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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, induced by a Western diet (WD), evokes central and peripheral inflammation that is accompanied by altered emotionality. These changes can be associated with abnormalities in social behaviour, hippocampus-dependent cognitive functions, and metabolism. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed with a regular chow or with a WD containing 0.2% of cholesterol and 21% of saturated fat for three weeks. WD-treated mice exhibited increased social avoidance, crawl-over and digging behaviours, decreased body-body contacts, and hyperlocomotion. The WD-fed group also displayed deficits in hippocampal-dependent performance such as contextual memory in a fear conditioning and pellet displacement paradigms. A reduction in glucose tolerance and elevated levels of serum cholesterol and leptin were also associated with the WD. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PPARGC1a) mRNA, a marker of mitochondrial activity, was decreased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and dorsal raphe, suggesting suppressed brain mitochondrial functions, but not in the liver. This is the first report to show that a WD can profoundly suppress social interactions and induce dominant-like behaviours in naïve adult mice. The spectrum of behaviours that were found to be induced are reminiscent of symptoms associated with autism, and, if paralleled in humans, suggest that a WD might exacerbate autism spectrum disorder.
A deficiency in GM3-derived gangliosides, resulting from a lack of lactosylceramide-alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3GAL5), leads to severe neuropathology, including epilepsy and metabolic abnormalities. Disruption of ganglioside production by this enzyme may also have a role in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. ST3Gal5 knock-out (St3gal5\(^{−/−}\)) mice lack a-, b-, and c-series gangliosides, but exhibit no overt neuropathology, possibly owing to the production of compensatory 0-series glycosphingolipids. Here, we sought to investigate the possibility that St3gal5\(^{−/−}\) mice might exhibit attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behaviours. In addition, we evaluated potential metabolic and electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities. St3gal5\(^{−/−}\) mice were subjected to behavioural testing, glucose tolerance tests, and the levels of expression of brain and peripheral A and B isoforms of the insulin receptor (IR) were measured. We found that St3gal5\(^{−/−}\) mice exhibit locomotor hyperactivity, impulsivity, neophobia, and anxiety-like behavior. The genotype also altered blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance. A sex bias was consistently found in relation to body mass and peripheral IR expression. Analysis of the EEG revealed an increase in amplitude in St3gal5\(^{−/−}\) mice. Together, St3gal5\(^{−/−}\) mice exhibit ADHD-like behaviours, altered metabolic and EEG measures providing a useful platform for better understanding of the contribution of brain gangliosides to ADHD and associated comorbidities.
The negative societal impacts associated with the increasing prevalence of violence and aggression is increasing, and, with this rise, is the need to understand the molecular and cellular changes that underpin ultrasound-induced aggressive behavior. In mice, stress-induced aggression is known to alter AMPA receptor subunit expression, plasticity markers, and oxidative stress within the brain. Here, we induced aggression in BALB/c mice using chronic ultrasound exposure and examined the impact of the psychoactive anti-oxidant compounds thiamine (vitamin B1), and its derivative benfotiamine, on AMPA receptor subunit expression, established plasticity markers, and oxidative stress. The administration of thiamine or benfotiamine (200 mg/kg/day) in drinking water decreased aggressive behavior following 3-weeks of ultrasound exposure and benfotiamine, reduced floating behavior in the swim test. The vehicle-treated ultrasound-exposed mice exhibited increases in protein carbonyl and total glutathione, altered AMPA receptor subunits expression, and decreased expression of plasticity markers. These ultrasound-induced effects were ameliorated by thiamine and benfotiamine treatment; in particular both antioxidants were able to reverse ultrasound-induced changes in GluA1 and GluA2 subunit expression, and, within the prefrontal cortex, significantly reversed the changes in protein carbonyl and polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) expression levels. Benfotiamine was usually more efficacious than thiamine. Thus, the thiamine compounds were able to counteract ultrasound-induced aggression, which was accompanied by the normalization of markers that have been showed to be associated with ultrasound-induced aggression. These commonly used, orally-active compounds may have considerable potential for use in the control of aggression within the community.
This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity’.