Cited by 30Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorStress Responses and CortisolMemory and Neural Mechanisms

Long-Term Impact of Early-Life Stress on Serotonin Connectivity

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Ramkumar, Raksha, Edge-Partington, Moriah, Terstege, Dylan J., Adigun, Kabirat, Ren, Yi, Khan, Nazmus S., Rouhi, Nahid, Jamani, Naila F. +3 more·2024·Biological Psychiatry

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic childhood stress is a prominent risk factor for developing affective disorders, yet mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Maintenance of optimal serotonin (5-HT) levels during early postnatal development is critical for the maturation of brain circuits. Understanding the long-lasting effects of early-life stress (ELS) on serotonin-modulated brain connectivity is crucial to develop treatments for affective disorders arising from childhood stress. METHODS: Using a mouse model of chronic developmental stress, we determined the long-lasting consequences of ELS on 5-HT circuits and behavior in females and males. Using FosTRAP mice, we cross-correlated regional c-Fos density to determine brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus. We next performed in vivo fiber photometry to establish ELS-induced deficits in 5-HT dynamics and optogenetics to stimulate 5-HT release to improve behavior. RESULTS: Adult female and male mice exposed to ELS showed heightened anxiety-like behavior. ELS further enhanced susceptibility to acute stress by disrupting the brain-wide functional connectivity of the raphe nucleus and the activity of 5-HT neuron population, in conjunction with increased orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activity and disrupted 5-HT release in medial OFC. Optogenetic stimulation of 5-HT terminals in the medial OFC elicited an anxiolytic effect in ELS mice in a sex-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a significant disruption in 5-HT-modulated brain connectivity in response to ELS, with implications for sex-dependent vulnerability. The anxiolytic effect of the raphe-medial OFC circuit stimulation has potential implications for developing targeted stimulation-based treatments for affective disorders that arise from early life adversities.

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Authors
Ramkumar, R., Edge-Partington, M., Terstege, D. J., Adigun, K., Ren, Y., Khan, N. S., Rouhi, N., Jamani, N. F., Tsutsui, M., Epp, J. R., & Sargin, D.
Affiliations
University of Calgary (CA)
Corresponding author
Sargin, Derya
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2024-08
Volume
96
Issue
4
Pages
287-299
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4391508905
Cited by
30
References
101
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 9
FWCI
5.25
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
early life stress, serotonin, raphe nuclei, brain connectivity, anxiety-like behavior, orbitofrontal cortex, sex differences, mood disorders, c-fos
MeSH terms
Animals, Anxiety, Behavior, Animal, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neural Pathways, Raphe Nuclei, Serotonin, Stress, Psychological, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos, Prefrontal Cortex, Mice, Optogenetics

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