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Early weaning increases anxiety via brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the mouse prefrontal cortex.

ABSTRACT: Deprivation of maternal care during early development markedly affects emotional development, but the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In a mouse model of disrupted mother-infant relationship, early weaning causes long-term impacts on pups to exhibit increased corticosterone secretion, anxiety, and stress responses in their adulthood. Revealing the molecular mechanisms behind it would beneficial to ameliorating mental problems caused by abuse in childhood. We report that normalizing circulating corticosterone in early-weaned mice, either in adulthood or soon after weaning, ameliorated anxiety levels assessed in the plus maze test. Administering a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist into the prefrontal cortex (PFC) reversed the effects of early weaning, whereas administering corticosterone increased anxiety levels, suggesting that the PFC is corticosterone's target brain region. In the PFCs of early-weaned mice, we observed prolonged reductions in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and associated mRNAs. Anxiety in early-weaned mice was ameliorated by pretreatment with BDNF or a BDNF receptor agonist. In summary, early weaning increased anxiety levels by modulating glucocorticoid and BDNF signaling in the PFC.

SUBMITTER: Kikusui T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6408497 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Early weaning increases anxiety via brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the mouse prefrontal cortex.

Kikusui Takefumi T Kanbara Natsumi N Ozaki Mariya M Hirayama Nozomi N Ida Kumiko K Tokita Mika M Tanabe Naho N Mitsuyama Kuriko K Abe Hatsuki H Yoshida Miki M Nagasawa Miho M Mogi Kazutaka K

Scientific reports 20190308 1

Deprivation of maternal care during early development markedly affects emotional development, but the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms are not fully understood. In a mouse model of disrupted mother-infant relationship, early weaning causes long-term impacts on pups to exhibit increased corticosterone secretion, anxiety, and stress responses in their adulthood. Revealing the molecular mechanisms behind it would beneficial to ameliorating mental problems caused by abuse in childhood. We report ...[more]

PMID: 30850750

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Dataset Information

Early weaning increases anxiety via brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the mouse prefrontal cortex.

Publications

Early weaning increases anxiety via brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the mouse prefrontal cortex.

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