Anxiolytic effect of music exposure on BDNFMet/Met transgenic mice.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been reported to play important roles in the modulation of anxiety, mood stabilizers, and pathophysiology of affective disorders. Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the BDNF gene (Val66Met) has been found to be associated with depression and anxiety disorders. The humanized BDNF(Met/Met) knock-in transgenic mice exhibited increased anxiety-related behaviors that were unresponsive to serotonin reuptake inhibitors, fluoxetine. Music is known to be able to elicit emotional changes, including anxiolytic effects. In this study, we found that music treatment could significantly decrease anxiety state in BDNF(Met/Met) mice, but not in BDNF(+/)(-), mice compared with white noise exposure in open field and elevated plus maze test. Moreover, in contrast to white noise exposure, BDNF expression levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala and hippocampus were significantly increased in music-exposed adult BDNF(Met/Met) mice. However, music treatment could not upregulate BDNF levels in the PFC, amygdala, and hippocampus in BDNF(+/)(-) mice, which suggests the essential role of BDNF in the anxiolytic effect of music. Together, our results imply that music may provide an effective therapeutic intervention for anxiety disorders in humans with this genetic BDNF(Met) variant.
The Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education and Chinese Ministry of Health, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Wen-Jing
WJ
Li
Hui
H
Yu
Jian-Min
JM
Yang
Jing
J
Gao
Hong
H
Jiang
Min
M
Feng
Yu-Xia
YX
Zhao
Zhe-Yu
ZY
Chen
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000235:genetics
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D008715:Methionine; D020813:Receptor, trkB