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Khatri SN, Ulangkaya H, Maher EE, Sadek S, Hong M, Woodcox AM, Stoops WW, Gipson CD. Oxycodone withdrawal is associated with increased cocaine self-administration and aberrant accumbens glutamate plasticity in rats. Neuropharmacology 2024; 242:109773. [PMID: 37865136 PMCID: PMC10842432 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) frequently use other substances, including cocaine. Opioid withdrawal is associated with increased likelihood of cocaine use, which may represent an attempt to ameliorate opioid withdrawal effects. Clinically, 30% of co-using individuals take opioids and cocaine exclusively in a sequential manner. Preclinical studies evaluating mechanisms of drug use typically study drugs in isolation. However, polysubstance use is a highly prevalent clinical issue and thus, we established a novel preclinical model of sequential oxycodone and cocaine self-administration (SA) whereby rats acquired oxycodone and cocaine SA in an A-B-A-B design. Somatic signs of withdrawal were evaluated at 0, 22, and 24h following oxycodone SA, with the 24h timepoint representing somatic signs immediately following cocaine SA. Preclinically, aberrant glutamate signaling within the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) occurs following use of cocaine or opioids, whereby medium spiny neurons (MSNs) rest in a potentiated or depotentiated state, respectively. Further, NAcore glial glutamate transport via GLT-1 is downregulated following SA of either drug alone. However, it is not clear if cocaine can exacerbate opioid-induced changes in glutamate signaling. In this study, NAcore GLT-1 protein and glutamate plasticity were measured (via AMPA/NMDA ratio) following SA. Rats acquired SA of both oxycodone and cocaine regardless of sex, and the acute oxycodone-induced increase in somatic signs at 22h was positively correlated with cocaine consumption during the cocaine testing phase. Cocaine use following oxycodone SA downregulated GLT-1 and reduced AMPA/NMDA ratios compared to cocaine use following food SA. Further, oxycodone SA alone was associated with reduced AMPA/NMDA ratio. Together, behavioral signs of oxycodone withdrawal may drive cocaine use and further dysregulate NAcore glutamate signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailesh N Khatri
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Hanaa Ulangkaya
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Erin E Maher
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Safiyah Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Andrea M Woodcox
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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Maher EE, White AM, Craig A, Khatri S, Kendrick PT, Matocha ME, Bondy EO, Pallem N, Breakfield G, Botkins M, Sweatt O, Griffin WC, Kaplan B, Weafer JJ, Beckmann JS, Gipson CD. Synthetic contraceptive hormones occlude the ability of nicotine to reduce ethanol consumption in ovary-intact female rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 252:110983. [PMID: 37778097 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Rates of tobacco and alcohol use in women are rising, and women are more vulnerable than men to escalating tobacco and alcohol use. Many women use hormonal birth control, with the oral contraceptive pill being the most prevalent. Oral contraceptives contain both a progestin (synthetic progesterone) and a synthetic estrogen (ethinyl estradiol; EE) and are contraindicated for women over 35 years who smoke. Despite this, no studies have examined how synthetic contraceptive hormones impact this pattern of polysubstance use in females. To address this critical gap in the field, we treated ovary-intact female rats with either sesame oil (vehicle), the progestin levonorgestrel (LEVO; contained in formulations such as Alesse®), or the combination of EE+LEVO in addition to either undergoing single (nicotine or saline) or polydrug (nicotine and ethanol; EtOH) self-administration (SA) in a sequential use model. Rats preferred EtOH over water following extended EtOH drinking experience as well as after nicotine or saline SA experience, and rats undergoing only nicotine SA (water controls) consumed more nicotine as compared to rats co-using EtOH and nicotine. Importantly, this effect was occluded in groups treated with contraceptive hormones. In the sequential use group, both LEVO alone and the EE+LEVO combination occluded the ability of nicotine to decrease EtOH consumption. Interestingly, demand experiments suggest an economic substitute effect between nicotine and EtOH. Together, we show that chronic synthetic hormone exposure impacts nicotine and EtOH sequential use, demonstrating the crucial need to understand how chronic use of different contraceptive formulations alter patterns of polydrug use in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Maher
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Ashley M White
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Ashley Craig
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Shailesh Khatri
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Percell T Kendrick
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Mary E Matocha
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Emma O Bondy
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Nikhil Pallem
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Grace Breakfield
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Madison Botkins
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Olivia Sweatt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - William C Griffin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Brent Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jessica J Weafer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joshua S Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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Maher EE, Kipp ZA, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Khatri S, Bondy E, Martinez GJ, Beckmann JS, Hinds TD, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Gipson CD. Ovarian Hormones Regulate Nicotine Consumption and Accumbens Glutamatergic Plasticity in Female Rats. