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Gonzalez AE, Jorgensen ET, Ramos JD, Harkness JH, Aadland JA, Brown TE, Sorg BA. Impact of Perineuronal Net Removal in the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortex on Parvalbumin Interneurons After Reinstatement of Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:932391. [PMID: 35966203 PMCID: PMC9366391 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.932391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parvalbumin (PV)-positive cells are GABAergic fast-spiking interneurons that modulate the activity of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and their output to brain areas associated with learning and memory. The majority of PV cells within the mPFC are surrounded by a specialized extracellular matrix structure called the perineuronal net (PNN). We have shown that removal of PNNs with the enzyme chondroitinase-ABC (Ch-ABC) in the mPFC prevents the consolidation and reconsolidation of cocaine-associated conditioned place preference (CPP) memories. Here we examined the extent to which retrieval of a CPP memory during cocaine-primed reinstatement altered the levels and function of PV neurons and their surrounding PNNs during the reconsolidation period. We further determined the extent to which PNN removal prior to reinstatement altered PV intensity levels and PV cell function. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained for cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) followed by extinction training, microinjection of Ch-ABC in the prelimbic PFC, and cocaine-induced reinstatement. Rats were sacrificed immediately prior to reinstatement or at 2 h, 6 h, or 48 h after reinstatement for immunohistochemistry or 2 h later for electrophysiology. Our findings indicate that PNN removal only partially diminished reinstatement. Cocaine-primed reinstatement produced only minor changes in PNN or PV intensity in vehicle controls. However, after PNN removal, the intensity of remaining PNN-surrounded PV cells was decreased at all times except at 2 h post-reinstatement, at which time cocaine increased PV intensity. Consistent with this, in vehicle controls, PV neurons naturally devoid of PNNs showed a similar pattern to Ch-ABC-treated rats prior to and after cocaine reinstatement, suggesting a protective effect of PNNs on cocaine-induced changes in PV intensity. Using whole-cell patch-clamp, cocaine-primed reinstatement in Ch-ABC-treated rats decreased the number of elicited action potentials but increased excitatory synaptic transmission, which may have been compensatory. These findings suggest that without PNNs, cocaine-induced reinstatement produces rapid changes in PV intensity and PV cell excitability, which may in turn regulate output of the mPFC post-memory retrieval and diminish the maintenance of cocaine memory during reconsolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E. Gonzalez
- Program in Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
- Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Emily T. Jorgensen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program and School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Jonathan D. Ramos
- Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - Jake A. Aadland
- Neuroscience Graduate Program and School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Travis E. Brown
- Neuroscience Graduate Program and School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Barbara A. Sorg
- Program in Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States
- Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Barbara A. Sorg
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Martin MM, Graham DL, McCarthy DM, Bhide PG, Stanwood GD. Cocaine-induced neurodevelopmental deficits and underlying mechanisms. BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH. PART C, EMBRYO TODAY : REVIEWS 2016; 108:147-73. [PMID: 27345015 PMCID: PMC5538582 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to drugs early in life has complex and long-lasting implications for brain structure and function. This review summarizes work to date on the immediate and long-term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. In utero cocaine exposure produces disruptions in brain monoamines, particularly dopamine, during sensitive periods of brain development, and leads to permanent changes in specific brain circuits, molecules, and behavior. Here, we integrate clinical studies and significance with mechanistic preclinical studies, to define our current knowledge base and identify gaps for future investigation. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:147-173, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M. Martin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Devon L. Graham
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Deirdre M. McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Pradeep G. Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Gregg D. Stanwood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida
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McCarthy DM, Kabir ZD, Bhide PG, Kosofsky BE. Effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine on brain structure and function. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 211:277-89. