Systems-level view of cocaine addiction: the interconnection of the immune and nervous systems

The human body is a complex assembly of physiological systems designed to manage the multidirectional transport of both information and nutrients. An intricate interplay between the nervous, circulatory, and secretory systems is therefore necessary to sustain life, allow delivery of nutrients and therapeutic drugs, and eliminate metabolic waste products and toxins. These systems also provide vulnerable routes for modification by substances of abuse. Addictive substances are, by definition, neurologically active, but as they and their metabolites are spread throughout the body via the nervous, circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems, there is abundant opportunity for interaction with numerous cell and tissue types. Cocaine is one such substance that exerts a broad physiological effect. While a great deal of the research concerning addiction has addressed the neurological effects of cocaine use, only a few studies have been aimed at delineating the role that cocaine plays in various body systems. In this paper, we probe the current research regarding cocaine and the immune system, and map a systems-level view to outline a broader perspective of the biological response to cocaine. Specifically, our overview of the neurological and immunomodulatory effects of the drug will allow a broader perspective of the biological response to cocaine. The focus of this review is on the connection between the nervous and immune systems and the role this connection plays in the long-term complications of cocaine use. By describing the multiplicity of these connections, we hope to inspire detailed investigations into the immunological interplay in cocaine addiction.

BNST neurocircuitry in humans

Anxiety and addiction disorders are two of the most common mental disorders in the United States, and are typically chronic, disabling, and comorbid. Emerging evidence suggests the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) mediates both anxiety and addiction through connections with other brain regions, including the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. Although BNST structural connections have been identified in rodents and a limited number of structural connections have been verified in non-human primates, BNST connections have yet to be described in humans. Neuroimaging is a powerful tool for identifying structural and functional circuits in vivo. In this study, we examined BNST structural and functional connectivity in a large sample of humans. The BNST showed structural and functional connections with multiple subcortical regions, including limbic, thalamic, and basal ganglia structures, confirming structural findings in rodents. We describe two novel connections in the human brain that have not been previously reported in rodents or non-human primates, including a structural connection with the temporal pole, and a functional connection with the paracingulate gyrus. The findings of this study provide a map of the BNST's structural and functional connectivity across the brain in healthy humans. In large part, the BNST neurocircuitry in humans is similar to the findings from rodents and non-human primates; however, several connections are unique to humans. Future explorations of BNST neurocircuitry in anxiety and addiction disorders have the potential to reveal novel mechanisms underlying these disabling psychiatric illnesses.

CaMKII is essential for the proasthmatic effects of oxidation

Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to asthma, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms connecting increased ROS with characteristic features of asthma. We show that enhanced oxidative activation of the Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (ox-CaMKII) in bronchial epithelium positively correlates with asthma severity and that epithelial ox-CaMKII increases in response to inhaled allergens in patients. We used mouse models of allergic airway disease induced by ovalbumin (OVA) or Aspergillus fumigatus (Asp) and found that bronchial epithelial ox-CaMKII was required to increase a ROS- and picrotoxin-sensitive Cl(-) current (ICl) and MUC5AC expression, upstream events in asthma progression. Allergen challenge increased epithelial ROS by activating NADPH oxidases. Mice lacking functional NADPH oxidases due to knockout of p47 and mice with epithelial-targeted transgenic expression of a CaMKII inhibitory peptide or wild-type mice treated with inhaled KN-93, an experimental small-molecule CaMKII antagonist, were protected against increases in ICl, MUC5AC expression, and airway hyperreactivity to inhaled methacholine. Our findings support the view that CaMKII is a ROS-responsive, pluripotent proasthmatic signal and provide proof-of-concept evidence that CaMKII is a therapeutic target in asthma.

