β2-microglobulin induces depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in rat

Ping Zhang; Dan Zeng; Yi-Li Yi; Yi-Yun Tang; Wei Zou; Xue-Feng Yang; Chun-Yan Wang; Xiao-Qing Tang

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0198027

β2-microglobulin induces depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in rat

PLoS One. 2018 May 24;13(5):e0198027. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198027. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Ping Zhang^{1

2}, Dan Zeng^{1

2}, Yi-Li Yi^{1

2}, Yi-Yun Tang^{2

3}, Wei Zou^{1

2}, Xue-Feng Yang⁴, Chun-Yan Wang^{2

5}, Xiao-Qing Tang^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
² Institute of Neuroscience, Hunan Province Cooperative Innovation Center for Molecular Target New Drug Study, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
³ Department of Physiology, Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
⁴ Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
⁵ Department of Pathophysiology, Medical College, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.

Abstract

β2-microglobulin (B2M), the light chain of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) molecules, has been found to impair hippocampal neurogenesis. Based on the crucial role of hippocampal neurogenesis disturbance in the process of depression and anxiety, the aim of the present study is to investigate whether B2M leads to depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors. We found that 6 days after intracerebroventricular injection with B2M (0.3 μg), the immobility times of rats in the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test were increased, the swimming and climbing time in the forced swimming test was decreased, and the latency to feed in the novelty-suppressed feeding test was increased, indicating that B2M induces depressive-like behaviors. In addition, in the elevated plus maze test, B2M-treated rats displayed obvious decline in the number of entries into and the proportion of time spent in the open arm, while the number of total arm entries was no change, which indicated that B2M induces anxiety-like behaviors. Our present findings suggest that target B2M might represent a novel approach for treatment of depression and anxiety.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anxiety Disorders / etiology*
Anxiety Disorders / pathology
Behavior, Animal*
Depressive Disorder / etiology*
Depressive Disorder / pathology
Disease Models, Animal*
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
beta 2-Microglobulin / adverse effects*

Substances

beta 2-Microglobulin

Grants and funding

Zhang Ping received the funding of Natural Science Foundation of China (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal1/; 81471310, 81771178), Zou Wei received the funding of the the Major Research Topics of the Health and Family Planning Commission of Hunan province (http://wjw.hunan.gov.cn/; A2017020) and the Key Projects of the Education Department of Hunan province (http://gov.hnedu.cn/;17A187). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.