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63425-2.00012-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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Kabir ZD, Katzman AC, Kosofsky BE. Molecular mechanisms mediating a deficit in recall of fear extinction in adult mice exposed to cocaine in utero. PLoS One 2013; 8:e84165. [PMID: 24358339 PMCID: PMC3866142 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure has been shown to alter cognitive processes of exposed individuals, presumed to be a result of long-lasting molecular alterations in the brain. In adult prenatal cocaine exposed (PCOC) mice we have identified a deficit in recall of fear extinction, a behavior that is dependent on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus. While we observed no change in the constitutive expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and mRNA in the mPFC and hippocampus of adult PCOC mice, we observed blunted BDNF signaling in the mPFC of adult PCOC mice after fear extinction compared to the control animals. Specifically, during the consolidation phase of the extinction memory, we observed a decrease in BDNF protein and it’s phospho-TrkB receptor expression. Interestingly, at this same time point there was a significant increase in total Bdnf mRNA levels in the mPFC of PCOC mice as compared with controls. In the Bdnf gene, we identified decreased constitutive binding of the transcription factors, MeCP2 and P-CREB at the promoters of Bdnf exons I and IV in the mPFC of PCOC mice, that unlike control mice remained unchanged when measured during the behavior. Finally, bilateral infusion of recombinant BDNF protein into the infralimbic subdivision of the mPFC during the consolidation phase of the extinction memory rescued the behavioral deficit in PCOC mice. In conclusion, these findings extend our knowledge of the neurobiologic impact of prenatal cocaine exposure on the mPFC of mice, which may lead to improved clinical recognition and treatment of exposed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeeba D. Kabir
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
- Brain and Mind Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Aaron C. Katzman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States of America
| | - Barry E. Kosofsky
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
- Brain and Mind Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Developmental disruption of gamma-aminobutyric acid function in the medial prefrontal cortex by noncontingent cocaine exposure during early adolescence. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:490-501. [PMID: 23558299 PMCID: PMC3722277 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.02.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2012] [Revised: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug experimentation during adolescence is associated with increased risk of drug addiction relative to any other age group. To further understand the neurobiology underlying such liability, we investigate how early adolescent cocaine experience impacts medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) network function in adulthood. METHODS A noncontingent administration paradigm was used to assess the impact of early adolescent cocaine treatment (rats; postnatal days [PD] 35-40) on the overall inhibitory regulation of mPFC activity in adulthood (PD 65-75) by means of histochemical and in vivo electrophysiological measures combined with pharmacologic manipulations. RESULTS Cocaine exposure during early adolescence yields a distinctive hypermetabolic prefrontal cortex state that was not observed in adult-treated rats (PD 75-80). Local field potential recordings revealed that early adolescent cocaine exposure is associated with an attenuation of mPFC gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition evoked by ventral hippocampal stimulation at beta and gamma frequencies that endures throughout adulthood. Such cocaine-induced mPFC disinhibition was not observed in adult-exposed animals. Furthermore, the normal developmental upregulation of parvalbumin immunoreactivity observed in the mPFC from PD 35 to PD 65 is lacking following early adolescent cocaine treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that repeated cocaine exposure during early adolescence can elicit a state of mPFC disinhibition resulting from a functional impairment of the local prefrontal GABAergic network that endures through adulthood. A lack of acquisition of prefrontal GABAergic function during adolescence could trigger long-term deficits in the mPFC that may increase the susceptibility for the onset of substance abuse and related psychiatric disorders.
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Milstein JA, Elnabawi A, Vinish M, Swanson T, Enos JK, Bailey AM, Kolb B, Frost DO. Olanzapine treatment of adolescent rats causes enduring specific memory impairments and alters cortical development and function. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57308. [PMID: 23437365 PMCID: PMC3577739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Antipsychotic drugs are increasingly used in children and adolescents to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders. However, little is known about the long-term effects of early life antipsychotic drug treatment. Most antipsychotic drugs are potent antagonists or partial agonists of dopamine D2 receptors; atypical antipsychotic drugs also antagonize type 2A serotonin receptors. Dopamine and serotonin regulate many neurodevelopmental processes. Thus, early life antipsychotic drug treatment can, potentially, perturb these processes, causing long-term behavioral- and neurobiological impairments. Here, we treated adolescent, male rats with olanzapine on post-natal days 28-49. As adults, they exhibited impaired working memory, but normal spatial memory, as compared to vehicle-treated control rats. They also showed a deficit in extinction of fear conditioning. Measures of motor activity and skill, habituation to an open field, and affect were normal. In the orbital- and medial prefrontal cortices, parietal cortex, nucleus accumbens core and dentate gyrus, adolescent olanzapine treatment altered the developmental dynamics and mature values of dendritic spine density in a region-specific manner. Measures of motor activity and skill, habituation to an open field, and affect were normal. In the orbital- and medial prefrontal cortices, D1 binding was reduced and binding of GABA(A) receptors with open Cl(-) channels was increased. In medial prefrontal cortex, D2 binding was also increased. The persistence of these changes underscores the importance of improved understanding of the enduring sequelae of pediatric APD treatment as a basis for weighing the benefits and risks of adolescent antipsychotic drug therapy, especially prophylactic treatment in high risk, asymptomatic patients. The long-term changes in neurotransmitter receptor binding and neural circuitry induced by adolescent APD treatment may also cause enduring changes in behavioral- and neurobiological responses to other therapeutic- or illicit psychotropic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean A. Milstein
- Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ahmed Elnabawi
- Dept. of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Monika Vinish
- Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas Swanson
- Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jennifer K. Enos
- Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Aileen M. Bailey
- Dept. of Psychology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Bryan Kolb
- University of Lethbridge, Canadian Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Douglas O. Frost
- Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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Kabir ZD, Lourenco F, Byrne ME, Katzman A, Lee F, Rajadhyaksha AM, Kosofsky BE. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor genotype impacts the prenatal cocaine-induced mouse phenotype. Dev Neurosci 2012; 34:184-97. [PMID: 22572518 DOI: 10.1159/000337712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal cocaine exposure leads to persistent alterations in the growth factor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and hippocampus, brain regions important in cognitive functioning. BDNF plays an important role in the strengthening of existing synaptic connections as well as in the formation of new contacts during learning. A single nucleotide polymorphism in the BDNF gene (Val66Met), leading to a Met substitution for Val at codon 66 in the prodomain, is common in human populations, with an allele frequency of 20-30% in Caucasians. To study the interaction between prenatal cocaine exposure and BDNF, we have utilized a line of BDNF Val66Met transgenic mice on a Swiss Webster background in which BDNF(Met) is endogenously expressed. Examination of baseline levels of mature BDNF protein in the mPFC of prenatally cocaine-treated wild-type (Val66Val) and Val66Met mice revealed significantly lower levels compared to prenatally saline-treated mice. In contrast, in the hippocampus of prenatally saline- and cocaine-treated adult Val66Met mice, there were significantly lower levels of mature BDNF protein compared to Val66Val mice. In extinction of a conditioned fear, we found that prenatally cocaine-treated Val66Met mice had a deficit in recall of extinction. Examination of mature BDNF protein levels immediately after the test for extinction recall revealed lower levels in the mPFC of prenatally cocaine-treated Val66Met mice compared to saline-treated mice. However, 2 h after the extinction test, there was increased BDNF exons I, IV, and IX mRNA expression in the prelimbic cortex of the mPFC in the prenatally cocaine-treated BDNF Val66Met mice compared to prenatally saline-treated mice. Taken together, our results suggest the possibility that prenatal cocaine-induced constitutive alterations in BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the mPFC differentially poises animals for alterations in behaviorally induced gene activation, which are interactive with BDNF genotype and differentially impact those behaviors. Such findings in our prenatal cocaine mouse model suggest a gene X environment interaction of potential clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeeba D Kabir
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA
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8
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McCarthy DM, Bhide PG. Prenatal Cocaine Exposure Decreases Parvalbumin-Immunoreactive Neurons and GABA-to-Projection Neuron Ratio in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Dev Neurosci 2012; 34:174-83. [DOI: 10.1159/000337172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Harrill JA, Freudenrich TM, Robinette BL, Mundy WR. Comparative sensitivity of human and rat neural cultures to chemical-induced inhibition of neurite outgrowth. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2011; 256:268-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2011.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 02/15/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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10
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Prenatal cocaine exposure enhances long-term potentiation induction in rat medial prefrontal cortex. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2011; 14:431-43. [PMID: 20236575 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145710000258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to cocaine has been reported to produce long-lasting cognitive deficits, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report that the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) at excitatory synapses onto layer V pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is facilitated in rats exposed to cocaine in utero (3 mg/kg, intravenous twice daily during embryonic days 10-20). This facilitated LTP is caused by a reduction of A-type γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA(A)) receptor-mediated inhibition of mPFC pyramidal neurons. Biochemical experiments revealed a significant decrease in the surface expression of GABA(A) receptor α₁ subunits and total protein levels of γ₂ and δ subunits in mPFC slices from rats exposed to cocaine in utero. Prenatal cocaine exposure also leads to enhanced mPFC pyramidal neuronal excitability. However, the development of behavioural sensitization to repeated cocaine administration was impaired in rats that were exposed to cocaine in utero. These results suggest that prenatal cocaine exposure causes a long-lasting reduction of GABAergic inhibition in mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons, leading to an increased susceptibility of excitatory synapses to LTP induction during the postnatal period.
