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Arora I, Mal P, Arora P, Paul A, Kumar M. GABAergic implications in anxiety and related disorders. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 724:150218. [PMID: 38865810 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that anxiety disorders arise from an imbalance in the functioning of brain circuits that govern the modulation of emotional responses to possibly threatening stimuli. The circuits under consideration in this context include the amygdala's bottom-up activity, which signifies the existence of stimuli that may be seen as dangerous. Moreover, these circuits encompass top-down regulatory processes that originate in the prefrontal cortex, facilitating the communication of the emotional significance associated with the inputs. Diverse databases (e.g., Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar) were searched for literature using a combination of different terms e.g., "anxiety", "stress", "neuroanatomy", and "neural circuits", etc. A decrease in GABAergic activity is present in both anxiety disorders and severe depression. Research on cerebral functional imaging in depressive individuals has shown reduced levels of GABA within the cortical regions. Additionally, animal studies demonstrated that a reduction in the expression of GABAA/B receptors results in a behavioral pattern resembling anxiety. The amygdala consists of inhibitory networks composed of GABAergic interneurons, responsible for modulating anxiety responses in both normal and pathological conditions. The GABAA receptor has allosteric sites (e.g., α/γ, γ/β, and α/β) which enable regulation of neuronal inhibition in the amygdala. These sites serve as molecular targets for anxiolytic medications such as benzodiazepine and barbiturates. Alterations in the levels of naturally occurring regulators of these allosteric sites, along with alterations to the composition of the GABAA receptor subunits, could potentially act as mechanisms via which the extent of neuronal inhibition is diminished in pathological anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Arora
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Pankaj Mal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Poonam Arora
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Anushka Paul
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
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2
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Cai H, Schnapp WI, Mann S, Miscevic M, Shcmit MB, Conteras M, Fang C. Neural circuits regulation of satiation. Appetite 2024; 200:107512. [PMID: 38801994 PMCID: PMC11227400 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Terminating a meal after achieving satiation is a critical step in maintaining a healthy energy balance. Despite the extensive collection of information over the last few decades regarding the neural mechanisms controlling overall eating, the mechanism underlying different temporal phases of eating behaviors, especially satiation, remains incompletely understood and is typically embedded in studies that measure the total amount of food intake. In this review, we summarize the neural circuits that detect and integrate satiation signals to suppress appetite, from interoceptive sensory inputs to the final motor outputs. Due to the well-established role of cholecystokinin (CCK) in regulating the satiation, we focus on the neural circuits that are involved in regulating the satiation effect caused by CCK. We also discuss several general principles of how these neural circuits control satiation, as well as the limitations of our current understanding of the circuits function. With the application of new techniques involving sophisticated cell-type-specific manipulation and mapping, as well as real-time recordings, it is now possible to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms specifically underlying satiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijiang Cai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Bio 5 Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
| | - Wesley I Schnapp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Shivani Mann
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Masa Miscevic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Physiological Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Matthew B Shcmit
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Marco Conteras
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| | - Caohui Fang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
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3
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Grossmann CP, Sommer C, Fahliogullari IB, Neumann ID, Menon R. Mating-induced release of oxytocin in the mouse lateral septum: Implications for social fear extinction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 166:107083. [PMID: 38788461 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
In mammals, some physiological conditions are associated with the high brain oxytocin (OXT) system activity. These include lactation in females and mating in males and females, both of which have been linked to reduced stress responsiveness and anxiolysis. Also, in a murine model of social fear conditioning (SFC), enhanced brain OXT signaling in lactating mice, specifically in the lateral septum (LS), was reported to underlie reduced social fear expression. Here, we studied the effects of mating in male mice on anxiety-related behaviour, social (and cued) fear expression and its extinction, and the activity of OXT neurons reflected by cFos expression and OXT release in the LS and amygdala. We further focused on the involvement of brain OXT in the mating-induced facilitation of social fear extinction. We could confirm the anxiolytic effect of mating in male mice irrespective of the occurrence of ejaculation. Further, we found that only successful mating resulting in ejaculation (Ej+) facilitated social fear extinction, whereas mating without ejaculation (Ej-) did not. In contrast, mating did not affect cues fear expression. Using the cellular activity markers cFos and pErk, we further identified the ventral LS (vLS) as a potential region participating in the effect of ejaculation on social fear extinction. In support, microdialysis experiments revealed a rise in OXT release within the LS, but not the amygdala, during mating. Finally, infusion of an OXT receptor antagonist into the LS before mating or into the lateral ventricle (icv) after mating demonstrated a significant role of brain OXT receptor-mediated signaling in the mating-induced facilitation of social fear extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy P Grossmann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Sommer
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
| | - Rohit Menon
- Department of Behavioral and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Comyn T, Preat T, Pavlowsky A, Plaçais PY. PKCδ is an activator of neuronal mitochondrial metabolism that mediates the spacing effect on memory consolidation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.06.561186. [PMID: 38948698 PMCID: PMC11212906 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.06.561186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Relevance-based selectivity and high energy cost are two distinct features of long-term memory (LTM) formation that warrant its default inhibition. Spaced repetition of learning is a highly conserved cognitive mechanism that can lift this inhibition. Here, we questioned how the spacing effect integrates experience selection and energy efficiency at the cellular and molecular levels. We showed in Drosophila that spaced training triggers LTM formation by extending over several hours an increased mitochondrial metabolic activity in neurons of the associative memory center, the mushroom bodies (MBs). We found that this effect is mediated by PKCδ, a member of the so-called 'novel PKC' family of enzymes, which uncovers the critical function of PKCδ in neurons as a regulator of mitochondrial metabolism for LTM. Additionally, PKCδ activation and translocation to mitochondria result from LTM-specific dopamine signaling on MB neurons. By bridging experience-dependent neuronal circuit activity with metabolic modulation of memory-encoding neurons, PKCδ signaling binds the cognitive and metabolic constraints underlying LTM formation into a unified gating mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Typhaine Comyn
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Preat
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Alice Pavlowsky
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
- Co-corresponding authors
| | - Pierre-Yves Plaçais
- Energy & Memory, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France
- Co-corresponding authors
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Yakhnitsa V, Thompson J, Ponomareva O, Ji G, Kiritoshi T, Mahimainathan L, Molehin D, Pruitt K, Neugebauer V. Dysfunction of Small-Conductance Ca 2+-Activated Potassium (SK) Channels Drives Amygdala Hyperexcitability and Neuropathic Pain Behaviors: Involvement of Epigenetic Mechanisms. Cells 2024; 13:1055. [PMID: 38920682 PMCID: PMC11201618 DOI: 10.3390/cells13121055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in the amygdala and its central nucleus (CeA) is linked to pain modulation and pain behaviors, but cellular mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we addressed the role of small-conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) channels in pain-related amygdala plasticity. The facilitatory effects of the intra-CeA application of an SK channel blocker (apamin) on the pain behaviors of control rats were lost in a neuropathic pain model, whereas an SK channel activator (NS309) inhibited pain behaviors in neuropathic rats but not in sham controls, suggesting the loss of the inhibitory behavioral effects of amygdala SK channels. Brain slice electrophysiology found hyperexcitability of CeA neurons in the neuropathic pain condition due to the loss of SK channel-mediated medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP), which was accompanied by decreased SK2 channel protein and mRNA expression, consistent with a pretranscriptional mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms involved the epigenetic silencing of the SK2 gene due to the increased DNA methylation of the CpG island of the SK2 promoter region and the change in methylated CpG sites in the CeA in neuropathic pain. This study identified the epigenetic dysregulation of SK channels in the amygdala (CeA) as a novel mechanism of neuropathic pain-related plasticity and behavior that could be targeted to control abnormally enhanced amygdala activity and chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Jeremy Thompson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Olga Ponomareva
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Takaki Kiritoshi
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Lenin Mahimainathan
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Deborah Molehin
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Kevin Pruitt
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
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Guan X, Cao P. Brain Mechanisms Underlying Panic Attack and Panic Disorder. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:795-814. [PMID: 37477800 PMCID: PMC11178723 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01088-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Panic disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks, with a prevalence of ~ 4% in the general population, causing heavy personal and socioeconomic burdens. The similarities of animal defense responses to clinical panic attack symptoms in humans make it possible to translate neuroanatomical pathways identified in animal studies to panic disorder in humans. Therefore, in this review we first present a basic overview of panic disorder in humans including the main subtypes, models commonly used to trigger panic attacks, related hypotheses, the neurotransmitter systems that may be involved, and the current clinical treatments to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of panic disorder. The animal section introduces the models that trigger panic-like behavior in animals and the brain regions that may be involved, providing insights for future elucidation of the neural circuit mechanisms behind panic attacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyan Guan
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China.
