Dose-Related Reduction in Hippocampal Neuronal Populations in Fetal Alcohol Exposed Vervet Monkeys.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a chronic debilitating condition resulting in behavioral and intellectual impairments and is considered the most prevalent form of preventable mental retardation in the industrialized world. We previously reported that 2-year-old offspring of vervet monkey (Chlorocebus sabeus) dams drinking, on average, 2.3 ± 0.49 g ethanol per Kg maternal body weight 4 days per week during the last third of pregnancy had significantly lower numbers of CA1 (-51.6%), CA2 (-51.2%) and CA3 (-42.8%) hippocampal neurons, as compared to age-matched sucrose controls. Fetal alcohol-exposed (FAE) offspring also showed significantly lower volumes for these structures at 2 years of age. In the present study, we examined these same parameters in 12 FAE offspring with a similar average but a larger range of ethanol exposures (1.01-2.98 g/Kg/day; total ethanol exposure 24-158 g/Kg). Design-based stereology was performed on cresyl violet-stained and doublecortin (DCX)-immunostained sections of the hippocampus. We report here significant neuronal deficits in the hippocampus with a significant negative correlation between daily dose and neuronal population in CA1 (r2 = 0.486), CA2 (r2 = 0.492), and CA3 (r2 = 0.469). There were also significant correlations between DCX population in the dentate gyrus and daily dose (r2 = 0.560). Both correlations were consistent with linear dose-response models. This study illustrates that neuroanatomical sequelae of fetal ethanol exposure are dose-responsive and suggests that there may be a threshold for this effect.

Perinatal MAO Inhibition Produces Long-Lasting Impairment of Serotonin Function in Offspring.

In addition to transmitter functions, many neuroamines have trophic or ontogenetic regulatory effects important to both normal and disordered brain development. In previous work (Mejia et al., 2002), we showed that pharmacologically inhibiting monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity during murine gestation increases the prevalence of behaviors thought to reflect impulsivity and aggression. The goal of the present study was to determine the extent to which this treatment influences dopamine and serotonin innervation of murine cortical and subcortical areas, as measured by regional density of dopamine (DAT) and serotonin transporters (SERT). We measured DAT and SERT densities at 3 developmental times (PND 14, 35 and 90) following inhibition of MAO A, or MAO B or both throughout murine gestation and early post-natal development. DAT binding was unaltered within the nigrostriatal pathway, but concurrent inhibition of MAO-A and MAO-B significantly and specifically reduced SERT binding by 10⁻25% in both the frontal cortex and raphe nuclei. Low levels of SERT binding persisted (PND 35, 90) after the termination (PND 21) of exposure to MAO inhibitors and was most marked in brain structures germane to the previously described behavioral changes. The relatively modest level of enzyme inhibition (25⁻40%) required to produce these effects mandates care in the use of any compound which might inhibit MAO activity during gestation.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Affects Progenitor Cell Numbers in Olfactory Bulbs and Dentate Gyrus of Vervet Monkeys.

Fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) alters hippocampal cell numbers in rodents and primates, and this may be due, in part, to a reduction in the number or migration of neuronal progenitor cells. The olfactory bulb exhibits substantial postnatal cellular proliferation and a rapid turnover of newly formed cells in the rostral migratory pathway, while production and migration of postnatal neurons into the dentate gyrus may be more complex. The relatively small size of the olfactory bulb, compared to the hippocampus, potentially makes this structure ideal for a rapid analysis. This study used the St. Kitts vervet monkey (Chlorocebus sabeus) to (1) investigate the normal developmental sequence of post-natal proliferation in the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus and (2) determine the effects of naturalistic prenatal ethanol exposure on proliferation at three different ages (neonate, five months and two years). Using design-based stereology, we found an age-related decrease of actively proliferating cells in the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus for both control and FAE groups. Furthermore, at the neonatal time point, the FAE group had fewer actively proliferating cells as compared to the control group. These data are unique with respect to fetal ethanol effects on progenitor proliferation in the primate brain and suggest that the olfactory bulb may be a useful structure for studies of cellular proliferation.

Hippocampal neuron populations are reduced in vervet monkeys with fetal alcohol exposure.

Prenatal exposure to beverage alcohol is a major cause of mild mental retardation and developmental delay. In nonendangered alcohol-preferring vervet monkeys, we modeled the most common nondysmorphic form of fetal alcohol syndrome disorder with voluntary drinking during the third trimester of pregnancy. Here, we report significant numerical reductions in the principal hippocampal neurons of fetal alcohol-exposed (FAE) offspring, as compared to age-matched, similarly housed conspecifics with isocaloric sucrose exposure. These deficits, particularly marked in CA1 and CA3, are present neonatally and persist through infancy (5 months) and juvenile (2 years) stages. Although the volumes of hippocampal subdivisions in FAE animals are not atypical at birth, by age 2, they are only 65-70% of those estimated in age-matched controls. These data suggest that moderate, naturalistic alcohol consumption during late pregnancy results in a stable loss of hippocampal neurons and a progressive reduction of hippocampal volume.