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Harrill JA, Robinette BL, Mundy WR. Use of high content image analysis to detect chemical-induced changes in synaptogenesis in vitro. Toxicol In Vitro 2011; 25:368-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2010.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2010] [Revised: 10/12/2010] [Accepted: 10/14/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Now You See It, Now You Don't—Closing in on Allostasis and Developmental Basis of Psychiatric Disorders. Neuron 2010; 65:437-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Specificity of prenatal cocaine exposure effects on cortical interneurons is independent from dopamine D1 receptor co-localization. J Chem Neuroanat 2010; 39:228-34. [PMID: 20080176 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2010.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 01/11/2010] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Gestational cocaine exposure in a rabbit model leads to a persistent increase in parvalbumin immunoreactive cells and processes, reduces dopamine D1 receptor coupling to Gsalpha by means of improper trafficking of the receptor, changes pyramidal neuron morphology, and disrupts cognitive function. Here, experiments investigated whether changes in parvalbumin neurons were specific, or extended to other subpopulations of interneurons. Additionally, we examined dopamine D1 receptor expression patterns and its overlap with specific interneuron populations in the rabbit prefrontal cortex as a possible correlate for alterations in interneuron development following prenatal cocaine exposure. Analysis of calbindin and calretinin interneuron subtypes revealed that they did not exhibit any differences in cell number or process development. Thus, specific consequences of prenatal cocaine in the rabbit appear to be limited to parvalbumin-positive interneurons. Dopamine D1 receptor expression did not correlate with the selective effects of cocaine exposure, however, as both parvalbumin and calbindin cell types expressed the receptor. The findings suggest that additional, unique properties of parvalbumin neurons contribute to their developmental sensitivity to in utero cocaine exposure.
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Cocaine exposure in utero alters synaptic plasticity in the medial prefrontal cortex of postnatal rats. J Neurosci 2009; 29:12664-74. [PMID: 19812341 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1984-09.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine exposure during pregnancy causes abnormality in fetal brain development, leading to cognitive dysfunction of the offspring, but the underlying cellular mechanism remains mostly unclear. In this study, we examined synaptic functions in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of postnatal rats that were exposed to cocaine in utero, using whole-cell recording from mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons in acute brain slices. Cocaine exposure in utero resulted in a facilitated activity-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory synapses on these pyramidal neurons and an elevated neuronal excitability in postnatal rat pups after postnatal day 15 (P15). This facilitated LTP could be primarily attributed to the reduction of GABAergic inhibition. Biochemical assays of isolated mPFC tissue from postnatal rats further showed that cocaine exposure in utero caused a marked reduction in the surface expression of GABA(A) receptor subunits alpha1, beta2, and beta3, but had no effect on glutamate receptor subunit GluR1. Both facilitated LTP and reduced surface expression of GABA(A) receptors persisted in rats up to at least P42. Finally, the behavioral consequence of cocaine exposure in utero was reflected by the reduction in the sensitivity of locomotor activity in postnatal rats to cocaine and the dopamine receptor agonist apomorphine. Since the mPFC is an important part of the reward circuit in the rat brain and plays important roles in cognitive functions, these findings offer new insights into the cellular mechanism underlying the adverse effects of cocaine exposure in utero on brain development and cognitive functions.
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Avants BB, Hurt H, Giannetta JM, Epstein CL, Shera DM, Rao H, Wang J, Gee JC. Effects of heavy in utero cocaine exposure on adolescent caudate morphology. Pediatr Neurol 2007; 37:275-9. [PMID: 17903672 DOI: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2007.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2006] [Revised: 01/26/2007] [Accepted: 06/07/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We assess the effects of in utero cocaine and polysubstance exposure on the adolescent caudate nucleus through high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Cocaine exposure may compromise the developing brain through disruption of neural ontogeny in dopaminergic systems, effects secondary to fetal hypoxemia, or altered cerebrovascular reactivity. Cocaine exposure may also lead to neonatal lesions in the caudate. However, long-term or latent effects of intrauterine cocaine exposure are rarely found. We use T(1)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to quantify caudate nucleus morphology in matched control and exposed groups. The literature suggests that in utero cocaine exposure consequences in adolescents may be subtle, or masked by other variables. Our comparison focuses on contrasting the control group with high-exposure subjects (mothers who reported 2 median of 117 days of cocaine use during pregnancy; 82% tested positive for cocaine use at term). We use advanced image registration and segmentation tools to quantify left and right caudate morphology. Our results indicate that the caudate is significantly larger in controls versus subjects (P < 0.0025), implying cocaine exposure-related detriments to the dopaminergic system. The right (P < 0.025) and left (P < 0.035) caudate, studied independently, show the same significant trend. Permutation testing and the false discovery rate were used to assess significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian B Avants