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, 102206, China.
| | - Peng Cao
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 102206, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences (NIBS), Beijing, 102206, China
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Diehl MM, Moscarello JM, Trask S. Behavioral outputs and overlapping circuits between conditional fear and active avoidance. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107943. [PMID: 38821256 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Aversive learning can produce a wide variety of defensive behavioral responses depending on the circumstances, ranging from reactive responses like freezing to proactive avoidance responses. While most of this initial learning is behaviorally supported by an expectancy of an aversive outcome and neurally supported by activity within the basolateral amygdala, activity in other brain regions become necessary for the execution of defensive strategies that emerge in other aversive learning paradigms such as active avoidance. Here, we review the neural circuits that support both reactive and proactive defensive behaviors that are motivated by aversive learning, and identify commonalities between the neural substrates of these distinct (and often exclusive) behavioral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Diehl
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | | | - Sydney Trask
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Peng B, Foilb AR, Manasian Y, Li Y, Deng X, Meloni EG, Ressler KJ, Carlezon WA, Bolshakov VY. Intra-amygdala circuits of sleep disruption-induced anxiety in female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.19.594863. [PMID: 38798391 PMCID: PMC11118584 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.19.594863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Combining mouse genetics, electrophysiology, and behavioral training and testing, we explored how sleep disruption may affect the function of anxiety-controlling circuits, focusing on projections from the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) to CRF-positive cells in the lateral division of the central amygdala (CeL). We found in Crh-IRES-Cre::Ai14(tdTomato) reporter female mice that 6 hours of sleep disruption during their non-active (light) cycle may be anxiogenic. Notably, the AMPAR/NMDAR EPSC amplitude ratio at the BLA inputs to CRF-CeL cells (CRF CeL ), assessed with whole-cell recordings in ex vivo experiments, was enhanced in slices from sleep-disrupted mice, whereas paired-pulse ratio (PPR) of the EPSCs induced by two closely spaced presynaptic stimuli remained unchanged. These findings indicate that sleep disruption-associated synaptic enhancements in glutamatergic projections from the BLA to CRF-CeL neurons may be postsynaptically expressed. We found also that the excitation/inhibition (E/I) ratio in the BLA to CRF CeL inputs was increased in sleep-disrupted mice, suggesting that the functional efficiency of excitation in BLA inputs to CRF CeL cells has increased following sleep disruption, thus resulting in their enhanced activation. The latter could be translated into enhanced anxiogenesis as activation of CRF cells in the CeL was shown to promote anxiety-like behaviors.
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Korkutata M, De Luca R, Fitzgerald B, Arrigoni E, Scammell TE. Afferent projections to the Calca /CGRP-expressing parabrachial neurons in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.593004. [PMID: 38766214 PMCID: PMC11100666 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.593004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The parabrachial nucleus (PB), located in the dorsolateral pons, contains primarily glutamatergic neurons which regulate responses to a variety of interoceptive and cutaneous sensory signals. The lateral PB subpopulation expressing the Calca gene which produces the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) relays signals related to threatening stimuli such as hypercarbia, pain, and nausea, yet the afferents to these neurons are only partially understood. We mapped the afferent projections to the lateral part of the PB in mice using conventional cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) retrograde tracing, and then used conditional rabies virus retrograde tracing to map monosynaptic inputs specifically targeting the PB Calca /CGRP neurons. Using vesicular GABA (vGAT) and glutamate (vGLUT2) transporter reporter mice, we found that lateral PB neurons receive GABAergic afferents from regions such as the lateral part of the central nucleus of the amygdala, lateral dorsal subnucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, substantia innominata, and the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. Additionally, they receive glutamatergic afferents from the infralimbic and insular cortex, paraventricular nucleus, parasubthalamic nucleus, trigeminal complex, medullary reticular nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract. Using anterograde tracing and confocal microscopy, we then identified close axonal appositions between these afferents and PB Calca /CGRP neurons. Finally, we used channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping to test whether some of these inputs directly synapse upon the PB Calca /CGRP neurons. These findings provide a comprehensive neuroanatomical framework for understanding the afferent projections regulating the PB Calca /CGRP neurons.
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Roland AV, Harry Chao TH, Hon OJ, Machinski SN, Sides TR, Lee SI, Ian Shih YY, Kash TL. Acute and chronic alcohol modulation of extended amygdala calcium dynamics. Alcohol 2024; 116:53-64. [PMID: 38423261 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are reciprocally connected nodes of the extended amygdala thought to play an important role in alcohol consumption. Studies of immediate-early genes indicate that BNST and CeA are acutely activated following alcohol drinking and may signal alcohol reward in nondependent drinkers, while stress signaling in the extended amygdala following chronic alcohol exposure drives increased drinking via negative reinforcement. However, the temporal dynamics of neuronal activation in these regions during drinking behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we used fiber photometry and the genetically encoded calcium sensor GCaMP6s to assess acute changes in neuronal activity during alcohol consumption in BNST and CeA before and after a chronic drinking paradigm. Activity was examined in the pan-neuronal population and separately in dynorphinergic neurons. BNST and CeA showed increased pan-neuronal activity during acute consumption of alcohol and other fluid tastants of positive and negative valence, as well as highly palatable chow. Responses were greatest during initial consummatory bouts and decreased in amplitude with repeated consumption of the same tastant, suggesting modulation by stimulus novelty. Dynorphin neurons showed similar consumption-associated calcium increases in both regions. Following three weeks of continuous alcohol access (CA), calcium increases in dynorphin neurons during drinking were maintained, but pan-neuronal activity and BNST-CeA coherence were altered in a sex-specific manner. These results indicate that BNST and CeA, and dynorphin neurons specifically, are engaged during drinking behavior, and activity dynamics are influenced by stimulus novelty and chronic alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison V Roland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olivia J Hon
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samantha N Machinski
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tori R Sides
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sophia I Lee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Chen W, Guo H, Zhou N, Mai Y, Hu T, Xu X, He T, Wen J, Qin S, Liu C, Wu W, Kim HY, Fan Y, Ge F, Guan X. Distinct eLPB ChAT projections for methamphetamine withdrawal anxiety and primed reinstatement of conditioned place preference. Theranostics 2024; 14:2881-2896. [PMID: 38773977 PMCID: PMC11103501 DOI: 10.7150/thno.95383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) withdrawal anxiety symptom and relapse have been significant challenges for clinical practice, however, the underlying neuronal basis remains unclear. Our recent research has identified a specific subpopulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT+) neurons localized in the external lateral portion of parabrachial nucleus (eLPBChAT), which modulates METH primed-reinstatement of conditioned place preference (CPP). Here, the anatomical structures and functional roles of eLPBChAT projections in METH withdrawal anxiety and primed reinstatement were further explored. Methods: In the present study, a multifaceted approach was employed to dissect the LPBChAT+ projections in male mice, including anterograde and retrograde tracing, acetylcholine (Ach) indicator combined with fiber photometry recording, photogenetic and chemogenetic regulation, as well as electrophysiological recording. METH withdrawal anxiety-like behaviors and METH-primed reinstatement of conditioned place preference (CPP) were assessed in male mice. Results: We identified that eLPBChAT send projections to PKCδ-positive (PKCδ+) neurons in lateral portion of central nucleus of amygdala (lCeAPKCδ) and oval portion of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNSTPKCδ), forming eLPBChAT-lCeAPKCδ and eLPBChAT-ovBNSTPKCδ pathways. At least in part, the eLPBChAT neurons positively innervate lCeAPKCδ neurons and ovBNSTPKCδ neurons through regulating synaptic elements of presynaptic Ach release and postsynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). METH withdrawal anxiety and METH-primed reinstatement of CPP respectively recruit eLPBChAT-lCeAPKCδ pathway and eLPBChAT-ovBNSTPKCδ pathway in male mice. Conclusion: Our findings put new insights into the complex neural networks, especially focusing on the eLPBChAT projections. The eLPBChAT is a critical node in the neural networks governing METH withdrawal anxiety and primed-reinstatement of CPP through its projections to the lCeAPKCδ and ovBNSTPKCδ, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuning Mai
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Tao Hu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Teng He
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jun Wen
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shan Qin
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengyong Liu
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenzhong Wu
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hee Young Kim
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Feifei Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Pandey SC. EZH2-dependent epigenetic reprogramming in the central nucleus of amygdala regulates adult anxiety in both sexes after adolescent alcohol exposure. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:197. [PMID: 38670959 PMCID: PMC11053082 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02906-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use and anxiety disorders occur in both males and females, but despite sharing similar presentation and classical symptoms, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is lower in females. While anxiety is a symptom and comorbidity shared by both sexes, the common underlying mechanism that leads to AUD and the subsequent development of anxiety is still understudied. Using a rodent model of adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure in both sexes, we investigated the epigenetic mechanism mediated by enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase, in regulating both the expression of activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) and an anxiety-like phenotype in adulthood. Here, we report that EZH2 protein levels were significantly higher in PKC-δ positive GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA) of adult male and female rats after AIE. Reducing protein and mRNA levels of EZH2 using siRNA infusion in the CeA prevented AIE-induced anxiety-like behavior, increased H3K27me3, decreased H3K27ac at the Arc synaptic activity response element (SARE) site, and restored deficits in Arc mRNA and protein expression in both male and female adult rats. Our data indicate that an EZH2-mediated epigenetic mechanism in the CeA plays an important role in regulating anxiety-like behavior and Arc expression after AIE in both male and female rats in adulthood. This study suggests that EZH2 may serve as a tractable drug target for the treatment of adult psychopathology after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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13
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Ding W, Weltzien H, Peters C, Klein R. Nausea-induced suppression of feeding is mediated by central amygdala Dlk1-expressing neurons. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113990. [PMID: 38551964 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The motivation to eat is suppressed by satiety and aversive stimuli such as nausea. The neural circuit mechanisms of appetite suppression by nausea are not well understood. Pkcδ neurons in the lateral subdivision of the central amygdala (CeA) suppress feeding in response to satiety signals and nausea. Here, we characterized neurons enriched in the medial subdivision (CeM) of the CeA marked by expression of Dlk1. CeADlk1 neurons are activated by nausea, but not satiety, and specifically suppress feeding induced by nausea. Artificial activation of CeADlk1 neurons suppresses drinking and social interactions, suggesting a broader function in attenuating motivational behavior. CeADlk1 neurons form projections to many brain regions and exert their anorexigenic activity by inhibition of neurons of the parabrachial nucleus. CeADlk1 neurons are inhibited by appetitive CeA neurons, but also receive long-range monosynaptic inputs from multiple brain regions. Our results illustrate a CeA circuit that regulates nausea-induced feeding suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyu Ding
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Helena Weltzien
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christian Peters
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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14
