Social Fear Affects Limbic System Neuronal Activity and Gene Expression
Hamann CS, Bankmann J, Mora Maza H, Kornhuber J, Zoicas I, Schmitt-Böhrer A (2022)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2022
Journal
Book Volume: 23
Journal Issue: 15
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158228
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a highly prevalent and comorbid anxiety disorder with rather unclear underlying mechanisms. Here, we aimed to characterize neurobiological changes occurring in mice expressing symptoms of social fear and to identify possible therapeutic targets for SAD. Social fear was induced via social fear conditioning (SFC), a validated animal model of SAD. We assessed the expression levels of the immediate early genes (IEGs) cFos, Fosl2 and Arc as markers of neuronal activity and the expression levels of several genes of the GABAergic, serotoninergic, oxytocinergic, vasopressinergic and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-ergic systems in brain regions involved in social behavior or fear-related behavior in SFC+ and SFC- mice 2 h after exposure to a conspecific. SFC+ mice showed a decreased number and density of cFos-positive cells and decreased expression levels of IEGs in the dorsal hippocampus. SFC+ mice also showed alterations in the expression of NPY and serotonin system-related genes in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, basolateral amygdala, septum and dorsal raphe nucleus, but not in the dorsal hippocampus. Our results describe neuronal alterations occurring during the expression of social fear and identify the NPY and serotonergic systems as possible targets in the treatment of SAD.
Authors with CRIS profile
Johannes Kornhuber
Lehrstuhl für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie
Iulia Zoicas
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Hamann, C.S., Bankmann, J., Mora Maza, H., Kornhuber, J., Zoicas, I., & Schmitt-Böhrer, A. (2022). Social Fear Affects Limbic System Neuronal Activity and Gene Expression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(15). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23158228
MLA:
Hamann, Catharina S., et al. "Social Fear Affects Limbic System Neuronal Activity and Gene Expression." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23.15 (2022).
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