Exposure to enriched environment rescues anxiety-like behavior and miRNA deregulated expression induced by perinatal malnutrition while altering oligodendrocyte morphology

• Published in: Neuroscience Vol. 408; pp. 115 - 134
• Main Authors: Berardino, Bruno G., Chertoff, Mariela, Gianatiempo, Octavio, Alberca, Carolina D., Priegue, Rocío, Fiszbein, Ana, Long, Patrick, Corfas, Gabriel, Cánepa, Eduardo T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2019
• Subjects: Animals; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - metabolism; Anxiety - pathology; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Cell Shape - physiology; Disease Models, Animal; early life stress; Environment; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Gene Expression Regulation; Housing, Animal; hypothalamus; Malnutrition - complications; Malnutrition - metabolism; Malnutrition - pathology; Mice; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Oligodendroglia - metabolism; Oligodendroglia - pathology; prefrontal cortex; undernutrition; EE; NP; EPM; LP; nt; prefrontal cortex; undernutrition; DL; PD; NE; HPA; miRNA; early life stress; hypothalamus
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.027

Maternal malnutrition is one of the major early-life adversities affecting the development of newborn's brain and is associated with an increased risk to acquire cognitive and emotional deficiencies later in life. Studies in rodents have demonstrated that exposure to an enriched environment (EE) can reverse the negative consequences of early adversities. However, rescue of emotional disorders caused by perinatal malnutrition and the mechanisms involved has not been determined. We hypothesized that exposure to an EE may attenuate the anxiety-like disorders observed in mice subjected to perinatal protein malnutrition and that this could be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Male CF-1 mice were subject to perinatal protein malnutrition until weaning and then exposed to an EE for 5 weeks after which small RNA-seq was performed. In parallel, dark–light box and elevated plus maze tests were conducted to evaluate anxiety traits. We found that exposure to an EE reverses the anxiety-like behavior in malnourished mice. This reversal is paralleled by the expression of three miRNAs that become dysregulated by perinatal malnutrition (miR-187-3p, miR-369-3p and miR-132-3p). The predicted mRNA targets of these miRNAs are mostly related to axon guidance pathway. Accordingly, we also found that perinatal malnutrition leads to reduction in the cingulum size and altered oligodendrocyte morphology. These results suggest that EE-rescue of anxiety disorders derived from perinatal malnutrition is mediated by the modulation of miRNAs associated with the regulation of genes involved in axonal guidance. [Display omitted] •Environmental enrichment rescues the anxiety-like behavior produced by perinatal protein malnutrition.•miRNA expression in hypothalamus is altered by perinatal malnutrition and it is reversed by an enriched environment.•Perinatal protein malnutrition reduces cingulum size.•Oligodendrocyte morphology in mPFC is altered by perinatal malnutrition when mice are subjected to an enriched environment.