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Drzewiecki CM, Fox AS. Understanding the heterogeneity of anxiety using a translational neuroscience approach. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:228-245. [PMID: 38356013 PMCID: PMC11039504 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01162-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders affect millions of people worldwide and present a challenge in neuroscience research because of their substantial heterogeneity in clinical presentation. While a great deal of progress has been made in understanding the neurobiology of fear and anxiety, these insights have not led to effective treatments. Understanding the relationship between phenotypic heterogeneity and the underlying biology is a critical first step in solving this problem. We show translation, reverse translation, and computational modeling can contribute to a refined, cross-species understanding of fear and anxiety as well as anxiety disorders. More specifically, we outline how animal models can be leveraged to develop testable hypotheses in humans by using targeted, cross-species approaches and ethologically informed behavioral paradigms. We discuss reverse translational approaches that can guide and prioritize animal research in nontraditional research species. Finally, we advocate for the use of computational models to harmonize cross-species and cross-methodology research into anxiety. Together, this translational neuroscience approach will help to bridge the widening gap between how we currently conceptualize and diagnose anxiety disorders, as well as aid in the discovery of better treatments for these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly M Drzewiecki
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Andrew S Fox
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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15
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Vásquez CE, Knak Guerra KT, Renner J, Rasia-Filho AA. Morphological heterogeneity of neurons in the human central amygdaloid nucleus. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25319. [PMID: 38629777 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The central amygdaloid nucleus (CeA) has an ancient phylogenetic development and functions relevant for animal survival. Local cells receive intrinsic amygdaloidal information that codes emotional stimuli of fear, integrate them, and send cortical and subcortical output projections that prompt rapid visceral and social behavior responses. We aimed to describe the morphology of the neurons that compose the human CeA (N = 8 adult men). Cells within CeA coronal borders were identified using the thionine staining and were further analyzed using the "single-section" Golgi method followed by open-source software procedures for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image reconstructions. Our results evidenced varied neuronal cell body features, number and thickness of primary shafts, dendritic branching patterns, and density and shape of dendritic spines. Based on these criteria, we propose the existence of 12 morphologically different spiny neurons in the human CeA and discuss the variability in the dendritic architecture within cellular types, including likely interneurons. Some dendritic shafts were long and straight, displayed few collaterals, and had planar radiation within the coronal neuropil volume. Most of the sampled neurons showed a few to moderate density of small stubby/wide spines. Long spines (thin and mushroom) were observed occasionally. These novel data address the synaptic processing and plasticity in the human CeA. Our morphological description can be combined with further transcriptomic, immunohistochemical, and electrophysiological/connectional approaches. It serves also to investigate how neurons are altered in neurological and psychiatric disorders with hindered emotional perception, in anxiety, following atrophy in schizophrenia, and along different stages of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Vásquez
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Kétlyn T Knak Guerra
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Josué Renner
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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16
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Schnapp WI, Kim J, Wang Y, Timilsena S, Fang C, Cai H. Development of activity-based anorexia requires PKC-δ neurons in two central extended amygdala nuclei. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113933. [PMID: 38460131 PMCID: PMC11003439 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric disease, but the neural mechanisms underlying its development are unclear. A subpopulation of amygdala neurons, marked by expression of protein kinase C-delta (PKC-δ), has previously been shown to regulate diverse anorexigenic signals. Here, we demonstrate that these neurons regulate development of activity-based anorexia (ABA), a common animal model for AN. PKC-δ neurons are located in two nuclei of the central extended amygdala (EAc): the central nucleus (CeA) and oval region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST). Simultaneous ablation of CeAPKC-δ and ovBNSTPKC-δ neurons prevents ABA, but ablating PKC-δ neurons in the CeA or ovBNST alone is not sufficient. Correspondingly, PKC-δ neurons in both nuclei show increased activity with ABA development. Our study shows how neurons in the amygdala regulate ABA by impacting both feeding and wheel activity behaviors and support a complex heterogeneous etiology of AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Ilana Schnapp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - JungMin Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Sayujya Timilsena
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Caohui Fang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Haijiang Cai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Bio5 Institute and Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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17
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Hegoburu C, Tang Y, Niu R, Ghosh S, Triana Del Rio R, de Araujo Salgado I, Abatis M, Alexandre Mota Caseiro D, van den Burg EH, Grundschober C, Stoop R. Social buffering in rats reduces fear by oxytocin triggering sustained changes in central amygdala neuronal activity. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2081. [PMID: 38453902 PMCID: PMC10920863 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45626-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The presence of a companion can reduce fear, but the neural mechanisms underlying this social buffering of fear are incompletely known. We studied social buffering of fear in male and female, and its encoding in the amygdala of male, auditory fear-conditioned rats. Pharmacological, opto,- and/or chemogenetic interventions showed that oxytocin signaling from hypothalamus-to-central amygdala projections underlied fear reduction acutely with a companion and social buffering retention 24 h later without a companion. Single-unit recordings with optetrodes in the central amygdala revealed fear-encoding neurons (showing increased conditioned stimulus-responses after fear conditioning) inhibited by social buffering and blue light-stimulated oxytocinergic hypothalamic projections. Other central amygdala neurons showed baseline activity enhanced by blue light and companion exposure, with increased conditioned stimulus responses that persisted without the companion. Social buffering of fear thus switches the conditioned stimulus from encoding "fear" to "safety" by oxytocin-mediated recruitment of a distinct group of central amygdala "buffer neurons".
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Hegoburu
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yan Tang
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ruifang Niu
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Supriya Ghosh
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Marios Abatis
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Christophe Grundschober
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ron Stoop
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, CHUV, Prilly-Lausanne, Switzerland.
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18
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Pomrenze MB, Vaillancourt S, Llorach P, Rijsketic DR, Casey AB, Gregory N, Salgado JS, Malenka RC, Heifets BD. Opioid receptor expressing neurons of the central amygdala gate behavioral effects of ketamine in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.03.583196. [PMID: 38496451 PMCID: PMC10942405 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.03.583196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Ketamine has anesthetic, analgesic, and antidepressant properties which may involve multiple neuromodulatory systems. In humans, the opioid receptor (OR) antagonist naltrexone blocks the antidepressant effect of ketamine. It is unclear whether naltrexone blocks a direct effect of ketamine at ORs, or whether normal functioning of the OR system is required to realize the full antidepressant effects of treatment. In mice, the effect of ketamine on locomotion, but not analgesia or the forced swim test, was sensitive to naltrexone and was therefore used as a behavioral readout to localize the effect of naltrexone in the brain. We performed whole-brain imaging of cFos expression in ketamine-treated mice, pretreated with naltrexone or vehicle, and identified the central amygdala (CeA) as the area with greatest difference in cFos intensity. CeA neurons expressing both μOR (MOR) and PKCμ were strongly activated by naltrexone but not ketamine, and selectively interrupting MOR function in the CeA either pharmacologically or genetically blocked the locomotor effects of ketamine. These data suggest that MORs expressed in CeA neurons gate behavioral effects of ketamine but are not direct targets of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B. Pomrenze
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Sam Vaillancourt
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Pierre Llorach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Daniel Ryskamp Rijsketic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Austen B. Casey
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Nicholas Gregory
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Juliana S. Salgado
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Robert C. Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Boris D. Heifets
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
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19
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Sowa JE, Tokarski K, Hess G. Activation of the CXCR4 Receptor by Chemokine CXCL12 Increases the Excitability of Neurons in the Rat Central Amygdala. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2024; 19:9. [PMID: 38430337 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-024-10112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Primarily regarded as immune proteins, chemokines are emerging as a family of molecules serving neuromodulatory functions in the developing and adult brain. Among them, CXCL12 is constitutively and widely expressed in the CNS, where it was shown to act on cellular, synaptic, network, and behavioral levels. Its receptor, CXCR4, is abundant in the amygdala, a brain structure involved in pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Dysregulation of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling has been implicated in anxiety-related behaviors. Here we demonstrate that exogenous CXCL12 at 2 nM but not at 5 nM increased neuronal excitability in the lateral division of the rat central amygdala (CeL) which was evident in the Late-Firing but not Regular-Spiking neurons. These effects were blocked by AMD3100, a CXCR4 antagonist. Moreover, CXCL12 increased the excitability of the neurons of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) that is known to project to the CeL. However, CXCL12 increased neither the spontaneous excitatory nor spontaneous inhibitory synaptic transmission in the CeL. In summary, the data reveal specific activation of Late-Firing CeL cells along with BLA neurons by CXCL12 and suggest that this chemokine may alter information processing by the amygdala that likely contributes to anxiety and fear conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Ewa Sowa
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Tokarski
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Hess
- Department of Physiology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Street, Krakow, 31-343, Poland
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20
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Sladky R, Kargl D, Haubensak W, Lamm C. An active inference perspective for the amygdala complex. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:223-236. [PMID: 38103984 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a heterogeneous network of subcortical nuclei with central importance in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Various experimental designs in human psychology and animal model research have mapped multiple conceptual frameworks (e.g., valence/salience and decision making) to ever more refined amygdala circuitry. However, these predominantly bottom up-driven accounts often rely on interpretations tailored to a specific phenomenon, thus preventing comprehensive and integrative theories. We argue here that an active inference model of amygdala function could unify these fractionated approaches into an overarching framework for clearer empirical predictions and mechanistic interpretations. This framework embeds top-down predictive models, informed by prior knowledge and belief updating, within a dynamical system distributed across amygdala circuits in which self-regulation is implemented by continuously tracking environmental and homeostatic demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Sladky
- Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Dominic Kargl
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wulf Haubensak
- Department of Neuronal Cell Biology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 4, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Campus Vienna Biocenter 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Adomaitis L, Grinbaum A. Neurotechnologies, Ethics, and the Limits of Free Will. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2024:10.1007/s12124-024-09830-2. [PMID: 38388982 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-024-09830-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
This article delves into the implications of neurotechnologies for the philosophical debates surrounding free will and moral responsibility. Tracing the concept from ancient religious and philosophical roots, we discuss how recent neurotechnological advancements (e.g. optogenetics, fMRI and machine learning, predictive diagnostics, et al.) challenge traditional notions of autonomy. Although neurotechnologies aim to enhance autonomy in the strict sense - as self-determination - they risk reducing or changing the broader notion of autonomy, which involves personal authenticity. We also submit that, in a world with an altered or limited concept of free will, humans should still be held accountable for actions executed through their bodies. By examining the dynamic between choice and responsibility, we emphasize the shift in technology ethics, moral philosophy, and the broader legal landscape in response to the advancement of neurotechnologies. By bringing the neurotechnological innovations into the world, neuroscientists not only change the technological landscape but also partake in long-standing moral narratives about freedom, justice, and responsibility.