A deficit in face-voice integration in developing vervet monkeys exposed to ethanol during gestation.

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders display behavioural and intellectual impairments that strongly implicate dysfunction within the frontal cortex. Deficits in social behaviour and cognition are amongst the most pervasive outcomes of prenatal ethanol exposure. Our naturalistic vervet monkey model of fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) provides an unparalleled opportunity to study the neurobehavioral outcomes of prenatal ethanol exposure in a controlled experimental setting. Recent work has revealed a significant reduction of the neuronal population in the frontal lobes of these monkeys. We used an intersensory matching procedure to investigate audiovisual perception of socially relevant stimuli in young FAE vervet monkeys. Here we show a domain-specific deficit in audiovisual integration of socially relevant stimuli. When FAE monkeys were shown a pair of side-by-side videos of a monkey concurrently presenting two different calls along with a single audio track matching the content of one of the calls, they were not able to match the correct video to the single audio track. This was manifest by their average looking time being equally spent towards both the matching and non-matching videos. However, a group of normally developing monkeys exhibited a significant preference for the non-matching video. This inability to integrate and thereby discriminate audiovisual stimuli was confined to the integration of faces and voices as revealed by the monkeys' ability to match a dynamic face to a complex tone or a black-and-white checkerboard to a pure tone, presumably based on duration and/or onset-offset synchrony. Together, these results suggest that prenatal ethanol exposure negatively affects a specific domain of audiovisual integration. This deficit is confined to the integration of information that is presented by the face and the voice and does not affect more elementary aspects of sensory integration.

Pyroglutamate-3 amyloid-ß deposition in the brains of humans, non-human primates, canines, and Alzheimer disease-like transgenic mouse models.

Amyloid-ß (Aß) peptides, starting with pyroglutamate at the third residue (pyroGlu-3 Aß), are a major species deposited in the brain of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. Recent studies suggest that this isoform shows higher toxicity and amyloidogenecity when compared to full-length Aß peptides. Here, we report the first comprehensive and comparative IHC evaluation of pyroGlu-3 Aß deposition in humans and animal models. PyroGlu-3 Aß immunoreactivity (IR) is abundant in plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy of AD and Down syndrome patients, colocalizing with general Aß IR. PyroGlu-3 Aß is further present in two nontransgenic mammalian models of cerebral amyloidosis, Caribbean vervets, and beagle canines. In addition, pyroGlu-3 Aß deposition was analyzed in 12 different AD-like transgenic mouse models. In contrast to humans, all transgenic models showed general Aß deposition preceding pyroGlu-3 Aß deposition. The findings varied greatly among the mouse models concerning age of onset and cortical brain region. In summary, pyroGlu-3 Aß is a major species of ß-amyloid deposited early in diffuse and focal plaques and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in humans and nonhuman primates, whereas it is deposited later in a subset of focal and vascular amyloid in AD-like transgenic mouse models. Given the proposed decisive role of pyroGlu-3 Aß peptides for the development of human AD pathology, this study provides insights into the usage of animal models in AD studies.

Neuronal reduction in frontal cortex of primates after prenatal alcohol exposure.

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) show behavioral and intellectual impairments that indicate frontal lobe dysfunction, but the extent of damage to this region has not been clarified by brain imaging studies. This study uses the St Kitts vervet monkey, a species that voluntarily consumes beverage alcohol, to examine the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure. Pregnant vervets were allowed to drink the equivalent of 3-5 standard drinks four times a week during the third trimester. Using unbiased stereology, we estimated neuronal reduction and found significantly fewer cells in the frontal lobes of FASD offspring as well as an increased density of interstitial white matter neurons. These cytoarchitectonic effects are consistent with the behavioral and cognitive changes observed in FASD.

Alpha synuclein protein levels are increased in serum from recently abstinent cocaine abusers.

Alpha synuclein is increased in dopamine neurons of cocaine abusers and in rats whose alcohol preference is inbred. Recent studies have shown increased alpha synuclein protein expression in serum of alcoholic patients that is linked with severity of alcohol craving. The aim of this study was to analyze the serum levels of alpha synuclein in healthy subjects and in recently abstinent cocaine abusers. Alpha synuclein protein expression was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum specimens obtained from 38 recently abstinent cocaine dependent patients and 14 control subjects. The presence of cocaine dependence disorder was based on the Structured Clinical Interview (DSM-IV). Drug severity was assessed by the Addiction Severity Index ratings and composite measures. Scores of the intensity and frequency of cocaine craving episodes were obtained from the Minnesota Cocaine Craving Questionnaire. The serum concentrations of alpha synuclein in cocaine dependent patients were significantly higher as compared with age-matched drug-free controls (p<0.001). Alpha synuclein levels in blood were significantly correlated with the intensity (r=0.60, p<0.001) and frequency (r=0.64, p<0.001) of cocaine craving and with 30 days of cocaine use in the prior month before entry to treatment (r=0.56, p<0.005). However, there was no correlation between the serum protein levels of alpha synuclein and age in either group. This report is the first demonstration of altered alpha synuclein levels in peripheral blood from cocaine abusers. These data agree with previous reports in postmortem brain of cocaine abusers and provide support for an association between alpha synuclein and cocaine dependence.

