The interaction between social hierarchy and depression/anxiety: Involvement of glutamatergic pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)

作者：Yong‐Yu Yin, Zhao-Kai Lai, Jiao- Zhao Yan, Qianqian Wei, Bin Wang, Liming Zhang, Yunfeng Li · 发表于：Neurobiology of Stress · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100536 · 被引用次数：32 · 研究领域：Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior、Stress Responses and Cortisol、Neural dynamics and brain function

Social hierarchy greatly impacts physical and mental health, but the relationship between social hierarchy and depression/anxiety and the underlying neural mechanism remain unclear. The present study used the tube test to determine the social hierarchy status of mice and then performed several behavioral tests to evaluate depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. Electrophysiological techniques were used to record the firing activities of glutamatergic pyramidal neurons and local field potentials in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The results suggested that the mice in each cage (4 per cage) established a stable social hierarchy after 2 weeks. Subordinate mice displayed significantly fewer pushing and advancing behaviors, and more retreat behaviors compared with dominant mice. Furthermore, subordinate mice had significantly more immobility durations in the TST, but significantly fewer distances, entries, and time into the center in the OFT, as well as significantly less percent of distances, entries, and time into the open arms in the EPMT, compared with dominant mice, which indicated that subordinate mice displayed depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, chronic restraint stress (CRS) significantly induced depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in mice and altered social dominance behaviors in the tube test. CRS mice displayed significantly fewer pushing and advancing behaviors, and more retreat behaviors compared with control mice. Furthermore, low socia...