Topic: sociability

Our project aims to characterize a cardiometabolic animal model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in terms of behavior and cognitive function and to evaluate the impact of empagliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor used in HFpEF treatment. We used a well-accepted animal model of HFpEF, mimicking its metabolic and cardiovascular features – ZSF1‐Obese and ZSF1‐Lean rats as corresponding controls. At the first signs of diastolic dysfunction, half of the ZSF1- Obese and Lean rats were randomly assigned to treatment with empagliflozin administered through diet. 24-week-old animals we

LNX1 and LNX2 proteins are closely related PDZ domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligases expressed in neurons. They can interact with and potentially modulate a numerous synaptic proteins, but the in vivo physiological relevance of most of these interactions remains uncertain. We previously reported that mice lacking both LNX1 and LNX2 in the central nervous system exhibit decreased anxiety-related behaviour. Separately, abnormalities in social learning and sociability were described in a distinct LNX1 knockout mouse line. To extend this work we have examined: (1) anxiety-related behaviour in LNX

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication and cognitive flexibility. In the search of possible etiopathological mechanisms of ASDs, multiple studies linked aberrant mesolimbic reward pathway to dysfunction in sociability and restricted behaviors. However, the lateral habenula (LHb), representing the anti-reward center of the central nervous system, has been neglected so far. LHb activity encodes aversive responses and inhibits the physiological dynamics of ventral tegmental area (VTA), interfering w

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by early-onset impairments in social communication, repetitive behaviors and stereotypies. The present study was designed to investigate the developmental alteration of social behavior in rat model of autism induced by valproic acid (VPA). Experiments were carried out on prenatally VPA-treated and control (saline treated) rats at two different ages: adolescent (postnatal day 30) and young-adult (3 months-old) male rats. Sociability was evaluated in a three-chamber apparatus. The results showed that groups of

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a crucial role in the control of social behaviour. However, its projections to the medial preoptic area (MPOA) have not been investigated. Our research team has previously shown that ascending inputs to the MPOA increase the extent of social interactions between rats. Therefore, we determined the projection pattern of mPFC neurons projecting to the MPOA and examined their role in social behaviour. Retrogradely transferred adeno-associated virus (AAV) expressing Cre recombinase was injected into the MPOA followed by an mPFC injection of an AAV encoding

Sociability is an extremely complex behavior that requires the involvement and coordination of different brain areas. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays a pivotal role in regulating various aspects of social behavior and can reach and modulate many regions of the central nervous system. However, the mechanisms through which it modulates neuronal activity are still unclear, also because this peptide can exert different effects depending on the brain area and on the neuronal type. In this work, we investigated and deepened the action of OT on a specific subpopulation of interneuro

Migraine, a neurological disorder characterized by recurring, intense headaches, disproportionately affects a significant portion of the population, particularly females. While its precise etiology remains elusive, it is thought to have arisen from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. This research endeavors to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of both the sensory and emotional aspects of migraine pain, as well as the associated social impairments. Using the nitroglycerin (NTG) migraine model, which induces vasodilation via systemic administration, we simu

The mechanisms underlying the emergence of a social organization in mice are mainly studied in unisex male colonies. In isogenic male mice groups, we previously showed that sociability trait predicts rank attainment in social hierarchy whereas differences in anxiety between highest and lowest ranked individuals appears after rank establishment (Battivelli et al. 2024).Here we show that isogenic female mice grouped by four rapidly form enduring social hierarchy, that can be analysed using a precedence test based on encounters within a plastic tube from which lower-ranked individuals come out ba

Consumption of cannabinoid-containing products has increased for their beneficial effects on pregnancy for reducing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or anxiety. However, FDA clearly strongly advises against the use of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) during pregnancy. Alongside, mostly of the studies have investigated the effects of prenatal THC (pTHC) exposure, in males only, but pTHC shows a sex bias. Here, we investigate the effects of pTHC exposure in the male and female young rats.Sprague and Dawley rats were subcutaneously treated with THC (2 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (VHC), from gestatio

The human APOE4 genotype has been identified as a crucial risk factor for developing neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer, in elderly. However, no clear directions to generate a prevention plan for APOEε4 carriers exist nowadays. In this sense, current knowledge states that chronic neuroinflammation is a convergent point to neural diseases, contributing to neurodegeneration. Interestingly, APOE is an immunomodulatory agent, establishing a nexus between those premises. However, mechanisms underlying this association are yet to be clarified.We aimed to identify in aged transgenic mice t

The perinatal phase is critical for offspring development. In this period, a peculiar epigenetic remodeling establishes a parent-of-origin specific expression in a subset of mammalian genes, known as “imprinted”. These genes are pivotal for the placenta, fetal, and brain growth and exert long-lasting effects on the offspring's metabolism and behavior. Recently, also direct and indirect influences of imprinted genes on sleep were identified, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Perinatally, adequate sleep is vital for the proper formation of the offspring's brain, physiologic

Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit a gender bias where boys are affected predominantly. However, the mechanisms underlying resilience in VPA females are not entirely understood. To shed light on this disparity, we utilized an ASD mouse model, the valproic acid (VPA) model where sociability is more affected in males than females. We hypothesized that immunological mechanisms are involved in the resilience of VPA female mice particularly during the juvenile period because this is when they display unique neuroinflammatory patterns. To tackle this hypothesis, we assessed the impact of juveni