Knockdown of BNST GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors mimics the actions of ketamine on novelty-induced hypophagia

Administration of a single low dose of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine has been demonstrated to elicit long-lasting antidepressant effects in humans with depression, as well as in rodent models of depression. Although pharmacological studies have implicated the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor in these effects, drugs targeting this subunit have off-target actions, and systemic administration of these compounds does not allow for delineation of specific brain regions involved. In this study, we assessed the role of GluN2B in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) in mice. First, we verified that ketamine, as well as the GluN2B antagonist Ro25-6981, decreased the latency to consume food in a novel environment in a version of the NIH test. We then hypothesized that GluN2B-containing receptors within the BNST may be a target of systemic ketamine and contribute to behavioral effects. Through the combination of a GluN2B-floxed mouse line and stereotaxic delivery of lentiviral Cre recombinase, we found that targeted knockdown of this subunit within the BNST mimicked the reduction in affective behavior observed with systemic ketamine or Ro25-6981 in the NIH test. These data suggest a role for GluN2B-containing NMDARs within the BNST in the affective effects of systemic ketamine.

Ethanol effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

The extended amygdala is a series of interconnected, embryologically similar series of nuclei in the brain that are thought to play key roles in aspects of alcohol dependence, specifically in stress-induced increases in alcohol-seeking behaviors. Plasticity of excitatory transmission in these and other brain regions is currently an intense area of scrutiny as a mechanism underlying aspects of addiction. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) play a critical role in plasticity at excitatory synapses and have been identified as major molecular targets of ethanol. Thus, this article will explore alcohol and NMDAR interactions first at a general level and then focusing within the extended amygdala, in particular on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).

CaMKII regulates diacylglycerol lipase-α and striatal endocannabinoid signaling

The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) mediates activity-dependent depression of excitatory neurotransmission at central synapses; however, the molecular regulation of 2-AG synthesis is not well understood. Here we identify a novel functional interaction between the 2-AG synthetic enzyme diacylglycerol lipase-α (DGLα) and calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Activated CaMKII interacts with the C-terminal domain of DGLα, phosphorylates two serine residues, and inhibits DGLα activity. Moreover, CaMKII inhibition augments short-term retrograde eCB signaling at striatal glutamatergic synapses. Consistent with an inhibitory role for CaMKII in synaptic 2-AG synthesis, in vivo genetic inhibition of CaMKII increases striatal DGL activity and basal 2-AG levels. Moreover, blockade of 2-AG breakdown using concentrations of JZL-184 that have no significant effect in wild type mice produces a hypo-locomotor response in mice with reduced CaMKII activity. These findings provide novel mechanistic insight into the molecular regulation of striatal eCB signaling with implications for physiological control of motor function.

Corticotropin releasing factor and catecholamines enhance glutamatergic neurotransmission in the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala

Glutamatergic neurotransmission in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays an important role in many behaviors including anxiety, memory consolidation and cardiovascular responses. While these behaviors can be modulated by corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and catecholamine signaling, the mechanism(s) by which these signals modify CeA glutamatergic neurotransmission remains unclear. Utilizing whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology recordings from neurons in the lateral subdivision of the CeA (CeAL), we show that CRF, dopamine (DA) and the β-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (ISO) all enhance the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) without altering sEPSC kinetics, suggesting they increase presynaptic glutamate release. The effect of CRF on sEPSCs was mediated by a combination of CRFR1 and CRFR2 receptors. While previous work from our lab suggests that CRFRs mediate the effect of catecholamines on excitatory transmission in other subregions of the extended amygdala, blockade of CRFRs in the CeAL failed to significantly alter effects of DA and ISO on glutamatergic transmission. These findings suggest that catecholamine and CRF enhancement of glutamatergic transmission onto CeAL neurons occurs via distinct mechanisms. While CRF increased spontaneous glutamate release in the CeAL, CRF caused no significant changes to optogenetically evoked glutamate release in this region. The dissociable effects of CRF on different types of glutamatergic neurotransmission suggest that CRF may specifically regulate spontaneous excitatory transmission.

Noradrenergic control of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in stress and reward

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a group of inter-connected subnuclei that play critical roles in stress-reward interactions. An interesting feature of this brain region is the massive noradrenergic input that it receives. Important roles for norepinephrine in this region have been documented in a number of stress and reward related behaviors. This work has been paralleled over the last several years by efforts to understand the actions of norepinephrine on neuronal function in the region. In this review, we will summarize the current state of these research areas.

