Cognitive dysfunction and epigenetic alterations of the BDNF gene are induced by social isolation during early adolescence
Abstract
Early life adversity, such as social isolation, causes a variety of changes to the development of cognitive abilities and the nervous system. Increasing evidence has shown that epigenetic modifications mediate gene-environment interactions throughout the lifespan. In this study, we investigated the effect of adolescent social isolation on cognitive behaviours and epigenetic alterations of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either group-reared or isolation-reared conditions during post-natal days (PNDs) 21-34. On PND 56, all rats underwent behavioural testing and were then sacrificed for biochemical testing. Adolescent social isolation induced impaired PPI. Regarding BDNF, the isolation-reared rats demonstrated increased BDNF mRNA levels, H3 acetylation at the BDNF gene and BDNF protein expression in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In contrast, the BDNF mRNA levels, H3 acetylation of the BDNF gene and BDNF protein expression were decreased in the hippocampus of the isolation-reared rats. The present study indicated that epigenetic regulation of BDNF may be one of the molecular mechanisms that mediated the cognitive dysfunction. Moreover, the interaction between the mPFC and hippocampus might play an important role in the regulation of cognitive behaviour.
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Meta-analyses confirm the association of the Val66Met polymorphism with an increase of susceptibility to develop mood disorders.
“In addition, several meta-analyses data confirm the association of the Val66Met polymorphism with an increase of susceptibility to develop mood disorders [200,201,202].”
From Neurotrophic Factor BDNF, Physiological Functions and Therapeutic Potential in Depression, Neurodegeneration and Brain Cancer (2020) · cites this paper as [201]
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- Authors
- Li, M., Du, W., Shao, F., & Wang, W.
- Affiliations
- Peking University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Shao, Feng
- Wang, Weiwen
- Venue
- Behavioural Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-10
- Volume
- 313
- Pages
- 177-183
- ISSN
- 0166-4328 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2497735565
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 9
- FWCI
- 4.69
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioural Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Repository of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (31470988, 81471122)
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences (KJZD-EW-L04)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- social isolation, early adolescence, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, epigenetic regulation, histone H3 acetylation, cognitive impairment, prepulse inhibition, medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, childhood adversity, gene-environment interaction
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Animals, Hippocampus, Male, Social Isolation, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Prefrontal Cortex, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Epigenesis, Genetic, Gene-Environment Interaction, Cognitive Dysfunction
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