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0286-21.2022. [PMID: 35697512 PMCID: PMC9239849 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0286-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Women report greater cigarette cravings during the menstrual cycle phase with higher circulating levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), which is metabolized to estrone (E1). Both E2 and E1 bind to estrogen receptors (ERs), which have been highly studied in the breast, uterus, and ovary. Recent studies have found that ERs are also located on GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs) within the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore). Glutamatergic plasticity in NAcore MSNs is altered following nicotine use; however, it is unknown whether estrogens impact this neurobiological consequence. To test the effect of estrogen on nicotine use, we ovariectomized (OVX) female rats that then underwent nicotine self-administration acquisition and compared them to ovary-intact (sham) rats. The OVX animals then received either sesame oil (vehicle), E2, or E1+E2 supplementation for 4 or 20 d before nicotine sessions. While both ovary-intact and OVX females readily discriminated levers, OVX females consumed less nicotine than sham females. Further, neither E2 nor E1+E2 increased nicotine consumption back to sham levels following OVX, regardless of the duration of the treatment. OVX also rendered NAcore MSNs in a potentiated state following nicotine self-administration, which was reversed by 4 d of systemic E2 treatment. Finally, we found that E2 and E1+E2 increased ERα mRNA in the NAcore, but nicotine suppressed this regardless of hormone treatment. Together, these results show that estrogens regulate nicotine neurobiology, but additional factors may be required to restore nicotine consumption to ovary-intact levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Maher
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | - Zachary A Kipp
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | | | - Shailesh Khatri
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | - Emma Bondy
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | - Genesee J Martinez
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | - Joshua S Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506
| | - Terry D Hinds
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
- Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, 40536
- Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287
- Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ 85014
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536
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Maher EE, Overby PF, Bull AH, Beckmann JS, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Koebele SV, Bimonte-Nelson HA, Gipson CD. Natural and synthetic estrogens specifically alter nicotine demand and cue-induced nicotine seeking in female rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108756. [PMID: 34416269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Women have more difficulty maintaining smoking cessation than men, and experience greater withdrawal symptomatology as well as higher prevalence of relapse. Further, currently available treatments for smoking cessation, such as the nicotine patch and varenicline, have been shown to be less effective in women. Fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle can affect craving and smoking relapse propensity. In addition, many women who smoke use some form of oral contraceptives, which most often contain ethinyl estradiol (EE), a synthetic, orally bio-available estrogen that is currently prescribed to women chronically and has been shown to alter smoking reward in women. The current study examined the impact of 17β-estradiol (E2), the prominent endogenous form of the steroid hormone estrogen, as well as EE, on nicotine self-administration, demand, and reinstatement following ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery. OVX vehicle-treated female rats consumed less nicotine, had lower intensity of demand, and reinstated less compared to sham vehicle-treated female rats. OVX-E2 and OVX-EE treatment groups showed a rebound of nicotine intake later in training, and Q0 levels of consumption were partially rescued in both groups. Further, E2 but not EE reversed the abolishment of reinstated nicotine seeking induced by OVX. Taken together, these results demonstrate that natural and synthetic estrogens play a critical role in mediating the neurobehavioral effects of nicotine, and future studies are essential for our understanding of how synthetic hormones contained within oral contraceptives interact with smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Maher
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Paula F Overby
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Amanda H Bull
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Joshua S Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Stephanie V Koebele
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizonia Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Heather A Bimonte-Nelson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizonia Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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Therapeutic potential of targeting G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels in the central nervous system. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 223:107808. [PMID: 33476640 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir3/GirK) are important for maintaining resting membrane potential, cell excitability and inhibitory neurotransmission. Coupled to numerous G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), they mediate the effects of many neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and hormones contributing to the general homeostasis and particular synaptic plasticity processes, learning, memory and pain signaling. A growing number of behavioral and genetic studies suggest a critical role for the appropriate functioning of the central nervous system, as well as their involvement in many neurologic and psychiatric conditions, such as neurodegenerative diseases, mood disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, epilepsy, alcoholism and drug addiction. Hence, GirK channels emerge as a very promising tool to be targeted in the current scenario where these conditions already are or will become a global public health problem. This review examines recent findings on the physiology, function, dysfunction, and pharmacology of GirK channels in the central nervous system and highlights the relevance of GirK channels as a worthful potential target to improve therapies for related diseases.
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