Emerging role for corticotropin releasing factor signaling in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis at the intersection of stress and reward

Stress and anxiety play an important role in the development and maintenance of drug and alcohol addiction. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region involved in the production of long-term stress-related behaviors, plays an important role in animal models of relapse, such as reinstatement to previously extinguished drug-seeking behaviors. While a number of neurotransmitter systems have been suggested to play a role in these behaviors, recent evidence points to the neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) as being critically important in BNST-mediated reinstatement behaviors. Although numerous studies indicate that the BNST is a complex brain region with multiple afferent and efferent systems and a variety of cell types, there has only been limited work to determine how CRF modulates this complex neuronal system at the circuit level. Recent work from our lab and others have begun to unravel these BNST neurocircuits and explore their roles in CRF-related reinstatement behaviors. This review will examine the role of CRF signaling in drug addiction and reinstatement with an emphasis on critical neurocircuitry within the BNST that may offer new insights into treatments for addiction.

Genetic inhibition of CaMKII in dorsal striatal medium spiny neurons reduces functional excitatory synapses and enhances intrinsic excitability

Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is abundant in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). CaMKII is dynamically regulated by changes in dopamine signaling, as occurs in Parkinson's disease as well as addiction. Although CaMKII has been extensively studied in the hippocampus where it regulates excitatory synaptic transmission, relatively little is known about how it modulates neuronal function in the striatum. Therefore, we examined the impact of selectively overexpressing an EGFP-fused CaMKII inhibitory peptide (EAC3I) in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) using a novel transgenic mouse model. EAC3I-expressing cells exhibited markedly decreased excitatory transmission, indicated by a decrease in the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs). This decrease was not accompanied by changes in the probability of release, levels of glutamate at the synapse, or changes in dendritic spine density. CaMKII regulation of the AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 is a major means by which the kinase regulates neuronal function in the hippocampus. We found that the decrease in striatal excitatory transmission seen in the EAC3I mice is mimicked by deletion of GluA1. Further, while CaMKII inhibition decreased excitatory transmission onto MSNs, it increased their intrinsic excitability. These data suggest that CaMKII plays a critical role in setting the excitability rheostat of striatal MSNs by coordinating excitatory synaptic drive and the resulting depolarization response.

Yohimbine depresses excitatory transmission in BNST and impairs extinction of cocaine place preference through orexin-dependent, norepinephrine-independent processes

The alpha2 adrenergic receptor (α(2)-AR) antagonist yohimbine is a widely used tool for the study of anxiogenesis and stress-induced drug-seeking behavior. We previously demonstrated that yohimbine paradoxically depresses excitatory transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a region critical to the integration of stress and reward pathways, and produces an impairment of extinction of cocaine-conditioned place preference (cocaine-CPP) independent of α(2)-AR signaling. Recent studies show yohimbine-induced drug-seeking behavior is attenuated by orexin receptor 1 (OX(1)R) antagonists. Moreover, yohimbine-induced cocaine-seeking behavior is BNST-dependent. Here, we investigated yohimbine-orexin interactions. Our results demonstrate yohimbine-induced depression of excitatory transmission in the BNST is unaffected by alpha1-AR and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-1 (CRFR(1)) antagonists, but is (1) blocked by OxR antagonists and (2) absent in brain slices from orexin knockout mice. Although the actions of yohimbine were not mimicked by the norepinephrine transporter blocker reboxetine, they were by exogenously applied orexin A. We find that, as with yohimbine, orexin A depression of excitatory transmission in BNST is OX(1)R-dependent. Finally, we find these ex vivo effects are paralleled in vivo, as yohimbine-induced impairment of cocaine-CPP extinction is blocked by a systemically administered OX(1)R antagonist. These data highlight a new mechanism for orexin on excitatory anxiety circuits and demonstrate that some of the actions of yohimbine may be directly dependent upon orexin signaling and independent of norepinephrine and CRF in the BNST.

