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Hou G, Hao M, Duan J, Han MH. The Formation and Function of the VTA Dopamine System. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3875. [PMID: 38612683 PMCID: PMC11011984 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073875] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The midbrain dopamine system is a sophisticated hub that integrates diverse inputs to control multiple physiological functions, including locomotion, motivation, cognition, reward, as well as maternal and reproductive behaviors. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that binds to G-protein-coupled receptors. Dopamine also works together with other neurotransmitters and various neuropeptides to maintain the balance of synaptic functions. The dysfunction of the dopamine system leads to several conditions, including Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, major depression, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has been identified as an important relay nucleus that modulates homeostatic plasticity in the midbrain dopamine system. Due to the complexity of synaptic transmissions and input-output connections in the VTA, the structure and function of this crucial brain region are still not fully understood. In this review article, we mainly focus on the cell types, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, ion channels, receptors, and neural circuits of the VTA dopamine system, with the hope of obtaining new insight into the formation and function of this vital brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqiang Hou
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China (M.H.); (J.D.)
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mei Hao
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China (M.H.); (J.D.)
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiawen Duan
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China (M.H.); (J.D.)
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China (M.H.); (J.D.)
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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2
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Kelly EA, Love TM, Fudge JL. Corticotropin-releasing factor-dopamine interactions in male and female macaque: Beyond the classic VTA. Synapse 2024; 78:e22284. [PMID: 37996987 PMCID: PMC10842953 DOI: 10.1002/syn.22284] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is involved in stress and stress-related illnesses, including many psychiatric disorders. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a role in stress responses and targets the ventral midbrain DA system, which is composed of DA and non-DA cells, and divided into specific subregions. Although CRF inputs to the midline A10 nuclei ("classic VTA") are known, in monkeys, CRF-containing terminals are also highly enriched in the expanded A10 parabrachial pigmented nucleus (PBP) and in the A8 retrorubral field subregions. We characterized CRF-labeled synaptic terminals on DA (tyrosine hydroxylase, TH+) and non-DA (TH-) cell types in the PBP and A8 regions using immunoreactive electron microscopy (EM) in male and female macaques. CRF labeling was present mostly in axon terminals, which mainly contacted TH-negative dendrites in both subregions. Most CRF-positive terminals had symmetric profiles. In both PBP and A8, CRF symmetric (putative inhibitory) synapses onto TH-negative dendrites were significantly greater than asymmetric (putative excitatory) profiles. This overall pattern was similar in males and females, despite shifts in the size of these effects between regions depending on sex. Because stress and gonadal hormone shifts can influence CRF expression, we also did hormonal assays over a 6-month time period and found little variability in basal cortisol across similarly housed animals at the same age. Together our findings suggest that at baseline, CRF-positive synaptic terminals in the primate PBP and A8 are poised to regulate DA indirectly through synaptic contacts onto non-DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Kelly
- Departments of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - T M Love
- Department of Biostatistics, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - J L Fudge
- Departments of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
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3
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Sleep Deprivation Induces Dopamine System Maladaptation and Escalated Corticotrophin-Releasing Factor Signaling in Adolescent Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3190-3209. [PMID: 36813955 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03258-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Sleep disruption is highly associated with the pathogenesis and progression of a wild range of psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, appreciable evidence shows that experimental sleep deprivation (SD) on humans and rodents evokes anomalies in the dopaminergic (DA) signaling, which are also implicated in the development of psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia or substance abuse. Since adolescence is a vital period for the maturation of the DA system as well as the occurrence of mental disorders, the present studies aimed to investigate the impacts of SD on the DA system of adolescent mice. We found that 72 h SD elicited a hyperdopaminergic status, with increased sensitivity to the novel environment and amphetamine (Amph) challenge. Also, altered neuronal activity and expression of striatal DA receptors were noticed in the SD mice. Moreover, 72 h SD influenced the immune status in the striatum, with reduced microglial phagocytic capacity, primed microglial activation, and neuroinflammation. The abnormal neuronal and microglial activity were putatively provoked by the enhanced corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling and sensitivity during the SD period. Together, our findings demonstrated the consequences of SD in adolescents including aberrant neuroendocrine, DA system, and inflammatory status. Sleep insufficiency is a risk factor for the aberration and neuropathology of psychiatric disorders.
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4
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Troyano-Rodriguez E, Blankenship HE, Handa K, Branch SY, Beckstead MJ. Preservation of dendritic D2 receptor transmission in substantia nigra dopamine neurons with age. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1025. [PMID: 36658269 PMCID: PMC9852430 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28174-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopamine neurons are required for voluntary movement and reward learning, and advanced age is associated with motor and cognitive decline. In the midbrain, D2-type dopamine receptors located at dendrodendritic synapses between dopamine neurons control cell firing through G protein-activated potassium (GIRK) channels. We previously showed that aging disrupts dopamine neuron pacemaker firing in mice, but only in males. Here we show that the amplitude of D2-receptor inhibitory postsynaptic currents (D2-IPSCs) are moderately reduced in aged male mice. Local application of dopamine revealed a reduction in the amplitude of the D2-receptor currents in old males compared to young, pointing to a postsynaptic mechanism. Further experiments indicated that reduced D2 receptor signaling was not due to a general reduction in GIRK channel currents or degeneration of the dendritic arbor. Kinetic analysis showed no differences in D2-IPSC shape in old versus young mice or between sexes. Potentiation of D2-IPSCs by corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) was also not affected by age, indicating preservation of one mechanism of plasticity. These findings have implications for understanding dopamine transmission in aging, and reduced D2 receptor inhibition could contribute to increased susceptibility of males to SNc dopamine neuron degeneration in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Troyano-Rodriguez
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Harris E Blankenship
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Kylie Handa
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Sarah Y Branch
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Michael J Beckstead
- Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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5
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Mantsch JR. Corticotropin releasing factor and drug seeking in substance use disorders: Preclinical evidence and translational limitations. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 4:100038. [PMID: 36531188 PMCID: PMC9757758 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptide, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), has been an enigmatic target for the development of medications aimed at treating stress-related disorders. Despite a large body of evidence from preclinical studies in rodents demonstrating that CRF receptor antagonists prevent stressor-induced drug seeking, medications targeting the CRF-R1 have failed in clinical trials. Here, we provide an overview of the abundant findings from preclinical rodent studies suggesting that CRF signaling is involved in stressor-induced relapse. The scientific literature that has defined the receptors, mechanisms and neurocircuits through which CRF contributes to stressor-induced reinstatement of drug seeking following self-administration and conditioned place preference in rodents is reviewed. Evidence that CRF signaling is recruited with repeated drug use in a manner that heightens susceptibility to stressor-induced drug seeking in rodents is presented. Factors that may determine the influence of CRF signaling in substance use disorders, including developmental windows, biological sex, and genetics are examined. Finally, we discuss the translational failure of medications targeting CRF signaling as interventions for substance use disorders and other stress-related conditions. We conclude that new perspectives and research directions are needed to unravel the mysterious role of CRF in substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Mantsch
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
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Requie LM, Gómez-Gonzalo M, Speggiorin M, Managò F, Melone M, Congiu M, Chiavegato A, Lia A, Zonta M, Losi G, Henriques VJ, Pugliese A, Pacinelli G, Marsicano G, Papaleo F, Muntoni AL, Conti F, Carmignoto G. Astrocytes mediate long-lasting synaptic regulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1639-1650. [PMID: 36396976 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The plasticity of glutamatergic transmission in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) represents a fundamental mechanism in the modulation of dopamine neuron burst firing and phasic dopamine release at target regions. These processes encode basic behavioral responses, including locomotor activity, learning and motivated behaviors. Here we describe a hitherto unidentified mechanism of long-term synaptic plasticity in mouse VTA. We found that the burst firing in individual dopamine neurons induces a long-lasting potentiation of excitatory synapses on adjacent dopamine neurons that crucially depends on Ca2+ elevations in astrocytes, mediated by endocannabinoid CB1 and dopamine D2 receptors co-localized at the same astrocytic process, and activation of pre-synaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors. Consistent with these findings, selective in vivo activation of astrocytes increases the burst firing of dopamine neurons in the VTA and induces locomotor hyperactivity. Astrocytes play, therefore, a key role in the modulation of VTA dopamine neuron functional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Maria Requie
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Marta Gómez-Gonzalo
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Michele Speggiorin
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Managò
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Marcello Melone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Mauro Congiu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Angela Chiavegato
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Annamaria Lia
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Micaela Zonta
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gabriele Losi
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Nanoscienze Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Modena, Italy
| | - Vanessa Jorge Henriques
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Arianna Pugliese
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giada Pacinelli
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marsicano
- University of Bordeaux and Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience (CNRS), Bordeaux, France
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genova, Italy
| | - Anna Lisa Muntoni
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Cagliari, National Research Council (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Conti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Section of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Università Politecnica delle Marche, and Center for Neurobiology of Aging, Ancona, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carmignoto
- Neuroscience Institute, Section of Padova, National Research Council (CNR) and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy.
