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Kuhn BN, Cannella N, Chitre AS, Nguyen KMH, Cohen K, Chen D, Peng B, Ziegler KS, Lin B, Johnson BB, Missfeldt Sanches T, Crow AD, Lunerti V, Gupta A, Dereschewitz E, Soverchia L, Hopkins JL, Roberts AT, Ubaldi M, Abdulmalek S, Kinen A, Hardiman G, Chung D, Polesskaya O, Solberg Woods LC, Ciccocioppo R, Kalivas PW, Palmer AA. Genome-wide association study reveals multiple loci for nociception and opioid consumption behaviors associated with heroin vulnerability in outbred rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582340. [PMID: 38712202 PMCID: PMC11071306 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The increased prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) makes it imperative to disentangle the biological mechanisms contributing to individual differences in OUD vulnerability. OUD shows strong heritability, however genetic variants contributing toward vulnerability remain poorly defined. We performed a genome-wide association study using over 850 male and female heterogeneous stock (HS) rats to identify genes underlying behaviors associated with OUD such as nociception, as well as heroin-taking, extinction and seeking behaviors. By using an animal model of OUD, we were able to identify genetic variants associated with distinct OUD behaviors while maintaining a uniform environment, an experimental design not easily achieved in humans. Furthermore, we used a novel non-linear network-based clustering approach to characterize rats based on OUD vulnerability to assess genetic variants associated with OUD susceptibility. Our findings confirm the heritability of several OUD-like behaviors, including OUD susceptibility. Additionally, several genetic variants associated with nociceptive threshold prior to heroin experience, heroin consumption, escalation of intake, and motivation to obtain heroin were identified. Tom1 , a microglial component, was implicated for nociception. Several genes involved in dopaminergic signaling, neuroplasticity and substance use disorders, including Brwd1 , Pcp4, Phb1l2 and Mmp15 were implicated for the heroin traits. Additionally, an OUD vulnerable phenotype was associated with genetic variants for consumption and break point, suggesting a specific genetic contribution for OUD-like traits contributing to vulnerability. Together, these findings identify novel genetic markers related to the susceptibility to OUD-relevant behaviors in HS rats.
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Gyawali U, Martin DA, Sun F, Li Y, Calu D. Dopamine in the dorsal bed nucleus of stria terminalis signals Pavlovian sign-tracking and reward violations. eLife 2023; 12:e81980. [PMID: 37232554 PMCID: PMC10219648 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81980] [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: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Midbrain and striatal dopamine signals have been extremely well characterized over the past several decades, yet novel dopamine signals and functions in reward learning and motivation continue to emerge. A similar characterization of real-time sub-second dopamine signals in areas outside of the striatum has been limited. Recent advances in fluorescent sensor technology and fiber photometry permit the measurement of dopamine binding correlates, which can divulge basic functions of dopamine signaling in non-striatal dopamine terminal regions, like the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST). Here, we record GRABDA signals in the dBNST during a Pavlovian lever autoshaping task. We observe greater Pavlovian cue-evoked dBNST GRABDA signals in sign-tracking (ST) compared to goal-tracking/intermediate (GT/INT) rats and the magnitude of cue-evoked dBNST GRABDA signals decreases immediately following reinforcer-specific satiety. When we deliver unexpected rewards or omit expected rewards, we find that dBNST dopamine signals encode bidirectional reward prediction errors in GT/INT rats, but only positive prediction errors in ST rats. Since sign- and goal-tracking approach strategies are associated with distinct drug relapse vulnerabilities, we examined the effects of experimenter-administered fentanyl on dBNST dopamine associative encoding. Systemic fentanyl injections do not disrupt cue discrimination but generally potentiate dBNST dopamine signals. These results reveal multiple dBNST dopamine correlates of learning and motivation that depend on the Pavlovian approach strategy employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utsav Gyawali
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - David A Martin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Fangmiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Donna Calu
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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Kuhn BN, Cannella N, Crow AD, Roberts AT, Lunerti V, Allen C, Nall RW, Hardiman G, Woods LCS, Chung D, Ciccocioppo R, Kalivas PW. Novelty-induced locomotor behavior predicts heroin addiction vulnerability in male, but not female, rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3605-3620. [PMID: 36112154 PMCID: PMC9632364 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06235-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ongoing rise in opioid use disorder (OUD) has made it imperative to better model the individual variation within the human population that contributes to OUD vulnerability. Using animal models that capture such variation can be a useful tool. Individual variation in novelty-induced locomotion is predictive of substance use disorder (SUD) propensity. In this model, rats are characterized as high-responders (HR) or low-responders (LR) using a median split based on distance travelled during a locomotor test, and HR rats are generally found to exhibit a more SUD vulnerable behavioral phenotype. OBJECTIVES The HR/LR model has commonly been used to assess behaviors in male rats using psychostimulants, with limited knowledge of the predictive efficacy of this model in females or the use of an opioid as the reward. In the current study, we assessed several behaviors across the different phases of drug addiction (heroin taking, refraining, and seeking) in over 500 male and female heterogeneous stock rats run at two geographically separate locations. Rats were characterized as HRs or LRs within each sex for analysis. RESULTS Overall, females exhibit a more OUD vulnerable phenotype relative to males. Additionally, the HR/LR model was predictive of OUD-like behaviors in male, but not female rats. Furthermore, phenotypes did not differ in anxiety-related behaviors, reacquisition of heroin-taking, or punished heroin-taking behavior in either sex. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize the importance of assessing females in models of individual variation in SUD and highlight limitations in using the HR/LR model to assess OUD propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Kuhn
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | | | - Ayteria D Crow
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Analyse T Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | | | - Carter Allen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rusty W Nall
- Department of Psychology, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL, USA
| | - Gary Hardiman
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Dongjun Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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Martin DA, Keefer SE, Calu DJ. Investigating discriminative stimulus modulation of opioid seeking after conflict-induced abstinence in sign- and goal-tracking rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3223-3236. [PMID: 35971032 PMCID: PMC10500549 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06204-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Discriminative stimuli (DS) are cues that predict reward availability. DS are resistant to extinction and motivate drug seeking even after long periods of abstinence. Previous studies have demonstrated that sign-tracking (ST) and goal-tracking (GT) differences in Pavlovian approach predict distinct cue-modulated vulnerabilities to cocaine reinstatement. GT rats show heightened reinstatement to contextual and DS, while ST rats show heightened reinstatement to discrete stimuli. Here we examine whether DS modulate reinstatement after electric barrier-induced abstinence and whether tracking-related relapse vulnerabilities generalize to opioid relapse. OBJECTIVES We examine whether DS-modulated reinstatement to fentanyl seeking persists in the presence of reduced adverse consequences after electric barrier-induced abstinence. We also examine whether tracking differences predict the magnitude of DS-modulated reinstatement of fentanyl seeking after electric barrier-induced abstinence. METHODS We used Pavlovian lever autoshaping (PLA) training to determine sign-, goal-, and intermediate tracking groups in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. We then trained rats in a DS model of intermittent fentanyl self-administration, and extinguished drug seeking by imposing an electric barrier of increasing intensity. We then measured the level of DS-modulated reinstatement in the presence of a reduced electric barrier intensity. RESULTS We report that DS strongly modulate fentanyl seeking after electric barrier-induced abstinence. DS-modulation of fentanyl acquisition, electric barrier-induced abstinence, and reinstatement was similar for sign- and goal-tracking groups. CONCLUSIONS Discriminative stimuli powerfully motivate opioid seeking, despite continued aversive consequences. Pavlovian approach differences do not predict the level of DS-modulated reinstatement to fentanyl seeking after conflict-induced abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Martin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Sara E Keefer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Donna J Calu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
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