GluN2B subunit deletion reveals key role in acute and chronic ethanol sensitivity of glutamate synapses in bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical region for alcohol/drug-induced negative affect and stress-induced reinstatement. NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent plasticity, such as long-term potentiation (LTP), has been postulated to play key roles in alcohol and drug addiction; yet, to date, little is understood regarding the mechanisms underlying LTP of the BNST, or its regulation by ethanol. Acute and chronic exposure to ethanol modulates glutamate transmission via actions on NMDARs. Despite intense investigation, tests of subunit specificity of ethanol actions on NMDARs using pharmacological approaches have produced mixed results. Thus, we use a conditional GluN2B KO mouse line to assess both basal and ethanol-dependent function of this subunit at glutamate synapses in the BNST. Deletion of GluN2B eliminated LTP, as well as actions of ethanol on NMDAR function. Further, we show that chronic ethanol exposure enhances LTP formation in the BNST. Using KO-validated pharmacological approaches with Ro25-6981 and memantine, we provide evidence suggesting that chronic ethanol exposure enhances LTP in the BNST via paradoxical extrasynaptic NMDAR involvement. These findings demonstrate that GluN2B is a key point of regulation for ethanol's actions and suggest a unique role of extrasynaptic GluN2B-containing receptors in facilitating LTP.

Stimulus dynamics increase the self-administration of compound visual and auditory stimuli

Animals will acquire an operant task using sensory stimuli as a primary reinforcer. Many operant tasks use sensory stimuli as cues that are paired with other primary reinforcers. Recent studies have called attention to this potential confound, but there has not been a parametric assessment of the effect of stimulus variability on operant responding. We found that stimulus variability increased the amount of operant responding exhibited by mice, a phenomenon observed under both fixed- and progressive-ratio schedules.

Altered anxiety-like behavior and long-term potentiation in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in adult mice exposed to chronic social isolation, unpredictable stress, and ethanol beginning in adolescence

Alcohol and chronic stress exposure, especially during adolescence, can lead to an increased risk in adulthood of developing alcohol use disorders. To date, however, no study has assessed the potential long-term effects of chronic intermittent and unpredictable ethanol (EtOH) exposure in mice chronically stressed beginning in adolescence on brain function and anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. In particular, alterations in function of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region heavily implicated in anxiety-related behaviors and altered plasticity following EtOH exposure, may play a key role in the pathological responses to chronic stress and EtOH. In the present study, adolescent and adult C57Bl/6J mice were exposed to a regimen of chronic social isolation and unpredictable stressors and EtOH (or air [sham]; CSI-CUS-EtOH and CSI-CUS-Sham, respectively) for 8-10 weeks. In adulthood, mice were tested for altered anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze [EPM] and modified social interaction [SI] test). Following behavioral testing, mice were reexposed to CSI-CUS-EtOH (and CSI-CUS-Sham for controls) for an additional 3 days. Four to six hours following the final EtOH (or air) exposure, field potential recordings of the dorsal-lateral (dl)BNST were performed. Mice first exposed during adolescence to CSI-CUS-EtOH displayed lower levels of anxiety-like behavior on the EPM compared with mice first exposed to CSI-CUS-EtOH during adulthood and control mice only exposed to CSI-CUS-Sham, regardless of age of first exposure. However, mice first exposed to CSI-CUS-EtOH during adulthood displayed lower levels of anxiety-like behavior on the SI test compared with mice first exposed during adolescence and control CSI-CUS-Sham mice. CSI-CUS-EtOH exposure, regardless of age, produced blunted expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dlBNST compared with CSI-CUS-Sham mice. This study demonstrates age-dependent effects of chronic unpredictable ethanol exposure in chronically stressed mice on anxiety-like behaviors during adulthood. Further, CSI-CUS-EtOH exposure results in blunted LTP expression in the adult dlBNST.

(3-Cyano-5-fluorophenyl)biaryl negative allosteric modulators of mGlu(5): Discovery of a new tool compound with activity in the OSS mouse model of addiction