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7
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Fudge JL, Kelly EA, Hackett TA. Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) Coexpression in GABAergic, Glutamatergic, and GABA/Glutamatergic Subpopulations in the Central Extended Amygdala and Ventral Pallidum of Young Male Primates. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8997-9010. [PMID: 36280261 PMCID: PMC9732834 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1453-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The central extended amygdala (CEA) and ventral pallidum (VP) are involved in diverse motivated behaviors based on rodent models. These structures are conserved, but expanded, in higher primates, including human. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), a canonical "stress molecule" associated with the CEA and VP circuitry across species, is dynamically regulated by stress and drugs of abuse and misuse. CRF's effects on circuits critically depend on its colocation with primary "fast" transmitters, making this crucial for understanding circuit effects. We surveyed the distribution and colocalization of CRF-, VGluT2- (vesicular glutamate transporter 2), and VGAT- (vesicular GABA transporter) mRNA in specific subregions of the CEA and VP in young male monkeys. Although CRF-containing neurons were clustered in the lateral central bed nucleus (BSTLcn), the majority were broadly dispersed throughout other CEA subregions, and the VP. CRF/VGAT-only neurons were highest in the BSTLcn, lateral central amygdala nucleus (CeLcn), and medial central amygdala nucleus (CeM) (74%, 73%, and 85%, respectively). In contrast, lower percentages of CRF/VGAT only neurons populated the sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEAc), ventrolateral bed nucleus (BSTLP), and VP (53%, 54%, 17%, respectively), which had higher complements of CRF/VGAT/VGluT2-labeled neurons (33%, 29%, 67%, respectively). Thus, the majority of CRF-neurons at the "poles" (BSTLcn and CeLcn/CeM) of the CEA are inhibitory, while the "extended" BSTLP and SLEAc subregions, and neighboring VP, have a more complex profile with admixtures of "multiplexed" excitatory CRF neurons. CRF's colocalization with its various fast transmitters is likely circuit-specific, and relevant for understanding CRF actions on specific target sites.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The central extended amygdala (CEA) and ventral pallidum (VP) regulate multiple motivated behaviors through differential downstream projections. The stress neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is enriched in the CEA, and is thought to "set the gain" through modulatory effects on coexpressed primary transmitters. Using protein and transcript assays in monkey, we found that CRF neurons are broadly and diffusely distributed in CEA and VP. CRF mRNA+ neurons colocalize with VGAT (GABA) and VGluT2 (glutamate) mRNAs in different proportions depending on subregion. CRF mRNA was also coexpressed in a subpopulation of VGAT/VGluT2 mRNA ("multiplexed") cells, which were most prominent in the VP and "pallidal"-like parts of the CEA. Heterogeneous CRF and fast transmitter coexpression across CEA/VP subregions implies circuit-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie L Fudge
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Emily A Kelly
- Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Troy A Hackett
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
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Central Kisspeptin Does Not Affect ERK1/2 or p38 Phosphorylation in Oxytocin Neurons of Late-Pregnant Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147729. [PMID: 35887077 PMCID: PMC9319833 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is secreted by hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) oxytocin neurons to induce uterine contractions during parturition. Increased activation of oxytocin neurons at parturition involves a network of afferent inputs that increase oxytocin neuron excitability. Kisspeptin fibre density increases around oxytocin neurons during pregnancy, and central kisspeptin administration excites oxytocin neurons only in late pregnancy. Kisspeptin signals via extracellular regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38. Therefore, to determine whether kisspeptin excites oxytocin neurons via ERK1/2-p38 signalling in late-pregnant rats, we performed immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) in oxytocin neurons of non-pregnant and late-pregnant rats. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) kisspeptin administration (2 µg) did not affect pERK1/2 or p-p38 expression in SON and PVN oxytocin neurons of non-pregnant or late-pregnant rats. Furthermore, ICV kisspeptin did not affect pERK1/2 or p-p38 expression in brain areas with major projections to the SON and PVN: the nucleus tractus solitarius, rostral ventrolateral medulla, locus coeruleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, median preoptic nucleus, subfornical organ, anteroventral periventricular nucleus, periventricular nucleus and arcuate nucleus. Hence, kisspeptin-induced excitation of oxytocin neurons in late pregnancy does not appear to involve ERK1/2 or p38 activation in oxytocin neurons or their afferent inputs.
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9
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Dunigan AI, Roseberry AG. Actions of feeding-related peptides on the mesolimbic dopamine system in regulation of natural and drug rewards. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100011. [PMID: 37220637 PMCID: PMC10201992 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine system is the primary neural circuit mediating motivation, reinforcement, and reward-related behavior. The activity of this system and multiple behaviors controlled by it are affected by changes in feeding and body weight, such as fasting, food restriction, or the development of obesity. Multiple different peptides and hormones that have been implicated in the control of feeding and body weight interact with the mesolimbic dopamine system to regulate many different dopamine-dependent, reward-related behaviors. In this review, we summarize the effects of a selected set of feeding-related peptides and hormones acting within the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens to alter feeding, as well as food, drug, and social reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna I. Dunigan
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Aaron G. Roseberry
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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10
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Sharpe AL, Trzeciak M, Eliason NL, Blankenship HE, Byrd BM, Douglas PD, Freeman WM, Beckstead MJ. Repeated cocaine or methamphetamine treatment alters astrocytic CRF2 and GLAST expression in the ventral midbrain. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13120. [PMID: 34825430 PMCID: PMC9872560 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a central role in the reinforcing properties of abused drugs including methamphetamine and cocaine. Chronic effects of psychostimulants in the SN/VTA also involve non-dopaminergic transmitters, including glutamate and the stress-related peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). In the SN/VTA, astrocytes express a variety of membrane-bound neurotransmitter receptors and transporters that influence neurotransmission. CRF receptor type 2 (CRF2) activity in the VTA is important for stress-induced relapse and drug-seeking behaviour, but the localization of its effects is incompletely understood. Here, we first identified CRF2 transcript in astrocytes of the SN/VTA using RNA-Seq in Aldh1l1;NuTRAP mice and confirmed it using in situ hybridization (RNAscope) in wild-type mice. We then used immunofluorescence to quantify the astrocytic marker protein S100β, glial-specific glutamate/aspartate transporter GLAST, and CRF2 in the SN/VTA following 12 days of treatment (i.p.) with methamphetamine (3 mg/kg), cocaine (10 mg/kg), or saline. We observed a significant decrease in GLAST immunofluorescence in brains of psychostimulant treated mice compared with saline controls. In addition, we observed increased labelling of CRF2 in drug treated groups, a decrease in the number of S100β positive cells, and an increase of co-staining of CRF2 with both S100β and tyrosine hydroxylase (dopamine neurons). Our results suggest a significant interaction between CRF2, GLAST, and astrocytes in the midbrain that emerges with repeated exposure to psychostimulants. These findings provide rationale for future investigation of astrocyte-based strategies for altering cellular and circuit function in response to stress and drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Sharpe
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City, OK, 73117
| | - Marta Trzeciak
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
| | - Nicole L. Eliason
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City, OK, 73117
| | - Harris E. Blankenship
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
| | - Bre’Ana M. Byrd
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, Oklahoma City, OK, 73117
| | - Phillip D. Douglas
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
| | - Willard M. Freeman
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
| | - Michael J. Beckstead
- Aging & Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104
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11
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CRH CeA→VTA inputs inhibit the positive ensembles to induce negative effect of opiate withdrawal. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6170-6186. [PMID: 34642456 PMCID: PMC8760059 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01321-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) is critical for establishment of drug dependence. However, the remodeling of the circuits mediating the transition between positive and negative effect remains unclear. Here, we used neuronal activity-dependent labeling technique to characterize and temporarily control the VTA neuronal ensembles recruited by the initial morphine exposure (morphine-positive ensembles, Mor-Ens). Mor-Ens preferentially projected to NAc, and induced dopamine-dependent positive reinforcement. Electrophysiology and rabies viral tracing revealed the preferential connections between the VTA-projective corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons of central amygdala (CRHCeA→VTA) and Mor-Ens, which was enhanced after escalating morphine exposure and mediated the negative effect during opiate withdrawal. Pharmacologic intervention or CRISPR-mediated repression of CRHR1 in Mor-Ens weakened the inhibitory CRHCeA→VTA inputs, and alleviated the negative effect during opiate withdrawal. These data suggest that neurons encoding opioid reward experience are inhibited by enhanced CRHCeA→VTA inputs induced by chronic morphine exposure, leading to negative effect during opiate withdrawal, and provide new insight into the pathological changes in VTA plasticity after drug abuse and mechanism of opiate dependence.
