Role of the Vasopressin 1B Receptor in Rodent Aggressive Behavior and Synaptic Plasticity in Hippocampal Area CA2
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Molecular Psychiatry (2015) 20, 490–499 © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 1359-4184/15 www.nature.com/mp ORIGINAL ARTICLE Role of the vasopressin 1b receptor in rodent aggressive behavior and synaptic plasticity in hippocampal area CA2 JH Pagani1,3, M Zhao2,3, Z Cui1,3, SK Williams Avram1, DA Caruana2,4, SM Dudek2 and WS Young1 The vasopressin 1b receptor (Avpr1b) is critical for social memory and social aggression in rodents, yet little is known about its specific roles in these behaviors. Some clues to Avpr1b function can be gained from its profile of expression in the brain, which is largely limited to the pyramidal neurons of the CA2 region of the hippocampus, and from experiments showing that inactivation of the gene or antagonism of the receptor leads to a reduction in social aggression. Here we show that partial replacement of the Avpr1b through lentiviral delivery into the dorsal CA2 region restored the probability of socially motivated attack behavior in total Avpr1b knockout mice, without altering anxiety-like behaviors. To further explore the role of the Avpr1b in this hippocampal region, we examined the effects of Avpr1b agonists on pyramidal neurons in mouse and rat hippocampal slices. We found that selective Avpr1b agonists induced significant potentiation of excitatory synaptic responses in CA2, but not in CA1 or in slices from Avpr1b knockout mice. In a way that is mechanistically very similar to synaptic potentiation induced by oxytocin, Avpr1b agonist-induced potentiation of CA2 synapses relies on NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartic acid) receptor activation, calcium and calcium/calmodulin- dependent protein kinase II activity, but not on cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity or presynaptic mechanisms. Our data indicate that the hippocampal CA2 is important for attacking in response to a male intruder and that the Avpr1b, likely through its role in regulating CA2 synaptic plasticity, is a necessary mediator. Molecular Psychiatry (2015) 20, 490–499; doi:10.1038/mp.2014.47; published online 27 May 2014 INTRODUCTION relatively resistant to damage arising during the course of various 13–18 Aggressive behavior, found across the animal kingdom, is usually illnesses, including epilepsy. Conversely, CA2 non-pyramidal highly adaptive for survival. Examples include maternal protection neurons in schizophrenic and bipolar patients seem to be 19 of the young, defense of territory and capture of prey.1,2 Human preferentially lost and pyramidal neurons in CA2 of schizo- 20 aggressive behavior, on the other hand, particularly that involving phrenics are smaller. Gene expression studies show that the CA2 physical violence, is typically viewed as pathological and can region is molecularly distinct from the rest of the hippo- 21,22 accompany several forms of psychiatric illness such as schizo- campus. In addition, its pyramidal neurons have distinct phrenia. An understanding of these complex behaviors at the physiological characteristics that include an apparent lack of cellular level, however, is still lacking. With the goal of ameliorat- capacity for typical long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) when 23 ing some symptoms of mental illness, including aggressive using conventional methods of Schaffer collateral stimulation. behavior, many recent human studies have explored the effects This property of LTP resistance seems to be due to higher calcium of the two neuropeptides vasopressin (Avp) and oxytocin (Oxt).3 buffering and extrusion and the expression of RGS14 in CA2 24,25 Many of the effects of these neuropeptides are likely mediated by pyramidal neurons. the oxytocin (Oxtr) and vasopressin 1a (Avpr1a) receptors4–6 To gain an understanding of its role in the brain, we inactivated which are widely distributed within the central nervous system. the Avpr1b gene in the mouse and found that social recognition is Vasopressin 1b receptor (Avpr1b) expression, in contrast, is highly reduced in both male and female mice in these knockouts 9,26 restricted to the pyramidal cells in the CA2 region of the (KOs). Specific inactivation of CA2 pyramidal cell activity also 27 hippocampus.7 Like the Oxtr and Avpr1a, this receptor is likely reduces social recognition. In addition, male territorial aggres- to have an important role in human behavior, as it is required for sion and maternal aggression are disrupted in this knockout 9,28 proper regulation of social aggression and social recognition in line. Spatial memory, as tested in the Morris water maze, is several mammalian species.8,9 normal.9 Predatory aggression and defensive behaviors are The CA2 region was described in 1934,10 yet little is known of its unaffected, indicating that the pattern of motor skills important function as it had, until recently, been overlooked as a part of the for aggressive behaviors remains intact.28 Interestingly, although