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22
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Velica A, Kullander K. A flowchart for adequate controls in virus-based monosynaptic tracing experiments identified Cre-independent leakage of the TVA receptor in RΦGT mice. BMC Neurosci 2024; 25:9. [PMID: 38383317 PMCID: PMC10882902 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-024-00848-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A pseudotyped modified rabies virus lacking the rabies glycoprotein (G-protein), which is crucial for transsynaptic spread, can be used for monosynaptic retrograde tracing. By coupling the pseudotyped virus with transgene expression of the G-protein and the avian leukosis and sarcoma virus subgroup A receptor (TVA), which is necessary for cell entry of the virus, researchers can investigate specific neuronal populations. Responder mouse lines, like the RΦGT mouse line, carry the genes encoding the G-protein and TVA under Cre-dependent expression. These mouse lines are valuable tools because they reduce the number of viral injections needed compared to when using helper viruses. Since RΦGT mice do not express Cre themselves, introducing the pseudotyped rabies virus into their brain should not result in viral cell entry or spread. RESULTS We present a straightforward flowchart for adequate controls in tracing experiments, which we employed to demonstrate Cre-independent expression of TVA in RΦGT mice. CONCLUSIONS Our observations revealed TVA leakage, indicating that RΦGT mice should be used with caution for transgene expression of TVA. Inaccurate tracing outcomes may occur if TVA is expressed in the absence of Cre since background leakage leads to nonspecific cell entry. Moreover, conducting appropriate control experiments can identify the source of potential caveats in virus-based neuronal tracing experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Velica
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 815, Husargatan 3, Uppsala, 751 08, Sweden.
| | - Klas Kullander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 815, Husargatan 3, Uppsala, 751 08, Sweden
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23
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Yeh LF, Zuo S, Liu PW. Molecular diversity and functional dynamics in the central amygdala. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1364268. [PMID: 38419794 PMCID: PMC10899328 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1364268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) is crucial in integrating sensory and associative information to mediate adaptive responses to emotional stimuli. Recent advances in genetic techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have deepened our understanding of distinct neuronal populations within the CeA, particularly those involved in fear learning and memory consolidation. However, challenges remain due to overlapping genetic markers complicating neuron identification. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of molecularly defined cell types and their projection patterns, which are essential for elucidating functional roles, is still developing. Recent advancements in transcriptomics are starting to bridge these gaps, offering new insights into the functional dynamics of CeA neurons. In this review, we provide an overview of the expanding genetic markers for amygdala research, encompassing recent developments and current trends. We also discuss how novel transcriptomic approaches are redefining cell types in the CeA and setting the stage for comprehensive functional studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Feng Yeh
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shuzhen Zuo
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Pin-Wu Liu
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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24
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Palchaudhuri S, Osypenko D, Schneggenburger R. Fear Learning: An Evolving Picture for Plasticity at Synaptic Afferents to the Amygdala. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:87-104. [PMID: 35822657 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221108083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Unraveling the neuronal mechanisms of fear learning might allow neuroscientists to make links between a learned behavior and the underlying plasticity at specific synaptic connections. In fear learning, an innocuous sensory event such as a tone (called the conditioned stimulus, CS) acquires an emotional value when paired with an aversive outcome (unconditioned stimulus, US). Here, we review earlier studies that have shown that synaptic plasticity at thalamic and cortical afferents to the lateral amygdala (LA) is critical for the formation of auditory-cued fear memories. Despite the early progress, it has remained unclear whether there are separate synaptic inputs that carry US information to the LA to act as a teaching signal for plasticity at CS-coding synapses. Recent findings have begun to fill this gap by showing, first, that thalamic and cortical auditory afferents can also carry US information; second, that the release of neuromodulators contributes to US-driven teaching signals; and third, that synaptic plasticity additionally happens at connections up- and downstream of the LA. Together, a picture emerges in which coordinated synaptic plasticity in serial and parallel circuits enables the formation of a finely regulated fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shriya Palchaudhuri
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Denys Osypenko
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ralf Schneggenburger
- Laboratory of Synaptic Mechanisms, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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25
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Torres-Rodriguez JM, Wilson TD, Singh S, Torruella-Suárez ML, Chaudhry S, Adke AP, Becker JJ, Neugebauer B, Lin JL, Martinez Gonzalez S, Soler-Cedeño O, Carrasquillo Y. The parabrachial to central amygdala pathway is critical to injury-induced pain sensitization in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:508-520. [PMID: 37542159 PMCID: PMC10789863 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01673-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
The spino-ponto-amygdaloid pathway is a major ascending circuit relaying nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain. Potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) to central amygdala (CeA) pathway has been reported in rodent models of persistent pain. However, the functional significance of this pathway in the modulation of the somatosensory component of pain was recently challenged by studies showing that spinal nociceptive neurons do not target CeA-projecting PBN cells and that manipulations of this pathway have no effect on reflexive-defensive somatosensory responses to peripheral noxious stimulation. Here, we showed that activation of CeA-projecting PBN neurons is critical to increase both stimulus-evoked and spontaneous nociceptive responses following an injury in male and female mice. Using optogenetic-assisted circuit mapping, we confirmed a functional excitatory projection from PBN→CeA that is independent of the genetic or firing identity of CeA cells. We then showed that peripheral noxious stimulation increased the expression of the neuronal activity marker Fos in CeA-projecting PBN neurons and that chemogenetic inactivation of these cells decreased behavioral hypersensitivity in models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain without affecting baseline nociception. Lastly, we showed that chemogenetic activation of CeA-projecting PBN neurons is sufficient to induced bilateral hypersensitivity without injury. Together, our results indicate that the PBN→CeA pathway is a key modulator of pain-related behaviors that can increase reflexive-defensive and affective-motivational responses to somatosensory stimulation in injured states without affecting nociception under normal physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeitzel M Torres-Rodriguez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Torri D Wilson
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sudhuman Singh
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria L Torruella-Suárez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Chaudhry
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anisha P Adke
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jordan J Becker
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Neugebauer
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jenny L Lin
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Santiago Martinez Gonzalez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Omar Soler-Cedeño
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yarimar Carrasquillo
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Altahini S, Arnoux I, Stroh A. Optogenetics 2.0: challenges and solutions towards a quantitative probing of neural circuits. Biol Chem 2024; 405:43-54. [PMID: 37650383 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2023-0194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
To exploit the full potential of optogenetics, we need to titrate and tailor optogenetic methods to emulate naturalistic circuit function. For that, the following prerequisites need to be met: first, we need to target opsin expression not only to genetically defined neurons per se, but to specifically target a functional node. Second, we need to assess the scope of optogenetic modulation, i.e. the fraction of optogenetically modulated neurons. Third, we need to integrate optogenetic control in a closed loop setting. Fourth, we need to further safe and stable gene expression and light delivery to bring optogenetics to the clinics. Here, we review these concepts for the human and rodent brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Altahini
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, D-55122 Mainz, Germany
| | - Isabelle Arnoux
- Cerebral Physiopathology Laboratory, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Université PSL, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Albrecht Stroh
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, D-55122 Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Pathophysiology, University Medical Center Mainz, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
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27
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Lonnberg A, Logrip ML, Kuznetsov A. Mechanisms of alcohol influence on fear conditioning: a computational model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.30.573310. [PMID: 38260700 PMCID: PMC10802259 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.30.573310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
A connection between stress-related illnesses and alcohol use disorders is extensively documented. Fear conditioning is a standard procedure used to study stress learning and links it to the activation of amygdala circuitry. However, the connection between the changes in amygdala circuit and function induced by alcohol and fear conditioning is not well established. We introduce a computational model to test the mechanistic relationship between amygdala functional and circuit adaptations during fear conditioning and the impact of acute vs. repeated alcohol exposure. In accordance with experiments, both acute and prior repeated alcohol decreases speed and robustness of fear extinction in our simulations. The model predicts that, first, the delay in fear extinction in alcohol is mostly induced by greater activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) after fear acquisition due to alcohol-induced modulation of synaptic weights. Second, both acute and prior repeated alcohol shifts the amygdala network away from the robust extinction regime by inhibiting the activity in the central amygdala (CeA). Third, our model predicts that fear memories formed in acute or after chronic alcohol are more connected to the context. Thus, the model suggests how circuit changes induced by alcohol may affect fear behaviors and provides a framework for investigating the involvement of multiple neuromodulators in this neuroadaptive process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Lonnberg
- University of Evansville, Department of Mathematics, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Marian L. Logrip
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Psychology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexey Kuznetsov
- Indiana University-Purdue University, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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28
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Cui LL, Wang XX, Liu H, Luo F, Li CH. Projections from infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic outputs to amygdala mediates opioid induced hyperalgesia in male rats. Mol Pain 2024; 20:17448069241226960. [PMID: 38172075 PMCID: PMC10851759 DOI: 10.1177/17448069241226960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Repeated use of opioid analgesics may cause a paradoxically exacerbated pain known as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), which hinders effective clinical intervention for severe pain. Currently, little is known about the neural circuits underlying OIH modulation. Previous studies suggest that laterocapsular division of the central nucleus of amygdala (CeLC) is critically involved in the regulation of OIH. Our purpose is to clarify the role of the projections from infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex (IL) to CeLC in OIH. We first produced an OIH model by repeated fentanyl subcutaneous injection in male rats. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that c-Fos-positive neurons were significantly increased in the right CeLC in OIH rats than the saline controls. Then, we used calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) labeling and the patch-clamp recordings with ex vivo optogenetics to detect the functional projections from glutamate pyramidal neurons in IL to the CeLC. The synaptic transmission from IL to CeLC, shown in the excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs), inhibitory postsynaptic currents (eIPSCs) and paired-pulse ratio (PPR), was observably enhanced after fentanyl administration. Moreover, optogenetic activation of this IL-CeLC pathway decreased c-Fos expression in CeLC and ameliorated mechanical and thermal pain in OIH. On the contrary, silencing this pathway by chemogenetics exacerbated OIH by activating the CeLC. Combined with the electrophysiology results, the enhanced synaptic transmission from IL to CeLC might be a cortical gain of IL to relieve OIH rather than a reason for OIH generation. Scaling up IL outputs to CeLC may be an effective neuromodulation strategy to treat OIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ling Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi-Xi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Liu
