Traumatic Brain Injury-Induced Fear Generalization in Mice Involves Hippocampal Memory Trace Dysfunction and Is Alleviated by (R,S)-Ketamine.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by an impact to the head by an outside force. TBI results in persistent cognitive impairments, including fear generalization and the inability to distinguish between aversive and neutral stimuli. The mechanisms underlying fear generalization have not been fully elucidated, and there are no targeted therapeutics to alleviate this symptom of TBI. METHODS: To identify the neural ensembles mediating fear generalization, we utilized ArcCreERT2 × enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) mice, which allow for activity-dependent labeling and quantification of memory traces. Mice were administered a sham surgery or the controlled cortical impact model of TBI. Mice were then administered a contextual fear discrimination paradigm and memory traces were quantified in numerous brain regions. In a separate group of mice, we tested if (R,S)-ketamine could decrease fear generalization and alter the corresponding memory traces in TBI mice. RESULTS: TBI mice exhibited increased fear generalization when compared with sham mice. This behavioral phenotype was paralleled by altered memory traces in the dentate gyrus, CA3, and amygdala, but not by alterations in inflammation or sleep. In TBI mice, (R,S)-ketamine facilitated fear discrimination, and this behavioral improvement was reflected in dentate gyrus memory trace activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that TBI induces fear generalization by altering fear memory traces and that this deficit can be improved with a single injection of (R,S)-ketamine. This work enhances our understanding of the neural basis of TBI-induced fear generalization and reveals potential therapeutic avenues for alleviating this symptom.

Traumatic brain injury-induced fear generalization in mice involves hippocampal memory trace dysfunction and is alleviated by ( R,S )-ketamine.

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by an impact to the head by an outside force. TBI results in persistent cognitive impairments, including fear generalization, the inability to distinguish between aversive and neutral stimuli. The mechanisms underlying fear generalization have not been fully elucidated, and there are no targeted therapeutics to alleviate this symptom of TBI. METHODS: To identify the neural ensembles mediating fear generalization, we utilized the ArcCreER T2 x enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) mice, which allow for activity-dependent labeling and quantification of memory traces. Mice were administered a sham surgery or the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI. Mice were then administered a contextual fear discrimination (CFD) paradigm and memory traces were quantified in numerous brain regions. In a separate group of mice, we tested if ( R,S )-ketamine could decrease fear generalization and alter the corresponding memory traces in TBI mice. RESULTS: TBI mice exhibited increased fear generalization when compared with sham mice. This behavioral phenotype was paralleled by altered memory traces in the DG, CA3, and amygdala, but not by alterations in inflammation or sleep. In TBI mice, ( R,S )-ketamine facilitated fear discrimination and this behavioral improvement was reflected in DG memory trace activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that TBI induces fear generalization by altering fear memory traces, and that this deficit can be improved with a single injection of ( R,S )-ketamine. This work enhances our understanding of the neural basis of TBI-induced fear generalization and reveals potential therapeutic avenues for alleviating this symptom.

Sex-specific neurobiological actions of prophylactic (R,S)-ketamine, (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine, and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine.

Enhancing stress resilience in at-risk populations could significantly reduce the incidence of stress-related psychiatric disorders. We have previously reported that the administration of (R,S)-ketamine prevents stress-induced depressive-like behavior in male mice, perhaps by altering α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated transmission in hippocampal CA3. However, it is still unknown whether metabolites of (R,S)-ketamine can be prophylactic in both sexes. We administered (R,S)-ketamine or its metabolites (2R,6R)-hydroxynorketamine ((2R,6R)-HNK) and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine ((2S,6S)-HNK) at various doses 1 week before one of a number of stressors in male and female 129S6/SvEv mice. Patch clamp electrophysiology was used to determine the effect of prophylactic drug administration on glutamatergic activity in CA3. To examine the interaction between ovarian hormones and stress resilience, female mice also underwent ovariectomy (OVX) surgery and a hormone replacement protocol prior to drug administration. (2S,6S)-HNK and (2R,6R)-HNK protected against distinct stress-induced behaviors in both sexes, with (2S,6S)-HNK attenuating learned fear in male mice, and (2R,6R)-HNK preventing stress-induced depressive-like behavior in both sexes. (R,S)-ketamine and (2R,6R)-HNK, but not (2S,6S)-HNK, attenuated large-amplitude AMPAR-mediated bursts in hippocampal CA3. All three compounds reduced N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated currents 1 week after administration. Furthermore, ovarian-derived hormones were necessary for and sufficient to restore (R,S)-ketamine- and (2R,6R)-HNK-mediated prophylaxis in female mice. Our data provide further evidence that resilience-enhancing prophylactics may alter AMPAR-mediated glutamatergic transmission in CA3. Moreover, we show that prophylactics against stress-induced depressive-like behavior can be developed in a sex-specific manner and demonstrate that ovarian hormones are necessary for the prophylactic efficacy of (R,S)-ketamine and (2R,6R)-HNK in female mice.

Ventral CA3 Activation Mediates Prophylactic Ketamine Efficacy Against Stress-Induced Depressive-like Behavior.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that a single injection of ketamine prior to stress protects against the onset of depressive-like behavior and attenuates learned fear. However, the molecular pathways and brain circuits underlying ketamine-induced stress resilience are still largely unknown. METHODS: Here, we tested whether prophylactic ketamine administration altered neural activity in the prefrontal cortex and/or hippocampus. Mice were injected with saline or ketamine (30 mg/kg) 1 week before social defeat. Following behavioral tests assessing depressive-like behavior, mice were sacrificed and brains were processed to quantify ΔFosB expression. In a second set of experiments, mice were stereotaxically injected with viral vectors into ventral CA3 (vCA3) in order to silence or overexpress ΔFosB prior to prophylactic ketamine administration. In a third set of experiments, ArcCreERT2 mice, a line that allows for the indelible labeling of neural ensembles activated by a single experience, were used to quantify memory traces representing a contextual fear conditioning experience following prophylactic ketamine administration. RESULTS: Prophylactic ketamine administration increased ΔFosB expression in the ventral dentate gyrus and vCA3 of social defeat mice but not of control mice. Transcriptional silencing of ΔFosB activity in vCA3 inhibited prophylactic ketamine efficacy, while overexpression of ΔFosB mimicked and occluded ketamine's prophylactic effects. In ArcCreERT2 mice, ketamine administration altered memory traces representing the contextual fear conditioning experience in vCA3 but not in the ventral dentate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that prophylactic ketamine may be protective against a stressor by altering neural activity, specifically the neural ensembles representing an individual stressor in vCA3.