Cited by 138Stress Responses and CortisolTryptophan and brain disordersNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

Sympathetic Release of Splenic Monocytes Promotes Recurring Anxiety Following Repeated Social Defeat

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McKim, Daniel B., Patterson, Jenna M., Wohleb, Eric S., Jarrett, Brant L., Reader, Brenda F., Godbout, Jonathan P., Sheridan, John F.·2016·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

Background Neuroinflammatory signaling may contribute to the pathophysiology of chronic anxiety disorders. Previous work showed that repeated social defeat (RSD) in mice promoted stress-sensitization that was characterized by the recurrence of anxiety following subthreshold stress 24 days after RSD. Furthermore, splenectomy following RSD prevented the recurrence of anxiety in stress-sensitized mice. We hypothesize that the spleen of RSD-exposed mice became a reservoir of primed monocytes that were released following neuroendocrine activation by subthreshold stress.Methods Mice were subjected to subthreshold stress (i.e., single cycle of social defeat) 24 days after RSD, and immune and behavioral measures were taken.Results Subthreshold stress 24 days after RSD re-established anxiety-like behavior that was associated with egress of Ly6C(hi) monocytes from the spleen. Moreover, splenectomy before RSD blocked monocyte trafficking to the brain and prevented anxiety-like behavior following subthreshold stress. Splenectomy, however, had no effect on monocyte accumulation or anxiety when determined 14 hours after RSD. In addition, splenocytes cultured 24 days after RSD exhibited a primed inflammatory phenotype. Peripheral sympathetic inhibition before subthreshold stress blocked monocyte trafficking from the spleen to the brain and prevented the re-establishment of anxiety in RSD-sensitized mice. Last, β-adrenergic antagonism also prevented splenic monocyte egress after acute stress.Conclusions The spleen served as a unique reservoir of primed monocytes that were readily released following sympathetic activation by subthreshold stress that promoted the re-establishment of anxiety. Collectively, the long-term storage of primed monocytes in the spleen may have a profound influence on recurring anxiety disorders.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.07.010

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  • RSD significantly decreases B-cell and T-cell lymphocytes in the BM and circulation, thereby shifting hematopoiesis to produce myeloid lineage cells.

    “In fact, RSD significantly decreases B-cell and T-cell lymphocytes in the BM and circulation (Engler et al, 2004;McKim et al, 2015), thereby shifting hematopoiesis to produce myeloid lineage cells.”
  • Reexposure to a single cycle of social defeat 24 days after RSD reactivated the neuroimmune axis, leading to increased monocyte trafficking to the brain and elevated proinflammatory cytokine signaling.

    “However, reexposure to a single cycle of social defeat 24 days after RSD reactivated the neuroimmune axis, leading to increased monocyte trafficking to the brain and elevated proinflammatory cytokine signaling (Wohleb et al, 2014a;McKim et al, 2015).”
  • Splenectomy attenuated microglial cytokine expression.

    “Support for the role of spleen-derived monocytes to influence the inflammatory state of resident microglia comes from the finding that splenectomy attenuated microglial cytokine expression (Wohleb et al, 2014a;McKim et al, 2015).”
  • Differentiation and release of splenic monocytes following stress reexposure is likely mediated by noradrenergic signaling via circulating or direct sympathetic nervous system innervation of the spleen.

    “Similar to the egress of monocytes from the BM after RSD, differentiation and release of splenic monocytes following stress reexposure is likely mediated by noradrenergic signaling via circulating or direct sympathetic nervous system innervation of the spleen (McKim et al, 2015).”
  • Trafficking of peripheral monocytes to the brain after stress reexposure was not primarily driven by monocyte production and egress from the BM, but by release of primed monocytes from a splenic monocyte reservoir.

    “Interestingly, trafficking of peripheral monocytes to the brain was not primarily driven by monocyte production and egress from the BM, such as what occurs following initial exposure to RSD.Instead, reexposure to subthreshold stress caused the release of primed monocytes from a splenic monocyte reservoir (Wohleb et al, 2014a;McKim et al, 2015).”

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Authors
McKim, D. B., Patterson, J. M., Wohleb, E. S., Jarrett, B. L., Reader, B. F., Godbout, J. P., & Sheridan, J. F.
Affiliations
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Sheridan, John F.
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2016-05
Volume
79
Issue
10
Pages
803-813
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1600219138
Cited by
137
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 11
FWCI
7.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (R01-MH093473, R01-MH097243)
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Training (T32-DE014320)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Biological Psychiatry › Tryptophan and brain disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
repeated social defeat, splenic monocytes, neuroinflammation, sympathetic nervous system, splenectomy, stress sensitization, beta-adrenoceptor antagonism, Ly6Chi monocytes
MeSH terms
Animals, Anxiety, Brain, Cell Movement, Disease Models, Animal, Dominance-Subordination, Guanethidine, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Monocytes, Spleen, Splenectomy, Stress, Psychological, Sympathetic Nervous System, Sympatholytics, Neuroimmunomodulation, Cohort Studies

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