Glutamate is the major excitatory transmitter in the mammalian CNS, exerting its effects through both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. The metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGlus) belong to family C of the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The eight mGlus identified to date are classified into three groups based on their structure, preferred signal transduction mechanisms, and pharmacology (Group I: mGlu(1) and mGlu(5); Group II: mGlu(2) and mGlu(3); Group III: mGlu(4), mGlu(6), mGlu(7), and mGlu(8)). Non-competitive antagonists, also known as negative allosteric modulators (NAMs), of mGlu(5) offer potential therapeutic applications in diseases such as pain, anxiety, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Parkinson's disease (PD), fragile X syndrome, and addiction. The development of SAR in a (3-cyano-5-fluorophenyl)biaryl series using our functional cell-based assay is described in this communication. Further characterization of a selected compound, 3-fluoro-5-(2-methylbenzo[d]thiazol-5-yl)benzonitrile, in additional cell based assays as well as in vitro assays designed to measure its metabolic stability and protein binding indicated its potential utility as an in vivo tool. Subsequent evaluation of the same compound in a pharmacokinetic study using intraperitoneal dosing in mice showed good exposure in both plasma and brain samples. The compound was efficacious in a mouse marble burying model of anxiety, an assay known to be sensitive to mGlu(5) antagonists. A new operant model of addiction termed operant sensation seeking (OSS) was chosen as a second behavioral assay. The compound also proved efficacious in the OSS model and constitutes the first reported example of efficacy with a small molecule mGlu(5) NAM in this novel assay.

mGluR8 modulates excitatory transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in a stress-dependent manner

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are important modulators of excitatory transmission, and have been implicated in anxiety and stress-related behaviors. Previously, we showed that group III mGluR agonists could depress excitatory synaptic transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), an integral component of the anxiety circuitry. Here, we provide converging evidence indicating that this effect is mediated primarily by mGluR8, is exerted presynaptically, and is modulated by noradrenergic signaling and stress. The effects of the group III mGluR agonist L-AP4 on excitatory transmission are not potentiated by the mGluR4-selective allosteric potentiator PHCCC, but are mimicked by the mGluR8-selective agonist DCPG. Consistent with these results, mGluR8-like immunoreactivity is seen in the BNST, and the actions of L-AP4 on excitatory transmission are absent in slices from mGluR8 knockout (KO) mice. Application of DCPG is associated with an increase in paired-pulse evoked glutamate synaptic currents, and a decrease in spontaneous glutamate synaptic current frequency, consistent with a primarily presynaptic action. mGluR8-mediated suppression of excitatory transmission is disrupted ex vivo by activation of α1 adrenergic receptors (α1 ARs). BNST mGluR8 function is also disrupted by both acute and chronic in vivo exposure to restraint stress, and in brain slices from α2A AR KO mice. These studies show that mGluR8 is an important regulator of excitatory transmission in the BNST, and suggest that this receptor is selectively disrupted by noradrenergic signaling and by both acute and chronic stress.

Loss of Thr286 phosphorylation disrupts synaptic CaMKIIα targeting, NMDAR activity and behavior in pre-adolescent mice

In order to provide insight into in vivo roles of CaMKIIα autophosphorylation at Thr286 during postnatal development, behavioral, biochemical, and electrophysiological phenotypes of pre-adolescent Thr286 to Ala CaMKIIα knock-in (T286A-KI) and WT mice were examined. T286A-KI mice displayed cognitive deficits in a novel object recognition test and an anxiolytic phenotype in the elevated plus maze, suggesting disruption of normal developmental processes. At the molecular level, the ratio of total CaMKIIα to CaMKIIβ in hippocampal lysates was significantly decreased≈2-fold in T286A-KI mice, and levels of both isoforms in synaptic subcellular fractions were decreased by≈80%. Total levels of GluA1 AMPA-glutamate receptor subunits and phosphorylation of GluA1 at the CaMKII site (Ser831) in synaptic fractions were unaltered, as were the frequency and amplitude of AMPAR-mediated spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents at hippocampal CA3-CA1 synapses. Synaptic levels of NMDA-glutamate receptor GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B subunits also were unaltered. However, the reduced ratio of CaMKII to NMDAR subunits in synaptic fractions was linked to increased synaptic NMDAR-mediated currents in T286A-KI mice, apparently due to increased functional contributions by GluN2B NMDARs (assessed by Ro 25-6981 sensitivity). Thus, disruption of CaMKII synaptic targeting caused by elimination of Thr286 autophosphorylation leads to synaptic and behavioral deficits during pre-adolescence.