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12
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Otsuka A, Shimomura K, Niwa H, Kagawa N. The presence of a conspecific induces risk-taking behaviour and enlargement of somata size of dopaminergic neurons in the brain of male medaka fish. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2020; 96:1014-1023. [PMID: 32060927 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Boldness and risk-taking behaviours in animals are important traits to obtain advantages such as habitation, food resources, reproductive success and social dominance. Risk-taking behaviour is influenced by physiological and environmental conditions; however, whether individual fish become bolder by the presence of conspecifics remains unknown. In this study, a light-dark preference test was conducted using medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) with or without a neighbouring conspecific. It was found that individual medaka male fish preferred a light environment and avoided a dark environment, whereas the display of a neighbouring conspecific enhanced the time the male spent in the dark environment (i.e., this condition encouraged risk-taking). The blood glucose level increased in fish confined to the dark condition but did not increase in light-preferring fish and risk-taking fish. Large somata expressing tyrosine hydroxylase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine synthesis, were detected in the telencephalic and diencephalic brain regions in risk-taking medaka, whereas large somata were detected in the diencephalic region in medaka confined to the dark condition. These findings indicated that medaka is a good fish model to explore the central roles of dopaminergic neurons in the telencephalon and the diencephalon, which regulate risk-taking behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Otsuka
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Japan
| | - Kenta Shimomura
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Japan
| | - Haruka Niwa
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Japan
| | - Nao Kagawa
- Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kindai University, Higashiosaka, Japan
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13
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Roy RK, Augustine RA, Brown CH, Schwenke DO. Acute myocardial infarction activates magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin neurones. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12808. [PMID: 31715034 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of death worldwide. For those who survive the acute insult, the progressive dilation of the ventricle associated with chronic heart failure is driven by an adverse increase in circulating levels of the antidiuretic hormone, vasopressin, which is secreted from hypothalamic supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN) nerve terminals. Although increased vasopressin neuronal activity has been demonstrated in the latter stages of chronic heart failure, we hypothesised that vasopressin neurones become activated immediately following an acute MI. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetised and an acute MI was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 90 minutes of myocardial ischaemia, brains were collected. Dual-label immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the expression of Fos protein, a marker of neuronal activation, within vasopressin- or oxytocin-labelled neurones of the hypothalamic PVN and SON. Fos protein and tyrosine hydroxylase within the brainstem were also quantified. The results obtained show that the expression of Fos in both vasopressin and oxytocin neurones of the PVN and SON was significantly elevated as soon as 90 minutes post-MI compared to sham rats. Moreover, Fos protein was also elevated in tyrosine hydroxylase neurones in the nucleus tractus solitarius and rostral ventrolateral medulla of MI rats than sham rats. We conclude that magnocellular vasopressin and oxytocin neuronal activation occurs immediately following acute MI, rather than in the later stages of chronic heart failure. Therefore, prompt vasopressin antagonist therapy as an adjunct treatment for acute MI may impede the progression of ventricular dilatation, which remains a key adverse hallmark of chronic heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjan K Roy
- Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- HeartOtago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Rachael A Augustine
- Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Colin H Brown
- Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Daryl O Schwenke
- Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- HeartOtago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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14
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Mongia S, Yamaguchi T, Liu B, Zhang S, Wang H, Morales M. The Ventral Tegmental Area has calbindin neurons with the capability to co-release glutamate and dopamine into the nucleus accumbens. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:3968-3984. [PMID: 31215698 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) has three major classes of neurons: dopaminergic (expressing tyrosine hydroxylase; TH), GABAergic (expressing vesicular GABA transporter; VGaT) and glutamatergic (expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2; VGluT2). While VTA dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons have been further characterized by expression of calcium-binding proteins (calbindin, CB; calretinin, CR or parvalbumin, PV), it is unclear whether these proteins are expressed in rat VTA glutamatergic neurons. Here, by a combination of in situ hybridization (for VGluT2 mRNA detection) and immunohistochemistry (for CB-, CR- or PV-detection), we found that among the total population of VGluT2 neurons, 30% coexpressed CB, 3% coexpressed PV and <1% coexpressed CR. Given that some VGluT2 neurons coexpress TH or VGaT, we examined whether these neurons coexpress CB, and found that about 20% of VGluT2-CB neurons coexpressed TH and about 13% coexpressed VGaT. Because VTA TH-CB neurons are known to target the nucleus accumbens (nAcc), we determined whether VGluT2-CB-TH neurons innervate nAcc, and found that about 80% of VGluT2-CB neurons innervating the nAcc shell coexpressed TH. In summary, (a) CB, PV and CR are detected in subpopulations of VTA-VGluT2 neurons; (b) CB is the main calcium-binding protein present in VTA-VGluT2 neurons; (c) one-third of VTA-VGluT2 neurons coexpress CB; (d) some VTA-VGluT2-CB neurons have the capability to co-release dopamine or GABA, and (e) a subpopulation of VTA glutamatergic-dopaminergic neurons innervates nAcc shell. These findings further provide evidence for molecular diversity among VTA-VGluT2 neurons, neurons that may play a role in specific circuitry and behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smriti Mongia
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Huiling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Green MR, Zeidan M, Hodges TE, McCormick CM. Age-dependent regulation by androgens of gene expression in the anterior hypothalamus and stress-induced release of adrenal hormones in adolescent and adult male rats. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12714. [PMID: 30912177 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents show greater and/or more prolonged activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to stressors than adults, although the basis for such an age difference is not understood. We investigated developmental shifts in the regulation of HPA function by testosterone using androgen replacement in orchiectomised (OCX) pre-pubertal and post-pubertal adolescent rats and in adults, as well as using inhibitors of testosterone synthesis in non-operated rats. The expected dampening effect of testosterone in adult OCX rats did not meet statistical significance in all of the three experiments. Nevertheless, in each, adolescents had higher post-stress concentrations of corticosterone compared to adults despite similar concentrations of testosterone. The effect of testosterone was in the opposite direction in post-pubertal adolescents compared to that in adults, with testosterone replacement leading to increased rather than lower corticosterone concentration. Testosterone replacement decreased arginine vasopressin and corticotrophin-releasing hormone immune-reactive cell counts in the paraventricular nucleus at all ages. In a fourth experiment, we provide evidence that the basis of the age difference in corticosterone release is because of a greater conversion of testosterone to oestradiol in adolescents and a greater conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in adults: aromatase inhibition had little effect in adults and attenuated the age difference by decreasing stress-induced corticosterone release in adolescents. By contrast, 5α-reductase inhibition or an androgen receptor antagonist had little effect in adolescents and attenuated the age difference by increasing stress-induced corticosterone release in adults. In the adrenal gland, adolescents had reduced 5α-reductase and androgen receptor gene expression. There also were age differences in the regulation of hypothalamic mRNA expression of androgen receptors, oestrogen receptors and aromatase by testosterone. In sum, the results suggest that developmental shifts in the synthesis of testosterone and the regulation of gene expression are factors with respect to age differences in corticosterone release in response to stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Green
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mostafa Zeidan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Travis E Hodges
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St Catharines, Ontario, Canada
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16
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The power of price compels you: Behavioral economic insights into dopamine-based valuation of rewarding and aversively motivated behavior. Brain Res 2018; 1713:32-41. [PMID: 30543771 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway is generally considered to be a reward pathway. While shortsighted, there is a strong basis for this view of dopamine function. Here, we first describe the role of phasic dopamine release events in reward seeking. We then explain why these release events are being reconsidered as value signals and how we applied behavioral economics to confirm they play a causal role in the valuation of reward. Just because dopamine release can function as a dopamine reward value signal however, does not imply that dopamine is solely a reward molecule. Rather, mesocorticolimbic dopamine appears to mediate many adaptive behaviors, including: reward seeking, avoidance, escape and fear-associated conditioned freezing. While more studies are needed before a consensus is reached on when, where and how dopamine mediates aversively-motivated behavior, its involvement is almost irrefutable. Thus, we next describe the role dopamine plays in these ethologically-relevant defensive behaviors. We conclude by describing our recent behavioral economics results that reveal a causal role for dopamine in the valuation of avoidance.
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17
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Buhler AVK, Tachibana S, Zhang Y, Quock RM. nNOS immunoreactivity co-localizes with GABAergic and cholinergic neurons, and associates with β-endorphinergic and met-enkephalinergic opioidergic fibers in rostral ventromedial medulla and A5 of the mouse. Brain Res 2018; 1698:170-178. [PMID: 30081038 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined the co-expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) and A5 regions of the mouse brainstem within several neurochemical populations involved in nociceptive modulation. Double immunohistochemical methods showed that nNOS+ neurons do not co-localize with serotonergic neurons within any of these regions. Within the RVM, the nuclei raphe magnus and gigantocellularis contain a population of nNOS+/GAD67+ neurons, and within the paragigantocellularis lateralis, there is a smaller population of nNOS+/CHAT+ neurons. Further, nNOS+ neurons overlap the region of expression of β-endorphinergic and met-enkephalinergic fibers within the RVM. No co-labeling was found within the A5 for any of these populations. These findings suggest that pain-modulatory serotonergic neurons within the brainstem do not directly produce nitric oxide (NO). Rather, NO-producing neurons within the RVM belong to GABAergic and cholinergic cell populations, and are in a position to modulate or be modulated by local opioidergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber V K Buhler
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, 222 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123, United States.
| | - Sean Tachibana
- School of Pharmacy, Pacific University Oregon, 222 SE 8th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97123, United States
| | - Yangmiao Zhang
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, United States
| | - Raymond M Quock
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, United States
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18
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Harlan BA, Becker HC, Woodward JJ, Riegel AC. Opposing actions of CRF-R1 and CB1 receptors on VTA-GABAergic plasticity following chronic exposure to ethanol. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2064-2074. [PMID: 29946104 PMCID: PMC6098046 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0106-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) influence learned behaviors and neuropsychiatric diseases including addiction. The stress peptide corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) contributes to relapse to drug and alcohol seeking following withdrawal, although the cellular actions are poorly understood. In this study, we show that presynaptic CRF type 1 receptors (CRF-R1) potentiate GABA release onto mouse VTA dopamine neurons via a PKC-Ca2+ signaling mechanism. In naive animals, activation of CRF-R1 by bath application of CRF or ethanol enhanced GABAA inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs). Following 3 days of withdrawal from four weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure, spontaneous IPSC frequency was enhanced while CRF and ethanol potentiation of IPSCs was intact. However, withdrawal for 3 weeks or more was associated with reduced spontaneous IPSC frequency and diminished CRF and ethanol responses. Long-term withdrawal was also accompanied by decreased sensitivity to the CB1 receptor agonist WIN55212 as well as greatly enhanced sensitivity to the CB1 antagonist AM251. Inclusion of BAPTA in the internal recording solution restored the responsiveness to CRF or ethanol and reduced the potentiating actions of AM251. Together, these data suggest that GABAA inhibition of VTA dopamine neurons is regulated by presynaptic actions of CRF and endocannabinoids and that long-term withdrawal from CIE treatment enhances endocannabinoid-mediated inhibition, thereby suppressing CRF facilitation of GABA release. Such findings have implications for understanding the impact of chronic alcohol on stress-related, dopamine-mediated alcohol-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A Harlan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina & RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs, Charleston, SC, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Arthur C Riegel
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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19
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Kelly EA, Fudge JL. The neuroanatomic complexity of the CRF and DA systems and their interface: What we still don't know. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 90:247-259. [PMID: 29704516 PMCID: PMC5993645 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 04/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a neuropeptide that mediates the stress response. Long known to contribute to regulation of the adrenal stress response initiated in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA), a complex pattern of extrahypothalamic CRF expression is also described in rodents and primates. Cross-talk between the CRF and midbrain dopamine (DA) systems links the stress response to DA regulation. Classically CRF + cells in the extended amygdala and paraventricular nucleus (PVN) are considered the main source of this input, principally targeting the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, the anatomic complexity of both the DA and CRF system has been increasingly elaborated in the last decade. The DA neurons are now recognized as having diverse molecular, connectional and physiologic properties, predicted by their anatomic location. At the same time, the broad distribution of CRF cells in the brain has been increasingly delineated using different species and techniques. Here, we review updated information on both CRF localization and newer conceptualizations of the DA system to reconsider the CRF-DA interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Kelly
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Ernest J Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - J L Fudge
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Ernest J Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Rochester, NY, United States; University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, The Ernest J Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Rochester, NY, United States.