hippocampal circuit (reviews, Jones et al.11 and Piskorowski and phenotypic changes in aggression often co-occur with changes in Chevaleyre12). Pathological studies show that compared with anxiety-like behavior,29 reduced aggression in the Avpr1b KOs is neurons in the flanking CA1 and CA3 fields, neurons in CA2 are observed without any detectible changes in anxiety-like behavior.7 1Section on Neural Gene Expression, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA and 2Laboratory of Neurobiology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Correspondence: Dr WS Young, Section on Neural Gene Expression, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Building 49, Room 5A56, Bethesda, 20892-4484, MD, USA or Dr SM Dudek, Laboratory of Neurobiology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Building 101, Room F279A, 111T W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] 3These authors contributed equally to this work. 4Current address: Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. Received 20 November 2012; revised 7 March 2014; accepted 16 April 2014; published online 27 May 2014 Vasopressin 1b receptor function in the hippocampal CA2 JH Pagani et al 491 Support for the role of Avpr1b in aggression comes from the Surgical procedures administration of an Avpr1b antagonist to mice and hamsters that Mice were anesthetized with 250–500 mg kg − 1 intraperitoneal injections reduces aggressive behavior in these species.30,31 of 2,2,2-tribromoethanol (Avertin; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and To test our hypothesis that Avp acts through the Avpr1b were kept warm with a heating pad during anesthesia and recovery. Each specifically expressed in dorsal CA2 to permit normal social mouse was placed in a small animal stereotaxic instrument (Benchmark aggression, we used lentiviral injections to partially restore Avpr1b Angle Two, Leica Microsystems, Richmond, VA, USA), and an ophthalmic expression there. This resulted in significant aggressive behavior ointment was applied to prevent drying of the eyes. The skull hair was in Avpr1b KO mice, without altering anxiety-like behavior. We then plucked, the surgical area was disinfected, and a small incision was made sought to determine the functional effects of Avp on CA2 to expose the skull. The skull was then opened over the appropriate stereotaxic coordinates using a small-burr (0.45 mm) drill and a 30-gauge synapses in vitro by testing our hypothesis that Avpr1b agonists blunt-end needle was inserted for injection. Following needle removal, the modulate synaptic strength or plasticity in mice and rats. We skin was closed with wound clips. The mouse received 0.35 ml of warm fi found that application of the Avpr1b agonists induced signi cant saline intraperitoneally and was observed until waking. Then he was potentiation of synaptic responses, an effect mimicked by Oxt and returned to the home cage and monitored carefully for the next 48 h. not found in Avpr1b knockout mice. Surgery was conducted in accordance with NIH Guidelines for rodent survival following surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS Virus injections Animals Each mouse received pressure injections targeting six sites (three on each The development and genotyping of the Avpr1b and Oxtr KO lines were side) of the dorsal hippocampus of either lenti-Avpr1b or lenti-GFP (KO 9,32 fl described in detail previously. Brie y, Avpr1b mice were genotyped +Replace or KO+GFP, respectively) using a Hamilton syringe with a 30G using these primers: 5, ACCTGTAGATATTTGACAGCCCGG; 9, GAAACGGCTA blunt-ended needle mounted on a stereotaxic device. The viral solutions CTCTCTCCGATTCCAAAAGAAAG; and neo1, ACCCCTTCCCAGCCTCTGAG were stored at − 80 °C before being thawed on ice and backfilled into the ′ ′ ′ CCCAGAAAGCGAAGG. PCR (95 °C × 4 ; (95 °C × 1 ,60°C×1,72°C syringes. The six sites of injection (per mouse) were: injection sites 1 and 2 ′ ′ ×1) × 40; 72 °C × 5 ; 10 °C) yields 762 and 461 bp bands for wild-types medial–lateral relative to the midline: ± 1.25 mm, anterior–posterior (WTs) and Avpr1b KOs, respectively (see Supplementary Figure 1 for relative to the bregma: − 1.22 and dorsal–ventral relative to the surface schematic of the Avpr1b KO). Oxtr mice were genotyped using these of the brain: − 1.73 mm; sites 3 and 4 medial–lateral: ± 2.00, anterior– primers: Seq. 1, ACCCCAGGAAGATGTACCCGTAGTAAAGC; Seq4, TTAGGT posterior: − 1.70 and dorsal–ventral: − 1.83 mm; and sites 5 and 6 CCCAGGAAAGAGTCAGCCGCTCTGCCTGCAGAGAGG; and DTAo10.3, TGGGA medial–lateral: ± 2.60, anterior–posterior: − 2.18 and dorsal–ventral: GTCCAGAGATAGTGGAA. PCR (95 °C × 4′, (95 °C × 45′′,60°C×45′′,72° − 2.15 mm. The injection volume for each site was 400 nl delivered at C×45′′) × 40, 72 °C × 5′, 10 °C) yields bands at 221 and 150 bp for WTs − 50 nl min 1. and Oxtr KOs, respectively. The mice have been backcrossed into C57Bl/6J mice (Jackson Laboratories, Bar Harbor, ME, USA) for more than 10 generations and used here for in vivo behavior and in vitro electrophysiol- In situ hybridization histochemistry ogy experiments.