title: Enlargement of Axo-Somatic Contacts Formed by GAD-Immunoreactive Axon Terminals onto Layer V Pyramidal Neurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Adolescent Female Mice Is Associated with Suppression of Food Restriction-Evoked Hyperactivity and Resilience to Activity-Based Anorexia.
abstract: Many, but not all, adolescent female mice that are exposed to a running wheel while food restricted (FR) become excessive wheel runners, choosing to run even during the hours of food availability, to the point of death. This phenomenon is called activity-based anorexia (ABA). We used electron microscopic immunocytochemistry to ask whether individual differences in ABA resilience may correlate with the lengths of axo-somatic contacts made by GABAergic axon terminals onto layer 5 pyramidal neurons (L5P) in the prefrontal cortex. Contact lengths were, on average, 40% greater for the ABA-induced mice, relative to controls. Correspondingly, the proportion of L5P perikaryal plasma membrane contacted by GABAergic terminals was 45% greater for the ABA mice. Contact lengths in the anterior cingulate cortex correlated negatively and strongly with the overall wheel activity after FR (R = -0.87, P < 0.01), whereas those in the prelimbic cortex correlated negatively with wheel running specifically during the hours of food availability of the FR days (R = -0.84, P < 0.05). These negative correlations support the idea that increases in the glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) terminal contact lengths onto L5P contribute toward ABA resilience through suppression of wheel running, a behavior that is intrinsically rewarding and helpful for foraging but maladaptive within a cage.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Yi-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Gauri Satish
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wable
authors.affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Tara Gunkali
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
authors.forename: Chiye
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aoki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase
keywords: anxiety; cingulate cortex; electron microscopic immunocytochemistry; exercise; prelimbic cortex