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20
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Dedic N, Kühne C, Jakovcevski M, Hartmann J, Genewsky AJ, Gomes KS, Anderzhanova E, Pöhlmann ML, Chang S, Kolarz A, Vogl AM, Dine J, Metzger MW, Schmid B, Almada RC, Ressler KJ, Wotjak CT, Grinevich V, Chen A, Schmidt MV, Wurst W, Refojo D, Deussing JM. Chronic CRH depletion from GABAergic, long-range projection neurons in the extended amygdala reduces dopamine release and increases anxiety. Nat Neurosci 2018; 21:803-807. [PMID: 29786085 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0151-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The interplay between corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and the dopaminergic system has predominantly been studied in addiction and reward, while CRH-dopamine interactions in anxiety are scarcely understood. We describe a new population of CRH-expressing, GABAergic, long-range-projecting neurons in the extended amygdala that innervate the ventral tegmental area and alter anxiety following chronic CRH depletion. These neurons are part of a distinct CRH circuit that acts anxiolytically by positively modulating dopamine release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Dedic
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Kühne
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mira Jakovcevski
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Jakob Hartmann
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Andreas J Genewsky
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Karina S Gomes
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Paulista State University, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Elmira Anderzhanova
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Max L Pöhlmann
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Chang
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Adam Kolarz
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Annette M Vogl
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Julien Dine
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael W Metzger
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Bianca Schmid
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Rafael C Almada
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Carsten T Wotjak
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Mathias V Schmidt
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wurst
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.,Technische Universität München, Chair of Developmental Genetics, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Damian Refojo
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.,Instituto de Investigacion en Biomedicina de Buenos Aires (IBioBA)-CONICET-Partner Institute of the Max Planck Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
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21
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Leonard MZ, DeBold JF, Miczek KA. Escalated cocaine "binges" in rats: enduring effects of social defeat stress or intra-VTA CRF. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2823-2836. [PMID: 28725939 PMCID: PMC5709163 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4677-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Exposure to intermittent social defeat stress elicits corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) release into the VTA and induces long-term modulation of mesocorticolimbic dopamine activity in rats. These adaptations are associated with an intense cocaine-taking phenotype, which is prevented by CRF receptor antagonists. OBJECTIVE The present studies examine whether infusion of CRF into the VTA is sufficient to escalate cocaine-taking behavior, in the absence of social defeat experience. Additionally, we aimed to characterize changes in cocaine valuation that may promote binge-like cocaine intake. METHODS Male Long-Evans rats were microinjected into the VTA with CRF (50 or 500 ng/side), vehicle, or subjected to social defeat stress, intermittently over 10 days. Animals were then trained to self-administer IV cocaine (FR5). Economic demand for cocaine was evaluated using a within-session behavioral-economics threshold procedure, which was followed by a 24-h extended access "binge." RESULTS Rats that experienced social defeat or received intra-VTA CRF microinfusions (50 ng) both took significantly more cocaine than controls over the 24-h binge but showed distinct patterns of intake. Behavioral economic analysis revealed that individual demand for cocaine strongly predicts binge-like consumption, and demand elasticity (i.e. α) is augmented by intra-VTA CRF, but not by social defeat. The effects of CRF on cocaine-taking were also prevented by intra-VTA pretreatment with CP376395, but not Astressin-2B. CONCLUSIONS Repeated infusion of CRF into the VTA persistently alters cocaine valuation and intensifies binge-like drug intake in a CRF-R1-dependent manner. Conversely, the persistent pattern of cocaine bingeing induced by social defeat stress may suggest impaired inhibitory control, independent of reward valuation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph F DeBold
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Fudge JL, Kelly EA, Pal R, Bedont JL, Park L, Ho B. Beyond the Classic VTA: Extended Amygdala Projections to DA-Striatal Paths in the Primate. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1563-1576. [PMID: 28220796 PMCID: PMC5518904 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The central extended amygdala (CEA) has been conceptualized as a 'macrosystem' that regulates various stress-induced behaviors. Consistent with this, the CEA highly expresses corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), an important modulator of stress responses. Stress alters goal-directed responses associated with striatal paths, including maladaptive responses such as drug seeking, social withdrawal, and compulsive behavior. CEA inputs to the midbrain dopamine (DA) system are positioned to influence striatal functions through mesolimbic DA-striatal pathways. However, the structure of this amygdala-CEA-DA neuron path to the striatum has been poorly characterized in primates. In primates, we combined neuronal tracer injections into various arms of the circuit through specific DA subpopulations to assess: (1) whether the circuit connecting amygdala, CEA, and DA cells follows CEA intrinsic organization, or a more direct topography involving bed nucleus vs central nucleus divisions; (2) CRF content of the CEA-DA path; and (3) striatal subregions specifically involved in CEA-DA-striatal loops. We found that the amygdala-CEA-DA path follows macrostructural subdivisions, with the majority of input/outputs converging in the medial central nucleus, the sublenticular extended amygdala, and the posterior lateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The proportion of CRF+ outputs is >50%, and mainly targets the A10 parabrachial pigmented nucleus (PBP) and A8 (retrorubal field, RRF) neuronal subpopulations, with additional inputs to the dorsal A9 neurons. CRF-enriched CEA-DA projections are positioned to influence outputs to the 'limbic-associative' striatum, which is distinct from striatal regions targeted by DA cells lacking CEA input. We conclude that the concept of the CEA is supported on connectional grounds, and that CEA termination over the PBP and RRF neuronal populations can influence striatal circuits involved in associative learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie L Fudge
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Emily A Kelly
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ria Pal
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Joseph L Bedont
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lydia Park
- Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Brian Ho
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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23
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Diversity of Dopaminergic Neural Circuits in Response to Drug Exposure. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2424-46. [PMID: 26934955 PMCID: PMC4987841 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Addictive substances are known to increase dopaminergic signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system. The origin of this dopamine (DA) signaling originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which sends afferents to various targets, including the nucleus accumbens, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the basolateral amygdala. VTA DA neurons mediate stimuli saliency and goal-directed behaviors. These neurons undergo robust drug-induced intrinsic and extrinsic synaptic mechanisms following acute and chronic drug exposure, which are part of brain-wide adaptations that ultimately lead to the transition into a drug-dependent state. Interestingly, recent investigations of the differential subpopulations of VTA DA neurons have revealed projection-specific functional roles in mediating reward, aversion, and stress. It is now critical to view drug-induced neuroadaptations from a circuit-level perspective to gain insight into how differential dopaminergic adaptations and signaling to targets of the mesocorticolimbic system mediates drug reward. This review hopes to describe the projection-specific intrinsic characteristics of these subpopulations, the differential afferent inputs onto these VTA DA neuron subpopulations, and consolidate findings of drug-induced plasticity of VTA DA neurons and highlight the importance of future projection-based studies of this system.
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Root DH, Wang HL, Liu B, Barker DJ, Mód L, Szocsics P, Silva AC, Maglóczky Z, Morales M. Glutamate neurons are intermixed with midbrain dopamine neurons in nonhuman primates and humans. Sci Rep 2016; 6:30615. [PMID: 27477243 PMCID: PMC4967922 DOI: 10.1038/srep30615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The rodent ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) contain dopamine neurons intermixed with glutamate neurons (expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2; VGluT2), which play roles in reward and aversion. However, identifying the neuronal compositions of the VTA and SNC in higher mammals has remained challenging. Here, we revealed VGluT2 neurons within the VTA and SNC of nonhuman primates and humans by simultaneous detection of VGluT2 mRNA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; for identification of dopamine neurons). We found that several VTA subdivisions share similar cellular compositions in nonhuman primates and humans; their rostral linear nuclei have a high prevalence of VGluT2 neurons lacking TH; their paranigral and parabrachial pigmented nuclei have mostly TH neurons, and their parabrachial pigmented nuclei have dual VGluT2-TH neurons. Within nonhuman primates and humans SNC, the vast majority of neurons are TH neurons but VGluT2 neurons were detected in the pars lateralis subdivision. The demonstration that midbrain dopamine neurons are intermixed with glutamate or glutamate-dopamine neurons from rodents to humans offers new opportunities for translational studies towards analyzing the roles that each of these neurons play in human behavior and in midbrain-associated illnesses such as addiction, depression, schizophrenia, and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Root
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Bing Liu
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - David J Barker
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - László Mód
- Department of Psychology, Szent Borbála Hospital, H-2800, Tatabánya, Hungary
| | - Péter Szocsics
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Afonso C Silva
- Cerebral Microcirculation Section, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 49 Convent Drive Bldg 49 Room 3A72, Bethesda, MD 20892-4478, USA
| | - Zsófia Maglóczky
- Laboratory of Cerebral Cortex Research, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marisela Morales
- Neuronal Networks Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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25
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Garcia-Keller C, Kupchik Y, Gipson CD, Brown RM, Spencer S, Bollati F, Esparza MA, Roberts-Wolfe D, Heinsbroek J, Bobadilla AC, Cancela LM, Kalivas PW. Glutamatergic mechanisms of comorbidity between acute stress and cocaine self-administration. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:1063-9. [PMID: 26821978 PMCID: PMC4823171 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
