Quality of early-life maternal care predicts empathy-like behavior in adult male rats: Linking empathy to BDNF gene expression in associated brain regions.

Empathy is the ability to experience a shared affective state as others. It enhances group living and manifests itself as helping behavior towards a distressed person. It also can flourish by nurturing. Recent findings suggest that rodents exhibit empathy-like behavior towards their conspecifics. However, the role of early-life experiences (e.g., maternal care) is not clear on the development of empathy-like behavior. Moreover, brain-derived neutrophilic factor (BDNF) is a pivotal protein in modulating the brain's function and behaviors. Evidence suggests that the expression of the BDNF gene can be affected by the quality of maternal care. In this study, we questioned whether variation in maternal care modulates empathy-like behavior of male rats in adulthood. Additionally, gene expression of BDNF was measured in the amygdala, hippocampus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, and striatum in these adult male rats. Based on the pattern of maternal care, the offspring were divided into high maternal care (HMC) and low maternal care (LMC) groups. We confirmed that the early-life experience of HMC significantly promoted the empathy-like behavior of rats in adulthood compared to LMC. In terms of gene expression, the HMC group consistently had higher BDNF gene expression in all studied regions, except anterior cingulate cortex which groups were not different. Taken together, it suggests that maternal care in infancy predicts empathy-like behavior in adulthood and differences in BDNF gene expression in different brain regions may reflect the underlying mechanism.

Altered D2 receptor and transcription factor EB expression in offspring of aggressive male rats, along with having depressive and anxiety-like behaviors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study we have evaluated the behavioral mood variations, and expression of DR-D2 and TFEB genes in the amygdala and PFC of aggressive male rats' offspring. RESULTS: Anxiety and depression-like behaviors were observed, but intra-ventricle injection of DR-D2 antagonist (Sulpiride) has shown to be efficient in reducing negative behavioral changes in offspring. Furthermore, DR-D2 gene expression was increased in the amygdala and PFC of aggressive male rats' offspring, which the injection of Sulpiride decreased it significantly. TFEB gene expression was also decreased in the amygdala and PFC of aggressive male rats' offspring, but the blockade of DR-D2 had no effect on it. CONCLUSIONS: The current data suggests the possible influence of dopaminergic receptors D2 and TFEB genes on the behavioral changes which is modified by having an aggressive father.

Prevention of recognition memory loss and moderation of mitochondrial dynamic tendency toward fusion by flavone derivatives in Aß-injected rats: a comparison between two flavonoids with different polarity.

Growing evidence sheds light on the use of flavonoids as the promising alternatives for the treatment of chronic conditions, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Accordingly, in the present study, we aimed at evaluating the effects of oral intake of two structurally different flavonoids 5-hydroxy-6,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (flavone 1) and 5,7,4'-trihydroxyflavone (flavone 2) on recognition memory, hippocampal protein level of immediate early gene cFos and mitochondrial dynamic markers in Amyloid ß (Aß)-injected rats. Recognition aspect of memory and level of proteins were measured using novel object recognition test and Western blot, respectively. Our data indicated that even though flavone 1 was more effective than flavone 2 to prevent memory impairment, feeding with both flavones alleviated memory in Aß-injected rats. Furthermore, in flavones-administered rats, mitochondrial dynamic balancing returned to the control level by the decline in Dynamin-related protein-1 protein level, a known marker for mitochondrial fission, and elevation in protein level of mitochondrial fusion factors Mitofusins 1 and 2. In parallel with behavior results, flavone 1 was more effectual on mitochondrial dynamic moderating. The more neuroprotective effects of flavone 1 could be attributed to its methylated structure leading to crossing of the blood-brain barrier with ease and metabolic stability and bioactivity.