- The Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen-Hong Li
- The Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, China
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29
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Ng K, Pollock M, Escobedo A, Bachman B, Miyazaki N, Bartlett EL, Sangha S. Suppressing fear in the presence of a safety cue requires infralimbic cortical signaling to central amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:359-367. [PMID: 37188848 PMCID: PMC10724163 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01598-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressful events can have lasting and impactful effects on behavior, especially by disrupting normal regulation of fear and reward processing. Accurate discrimination among environmental cues predicting threat, safety or reward adaptively guides behavior. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represents a condition in which maladaptive fear persists in response to explicit safety-predictive cues that coincide with previously learned threat cues, but without threat being present. Since both the infralimbic cortex (IL) and amygdala have each been shown to be important for fear regulation to safety cues, we tested the necessity of specific IL projections to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or central amygdala (CeA) during safety recall. Male Long Evans rats were used since prior work showed female Long Evans rats did not acquire the safety discrimination task used in this study. Here, we show the infralimbic projection to the central amygdala was necessary for suppressing fear cue-induced freezing in the presence of a learned safety cue, and the projection to the basolateral amygdala was not. The loss of discriminative fear regulation seen specifically during IL->CeA inhibition is similar to the behavioral disruption seen in PTSD individuals that fail to regulate fear in the presence of a safety cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Ng
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Michael Pollock
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Abraham Escobedo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Brent Bachman
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nanami Miyazaki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Edward L Bartlett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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30
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Martin-Fernandez M, Menegolla AP, Lopez-Fernandez G, Winke N, Jercog D, Kim HR, Girard D, Dejean C, Herry C. Prefrontal circuits encode both general danger and specific threat representations. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2147-2157. [PMID: 37904042 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01472-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral adaptation to potential threats requires both a global representation of danger to prepare the organism to react in a timely manner but also the identification of specific threatening situations to select the appropriate behavioral responses. The prefrontal cortex is known to control threat-related behaviors, yet it is unknown whether it encodes global defensive states and/or the identity of specific threatening encounters. Using a new behavioral paradigm that exposes mice to different threatening situations, we show that the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) encodes a general representation of danger while simultaneously encoding a specific neuronal representation of each threat. Importantly, the global representation of danger persisted in error trials that instead lacked specific threat identity representations. Consistently, optogenetic prefrontal inhibition impaired overall behavioral performance and discrimination of different threatening situations without any bias toward active or passive behaviors. Together, these data indicate that the prefrontal cortex encodes both a global representation of danger and specific representations of threat identity to control the selection of defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Martin-Fernandez
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France.
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Ana Paula Menegolla
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Guillem Lopez-Fernandez
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nanci Winke
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Daniel Jercog
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ha-Rang Kim
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Delphine Girard
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cyril Dejean
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cyril Herry
- Université de Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France.
- INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux, France.
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31
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Hochgerner H, Singh S, Tibi M, Lin Z, Skarbianskis N, Admati I, Ophir O, Reinhardt N, Netser S, Wagner S, Zeisel A. Neuronal types in the mouse amygdala and their transcriptional response to fear conditioning. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2237-2249. [PMID: 37884748 PMCID: PMC10689239 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01469-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a brain region primarily associated with emotional response. The use of genetic markers and single-cell transcriptomics can provide insights into behavior-associated cell state changes. Here we present a detailed cell-type taxonomy of the adult mouse amygdala during fear learning and memory consolidation. We perform single-cell RNA sequencing on naïve and fear-conditioned mice, identify 130 neuronal cell types and validate their spatial distributions. A subset of all neuronal types is transcriptionally responsive to fear learning and memory retrieval. The activated engram cells upregulate activity-response genes and coordinate the expression of genes associated with neurite outgrowth, synaptic signaling, plasticity and development. We identify known and previously undescribed candidate genes responsive to fear learning. Our molecular atlas may be used to generate hypotheses to unveil the neuron types and neural circuits regulating the emotional component of learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Hochgerner
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shelly Singh
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Muhammad Tibi
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zhige Lin
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Niv Skarbianskis
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Inbal Admati
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Osnat Ophir
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nuphar Reinhardt
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shai Netser
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Shlomo Wagner
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Amit Zeisel
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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32
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Althammer F, Roy RK, Kirchner MK, Lira EC, Schimmer S, Charlet A, Grinevich V, Stern JE. Impaired oxytocin signaling in the central amygdala in rats with chronic heart failure. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.22.568271. [PMID: 38045233 PMCID: PMC10690294 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.22.568271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Aims Heart failure (HF) patients often suffer from cognitive decline, depression, and mood impairments, but the molecular signals and brain circuits underlying these effects remain elusive. The hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) is critically involved in the regulation of mood, and OTergic signaling in the central amygdala (CeA) is a key mechanism controlling emotional responses including anxiety-like behaviors. Based on this, we used in this study a well-established ischemic rat HF model and aimed to study alterations in the hypothalamus-to-CeA OTergic circuit. Methods and Results To study potential HF-induced changes in the hypothalamus-to-CeA OTertic circuit, we combined patch-clamp electrophysiology, immunohistochemical analysis, RNAScope assessment of OTR mRNA, brain region-specific stereotaxic injections of viral vectors and retrograde tracing, optogenetic stimulation and OT biosensors in the ischemic HF model. We found that most of OTergic innervation of the central amygdala (CeA) originated from the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON). While no differences in the numbers of SON→CeA OTertic neurons (or their OT content) was observed between sham and HF rats, we did observe a blunted content and release of OT from axonal terminals within the CeA. Moreover, we report downregulation of neuronal and astrocytic OT receptors, and impaired OTR-driven GABAergic synaptic activity within the CeA microcircuit of rats with HF. Conclusions Our study provides first evidence that HF rats display various perturbations in the hypothalamus-to-amygdala OTergic circuit, and lays the foundation for future translational studies targeting either the OT system or GABAergic amygdala GABA microcircuit to ameliorate depression or mood impairments in rats or patients with chronic HF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Althammer
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Institute of Human Genetics, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg
| | - Ranjan K. Roy
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Matthew K. Kirchner
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elba Campos Lira
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Stephanie Schimmer
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neuroscience, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Department of Neuropeptide Research in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Javier E. Stern
- Center for Neuroinflammation and Cardiometabolic Diseases, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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33
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Crofton EJ, O'Buckley TK, Bohnsack JP, Morrow AL, Herman MA. Divergent Population-Specific Effects of Chronic Ethanol Exposure on Excitability and Inhibitory Transmission in Male and Female Rat Central Amygdala. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7056-7068. [PMID: 37657933 PMCID: PMC10586533 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0717-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and AUD-associated plasticity. The CeA is a primarily GABAergic nucleus that is subdivided into lateral and medial compartments with genetically diverse subpopulations. GABAA receptors are heteromeric pentamers with subunits conferring distinct physiological characteristics. GABAA receptor signaling in the CeA has been implicated in ethanol-associated plasticity; however, population-specific changes in inhibitory signaling and subunit expression remain unclear. Here, we combined electrophysiology with single-cell gene expression analysis of population markers and GABAA receptor subunits to examine population-specific changes in inhibitory control in male and female rats following chronic ethanol exposure. We found that chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal produced global changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression at the transcript and protein levels, increased excitability in female CeA neurons, and increased inhibitory synaptic transmission in male CeA neurons. When we examined CeA neurons at the single-cell level we found heterogenous populations, as previously reported. We observed ethanol-induced increases in excitability only in somatostatin neurons in the CeA of females, decreases in excitability only in the protein kinase C delta (PKCd) population in males, and ethanol-induced increases in inhibitory transmission in male PKCd and calbindin 2-expressing CeA neurons. There were no population-specific differences in GABAA receptor (Gabr) subunits in males but reduced GabrA5 expression in female somatostatin neurons. Collectively, these findings suggest that defined CeA populations display differential ethanol sensitivity in males and females, which may play a role in sex differences in vulnerability to AUD or expression of AUD pathology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The CeA is involved in the effects of ethanol in the brain; however, the population-specific changes in CeA activity remain unclear. We used recordings of CeA neuronal activity and single-cell gene expression to examine population-specific changes in inhibitory control in male and female rats following chronic ethanol exposure and found sex- and population-specific effects of chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal. Specifically, female CeA neurons displayed increased excitability in the somatostatin CeA population, whereas male CeA neurons displayed increased inhibitory control in both PKCd and calbindin populations and decreased excitability in the PKCd population. These findings identify CeA populations that display differential sensitivity to ethanol exposure, which may contribute to sex differences in vulnerability to alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Crofton