There is substantial comorbidity between stress disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs), and acute stress augments the locomotor stimulant effect of cocaine in animal models. Here we endeavor to understand the neural underpinnings of comorbid stress disorders and drug use by determining whether the glutamatergic neuroadaptations that characterize cocaine self-administration are induced by acute stress. Rats were exposed to acute (2 h) immobilization stress, and 3 weeks later the nucleus accumbens core was examined for changes in glutamate transport, glutamate-mediated synaptic currents and dendritic spine morphology. We also determined whether acute stress potentiated the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Acute stress produced an enduring reduction in glutamate transport and potentiated excitatory synapses on medium spiny neurons. Acute stress also augmented the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Importantly, by restoring glutamate transport in the accumbens core with ceftriaxone the capacity of acute stress to augment the acquisition of cocaine self-administration was abolished. Similarly, ceftriaxone treatment prevented stress-induced potentiation of cocaine-induced locomotor activity. However, ceftriaxone did not reverse stress-induced synaptic potentiation, indicating that this effect of stress exposure did not underpin the increased acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Reversing acute stress-induced vulnerability to self-administer cocaine by normalizing glutamate transport poses a novel treatment possibility for reducing comorbid SUDs in stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Garcia-Keller
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA,IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Yonatan Kupchik
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 9112102
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Robyn M Brown
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Sade Spencer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Flavia Bollati
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Maria A Esparza
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Doug Roberts-Wolfe
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jasper Heinsbroek
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Liliana M Cancela
- IFEC-CONICET, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA,Corresponding Author. Peter Kalivas, Ph.D., , Phone: 843-876-2340, FAX: 843-792-4423
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26
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Ketchesin KD, Stinnett GS, Seasholtz AF. Binge Drinking Decreases Corticotropin-Releasing Factor-Binding Protein Expression in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex of Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:1641-50. [PMID: 27374820 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system has been observed in rodent models of binge drinking, with a large focus on CRF receptor 1 (CRF-R1). The role of CRF-binding protein (CRF-BP), a key regulator of CRF activity, in binge drinking is less well understood. In humans, single-nucleotide polymorphisms in CRHBP are associated with alcohol use disorder and stress-induced alcohol craving, suggesting a role for CRF-BP in vulnerability to alcohol addiction. METHODS The role and regulation of CRF-BP in binge drinking were examined in mice exposed to the drinking in the dark (DID) paradigm. Using in situ hybridization, the regulation of CRF-BP, CRF-R1, and CRF mRNA expression was determined in the stress and reward systems of C57BL/6J mice after repeated cycles of DID. To determine the functional role of CRF-BP in binge drinking, CRF-BP knockout (CRF-BP KO) mice were exposed to 6 cycles of DID, during which alcohol consumption was measured and compared to wild-type mice. RESULTS CRF-BP mRNA expression was significantly decreased in the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of C57BL/6J mice after 3 cycles and in the PL mPFC after 6 cycles of DID. No significant changes in CRF or CRF-R1 mRNA levels were observed in mPFC, ventral tegmental area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, or amygdala after 3 cycles of DID. CRF-BP KO mice do not show significant alterations in drinking compared to wild-type mice across 6 cycles of DID. CONCLUSIONS These results reveal that repeated cycles of binge drinking alter CRF-BP mRNA expression in the mPFC, a region responsible for executive function and regulation of emotion and behavior, including responses to stress. We observed a persistent decrease in CRF-BP mRNA expression in the mPFC after 3 and 6 DID cycles, which may allow for increased CRF signaling at CRF-R1 and contribute to excessive binge-like ethanol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle D Ketchesin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gwen S Stinnett
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Audrey F Seasholtz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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27
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Barra de la Tremblaye P, Plamondon H. Alterations in the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurocircuitry: Insights into post stroke functional impairments. Front Neuroendocrinol 2016; 42:53-75. [PMID: 27455847 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although it is well accepted that changes in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis may increase susceptibility to affective disorders in the general population, this link has been less examined in stroke patients. Yet, the bidirectional association between depression and cardiovascular disease is strong, and stress increases vulnerability to stroke. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is the central stress hormone of the HPA axis pathway and acts by binding to CRH receptors (CRHR) 1 and 2, which are located in several stress-related brain regions. Evidence from clinical and animal studies suggests a role for CRH in the neurobiological basis of depression and ischemic brain injury. Given its importance in the regulation of the neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral correlates of adaptation and maladaptation to stress, CRH is likely associated in the pathophysiology of post stroke emotional impairments. The goals of this review article are to examine the clinical and experimental data describing (1) that CRH regulates the molecular signaling brain circuit underlying anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, (2) the influence of CRH and other stress markers in the pathophysiology of post stroke emotional and cognitive impairments, and (3) context and site specific interactions of CRH and BDNF as a basis for the development of novel therapeutic targets. This review addresses how the production and release of the neuropeptide CRH within the various regions of the mesocorticolimbic system influences emotional and cognitive behaviors with a look into its role in psychiatric disorders post stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Barra de la Tremblaye
- School of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Vanier Building, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - H Plamondon
- School of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Vanier Building, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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28
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Increased mesocorticolimbic dopamine during acute and repeated social defeat stress: modulation by corticotropin releasing factor receptors in the ventral tegmental area. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:4469-79. [PMID: 26403083 PMCID: PMC4651830 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4082-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stress activates a subset of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), increasing extracellular dopamine in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). The stress neuropeptide corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and its receptors (CRF-R1 and CRF-R2) are located within the VTA and directly and indirectly influence dopaminergic activity. However, it has yet to be shown in vivo whether VTA CRF receptor activation is necessary for acute and repeated stress-induced dopamine efflux. OBJECTIVE With intra-VTA CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 antagonism during social defeat, we assessed whether blockade of these receptors could prevent stress-induced dopamine increases in the mPFC and NAcSh using in vivo microdialysis. METHODS Rats were microinjected with a CRF-R1 or CRF-R2 antagonist into the VTA prior to social defeat stress on days 1, 4, 7, and 10. In vivo microdialysis for dopamine in the mPFC and NAcSh was performed during stress on days 1 and 10. RESULTS During the first social defeat, extracellular dopamine was significantly elevated in both the mPFC and NAcSh, and this increase in the NAcSh was blocked by intra-VTA CRF-R2, but not CRF-R1, antagonism. During the final social defeat, the dopaminergic increase was neither sensitized nor habituated in the mPFC and NAcSh, and intra-VTA CRF-R2, but not CRF-R1, antagonism prevented the dopamine increase in both brain regions. CONCLUSION These findings show that CRF-R2 in the VTA is necessary for acute and repeated stress-induced dopamine efflux in the NAcSh, but is only recruited into mPFC-projecting dopamine neurons with repeated stress exposure.
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29
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Blacktop JM, Vranjkovic O, Mayer M, Van Hoof M, Baker DA, Mantsch JR. Antagonism of GABA-B but not GABA-A receptors in the VTA prevents stress- and intra-VTA CRF-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking in rats. Neuropharmacology 2015; 102:197-206. [PMID: 26596556 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking requires corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) actions in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However the mechanisms through which CRF regulates VTA function to promote cocaine use are not fully understood. Here we examined the role of GABAergic neurotransmission in the VTA mediated by GABA-A or GABA-B receptors in the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking by a stressor, uncontrollable intermittent footshock, or bilateral intra-VTA administration of CRF. Rats underwent repeated daily cocaine self-administration (1.0 mg/kg/ing; 14 × 6 h/day) and extinction and were tested for reinstatement in response to footshock (0.5 mA, 0.5" duration, average every 40 s; range 10-70 s) or intra-VTA CRF delivery (500 ng/side) following intra-VTA pretreatment with the GABA-A antagonist, bicuculline, the GABA-B antagonist, 2-hydroxysaclofen or vehicle. Intra-VTA bicuculline (1, 10 or 20 ng/side) failed to block footshock- or CRF-induced cocaine seeking at either dose tested. By contrast, 2-hydroxysaclofen (0.2 or 2 μg/side) prevented reinstatement by both footshock and intra-VTA CRF at a concentration that failed to attenuate food-reinforced lever pressing (45 mg sucrose-sweetened pellets; FR4 schedule) in a separate group of rats. These data suggest that GABA-B receptor-dependent CRF actions in the VTA mediate stress-induced cocaine seeking and that GABA-B receptor antagonists may have utility for the management of stress-induced relapse in cocaine addicts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan M Blacktop
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Oliver Vranjkovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Matthieu Mayer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - Matthew Van Hoof
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - David A Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
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30
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Ettenberg A, Cotten SW, Brito MA, Klein AK, Ohana TA, Margolin B, Wei A, Wenzel JM. CRF antagonism within the ventral tegmental area but not the extended amygdala attenuates the anxiogenic effects of cocaine in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 138:148-55. [PMID: 26441142 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
In addition to its initial rewarding effects, cocaine has been shown to produce profound negative/anxiogenic actions. Recent work on the anxiogenic effects of cocaine has examined the role of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), with particular attention paid to the CRF cell bodies resident to the extended amygdala (i.e., the central nucleus of the amygdala [CeA] and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis [BNST]) and the interconnections within and projections outside the region (e.g., to the ventral tegmental area [VTA]). In the current study, localized CRF receptor antagonism was produced by intra-BNST, intra-CeA or intra-VTA application of the CRF antagonists, D-Phe CRF(12-41) or astressin-B. The effect of these treatments were examined in a runway model of i.v. cocaine self-administration that has been shown to be sensitive to both the initial rewarding and delayed anxiogenic effects of the drug in the same animal on the same trial. These dual actions of cocaine are reflected in the development of an approach-avoidance conflict ("retreat behaviors") about goal box entry that stems from the mixed associations that subjects form about the goal. CRF antagonism within the VTA, but not the CeA or BNST, significantly reduced the frequency of approach-avoidance retreat behaviors while leaving start latencies (an index of the positive incentive properties of cocaine) unaffected. These results suggest that the critical CRF receptors contributing to the anxiogenic state associated with acute cocaine administration may lie outside the extended amygdala, and likely involve CRF projections to the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Ettenberg
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States.
