{"title":"Anxiety control by astrocytes in the lateral habenula","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.neures.2024.01.006","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The potential role of astrocytes in lateral habenula (LHb) in modulating anxiety was explored in this study. The habenula are a pair of small nuclei located above the thalamus, known for their involvement in punishment avoidance and anxiety. Herein, we observed an increase in theta-band oscillations of local field potentials (LFPs) in the LHb when mice were exposed to anxiety-inducing environments. Electrical stimulation of LHb at theta-band frequency promoted anxiety-like behavior. Calcium (Ca<sup>2+</sup>) levels and pH in the cytosol of astrocytes and local brain blood volume changes were studied in mice expressing either a Ca<sup>2+</sup> or a pH sensor protein specifically in astrocytes and mScarlet fluorescent protein in the blood plasma using fiber photometry. An acidification response to anxiety was observed. Photoactivation of archaerhopsin-T (ArchT), an optogenetic tool that acts as an outward proton pump, results in intracellular alkalinization. Photostimulation of LHb in astrocyte-specific ArchT-expressing mice resulted in dissipation of theta-band LFP oscillation in an anxiogenic environment and suppression of anxiety-like behavior. These findings provide evidence that LHb astrocytes modulate anxiety and may offer a new target for treatment of anxiety disorders.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":19146,"journal":{"name":"Neuroscience Research","volume":"205 ","pages":"Pages 1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168010224000105/pdfft?md5=f0e2392d15e283e1c6433b7b01e7ad3e&pid=1-s2.0-S0168010224000105-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Neuroscience Research","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168010224000105","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The potential role of astrocytes in lateral habenula (LHb) in modulating anxiety was explored in this study. The habenula are a pair of small nuclei located above the thalamus, known for their involvement in punishment avoidance and anxiety. Herein, we observed an increase in theta-band oscillations of local field potentials (LFPs) in the LHb when mice were exposed to anxiety-inducing environments. Electrical stimulation of LHb at theta-band frequency promoted anxiety-like behavior. Calcium (Ca2+) levels and pH in the cytosol of astrocytes and local brain blood volume changes were studied in mice expressing either a Ca2+ or a pH sensor protein specifically in astrocytes and mScarlet fluorescent protein in the blood plasma using fiber photometry. An acidification response to anxiety was observed. Photoactivation of archaerhopsin-T (ArchT), an optogenetic tool that acts as an outward proton pump, results in intracellular alkalinization. Photostimulation of LHb in astrocyte-specific ArchT-expressing mice resulted in dissipation of theta-band LFP oscillation in an anxiogenic environment and suppression of anxiety-like behavior. These findings provide evidence that LHb astrocytes modulate anxiety and may offer a new target for treatment of anxiety disorders.
期刊介绍:
The international journal publishing original full-length research articles, short communications, technical notes, and reviews on all aspects of neuroscience
Neuroscience Research is an international journal for high quality articles in all branches of neuroscience, from the molecular to the behavioral levels. The journal is published in collaboration with the Japan Neuroscience Society and is open to all contributors in the world.