- Departments of Psychiatry
- Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Todd K O'Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - John P Bohnsack
- Departments of Psychiatry
- Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - A Leslie Morrow
- Departments of Psychiatry
- Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Melissa A Herman
- Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
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34
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Roland AV, Harry Chao TH, Hon OJ, Machinski SN, Sides TR, Lee SI, Ian Shih YY, Kash TL. Acute and chronic alcohol modulation of extended amygdala calcium dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.10.561741. [PMID: 37873188 PMCID: PMC10592781 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.561741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are reciprocally connected nodes of the extended amygdala thought to play an important role in alcohol consumption. Studies of immediate-early genes indicate that BNST and CeA are acutely activated following alcohol drinking and may signal alcohol reward in nondependent drinkers, while increased stress signaling in the extended amygdala following chronic alcohol exposure drives increased drinking via negative reinforcement. However, the temporal dynamics of neuronal activation in these regions during drinking behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we used fiber photometry and the genetically encoded calcium sensor GCaMP6s to assess acute changes in neuronal activity during alcohol consumption in BNST and CeA before and after a chronic drinking paradigm. Activity was examined in the pan-neuronal population and separately in dynorphinergic neurons. BNST and CeA showed increased pan-neuronal activity during acute consumption of alcohol and other fluid tastants of positive and negative valence, as well as highly palatable chow. Responses were greatest during initial consummatory bouts and decreased in amplitude with repeated consumption of the same tastant, suggesting modulation by stimulus novelty. Dynorphin neurons showed similar consumption-associated calcium increases in both regions. Following three weeks of continuous alcohol access (CA), calcium increases in dynorphin neurons during drinking were maintained, but pan-neuronal activity and BNST-CeA coherence were altered in a sex-specific manner. These results indicate that BNST and CeA, and dynorphin neurons specifically, are engaged during drinking behavior, and activity dynamics are influenced by stimulus novelty and chronic alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison V Roland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olivia J Hon
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samantha N Machinski
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tori R Sides
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sophia I Lee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Jiang SZ, Zhang HY, Eiden LE. PACAP Controls Endocrine and Behavioral Stress Responses via Separate Brain Circuits. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:673-685. [PMID: 37881538 PMCID: PMC10593940 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The neuropeptide PACAP (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) is a master regulator of central and peripheral stress responses, yet it is not clear how PACAP projections throughout the brain execute endocrine and behavioral stress responses. Methods We used AAV (adeno-associated virus) neuronal tracing, an acute restraint stress (ARS) paradigm, and intersectional genetics, in C57BL/6 mice, to identify PACAP-containing circuits controlling stress-induced behavior and endocrine activation. Results PACAP deletion from forebrain excitatory neurons, including a projection directly from medial prefrontal cortex to hypothalamus, impairs c-fos activation and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) messenger RNA elevation in the paraventricular nucleus after 2 hours of restraint, without affecting ARS-induced hypophagia, or c-fos elevation in nonhypothalamic brain. Elimination of PACAP within projections from lateral parabrachial nucleus to extended amygdala, on the other hand, attenuates ARS-induced hypophagia, along with extended amygdala fos induction, without affecting ARS-induced CRH messenger RNA elevation in the paraventricular nucleus. PACAP projections to extended amygdala terminate at protein kinase C delta type (PKCδ) neurons in both the central amygdala and the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Silencing of PKCδ neurons in the central amygdala, but not in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, attenuates ARS-induced hypophagia. Experiments were carried out in mice of both sexes with n ≥ 3 per group. Conclusions A frontocortical descending PACAP projection controls paraventricular nucleus CRH messenger RNA production to maintain hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation and regulate the endocrine response to stress. An ascending PACAPergic projection from the external lateral parabrachial nucleus to PKCδ neurons in the central amygdala regulates behavioral responses to stress. Defining two separate limbs of the acute stress response provides broader insight into the specific brain circuitry engaged by the psychogenic stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunny Zhihong Jiang
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Hai-Ying Zhang
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lee E. Eiden
- Section on Molecular Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, Maryland
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Sun Y, Qian L, Xu L, Hunt S, Sah P. Somatostatin neurons in the central amygdala mediate anxiety by disinhibition of the central sublenticular extended amygdala. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4163-4174. [PMID: 33005027 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety are two defensive emotional states evoked by threats in the environment. Fear can be initiated by either imminent or future threats, but experimentally, it is typically studied as a phasic response initiated by imminent danger that subsides when the threats is removed. In contrast, anxiety is a sustained response, initiated by imagined or potential threats. The central amygdala (CeA) is a key structure active during both fear and anxiety but thought to engage different neural systems. Fear responses are triggered by activation of somatostatin (SOM) expressing neurons in the lateral division of the CeA (CeL), and downstream projections from the medial division. Anxiety responses engage the central extended amygdala that includes the CeA, central sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEAc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, but the nature of connections between these regions is not understood. Here using a combination of tract tracing, electrophysiology, and behavioral analysis in mice, we show that a population of SOM+ neurons in the CeL project to the SLEAc where they inhibit local GABAergic interneurons. Optogenetic activation of this input to the SLEAc has no effect on movement, but is anxiogenic in both open field and elevated plus maze. Our results define the inhibitory connections between CeL and SLEAc and establish a specific CeL to SLEAc projection as a circuit element in mediating anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajie Sun
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lei Qian
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Li Xu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah Hunt
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- Brain Research Centre and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, PR China.
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Salimando GJ, Tremblay S, Kimmey BA, Li J, Rogers SA, Wojick JA, McCall NM, Wooldridge LM, Rodrigues A, Borner T, Gardiner KL, Jayakar SS, Singeç I, Woolf CJ, Hayes MR, De Jonghe BC, Bennett FC, Bennett ML, Blendy JA, Platt ML, Creasy KT, Renthal WR, Ramakrishnan C, Deisseroth K, Corder G. Human OPRM1 and murine Oprm1 promoter driven viral constructs for genetic access to μ-opioidergic cell types. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5632. [PMID: 37704594 PMCID: PMC10499891 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
With concurrent global epidemics of chronic pain and opioid use disorders, there is a critical need to identify, target and manipulate specific cell populations expressing the mu-opioid receptor (MOR). However, available tools and transgenic models for gaining long-term genetic access to MOR+ neural cell types and circuits involved in modulating pain, analgesia and addiction across species are limited. To address this, we developed a catalog of MOR promoter (MORp) based constructs packaged into adeno-associated viral vectors that drive transgene expression in MOR+ cells. MORp constructs designed from promoter regions upstream of the mouse Oprm1 gene (mMORp) were validated for transduction efficiency and selectivity in endogenous MOR+ neurons in the brain, spinal cord, and periphery of mice, with additional studies revealing robust expression in rats, shrews, and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived nociceptors. The use of mMORp for in vivo fiber photometry, behavioral chemogenetics, and intersectional genetic strategies is also demonstrated. Lastly, a human designed MORp (hMORp) efficiently transduced macaque cortical OPRM1+ cells. Together, our MORp toolkit provides researchers cell type specific genetic access to target and functionally manipulate mu-opioidergic neurons across a range of vertebrate species and translational models for pain, addiction, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Salimando
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sébastien Tremblay
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Blake A Kimmey
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jia Li
- Dept. of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophie A Rogers
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jessica A Wojick
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nora M McCall
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa M Wooldridge
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Amrith Rodrigues
- Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Tito Borner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kristin L Gardiner
- Dept. of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Selwyn S Jayakar
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ilyas Singeç
- Stem Cell Translation Laboratory, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew R Hayes
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Bart C De Jonghe
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - F Christian Bennett
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Neurology, Dept. of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mariko L Bennett
- Division of Neurology, Dept. of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julie A Blendy
- Dept. of Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kate Townsend Creasy
- Translational Medicine and Human Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - William R Renthal
- Dept. of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Karl Deisseroth
- CNC Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Dept. of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Gregory Corder
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Zhu Y, Xie SZ, Peng AB, Yu XD, Li CY, Fu JY, Shen CJ, Cao SX, Zhang Y, Chen J, Li XM. Distinct Circuits From the Central Lateral Amygdala to the Ventral Part of the Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis Regulate Different Fear Memory. Biol Psychiatry 2023:S0006-3223(23)01553-6. [PMID: 37678543 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to differentiate stimuli that predict fear is critical for survival; however, the underlying molecular and circuit mechanisms remain poorly understood. METHODS We combined transgenic mice, in vivo transsynaptic circuit-dissecting anatomical approaches, optogenetics, pharmacological methods, and electrophysiological recording to investigate the involvement of specific extended amygdala circuits in different fear memory. RESULTS We identified the projections from central lateral amygdala (CeL) protein kinase C δ (PKCδ)-positive neurons and somatostatin (SST)-positive neurons to GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral part of the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (vBNST). Prolonged optogenetic activation or inhibition of the PKCδCeL-vBNST pathway specifically reduced context fear memory, whereas the SSTCeL-vBNST pathway mainly reduced tone fear memory. Intriguingly, optogenetic manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from PKCδCeL neurons exerted bidirectional regulation of context fear, whereas manipulation of vBNST neurons that received the projection from SSTCeL neurons could bidirectionally regulate both context and tone fear memory. We subsequently demonstrated the presence of δ and κ opioid receptor protein expression within the CeL-vBNST circuits, potentially accounting for the discrepancy between prolonged activation of GABAergic circuits and inhibition of downstream vBNST neurons. Finally, administration of an opioid receptor antagonist cocktail on the PKCδCeL-vBNST or SSTCeL-vBNST pathway successfully restored context or tone fear memory reduction induced by prolonged activation of the circuits. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings establish a functional role for distinct CeL-vBNST circuits in the differential regulation and appropriate maintenance of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shi-Ze Xie
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ai-Bing Peng