| | - Samuel W Cotten
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Michael A Brito
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Adam K Klein
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Tatum A Ohana
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Benjamin Margolin
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Alex Wei
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
| | - Jennifer M Wenzel
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, United States
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Kalló I, Molnár CS, Szöke S, Fekete C, Hrabovszky E, Liposits Z. Area-specific analysis of the distribution of hypothalamic neurons projecting to the rat ventral tegmental area, with special reference to the GABAergic and glutamatergic efferents. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:112. [PMID: 26388742 PMCID: PMC4559648 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a main regulator of reward and integrates a wide scale of hormonal and neuronal information. Feeding-, energy expenditure-, stress, adaptation- and reproduction-related hypothalamic signals are processed in the VTA and influence the reward processes. However, the neuroanatomical origin and chemical phenotype of neurons mediating these signals to the VTA have not been fully characterized. In this study we have systematically mapped hypothalamic neurons that project to the VTA using the retrograde tracer Choleratoxin B subunit (CTB) and analyzed their putative gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and/or glutamate character with in situ hybridization in male rats. 23.93 ± 3.91% of hypothalamic neurons projecting to the VTA was found in preoptic and 76.27 ± 4.88% in anterior, tuberal and mammillary hypothalamic regions. Nearly half of the retrogradely-labeled neurons in the preoptic, and more than one third in the anterior, tuberal and mammillary hypothalamus appeared in medially located regions. The analyses of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) and glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) mRNA expression revealed both amino acid markers in different subsets of retrogradely-labeled hypothalamic neurons, typically with the predominance of the glutamatergic marker VGLUT2. About one tenth of CTB-IR neurons were GAD65-positive even in hypothalamic nuclei expressing primarily VGLUT2. Some regions were populated mostly by GAD65 mRNA-containing retrogradely-labeled neurons. These included the perifornical part of the lateral hypothalamus where 58.63 ± 19.04% of CTB-IR neurons were GABAergic. These results indicate that both the medial and lateral nuclear compartments of the hypothalamus provide substantial input to the VTA. Furthermore, colocalization studies revealed that these projections not only use glutamate but also GABA for neurotransmission. These GABAergic afferents may underlie important inhibitory mechanism to fine-tune the reward value of specific signals in the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imre Kalló
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary ; Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csilla S Molnár
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sarolta Szöke
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary
| | - Csaba Fekete
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary ; Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Tupper Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erik Hrabovszky
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Liposits
- Laboratory of Endocrine Neurobiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest, Hungary ; Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University Budapest, Hungary
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Cigarettes and alcohol: The influence of nicotine on operant alcohol self-administration and the mesolimbic dopamine system. Biochem Pharmacol 2015; 97:550-557. [PMID: 26253689 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2015.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Studies in human populations consistently demonstrate an interaction between nicotine and ethanol use, each drug influencing the use of the other. Here we present data and review evidence from animal studies that nicotine influences operant self-administration of ethanol. The operant reinforcement paradigm has proven to be a behaviorally relevant and quantitative model for studying ethanol-seeking behavior. Exposure to nicotine can modify the reinforcing properties of ethanol during different phases of ethanol self-administration, including acquisition, maintenance, and reinstatement. Our data suggest that non-daily intermittent nicotine exposure can trigger a long-lasting increase in ethanol self-administration. The biological basis for interactions between nicotine and ethanol is not well understood but may involve the stress hormone systems and adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Future studies that combine operant self-administration with techniques for monitoring or manipulating in vivo neurophysiology may provide new insights into the neuronal mechanisms that link nicotine and alcohol use.
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Shu YM, Ni RJ, Sun YJ, Fang H, Zhou JN. Distribution of corticotropin-releasing factor in the tree shrew brain. Brain Res 2015; 1618:270-85. [PMID: 26074350 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the brain plays an important role in regulations of physiological and behavioral processes, yet CRF distribution in tree shrew brain has not been thoroughly and systematically reported. Here we examined the distribution of CRF immunoreactivity in the brain of tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) using immunohistochemical techniques. CRF-immunoreactive (-ir) cells and fibers were present in the rhinencephalon, telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon, metencephalon and myelencephalon of saline- and colchicine-treated tree shrews. Laminar distribution of CRF-ir cells was found in the main olfactory bulb and neocortex. Compared with saline-treated tree shrews, a larger number of CRF-ir cells in colchicine-treated tree shrews were found in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, medial preoptic area, dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus, reuniens thalamic nucleus, inferior colliculus, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, median raphe nucleus, locus coeruleus, parabrachial nucleus, dorsal tegmental nucleus, lateral reticular nucleus, and inferior olive. CRF-ir fibers from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus projected toward and through the internal zone of the median eminence. In addition, density of CRF immunoreactivity is significantly different in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central amygdaloid nucleus, suprachiasmatic nucleus, median raphe nucleus, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, locus coeruleus and inferior olive between tree shrews and rats after saline or colchicine treatment. Our findings provide, for the first time, the comprehensive description of CRF immunoreactivity and whole brain mapping of CRF in tree shrews, which is an anatomical basis for the participation of CRF system in the regulation of numerous behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Mian Shu
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, PR China
| | - Rong-Jun Ni
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, PR China
| | - Yun-Jun Sun
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, PR China
| | - Hui Fang
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, PR China
| | - Jiang-Ning Zhou
- Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, PR China.
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Coen CW, Kalamatianos T, Oosthuizen MK, Poorun R, Faulkes CG, Bennett NC. Sociality and the telencephalic distribution of corticotrophin-releasing factor, urocortin 3, and binding sites for CRF type 1 and type 2 receptors: A comparative study of eusocial naked mole-rats and solitary Cape mole-rats. J Comp Neurol 2015; 523:2344-71. [PMID: 25921928 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Various aspects of social behavior are influenced by the highly conserved corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides and receptors in the mammalian telencephalon. This study has mapped and compared the telencephalic distribution of the CRF receptors, CRF1 and CRF2 , and two of their ligands, CRF and urocortin 3, respectively, in African mole-rat species with diametrically opposed social behavior. Naked mole-rats live in large eusocial colonies that are characterized by exceptional levels of social cohesion, tolerance, and cooperation in burrowing, foraging, defense, and alloparental care for the offspring of the single reproductive female. Cape mole-rats are solitary; they tolerate conspecifics only fleetingly during the breeding season. The telencephalic sites at which the level of CRF1 binding in naked mole-rats exceeds that in Cape mole-rats include the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, hippocampal CA3 subfield, and dentate gyrus; in contrast, the level is greater in Cape mole-rats in the shell of the nucleus accumbens and medial habenular nucleus. For CRF2 binding, the sites with a greater level in naked mole-rats include the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus and dentate gyrus, but the septohippocampal nucleus, lateral septal nuclei, amygdalostriatal transition area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and medial habenular nucleus display a greater level in Cape mole-rats. The results are discussed with reference to neuroanatomical and behavioral studies of various species, including monogamous and promiscuous voles. By analogy with findings in those species, we speculate that the abundance of CRF1 binding in the nucleus accumbens of Cape mole-rats reflects their lack of affiliative behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clive W Coen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, School of Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Theodosis Kalamatianos
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, School of Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Maria K Oosthuizen
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, School of Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Ravi Poorun
- Reproductive Neurobiology, Division of Women's Health, School of Medicine, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher G Faulkes
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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Zhang S, Qi J, Li X, Wang HL, Britt JP, Hoffman AF, Bonci A, Lupica CR, Morales M. Dopaminergic and glutamatergic microdomains in a subset of rodent mesoaccumbens axons. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:386-92. [PMID: 25664911 PMCID: PMC4340758 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 182] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mesoaccumbens fibers are thought to co-release dopamine and glutamate. However, the mechanism is unclear, and co-release by mesoaccumbens fibers has not been documented. Using electron microcopy, we found that some mesoaccumbens fibers have vesicular transporters for dopamine (VMAT2) in axon segments that are continuous with axon terminals that lack VMAT2, but contain vesicular glutamate transporters type 2 (VGluT2). In vivo overexpression of VMAT2 did not change the segregation of the two vesicular types, suggesting the existence of highly regulated mechanisms for maintaining this segregation. The mesoaccumbens axon terminals containing VGluT2 vesicles make asymmetric synapses, commonly associated with excitatory signaling. Using optogenetics, we found that dopamine and glutamate were released from the same mesoaccumbens fibers. These findings reveal a complex type of signaling by mesoaccumbens fibers in which dopamine and glutamate can be released from the same axons, but are not normally released at the same site or from the same synaptic vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jia Qi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Xueping Li
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan P. Britt
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Synaptic Plasticity Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Antonello Bonci
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Synaptic Plasticity Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, US National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Yamaguchi T, Qi J, Wang HL, Zhang S, Morales M. Glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurons in the mouse ventral tegmental area. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:760-72. [PMID: 25572002 PMCID: PMC4363208 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) comprises dopamine (DA), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) neurons. Some rat VTA Glu neurons, expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2), co-express tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). While transgenic mice are now being used in attempts to determine the role of VGluT2/TH neurons in reward and neuronal signaling, such neurons have not been characterized in mouse tissue. By cellular detection of VGluT2 mRNA and TH immunoreactivity (TH-IR), we determined the cellular expression of VGluT2 mRNA within VTA TH-IR neurons in the mouse. We found that some mouse VGluT2 neurons coexpressed TH-IR, but their frequency was lower than in the rat. To determine whether low expression of TH mRNA or TH-IR accounts for this low frequency, we evaluated VTA cellular coexpression of TH transcripts and TH protein. Within the medial aspects of the VTA, some neurons expressed TH mRNA but lacked TH-IR; among them a subset coexpressed VGluT2 mRNA. To determine if lack of VTA TH-IR was due to TH trafficking, we tagged VTA TH neurons by Cre-inducible expression of mCherry in TH::Cre mice. By dual immunofluorescence, we detected axons containing mCherry, but lacking TH-IR, in the lateral habenula, indicating that low frequency of VGluT2 mRNA (+)/TH-IR (+) neurons in the mouse is due to lack of synthesis of TH protein, rather than TH protein trafficking. In conclusion, VGluT2 neurons are present in the rat and mouse VTA, but they differ in the populations of VGluT2/TH and TH neurons. Under normal conditions, the translation of TH protein is suppressed in the mouse mesohabenular TH neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
- TY. Current address, Department of Histology and Neurobiology, Dokkyo Medical University, 880 Kitakobayashi, Mibu-machi, Shimotsuga-gun, Tochigi, 321-0293 JAPAN,
| | | | - Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program. Neuronal Networks Section. 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program. Neuronal Networks Section. 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program. Neuronal Networks Section. 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224
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Polter AM, Kauer JA. Stress and VTA synapses: implications for addiction and depression. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 39:1179-88. [PMID: 24712997 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
While stressful experiences are a part of everyone's life, they can also exact a major toll on health. Stressful life experiences are associated with increased substance abuse, and there exists significant co-morbidity between mental illness and substance use disorders [N.D. Volkow & T.K. Li (2004) Nat. Rev. Neurosci., 5, 963-970; G. Koob & M.J. Kreek (2007) Am. J. Psych., 164, 1149-1159; R. Sinha (2008) Annals N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1141, 105-130]. The risk for development of mood or anxiety disorders after stress is positively associated with the risk for substance use disorders [R. Sinha (2008) Annals N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1141, 105-130], suggesting that there are common substrates for vulnerability to addictive and affective disorders. Understanding the molecular and physiological substrates of stress may lead to improved therapeutic interventions for the treatment of substance use disorders and mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Polter
