Perineuronal nets (PNNs) which mostly surround the parvalbumin (PV) neurons, have been shown to play critical roles in neural plasticity. Recently, PNNs have been shown to regulate fear-associated memory, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found that removal of PNNs in vivo using chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) injection resulted in reduced firing rate of PV neurons and decreased inhibitory synaptic transmission in both PV neurons and excitatory neurons in the CA1 hippocampus. Interestingly, altered synaptic transmission appears to be mediated by presynaptic changes. Furthermore, ChABC treatment disrupts long-term contextual fear memory retention. These results suggest PNNs might alter fear memory by reducing the presynaptic GABA release.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hipo.23503 | DOI Listing |
J Neurosci
December 2024
Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
Excitatory synapses and the actin-rich dendritic spines on which they reside are indispensable for information processing and storage in the brain. In the adult hippocampus, excitatory synapses must balance plasticity and stability to support learning and memory. However, the mechanisms governing this balance remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropharmacology
December 2024
Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 326, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most abundant neuropeptide in the brain. It exerts anxiolytic and anticonvulsive actions, reduces stress and suppresses fear memory. While its effects at the behavioral and cellular levels have been well studied, much less is known about the modulation of physiological activity patterns at the network level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
December 2024
Research Center of Physiology, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran. Electronic address:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a challenging mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide after they experience traumatic events. The current medications often do not fully address the wide range of PTSD symptoms or the underlying brain mechanisms, prompting the need to explore new treatments. Polyphenols, which are natural compounds found in many plant-based foods, have gained interest due to their brain-protective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits.
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February 2025
Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, USA.
Chronic stress increases the incidence of psychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Repeated Social Defeat (RSD) in mice recapitulates several key physiological, immune, and behavioral changes evident after chronic stress in humans. For instance, neurons in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus are involved in the interpretation of and response to fear and threatful stimuli after RSD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Behav Neurosci
December 2024
Department of Neuroscience, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
Safety learning during threat and adversity is critical for behavioral adaptation, resiliency, and survival. Using a novel mouse paradigm involving thermal threat, we recently demonstrated that safety learning is highly susceptible to social isolation stress. Yet, our previous study primarily considered male mice and did not thoroughly scrutinize the relative impacts of stress on potentially distinct defensive mechanisms implemented by males and females during the thermal safety task.
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