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Dan Yu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chun-Yue Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Yu Fu
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chen-Jie Shen
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shu-Xia Cao
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiadong Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Dorofeikova M, Stelly CE, Duong A, Basavanhalli S, Bean E, Weissmuller K, Sifnugel N, Resendez A, Corey DM, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. The Role of Genetically Distinct Central Amygdala Neurons in Appetitive and Aversive Responding Assayed with a Novel Dual Valence Operant Conditioning Paradigm. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0319-22.2023. [PMID: 37640541 PMCID: PMC10488222 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0319-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
To survive, animals must meet their biological needs while simultaneously avoiding danger. However, the neurobiological basis of appetitive and aversive survival behaviors has historically been studied using separate behavioral tasks. While recent studies in mice have quantified appetitive and aversive conditioned responses simultaneously (Jikomes et al., 2016; Heinz et al., 2017), these tasks required different behavioral responses to each stimulus. As many brain regions involved in survival behavior process stimuli of opposite valence, we developed a paradigm in which mice perform the same response (nose poke) to distinct auditory cues to obtain a rewarding outcome (palatable food) or avoid an aversive outcome (mild footshoock). This design allows for both within-subject and between-subject comparisons as animals respond to appetitive and aversive cues. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in the regulation of responses to stimuli of either valence. Considering its role in threat processing (Wilensky et al., 2006; Haubensak et al., 2010) and regulation of incentive salience (Warlow and Berridge, 2021), it is important to examine the contribution of the CeA to mechanisms potentially underlying comorbid dysregulation of avoidance and reward (Sinha, 2008; Bolton et al., 2009). Using this paradigm, we tested the role of two molecularly defined CeA subtypes previously linked to consummatory and defensive behaviors. Significant strain differences in the acquisition and performance of the task were observed. Bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of CeA somatostatin (SOM) neurons altered motivation for reward and perseveration of reward-seeking responses on avoidance trials. Manipulation of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons (CRF) had no significant effect on food reward consumption, motivation, or task performance. This paradigm will facilitate investigations into the neuronal mechanisms controlling motivated behavior across valences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Anh Duong
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | | | - Erin Bean
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | | | - Natalia Sifnugel
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - David M Corey
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118
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40
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Penzo MA, Moscarello JM. From aversive associations to defensive programs: experience-dependent synaptic modifications in the central amygdala. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:701-711. [PMID: 37495461 PMCID: PMC10529247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity elicited by fear conditioning (FC) is thought to support the storage of aversive associative memories. Although work over the past decade has revealed FC-induced plasticity beyond canonical sites in the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), it is not known whether modifications across distributed circuits make equivalent or distinct contributions to aversive memory. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has a circumscribed role in memory expression per se, guiding the selection of defensive programs in response to acquired threats. We argue that the CeA may be a key example of a broader phenomenon by which synaptic plasticity at specific nodes of a distributed network makes a complementary contribution to distinct memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Justin M Moscarello
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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41
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Seiglie MP, Lepeak L, Miracle S, Cottone P, Sabino V. Stimulation of lateral parabrachial (LPB) to central amygdala (CeA) pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) neurons induces anxiety-like behavior and mechanical allodynia. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 230:173605. [PMID: 37499765 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, and they are highly comorbid with chronic pain conditions. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is known not only for its role in the regulation of anxiety but also as an important site for the negative affective dimension of pain. Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP), a neuropeptide whose terminals are abundant in the CeA, is strongly implicated in the stress response as well as in pain processing. Here, using Cre-dependent viral vectors, we explored in greater detail the role of the PACAP projection to the CeA that originates in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB). METHODS We first performed a circuit mapping experiment by injecting an anterograde Cre-dependent virus expressing a fluorescent reporter in the LPB of PACAP-Cre mice and observing their projections. Then, we used a chemogenetic approach (a Cre-dependent Designer Receptors Activated by Designer Drugs, DREADDs) to assess the effects of the direct stimulation of the PACAP LPB to CeA projection on general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior (using a defensive withdrawal test), and mechanical pain sensitivity (using the von Frey test). RESULTS We found that the CeA, together with other areas, is one of the major downstream projection targets of PACAP neurons originating in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB). In the DREADD experiment, we then found that the selective activation of this neuronal pathway is sufficient to increase both anxiety-like behavior and mechanical pain sensitivity in mice, without affecting general locomotor activity. CONCLUSION In conclusion, our data suggest that the dysregulation of this circuit may contribute to a variety of anxiety disorders and chronic pain states, and that PACAP may represent an important therapeutic target for the treatment of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariel P Seiglie
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauren Lepeak
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sophia Miracle
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pietro Cottone
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valentina Sabino
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Fraigne JJ, Luppi PH, Mahoney CE, De Luca R, Shiromani PJ, Weber F, Adamantidis A, Peever J. Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area modulate rapid eye movement sleep. Sleep 2023; 46:zsad024. [PMID: 36775897 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy J Fraigne
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Pierre H Luppi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM, and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Carrie E Mahoney
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roberto De Luca
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priyattam J Shiromani
- Laboratory of Sleep Medicine and Chronobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Franz Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Antoine Adamantidis
- Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Research, Centre for Experimental Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - John Peever
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Grogans SE, Bliss-Moreau E, Buss KA, Clark LA, Fox AS, Keltner D, Cowen AS, Kim JJ, Kragel PA, MacLeod C, Mobbs D, Naragon-Gainey K, Fullana MA, Shackman AJ. The nature and neurobiology of fear and anxiety: State of the science and opportunities for accelerating discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105237. [PMID: 37209932 PMCID: PMC10330657 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Fear and anxiety play a central role in mammalian life, and there is considerable interest in clarifying their nature, identifying their biological underpinnings, and determining their consequences for health and disease. Here we provide a roundtable discussion on the nature and biological bases of fear- and anxiety-related states, traits, and disorders. The discussants include scientists familiar with a wide variety of populations and a broad spectrum of techniques. The goal of the roundtable was to take stock of the state of the science and provide a roadmap to the next generation of fear and anxiety research. Much of the discussion centered on the key challenges facing the field, the most fruitful avenues for future research, and emerging opportunities for accelerating discovery, with implications for scientists, funders, and other stakeholders. Understanding fear and anxiety is a matter of practical importance. Anxiety disorders are a leading burden on public health and existing treatments are far from curative, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the factors governing threat-related emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E Grogans
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kristin A Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Lee Anna Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Dacher Keltner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Jeansok J Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Colin MacLeod
- Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Dean Mobbs
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA; Computation and Neural Systems Program, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Kristin Naragon-Gainey
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Miquel A Fullana
- Adult Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain; Imaging of Mood, and Anxiety-Related Disorders Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, CIBERSAM, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexander J Shackman
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Maryland Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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44
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Dorofeikova M, Stelly CE, Duong A, Basavanhalli S, Bean E, Weissmuller K, Sifnugel N, Resendez A, Corey DM, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. The role of genetically distinct central amygdala neurons in appetitive and aversive responding assayed with a novel dual valence operant conditioning paradigm. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.07.547979. [PMID: 37461627 PMCID: PMC10350072 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.07.547979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
To survive, animals must meet their biological needs while simultaneously avoiding danger. However, the neurobiological basis of appetitive and aversive survival behaviors has historically been studied using separate behavioral tasks. While recent studies in mice have quantified appetitive and aversive conditioned responses simultaneously (Heinz et al., 2017; Jikomes et al., 2016), these tasks required different behavioral responses to each stimulus. As many brain regions involved in survival behavior process stimuli of opposite valence, we developed a paradigm in which mice perform the same response (nosepoke) to distinct auditory cues to obtain a rewarding outcome (palatable food) or avoid an aversive outcome (mild footshoock). This design allows for both within- and between-subject comparisons as animals respond to appetitive and aversive cues. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is implicated in the regulation of responses to stimuli of either valence. Considering its role in threat processing (Haubensak et al., 2010; Wilensky et al., 2006) and regulation of incentive salience (Warlow and Berridge, 2021), it is important to examine the contribution of the CeA to mechanisms potentially underlying comorbid dysregulation of avoidance and reward (Bolton et al., 2009; Sinha, 2008). Using this paradigm, we tested the role of two molecularly defined CeA subtypes previously linked to consummatory and defensive behaviors. Significant strain differences in the acquisition and performance of the task were observed. Bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation of CeA somatostatin (SOM) neurons altered motivation for reward and perseveration of reward-seeking responses on avoidance trials. Manipulation of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons (CRF) had no significant effect on food reward consumption, motivation, or task performance. This paradigm will facilitate investigations into the neuronal mechanisms controlling motivated behavior across valences. Significance Statement It is unclear how different neuronal populations contribute to reward- and aversion-driven behaviors within a subject. To address this question, we developed a novel behavioral paradigm in which mice obtain food and avoid footshocks via the same operant response. We then use this paradigm to test how the central amygdala coordinates appetitive and aversive behavioral responses. By testing somatostatin-IRES-Cre and CRF-IRES-Cre transgenic lines, we found significant differences between strains on task acquisition and performance. Using chemogenetics, we demonstrate that CeA SOM+ neurons regulate motivation for reward, while manipulation of CeA CRF+ neurons had no effect on task performance. Future studies investigating the interaction between positive and negative motivation circuits should benefit from the use of this dual valence paradigm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariia Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Claire E. Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Anh Duong