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
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38
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Grieder TE, Herman MA, Contet C, Tan LA, Vargas-Perez H, Cohen A, Chwalek M, Maal-Bared G, Freiling J, Schlosburg JE, Clarke L, Crawford E, Koebel P, Repunte-Canonigo V, Sanna PP, Tapper AR, Roberto M, Kieffer BL, Sawchenko PE, Koob GF, van der Kooy D, George O. VTA CRF neurons mediate the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal and promote intake escalation. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1751-8. [PMID: 25402857 PMCID: PMC4241147 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are well known for mediating the positive reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. Here we identify in rodents and humans a population of VTA dopaminergic neurons expressing corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). We provide further evidence in rodents that chronic nicotine exposure upregulates Crh mRNA (encoding CRF) in dopaminergic neurons of the posterior VTA, activates local CRF1 receptors and blocks nicotine-induced activation of transient GABAergic input to dopaminergic neurons. Local downregulation of Crh mRNA and specific pharmacological blockade of CRF1 receptors in the VTA reversed the effect of nicotine on GABAergic input to dopaminergic neurons, prevented the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal and limited the escalation of nicotine intake. These results link the brain reward and stress systems in the same brain region to signaling of the negative motivational effects of nicotine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taryn E Grieder
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa A Herman
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Candice Contet
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Laura A Tan
- The Salk Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Hector Vargas-Perez
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ami Cohen
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michal Chwalek
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Geith Maal-Bared
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - John Freiling
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Joel E Schlosburg
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Laura Clarke
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Crawford
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pascale Koebel
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS / INSERM / Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Vez Repunte-Canonigo
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pietro P Sanna
- Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Andrew R Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- 1] Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, CNRS / INSERM / Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France. [2] Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Derek van der Kooy
- Institute of Medical Science and Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Olivier George
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
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39
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Qi J, Zhang S, Wang HL, Wang H, de Jesus Aceves Buendia J, Hoffman AF, Lupica CR, Seal RP, Morales M. A glutamatergic reward input from the dorsal raphe to ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5390. [PMID: 25388237 PMCID: PMC4231541 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of the dorsal raphe (DR) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) activates the fibres of the same reward pathway but the phenotype of this pathway and the direction of the reward-relevant fibres have not been determined. Here we report rewarding effects following activation of a DR-originating pathway consisting of vesicular glutamate transporter 3 (VGluT3) containing neurons that form asymmetric synapses onto VTA dopamine neurons that project to nucleus accumbens. Optogenetic VTA activation of this projection elicits AMPA-mediated synaptic excitatory currents in VTA mesoaccumbens dopaminergic neurons and causes dopamine release in nucleus accumbens. Activation also reinforces instrumental behaviour and establishes conditioned place preferences. These findings indicate that the DR-VGluT3 pathway to VTA utilizes glutamate as a neurotransmitter and is a substrate linking the DR-one of the most sensitive reward sites in the brain--to VTA dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Qi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Shiliang Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hui-Ling Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jose de Jesus Aceves Buendia
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander F. Hoffman
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Electrophysiology Research Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rebecca P. Seal
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Neuronal Networks Section, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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CRF-R2 and the heterosynaptic regulation of VTA glutamate during reinstatement of cocaine seeking. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10402-14. [PMID: 25080599 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0911-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress can reinstate cocaine seeking through an interaction between the stress hormone corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and glutamate release onto dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). To better understand the underlying causes, synaptic mechanisms were investigated in brain slices from rats. In control tissue, EPSCs displayed concentration-dependent, bimodal responses to CRF potentiation at low concentrations (3-100 nm) and attenuation at higher concentrations (300 nm). EPSC potentiation and attenuation were mediated by CRF-R1 and CRF-R2 receptor subtypes, respectively, localized to presynaptic terminals. The CRF-R2 attenuation was blocked by the GABA-B receptor antagonist CGP55843. Additional recordings of GABA-A IPSCs showed CRF-R2 activation-facilitated presynaptic release of GABA, suggesting that CRF-R2 may regulate glutamate release via heterosynaptic facilitation of GABA synapses. After chronic cocaine self-administration and extinction training, the sensitivity of glutamate and GABA receptors was unchanged. However, the ability of CRF-R2 agonists to depress EPSCs and potentiate IPSCs was diminished. After yohimbine plus cue reinstatement, the actions of CRF-R2 on GABA and glutamate release were reversed. CRF-R2 activation increased EPSCs as a result of a reduction of tonic GABA-dependent inhibition. After reinstatement, application of the A1 adenosine antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine increased GABA tone to inhibit the CRF-R2 action. Blockade of GABA-B receptors prevented both the CRF-R2 increase in EPSCs and the attenuation produced by 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine. These studies demonstrate that presynaptic CRF-R1/R2 tightly regulate glutamate transmission in the VTA via a concerted, heterosynaptic manner that may become altered by stress-related pathologies, such as addiction.
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41
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Single rodent mesohabenular axons release glutamate and GABA. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1543-51. [PMID: 25242304 PMCID: PMC4843828 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) is involved in reward, aversion, addiction and depression through descending interactions with several brain structures, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The VTA provides reciprocal inputs to LHb, but their actions are unclear. Here we show that the majority of rat and mouse VTA neurons innervating LHb coexpress markers for both glutamate signaling (vesicular glutamate transporter 2; VGluT2) and GABA signaling (glutamic acid decarboxylase; GAD, and vesicular GABA transporter; VGaT). A single axon from these mesohabenular neurons coexpresses VGluT2 protein and VGaT protein and, surprisingly, establishes symmetric and asymmetric synapses on LHb neurons. In LHb slices, light activation of mesohabenular fibers expressing channelrhodopsin2 driven by VGluT2 (Slc17a6) or VGaT (Slc32a1) promoters elicits release of both glutamate and GABA onto single LHb neurons. In vivo light activation of mesohabenular terminals inhibits or excites LHb neurons. Our findings reveal an unanticipated type of VTA neuron that cotransmits glutamate and GABA and provides the majority of mesohabenular inputs.
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Vranjkovic O, Gasser PJ, Gerndt CH, Baker DA, Mantsch JR. Stress-induced cocaine seeking requires a beta-2 adrenergic receptor-regulated pathway from the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis that regulates CRF actions in the ventral tegmental area. J Neurosci 2014; 34:12504-14. [PMID: 25209288 PMCID: PMC4160780 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0680-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) has been implicated in stress-induced cocaine use. Here we demonstrate that, in the vBNST, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is expressed in neurons that innervate the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a site where the CRF receptor antagonist antalarmin prevents the reinstatement of cocaine seeking by a stressor, intermittent footshock, following intravenous self-administration in rats. The vBNST receives dense noradrenergic innervation and expresses β adrenergic receptors (ARs). Footshock-induced reinstatement was prevented by bilateral intra-vBNST injection of the β-2 AR antagonist, ICI-118,551, but not the β-1 AR antagonist, betaxolol. Moreover, bilateral intra-vBNST injection of the β-2 AR agonist, clenbuterol, but not the β-1 agonist, dobutamine, reinstated cocaine seeking, suggesting that activation of vBNST β-2 AR is both necessary for stress-induced reinstatement and sufficient to induce cocaine seeking. The contribution of a β-2 AR-regulated vBNST-to-VTA pathway that releases CRF was investigated using a disconnection approach. Injection of ICI-118,551 into the vBNST in one hemisphere and antalarmin into the VTA of the contralateral hemisphere prevented footshock-induced reinstatement, whereas ipsilateral manipulations failed to attenuate stress-induced cocaine seeking, suggesting that β-2 AR regulate vBNST efferents that release CRF into the VTA, activating CRF receptors, and promoting cocaine use. Last, reinstatement by clenbuterol delivered bilaterally into the vBNST was prevented by bilateral vBNST pretreatment with antalarmin, indicating that β-2 AR-mediated actions in the vBNST also require local CRF receptor activation. Understanding the processes through which stress induces cocaine seeking should guide the development of new treatments for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Vranjkovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Paul J Gasser
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - Clayton H Gerndt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - David A Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201
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Su ZI, Wenzel J, Ettenberg A, Ben-Shahar O. Prior extended daily access to cocaine elevates the reward threshold in a conditioned place preference test. Addict Biol 2014; 19:826-37. [PMID: 23634951 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We have previously shown that extended-access subjects exhibit heightened motivation for cocaine in the runway model, as reflected by reduced number of retreats. This heightened motivation could reflect either an increase in cocaine-induced reward or a decrease in cocaine-induced aversion. The current experiment was therefore devised to assess the cocaine-induced reward and aversion in extended-access rats using a place conditioning test. Rats trained to lever press for intravenous (IV) cocaine (0.25 mg/infusion) were provided 6-hour daily access to the drug over 10 days. Lever pressing in control subjects produced IV infusions of saline. Following drug self-administration, subjects underwent place conditioning for the immediate or delayed effects of cocaine (1.0 or 2.5 mg/kg, IV). In control subjects, the immediate effects of the low dose of cocaine produced conditioned places preferences (CPPs), while the delayed effects produced conditioned place aversions (CPAs). In contrast, the animals receiving low cocaine dose for 6 hours, exhibited place aversions but not preferences; an effect that was reversed when the dose of cocaine was increased. Additionally, in the 6-hour group, delayed conditioning was associated with a reduction in zif268 immunoreactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens shell while immediate conditioning was associated with an increase in zif268-positive cells in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Collectively, these data suggest that extended daily access to cocaine produces a shift in the subject's perceived reward threshold that is paralleled by alterations in the activity of both the reward and stress pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zu-In Su
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; University of California; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Jennifer Wenzel
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; University of California; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Aaron Ettenberg
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; University of California; Santa Barbara CA USA
| | - Osnat Ben-Shahar
- Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; University of California; Santa Barbara CA USA
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Inhibitory effect of NMDA receptors in the ventral tegmental area on hormonal and eating behavior responses to stress in rats. Behav Neurol 2014; 2014:294149. [PMID: 25177106 PMCID: PMC4143587 DOI: 10.1155/2014/294149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2014] [Revised: 06/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress and its consequences are among the causes of accidents. OBJECTIVE The effects of intraventral tegmental area (I-VTA) memantine on the plasma corticosterone and eating parameters disturbance induced by acute stress were investigated. METHODS Male Wistar rats (W: 250-300 g) were divided into control and experiential groups, each of which received memantine either intra-VTA or peripherally. One week after bilateral cannulation, the rats received memantine (1 and 5 μg/Rat) five min before electroshock stress. The other experimental groups received memantine (1 and 5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 30 min before stress. The control groups received saline or memantine but did not experience stress. Food and water intake and plasma corticosterone level were recorded. RESULTS Results showed that stress decreases food intake but does not change water intake and increase in plasma corticosterone level. Intraperitoneal memantine administration slightly inhibits the stress effects on food intake. However, water intake and plasma corticosterone level were increased. Intra-VTA memantine reduces the effects of stress on corticosterone and water intake. CONCLUSION It could be concluded that inhibition of glutamate NMDA receptors in the VTA by memantine leads to the inhibition of the eating behavior parameters and plasma corticosterone level disturbance induced by stress in rats.