Alzheimer's disease abeta vaccine reduces central nervous system abeta levels in a non-human primate, the Caribbean vervet.

Amyloid beta (Abeta) protein immunotherapy lowers cerebral Abeta and improves cognition in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we show that Caribbean vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops, SK) develop cerebral Abeta plaques with aging and that these deposits are associated with gliosis and neuritic dystrophy. Five aged vervets were immunized with Abeta peptide over 10 months. Plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected periodically from the immunized vervets and five aged controls; one monkey per group expired during the study. By Day 42, immunized animals generated plasma Abeta antibodies that labeled Abeta plaques in human, AD transgenic mouse and vervet brains; bound Abeta1-7; and recognized monomeric and oligomeric Abeta but not full-length amyloid precursor protein nor its C-terminal fragments. Low anti-Abeta titers were detected in CSF. Abetax-40 levels were elevated approximately 2- to 5-fold in plasma and decreased up to 64% in CSF in immunized vervets. Insoluble Abetax-42 was decreased by 66% in brain homogenates of the four immunized animals compared to archival tissues from 13 age-matched control vervets. Abeta42-immunoreactive plaques were detected in frontal cortex in 11 of the 13 control animals, but not in six brain regions examined in each of the four immunized vervets. No T cell response or inflammation was observed. Our study is the first to demonstrate age-related Abeta deposition in the vervet monkey as well as the lowering of cerebral Abeta by Abeta vaccination in a non-human primate. The findings further support Abeta immunotherapy as a potential prevention and treatment of AD.

Monoamine oxidase inhibition during brain development induces pathological aggressive behavior in mice.

BACKGROUND: Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is historically a focus of concern in research on impulsive and aggressive behavior. Recent studies in a single kindred with a point mutation in the MAO-A gene, together with phenotypic evaluations of MAO-A knockout mice, have sharpened this interest. The goal of this study was to investigate the behavioral consequences of MAO inhibition during brain development and to determine the extent to which specific effects could be attributed to MAO- A versus MAO-B. METHODS: MAO-A and B inhibitors were administered, separately or in combination, during gestation and lactation. Behavioral evaluations included neurologic testing, delay of rewarded response, and the resident-intruder aggression paradigm, conducted before and after an acute pharmacologic challenge. RESULTS: Total prenatal MAO inhibition produced a pervasive increase in aggressive behavior, whereas MAO-B inhibited mice demonstrated a similar pattern of lower intensity. Aggression was elevated in MAO-A inhibited mice only after acute pharmacologic challenge, suggesting prenatal sensitization. CONCLUSIONS: Developmental inhibition of MAO activity engenders behavioral effects that parallel those observed in animals with genetic ablation of MAO function. These data underscore the importance of neurochemical changes during development and provide a possible model for disinhibited aggression, common in clinical populations.

Estudio experimental de la depresión por estrés social / Experimental study of depression by social stress

Se estudió experimentalmente la depresión reactiva en monos inducida por conflitos sociales. Con este fin se usó como modelo la formación de nuevos grupos con animales desconocidos entre sí, ya que este procedimiento induce estrés asociado a un cuadro somático y conductual de depresión emocional. Se emplearon dos grupos de monos (Cercopithecus aethiops) que se formaron simultáneamente en jaulas gemelas y contiguas, con igual composición social (cuatro hembras y un macho adulto y cuatro juveniles de ambos sexos en cada grupo). La conducta social se registró diariamente durante una hora en cada grupo y se analizaron las conductas afiliativas de juntarse, espulgarse, el juego y la conducta sexual. Las conductas de rechazo estudiadas fueron los desplazamientos, las fintas, y los ataques. Durante las primeras cinco semanas después de la formación murieron dos hembras adultas y dos juveniles en cada grupo. Dos de los juveniles murieron el día de la formación a consecuencia de las heridas recibidas y los dos restantes murieron de neumonía unos días después. En cambio las necropsias de las hembras adultas mostraron hemorragias petequiales e hipertrofia de las glándulas suprarrenales y en un caso úlceras gástricas. Los animales sobrevivientes se continuaron estudiando durante dos meses más con el propósito de permitir la consolidación de lazos afiliativos y posteriormente ambos grupos se unieron en uno solo. La conducta social de las hembras deprimidas que murieron se comparó con la de las hembras que lograron adaptarse socialmente y por tanto sobrevivir. Las diferencias más significativas ocurrieron en la conducta afiliativa más frecuente (juntarse con otro u otros) así como en la conducta de rechazo más frecuente (los desplazamientos). El grupo de hembras que murieron se juntó primordialmente con los juveniles mostrando frecuenta progresivamente decrecientes...