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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Gray JD, Punsoni M, Tabori NE, Melton JT, Fanslow V, Ward MJ, Zupan B, Menzer D, Rice J, Drake CT, Romeo RD, Brake WG, Torres-Reveron A, Milner TA. Methylphenidate administration to juvenile rats alters brain areas involved in cognition, motivated behaviors, appetite, and stress. J Neurosci 2007; 27:7196-207. [PMID: 17611273 PMCID: PMC6794586 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0109-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of children receive methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin) for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet the long-term neurochemical consequences of MPH treatment are unknown. To mimic clinical Ritalin treatment in children, male rats were injected with MPH (5 mg/kg) or vehicle twice daily from postnatal day 7 (PND7)-PND35. At the end of administration (PND35) or in adulthood (PND135), brain sections from littermate pairs were immunocytochemically labeled for neurotransmitters and cytological markers in 16 regions implicated in MPH effects and/or ADHD etiology. At PND35, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats given MPH showed 55% greater immunoreactivity (-ir) for the catecholamine marker tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), 60% more Nissl-stained cells, and 40% less norepinephrine transporter (NET)-ir density. In hippocampal dentate gyrus, MPH-receiving rats showed a 51% decrease in NET-ir density and a 61% expanded distribution of the new-cell marker PSA-NCAM (polysialylated form of neural cell adhesion molecule). In medial striatum, TH-ir decreased by 21%, and in hypothalamus neuropeptide Y-ir increased by 10% in MPH-exposed rats. At PND135, MPH-exposed rats exhibited decreased anxiety in the elevated plus-maze and a trend for decreased TH-ir in the mPFC. Neither PND35 nor PND135 rats showed major structural differences with MPH exposure. These findings suggest that developmental exposure to high therapeutic doses of MPH has short-term effects on select neurotransmitters in brain regions involved in motivated behaviors, cognition, appetite, and stress. Although the observed neuroanatomical changes largely resolve with time, chronic modulation of young brains with MPH may exert effects on brain neurochemistry that modify some behaviors even in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D. Gray
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Michael Punsoni
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Nora E. Tabori
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, and
| | - Jay T. Melton
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Victoria Fanslow
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Mary J. Ward
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10021
| | - Bojana Zupan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - David Menzer
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Jackson Rice
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Carrie T. Drake
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
| | - Russell D. Romeo
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, and
| | - Wayne G. Brake
- Centre for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada H4B 1R6
| | | | - Teresa A. Milner
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Neurology and Neuroscience and
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, and
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Morrow BA, Elsworth JD, Roth RH. Repeated phencyclidine in monkeys results in loss of parvalbumin-containing axo-axonic projections in the prefrontal cortex. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2007; 192:283-90. [PMID: 17265073 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2006] [Accepted: 01/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Repeated exposure to the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist, phencyclidine, has been shown to result in biochemical and cognitive changes similar to aspects of schizophrenia. Recently, emerging evidence indicated that the symptoms of schizophrenia might result at least in part from dysfunction of local circuit neurons containing parvalbumin, including a loss of their axo-axonic projections to pyramidal neurons. OBJECTIVES In this report, we test if repeated exposure to phencyclidine in the primate shares this change to parvalbumin-containing cells and their axo-axonic structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight adult male African green monkeys were treated with saline or phencyclidine (0.3 mg/kg BID x 14 days) and, after 8 days drug-free, perfused and fixed, and the principal sulcus was collected (Walker's area 46) for immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS Prior treatment with phencyclidine resulted in a 40% reduction in the density of parvalbumin-containing axo-axonic structures. There was no apparent change in the lengths or laminar location of the axo-axonic projections. Additionally, there was no change in the total density or laminar location of parvalbumin-containing or calretinin-containing cell bodies in area 46. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that repeated treatment with phencyclidine results in plastic changes in parvalbumin-containing local circuit neurons in the prefrontal cortex similar to that reported in schizophrenia and that these changes may contribute to the common cognitive disruption seen in both schizophrenic patients and the phencyclidine monkey model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret A Morrow
- Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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Morrow BA, Hajszan T, Leranth C, Elsworth JD, Roth RH. Prenatal exposure to cocaine is associated with increased number of spine synapses in rat prelimbic cortex. Synapse 2007; 61:862-5. [PMID: 17630673 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to cocaine has been associated with cognitive deficits in children and in animal models. An excess activation of pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex has been proposed as a potential cause for these deficits based on previous studies. The goal of this study was to determine if prenatal exposure to cocaine was associated with an increase in the number of excitatory synapses on dendritic spines in layer II/III of the prelimbic cortex. Frontal cortex of young adult male and female rats, exposed to either saline or cocaine (3 mg/kg i.e., twice a day, embryonic day 10-20), were examined using electron microscopy and the number of asymmetric spines synapses were estimated using the physical disector method. Both male and female rats prenatally exposed to cocaine had about twice as many synapses on dendritic spines as the prenatal saline controls. The increase in number of excitatory synaptic inputs associated with prenatal cocaine exposure could contribute to the increased neuronal activation and cognitive deficits noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret A Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuropsychopharmacology Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
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