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Nikulina EM, Johnston CE, Wang J, Hammer RP. Neurotrophins in the ventral tegmental area: Role in social stress, mood disorders and drug abuse. Neuroscience 2014; 282:122-38. [PMID: 24875178 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses the impact of neurotrophins and other trophic factors, including fibroblast growth factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, on mood disorders, weight regulation and drug abuse, with an emphasis on stress- and drug-induced changes in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Neurotrophins, comprising nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophins 3 and 4/5 play important roles in neuronal plasticity and the development of different psychopathologies. In the VTA, most research has focused on the role of BDNF, because other neurotrophins are not found there in significant quantities. BDNF originating in the VTA provides trophic support to dopamine neurons. The diverse intracellular signaling pathways activated by BDNF may underlie precise physiological functions specific to the VTA. In general, VTA BDNF expression increases after psychostimulant exposures, and enhanced BDNF level in the VTA facilitates psychostimulant effects. The impact of VTA BDNF on the behavioral effects of psychostimulants relies primarily on its action within the mesocorticolimbic circuit. In the case of opiates, VTA BDNF expression and effects seem to be dependent on whether an animal is drug-naïve or has a history of drug use, only the latter of which is related to dopamine mechanisms. Social defeat stress that is continuous in mice or intermittent in rats increases VTA BDNF expression, and is associated with depressive and social avoidance behaviors. Intermittent social defeat stress induces persistent VTA BDNF expression that triggers psychostimulant cross-sensitization. Understanding the cellular and molecular substrates of neurotrophin effects may lead to novel therapeutic approaches for the prevention and treatment of substance use and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Nikulina
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
| | - C E Johnston
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - J Wang
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - R P Hammer
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Nordenankar K, Smith-Anttila CJA, Schweizer N, Viereckel T, Birgner C, Mejia-Toiber J, Morales M, Leao RN, Wallén-Mackenzie Å. Increased hippocampal excitability and impaired spatial memory function in mice lacking VGLUT2 selectively in neurons defined by tyrosine hydroxylase promoter activity. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:2171-90. [PMID: 24802380 PMCID: PMC4481332 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0778-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Three populations of neurons expressing the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (Vglut2) were recently described in the A10 area of the mouse midbrain, of which two populations were shown to express the gene encoding, the rate-limiting enzyme for catecholamine synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH).One of these populations ("TH-Vglut2 Class1") also expressed the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene while one did not ("TH-Vglut2 Class2"), and the remaining population did not express TH at all ("Vglut2-only"). TH is known to be expressed by a promoter which shows two phases of activation, a transient one early during embryonal development, and a later one which gives rise to stable endogenous expression of the TH gene. The transient phase is, however, not specific to catecholaminergic neurons, a feature taken to advantage here as it enabled Vglut2 gene targeting within all three A10 populations expressing this gene, thus creating a new conditional knockout. These knockout mice showed impairment in spatial memory function. Electrophysiological analyses revealed a profound alteration of oscillatory activity in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. In addition to identifying a novel role for Vglut2 in hippocampus function, this study points to the need for improved genetic tools for targeting of the diversity of subpopulations of the A10 area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Nordenankar
- Unit of Functional Neurobiology and Unit of Developmental Genetics, Biomedical Center, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Box 593, S-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden
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Boyson CO, Holly EN, Shimamoto A, Albrechet-Souza L, Weiner LA, DeBold JF, Miczek KA. Social stress and CRF-dopamine interactions in the VTA: role in long-term escalation of cocaine self-administration. J Neurosci 2014; 34:6659-67. [PMID: 24806691 PMCID: PMC4012317 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3942-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The nature of neuroadaptations in the genesis of escalated cocaine taking remains a topic of considerable interest. Intermittent social defeat stress induces both locomotor and dopaminergic cross-sensitization to cocaine, as well as escalated cocaine self-administration. The current study examines the role of corticotropin releasing factor receptor subtypes 1 and 2 (CRFR1, CRFR2) within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) during social defeat stress. This study investigated whether injecting either a CRFR1 or CRFR2 antagonist directly into the VTA before each social defeat would prevent the development of later (1) locomotor sensitization, (2) dopaminergic sensitization, and (3) escalated cocaine self-administration in rats. CRFR1 antagonist CP376395 (50 or 500 ng/side), CRFR2 antagonist Astressin2-B (100 or 1000 ng/side), or vehicle (aCSF) was microinjected into the VTA 20 min before social defeat stress (or handling) on days 1, 4, 7, and 10. Ten days later, rats were injected with cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and assessed for either locomotor sensitization, measured by walking activity, or dopaminergic sensitization, measured by extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) through in vivo microdialysis. Locomotor sensitization testing was followed by intravenous cocaine self-administration. Intra-VTA antagonism of CRFR1, but not CRFR2, inhibited the induction of locomotor cross-sensitization to cocaine, whereas both prevented dopaminergic cross-sensitization and escalated cocaine self-administration during a 24 h "binge." This may suggest dissociation between locomotor sensitization and cocaine taking. These data also suggest that interactions between CRF and VTA DA neurons projecting to the NAcSh are essential for the development of dopaminergic cross-sensitization to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth N. Holly
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, and
| | - Akiko Shimamoto
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, and
| | | | - Lindsay A. Weiner
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, and
| | - Joseph F. DeBold
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, and
| | - Klaus A. Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, and
- Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02110
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Karimi S, Attarzadeh-Yazdi G, Yazdi-Ravandi S, Hesam S, Azizi P, Razavi Y, Haghparast A. Forced swim stress but not exogenous corticosterone could induce the reinstatement of extinguished morphine conditioned place preference in rats: Involvement of glucocorticoid receptors in the basolateral amygdala. Behav Brain Res 2014; 264:43-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.01.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Revised: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Nimitvilai S, Herman M, You C, Arora DS, McElvain MA, Roberto M, Brodie MS. Dopamine D2 receptor desensitization by dopamine or corticotropin releasing factor in ventral tegmental area neurons is associated with increased glutamate release. Neuropharmacology 2014; 82:28-40. [PMID: 24657149 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the source of dopaminergic (DAergic) input to important brain regions related to addiction. Prolonged exposure of these VTA neurons to moderate concentrations of dopamine (DA) causes a time-dependent decrease in DA-induced inhibition, a complex desensitization called DA inhibition reversal (DIR). DIR is mediated by conventional protein kinase C (cPKC) through concurrent stimulation of D2 and D1-like DA receptors, or by D2 stimulation concurrent with activation of some Gq-linked receptors. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) acts via Gq, and can modulate glutamater neurotransmission in the VTA. In the present study, we used brain slice electrophysiology to characterize the interaction of DA, glutamate antagonists, and CRF agonists in the induction and maintenance of DIR in the VTA. Glutamate receptor antagonists blocked induction but not maintenance of DIR. Putative blockers of neurotransmitter release and store-operated calcium channels blocked and reversed DIR. CRF and the CRF agonist urocortin reversed inhibition produced by the D2 agonist quinpirole, consistent with our earlier work indicating that Gq activation reverses quinpirole-mediated inhibition. In whole cell recordings, the combination of urocortin and quinpirole, but not either agent alone, increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in VTA neurons. Likewise, the combination of a D1-like receptor agonist and quinpirole, but not either agent alone, increased sEPSCs in VTA neurons. In summary, desensitization of D2 receptors induced by dopamine or CRF on DAergic VTA neurons is associated with increased glutamatergic signaling in the VTA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudarat Nimitvilai
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA
| | - Melissa Herman
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, SP30-1150, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chang You
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA
| | - Devinder S Arora
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA
| | - Maureen A McElvain
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, SP30-1150, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mark S Brodie
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL 60612-7342, USA.
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McReynolds JR, Peña DF, Blacktop JM, Mantsch JR. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying relapse to cocaine use: contributions of CRF and noradrenergic systems and regulation by glucocorticoids. Stress 2014; 17:22-38. [PMID: 24328808 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.872617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering its pervasive and uncontrollable influence in drug addicts, understanding the neurobiological processes through which stress contributes to drug use is a critical goal for addiction researchers and will likely be important for the development of effective medications aimed at relapse prevention. In this paper, we review work from our laboratory and others focused on determining the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie and contribute to stress-induced relapse of cocaine use with an emphasis on the actions of corticotropin-releasing factor in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and a key pathway from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the VTA that is regulated by norepinephrine and beta adrenergic receptors. Additionally, we discuss work suggesting that the influence of stress in cocaine addiction changes and intensifies with repeated cocaine use in an intake-dependent manner and examine the potential role of glucocorticoid hormones in the underlying drug-induced neuroadaptations. It is our hope that research in this area will inform clinical practice and medication development aimed at minimizing the contribution of stress to the addiction cycle, thereby improving treatment outcomes and reducing the societal costs of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayme R McReynolds
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University , Milwaukee, WI , USA
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