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Erin Bean
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Natalia Sifnugel
- Program in Neuroscience, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - David M. Corey
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jeffrey G. Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | - Jonathan P. Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
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45
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Wilfur SM, McNeely EC, Lackan AA, Bowers CP, Leong KC. Oxytocin Attenuates Yohimbine-Induced Reinstatement of Alcohol-Seeking in Female Rats via the Central Amygdala. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:556. [PMID: 37504003 PMCID: PMC10376410 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a significant public health concern, further exacerbated by an increased risk of relapse due to stress. In addition, factors such as biological sex may contribute to the progression of addiction, as females are especially susceptible to stress-induced relapse. While there have been many studies surrounding potential pharmacological interventions for male stress-induced ethanol reinstatement, research regarding females is scarce. Recently, the neuropeptide oxytocin has gained interest as a possible pharmacological intervention for relapse. The present study examines how oxytocin affects yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking in female rats using a self-administration paradigm. Adult female rats were trained to press a lever to access ethanol in daily self-administration sessions. Rats then underwent extinction training before a yohimbine-induced reinstatement test. Rats administered with yohimbine demonstrated significantly higher lever response indicating a reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior. Oxytocin administration, both systemically and directly into the central amygdala, attenuated the effect of yohimbine-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior. The findings from this study establish that oxytocin is effective at attenuating alcohol-relapse behavior mediated by the pharmacological stressor yohimbine and that this effect is modulated by the central amygdala in females. This provides valuable insight regarding oxytocin's potential therapeutic effect in female stress-induced alcohol relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Wilfur
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | | | - Aliya A Lackan
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Cassie P Bowers
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
| | - Kah-Chung Leong
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
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46
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Takemoto M, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Song WJ. Dissection of insular cortex layer 5 reveals two sublayers with opposing modulatory roles in appetitive drinking behavior. iScience 2023; 26:106985. [PMID: 37378339 PMCID: PMC10291511 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The insular cortex (insula) is known to play a modulatory role in feeding and drinking. Previous studies have revealed anterior-posterior differences of subcortical projections and roles for the insula, yet the anatomical and functional heterogeneity among the cortical layers remains poorly understood. Here, we show that layer 5 of the mouse dysgranular insula has two distinct neuronal subpopulations along the entire anterior-posterior axis: The L5a population, expressing NECAB1, projects bilaterally to the lateral and capsular divisions of the central amygdala, and the L5b population, expressing CTIP2, projects ipsilaterally to the parasubthalamic nucleus and the medial division of the central amygdala. Optogenetically activating L5a and L5b neuronal populations in thirsty male mice led to suppressed and facilitated water spout licking, respectively, without avoidance against or preference for the spout paired with the opto-stimulation. Our results suggest sublayer-specific bidirectional modulatory roles of insula layer 5 in the motivational aspect of appetitive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Takemoto
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Wen-Jie Song
- Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
- Center for Metabolic Regulation of Healthy Aging, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan
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47
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Neugebauer V, Presto P, Yakhnitsa V, Antenucci N, Mendoza B, Ji G. Pain-related cortico-limbic plasticity and opioid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109510. [PMID: 36944393 PMCID: PMC10585936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in cortico-limbic circuits has been implicated in pain persistence and pain modulation in clinical and preclinical studies. The amygdala has emerged as a key player in the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Reciprocal interactions with medial prefrontal cortical regions undergo changes in pain conditions. Other limbic and paralimbic regions have been implicated in pain modulation as well. The cortico-limbic system is rich in opioids and opioid receptors. Preclinical evidence for their pain modulatory effects in different regions of this highly interactive system, potentially opposing functions of different opioid receptors, and knowledge gaps will be described here. There is little information about cell type- and circuit-specific functions of opioid receptor subtypes related to pain processing and pain-related plasticity in the cortico-limbic system. The important role of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala in MOR-dependent analgesia is most well-established, and MOR actions in the mesolimbic system appear to be similar but remain to be determined in mPFC regions other than ACC. Evidence also suggests that KOR signaling generally serves opposing functions whereas DOR signaling in the ACC has similar, if not synergistic effects, to MOR. A unifying picture of pain-related neuronal mechanisms of opioid signaling in different elements of the cortico-limbic circuitry has yet to emerge. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nico Antenucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brianna Mendoza
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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48
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Boyle CA, Lei S. Neuromedin B excites central lateral amygdala neurons and reduces cardiovascular output and fear-potentiated startle. J Cell Physiol 2023; 238:1381-1404. [PMID: 37186390 PMCID: PMC10330072 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.31020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Neuromedin B (NMB) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) are the two mammalian analogs in the bombesin peptide family that exert a variety of actions including emotional processing, appetitive behaviors, cognition, and tumor growth. The bombesin-like peptides interact with three receptors: the NMB-preferring bombesin 1 (BB1) receptors, the GRP-preferring bombesin 2 (BB2) receptors and the orphan bombesin 3 (BB3) receptors. Whereas, injection of bombesin into the central amygdala reduces satiety and modulates blood pressure, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms have not been determined. As administration of bombesin induces the expression of Fos in the lateral nucleus of the central amygdala (CeL) which expresses BB1 receptors, we probed the effects of NMB on CeL neurons using in vitro and in vivo approaches. We showed that activation of the BB1 receptors increased action potential firing frequency recorded from CeL neurons via inhibition of the inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels. Activities of phospholipase Cβ and protein kinase C were required, whereas intracellular Ca2+ release was unnecessary for BB1 receptor-elicited potentiation of neuronal excitability. Application of NMB directly into the CeA reduced blood pressure and heart rate and significantly reduced fear-potentiated startle. We may provide a cellular and molecular mechanism whereby bombesin-like peptides modulate anxiety and fear responses in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A. Boyle
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Saobo Lei
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
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49
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Williford KM, Taylor A, Melchior JR, Yoon HJ, Sale E, Negasi MD, Adank DN, Brown JA, Bedenbaugh MN, Luchsinger JR, Centanni SW, Patel S, Calipari ES, Simerly RB, Winder DG. BNST PKCδ neurons are activated by specific aversive conditions to promote anxiety-like behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1031-1041. [PMID: 36941364 PMCID: PMC10209190 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01569-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2023]
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical mediator of stress responses and anxiety-like behaviors. Neurons expressing protein kinase C delta (BNSTPKCδ) are an abundant but understudied subpopulation implicated in inhibiting feeding, but which have conflicting reports about their role in anxiety-like behaviors. We have previously shown that expression of PKCδ is dynamically regulated by stress and that BNSTPKCδ cells are recruited during bouts of active stress coping. Here, we first show that in vivo activation of this population is mildly aversive. This aversion was insensitive to prior restraint stress exposure. Further investigation revealed that unlike other BNST subpopulations, BNSTPKCδ cells do not exhibit increased cfos expression following restraint stress. Ex vivo current clamp recordings also indicate they are resistant to firing. To elucidate their afferent control, we next used rabies tracing with whole-brain imaging and channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping, finding that BNSTPKCδ cells receive abundant input from affective, arousal, and sensory regions including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) paraventricular thalamus (PVT) and central amygdala PKCδ-expressing cells (CeAPKCδ). Given these findings, we used in vivo optogenetics and fiber photometry to further examine BNSTPKCδ cells in the context of stress and anxiety-like behavior. We found that BNSTPKCδ cell activity is associated with increased anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, increases following footshock, and unlike other BNST subpopulations, does not desensitize to repeated stress exposure. Taken together, we propose a model in which BNSTPKCδ cells may serve as threat detectors, integrating exteroceptive and interoceptive information to inform stress coping behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie M Williford
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Anne Taylor
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - James R Melchior
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eryn Sale
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Milen D Negasi
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danielle N Adank
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jordan A Brown
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Michelle N Bedenbaugh
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Joseph R Luchsinger
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Samuel W Centanni
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Richard B Simerly
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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50
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Peters C, He S, Fermani F, Lim H, Ding W, Mayer C, Klein R. Transcriptomics reveals amygdala neuron regulation by fasting and ghrelin thereby promoting feeding. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6521. [PMID: 37224253 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) consists of numerous genetically defined inhibitory neurons that control defensive and appetitive behaviors including feeding. Transcriptomic signatures of cell types and their links to function remain poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we describe nine CeA cell clusters, of which four are mostly associated with appetitive and two with aversive behaviors. To analyze the activation mechanism of appetitive CeA neurons, we characterized serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a)-expressing neurons (CeAHtr2a) that comprise three appetitive clusters and were previously shown to promote feeding. In vivo calcium imaging revealed that CeAHtr2a neurons are activated by fasting, the hormone ghrelin, and the presence of food. Moreover, these neurons are required for the orexigenic effects of ghrelin. Appetitive CeA neurons responsive to fasting and ghrelin project to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) causing inhibition of target PBN neurons. These results illustrate how the transcriptomic diversification of CeA neurons relates to fasting and hormone-regulated feeding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Peters
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Songwei He
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Federica Fermani
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Hansol Lim
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Wenyu Ding
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christian Mayer
- Laboratory of Neurogenomics, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Klein
- Department of Molecules-Signaling-Development, Max-Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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