Opposing roles of mGluR8 in measures of anxiety involving non-social and social challenges

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) modulate glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission. mGluR8, a member of group III receptors, is generally located presynaptically where it regulates neurotransmitter release. Previously we reported higher measures of anxiety in 6- and 12-month-old mGluR8(-/-) male mice than age- and sex-matched wild-type mice and that acute pharmacological stimulation with the mGluR8 agonist (S)-3,4,-dicarboxyphenylglycine (DCPG) or the Positive Allosteric Modulator (PAM) AZ12216052 reduced measures of anxiety in wild-type mice. As in humans and animals, ageing is associated with enhanced measures of anxiety following non-social and social challenges, increased understanding of these measures and how to potentially modulate them is particularly important in the elderly. Here we determined whether the effects of AZ12216052 on measures of anxiety are mediated by mGluR8 using 24-month-old mGluR8(-/-) and wild-type male mice. AZ12216052 also reduced measures of anxiety in the elevated zero maze and the acoustic startle response in mGluR8(-/-) mice. The remaining anxiolytic effects of AZ12216052 in mGluR8(-/-) mice might involve mGluR4, as the mGluR4 PAM VU 0155041 also reduced measures of anxiety in wild-type mice. In contrast, mGluR8(-/-) mice show enhanced social interaction but AZ12216052 does not affect social interaction in wild-type mice. Thus, while mGluR8 is an attractive target to modulate measures of anxiety and social interaction, the effects of AZ12216052 on measures of anxiety likely also involve receptors other than mGluR8.

Operant sensation seeking in the mouse

Operant methods are powerful behavioral tools for the study of motivated behavior. These 'self-administration' methods have been used extensively in drug addiction research due to their high construct validity. Operant studies provide researchers a tool for preclinical investigation of several aspects of the addiction process. For example, mechanisms of acute reinforcement (both drug and non-drug) can be tested using pharmacological or genetic tools to determine the ability of a molecular target to influence self-administration behavior. Additionally, drug or food seeking behaviors can be studied in the absence of the primary reinforcer, and the ability of pharmacological compounds to disrupt this process is a preclinical model for discovery of molecular targets and compounds that may be useful for the treatment of addiction. One problem with performing intravenous drug self-administration studies in the mouse is the technical difficulty of maintaining catheter patency. Attrition rates in these experiments are high and can reach 40% or higher. Another general problem with drug self-administration is discerning which pharmacologically-induced effects of the reinforcer produce specific behaviors. For example, measurement of the reinforcing and neurological effects of psychostimulants can be confounded by their psychomotor effects. Operant methods using food reinforcement can avoid these pitfalls, although their utility in studying drug addiction is limited by the fact that some manipulations that alter drug self-administration have a minimal impact on food self-administration. For example, mesolimbic dopamine lesion or knockout of the D1 dopamine receptor reduce cocaine self-administration without having a significant impact on food self-administration. Sensory stimuli have been described for their ability to support operant responding as primary reinforcers (i.e. not conditioned reinforcers). Auditory and visual stimuli are self-administered by several species, although surprisingly little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying this reinforcement. The operant sensation seeking (OSS) model is a robust model for obtaining sensory self-administration in the mouse, allowing the study of neural mechanisms important in sensory reinforcement. An additional advantage of OSS is the ability to screen mutant mice for differences in operant behavior that may be relevant to addiction. We have reported that dopamine D1 receptor knockout mice, previously shown to be deficient in psychostimulant self-administration, also fail to acquire OSS. This is a unique finding in that these mice are capable of learning an operant task when food is used as a reinforcer. While operant studies using food reinforcement can be useful in the study of general motivated behavior and the mechanisms underlying food reinforcement, as mentioned above, these studies are limited in their application to studying molecular mechanisms of drug addiction. Thus, there may be similar neural substrates mediating sensory and psychostimulant reinforcement that are distinct from food reinforcement, which would make OSS a particularly attractive model for the study of drug addiction processes. The degree of overlap between other molecular targets of OSS and drug reinforcers is unclear, but is a topic that we are currently pursuing. While some aspects of addiction such as resistance to extinction may be observed with OSS, we have found that escalation is not observed in this model. Interestingly, escalation of intake and some other aspects of addiction are observed with self-administration of sucrose. Thus, when non-drug operant procedures are desired to study addiction-related processes, food or sensory reinforcers can be chosen to best fit the particular question being asked. In conclusion, both food self-administration and OSS in the mouse have the advantage of not requiring an intravenous catheter, which allows a higher throughput means to study the effects of pharmacological or genetic manipulation of neural targets involved in motivation. While operant testing using food as a reinforcer is particularly useful in the study of the regulation of food intake, OSS is particularly apt for studying reinforcement mechanisms of sensory stimuli and may have broad applicability to novelty seeking and addiction.

