Glutamatergic Neurotransmission Controls the Functional Lateralization of the mPFC in the Modulation of Anxiety Induced by Social Defeat Stress in Male Mice

Author(s)

Santos-Costa, Nathalia ^{[1, 2]} ; Baptista-de-Souza, Daniela ^[1] ; Canto-de-Souza, Lucas ^[1] ; da Costa, Vinicius Fresca ^{[1, 2]} ; Nunes-de-Souza, Ricardo Luiz ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Sch Pharmaceut Sci, Lab Pharmacol, Araraquara, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Estadual Paulista, Joint Grad Program Physiol Sci PIPGCF UFSCar, Sao Carlos - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE; v. 15, AUG 23 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is anatomically divided into cingulate (Cg1), prelimbic (PrL), and infralimbic (IL) subareas. The left and right mPFC (L and RmPFC) process emotional responses induced by stress-related stimuli, and LmPFC and RmPFC inhibition elicit anxiogenesis and anxiolysis, respectively. Here we sought to investigate (i) the mPFC functional laterality on social avoidance/anxiogenic-like behaviors in male mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (SDS), (ii) the effects of left prelimbic (PrL) inhibition (with local injection of CoCl2) on the RmPFC glutamatergic neuronal activation pattern (immunofluorescence assay), and (iii) the effects of the dorsal right mPFC (Cg1 + PrL) NMDA receptor blockade (with local injection of AP7) on the anxiety induced by left dorsal mPFC inhibition in mice exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM). Results showed that chronic SDS induced anxiogenic-like behaviors followed by the rise of delta FosB labeling and by delta FosB + CaMKII double-labeling bilaterally in the Cg1 and IL subareas of the mPFC. Chronic SDS also increased delta FosB and by \& UDelta;FosB + CaMKII labeling only on the right PrL. Also, the left PrL inhibition increased cFos + CaMKII labeling in the contralateral PrL and IL. Moreover, anxiogenesis induced by the left PrL inhibition was blocked by NMDA receptor antagonist AP7 injected into the right PrL. These findings suggest the lateralized control of the glutamatergic neurotransmission in the modulation of emotional-like responses in mice subjected to chronic SDS.</p> (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/25409-0 - Neurobiological substrates of the medial prefrontal cortex functional lateralization on defensive reactions induced by social defeat stress in mice
• Grantee: Ricardo Luiz Nunes de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/24568-4 - Functional lateralization of the medial prefrontal cortex in anxiety and depression in mice: molecular and psychopharmacological evaluations
• Grantee: Nathália Santos Costa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/08665-0 - Evaluation of left and right medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmissions in ethanol-induced consumption by social defeat stress in mice
• Grantee: Lucas Canto de Souza
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral