An ADAR1 inducer attenuated the effects of social isolation on depressive-like behavior and ADAR1 (p110) in BALB/c mice

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1 College of basic medical sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
2 The 2nd affiliated hospital, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
3 Texas Tech Neuroimaging Institute, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, America
4 Stanford University, Stanford, California, Ameica
DOI
10.7287/peerj.preprints.27413v1
Published
Accepted
Subject Areas
Animal Behavior, Neuroscience, Zoology, Psychiatry and Psychology, Environmental Impacts
Keywords
Depressive-like behavior, BALB/c mice, Social isolation, ADAR1
Copyright
© 2018 Xue et al.
Licence
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ Preprints) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
Cite this article
Xue Y, Yu W, Li J, Hong X, Zhang X, Li H, Zhai X, Gao Y, Gui L, Yu D, Xiao Z, Tang Y, Yin S. 2018. An ADAR1 inducer attenuated the effects of social isolation on depressive-like behavior and ADAR1 (p110) in BALB/c mice. PeerJ Preprints 6:e27413v1

Abstract

Introduction

Social isolation induces depressive-like behavior in animals and humans by impacting RNA editing, but the detailed mechanisms are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore how an ADAR1 (RNA-editing enzyme) inducer and inhibitor may impact the isolation-induced depressive-like behavior of mice and to identify new therapeutic targets for the development of an effective solution for the recovery from depressive-like behavior in socially isolated animals and humans.

Methods

Twenty-one-day-old BALB/c mice with and without isolation treatment were evaluated for depressive-like behavior by open-field tests, tail suspension tests, and forced swimming tests. Immunohistochemistry and Western blots were used to measure the immunoreactivity and protein expression of ADAR1 (p110). In addition, the isolated mice were treated with an ADAR1 inducer (IFN-γ) or inhibitor (EHNA). The performance of both treatments on the behavior of and ADAR1 (p110) expression in isolated mice was examined.

Results

Both the immunoreactivity and protein expression of ADAR1 (p110) in the prefrontal cortex decreased in isolated BALB/c mice with depressive-like behavior compared to those of the age-matched, gregarious BALB/c mice. Additionally, the treatments with ADAR1 inducer or inhibitor improved or aggravated depressive-like behavior in isolated mice, respectively. Furthermore, the ADAR1 inducer returned the immunoreactivity and protein expression of ADAR1 (p110) back to the normal level.

Conclusion

The ADAR1 inducer attenuated the effects of social isolation on depressive-like behavior and ADAR1 (p110) in BALB/c mice.

Author Comment

This is a submission to PeerJ for review.

Supplemental Information