that this gene is located outside of the QTL interval. Both Epha4 and A830043J08Rik are expressed in brain motor circuits, and similar to Epha4 mutants, we found linkage between reduced motor neurons number and A/J chromosome 1. Our findings provide a novel QTL and a potential downstream target underlying motor circuitry development and the expression of physical activity levels.
Genes Brain and Behavior 09/2008; 8(1):13-22. · 3.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Increased physical activity and decreased motivation to eat are common features in anorexia nervosa. We investigated the development of these features and the potential implication of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopaminergic signalling in their development in C57BL/6J and A/J inbred mice, using the 'activity-based anorexia' model. In this model, mice on a restricted-feeding schedule are given unlimited access to running wheels. We measured dopamine receptor D2 and BDNF expression levels in the caudate putamen and the hippocampus, respectively, using in situ hybridization. We found that in response to scheduled feeding, C57BL/6J mice reduced their running wheel activity and displayed food anticipatory activity prior to food intake from day 2 of scheduled feeding as an indication of motivation to eat. In contrast, A/J mice increased running wheel activity during scheduled feeding and lacked food anticipatory activity. These were accompanied by increased dopamine receptor D2 expression in the caudate putamen and reduced BDNF expression in the hippocampus. Consistent with human linkage and association studies on BDNF and dopamine receptor D2 in anorexia nervosa, our study shows that dopaminergic and BDNF signalling are altered as a function of susceptibility to activity-based anorexia. Differences in gene expression and behaviour between A/J and C57BL/6J mice indicate that mouse genetic mapping populations based on these progenitor lines are valuable for identifying molecular determinants of anorexia-related traits.
Genes Brain and Behavior 04/2008; 7(5):552-9. · 3.48 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Deficiency of the meso-diencephalic dopamine (mdDA) neuron specific transcription factor Pitx3 in aphakia (ak) mice results in the loss of the substantia nigra compacta (SNc). Concomitantly, reduced spontaneous locomotor behavior, symptoms reminiscent to those in Parkinson's disease, has been reported. However, the ak mouse line originates from the 1960s and has been compared to C57BL/6J inbred controls. Therefore, to define Pitx3 gene function in baseline and novelty-induced locomotor behavior and mdDA neuronal activity, we analyzed Pitx3-deficiency in a controlled genetic and epigenetic background. The analysis implicated that, in contrast to the controversial and previously reported hypo-activity in ak mice, Pitx3-/- mice showed normal dark phase motor activity levels. Our data also revealed that ak and Pitx3-/- mice both display a similar neuro-anatomical and physiological phenotype, and, interestingly, showed increased spontaneous home cage activity levels during their habitual sleep phase. Further behavioral analysis revealed that both ak and Pitx3-/- mice have reduced transitions but increased consolidation of specific locomotor behaviors, such as rearing and horizontal movement. Thus, Pitx3 is not involved in the expression of nighttime motor activity levels, but is critical for selective mdDA neuronal activity and associated with increased consolidation of movement.
Behavioural Brain Research 02/2008; 186(2):208-14. · 3.42 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Food restricted rodents develop activity-based anorexia in the presence of a running wheel, characterised by increased physical activity, weight loss and decreased leptin levels. Here, we determined trait differences in the development of activity-based anorexia between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mouse lines previously reported as having low and high anxiety, respectively. C57BL/6J mice housed with running wheels and exposed to scheduled feeding reduced their wheel activity, in contrast to DBA/2J mice which exhibited increased behavioural activity under these conditions. Food restriction induced hypoleptinemia in both strains, but the decline in plasma leptin was stronger in DBA/2J mice and correlated with increased activity only in that strain. These data suggest that plasma leptin level dynamics rather than hypoleptinemia alone influences the development of activity-based anorexia and that recombinant inbred panels based on these progenitor lines offer opportunities for the identification of molecular determinants for anorexia nervosa related behavioural traits.
European Neuropsychopharmacology 03/2007; 17(3):199-205. · 4.05 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Food restriction paradigms are widely used in animal studies to investigate systems involved in energy regulation. We have observed behavioral, physiological, and molecular differences in response to food restriction in three inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J, A/J, and DBA/2J. These are the progenitors of chromosome substitution and recombinant inbred mouse strains used for mapping complex traits. DBA/2J and A/J mice increased their locomotor activity during food restriction, and both displayed a decrease in body temperature, but the decrease was significantly larger in DBA/2J compared with A/J mice. C57BL/6J mice did not increase their locomotor activity and displayed a large decrease in their body temperature. The large decline in body temperature during food restriction in DBA/2J and C57BL/6J strains was associated with a robust reduction in plasma leptin levels. DBA/2J mice showed a marked decrease in white and brown adipose tissue masses and an upregulation of the antithermogenic hypothalamic neuropeptide Y Y(1) receptor. In contrast, A/J mice showed a reduction in body temperature to a lesser extent that may be explained by downregulation of the thermogenic melanocortin 3 receptor and by behavioral thermoregulation as a consequence of their increased locomotor activity. These data indicate that genetic background is an important parameter in controlling an animal's adaptation strategy in response to food restriction. Therefore, mouse genetic mapping populations based on these progenitor lines are highly valuable for investigating mechanisms underlying strain-dependent differences in behavioral physiology that are seen during reduced food availability.
AJP Endocrinology and Metabolism 10/2006; 291(3):E574-81. · 4.75 Impact Factor