Distinct forms of Gq-receptor-dependent plasticity of excitatory transmission in the BNST are differentially affected by stress

Long-term depression (LTD) is an important synaptic mechanism for limiting excitatory influence over circuits subserving cognitive and emotional behavior. A major means of LTD induction is through the recruitment of signaling via G(q)-linked receptors activated by norepinephrine (NE), acetylcholine, and glutamate. Receptors from these transmitter families have been proposed to converge on a common postsynaptic LTD maintenance mechanism, such that hetero- and homosynaptic induction produce similar alterations in glutamate synapse efficacy. We report that in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), recruitment of G(q)-linked receptors by glutamate or NE initiates mechanistically distinct forms of postsynaptically maintained LTD and these LTDs are differentially regulated by stress exposure. In particular, we show that although both mGluR5- and alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor (AR)-dependent LTDs involve postsynaptic endocytosis, the alpha(1)-AR-initiated LTD exclusively involves modulation of signaling through calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. Further, alpha(1)-AR- but not mGluR5- dependent LTD is disrupted by restraint stress. alpha(1)-AR LTD is also impaired in mice chronically exposed to ethanol. These data thus suggest that in the BNST, NE- and glutamate-activated G(q)-linked signaling pathways differentially tune glutamate synapse efficacy in response to stress.

Modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

Glutamate, catecholamine and neuropeptide signaling within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) have all been identified as key participants in anxiety-like behaviors and behaviors related to withdrawal from exposure to substances of abuse. The BNST is thought to serve as a key relay between limbic cognitive centers and reward, stress and anxiety nuclei. Human studies and animal models have demonstrated that stressors and drugs of abuse can result in long term behavioral modifications that can culminate in psychological diseases such as addiction and post-traumatic stress disorder. The ability of catecholamines and neuropeptides to influence synaptic glutamatergic transmission (stemming from cognitive centers) within the BNST may have profound consequences over these behaviors. In this review we highlight studies examining synaptic plasticity and modulation of excitatory transmission within the BNST, emphasizing how such modulation may result in alterations in anxiety and reward related behavior.

Subcellular localization of the antidepressant-sensitive norepinephrine transporter

BACKGROUND

Reuptake of synaptic norepinephrine (NE) via the antidepressant-sensitive NE transporter (NET) supports efficient noradrenergic signaling and presynaptic NE homeostasis. Limited, and somewhat contradictory, information currently describes the axonal transport and localization of NET in neurons.

RESULTS

We elucidate NET localization in brain and superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons, aided by a new NET monoclonal antibody, subcellular immunoisolation techniques and quantitative immunofluorescence approaches. We present evidence that axonal NET extensively colocalizes with syntaxin 1A, and to a limited degree with SCAMP2 and synaptophysin. Intracellular NET in SCG axons and boutons also quantitatively segregates from the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2), findings corroborated by organelle isolation studies. At the surface of SCG boutons, NET resides in both lipid raft and non-lipid raft subdomains and colocalizes with syntaxin 1A.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support the hypothesis that SCG NET is segregated prior to transport from the cell body from proteins comprising large dense core vesicles. Once localized to presynaptic boutons, NET does not recycle via VMAT2-positive, small dense core vesicles. Finally, once NET reaches presynaptic plasma membranes, the transporter localizes to syntaxin 1A-rich plasma membrane domains, with a portion found in cholera toxin-demarcated lipid rafts. Our findings indicate that activity-dependent insertion of NET into the SCG plasma membrane derives from vesicles distinct from those that deliver NE. Moreover, NET is localized in presynaptic membranes in a manner that can take advantage of regulatory processes targeting lipid raft subdomains.