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Ubaldi M, Cannella N, Borruto AM, Petrella M, Micioni Di Bonaventura MV, Soverchia L, Stopponi S, Weiss F, Cifani C, Ciccocioppo R. Role of Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ-NOP Receptor System in the Regulation of Stress-Related Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12956. [PMID: 34884757 PMCID: PMC8657682 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) is a 17-residue neuropeptide that binds the nociceptin opioid-like receptor (NOP). N/OFQ exhibits nucleotidic and aminoacidics sequence homology with the precursors of other opioid neuropeptides but it does not activate either MOP, KOP or DOP receptors. Furthermore, opioid neuropeptides do not activate the NOP receptor. Generally, activation of N/OFQ system exerts anti-opioids effects, for instance toward opioid-induced reward and analgesia. The NOP receptor is widely expressed throughout the brain, whereas N/OFQ localization is confined to brain nuclei that are involved in stress response such as amygdala, BNST and hypothalamus. Decades of studies have delineated the biological role of this system demonstrating its involvement in significant physiological processes such as pain, learning and memory, anxiety, depression, feeding, drug and alcohol dependence. This review discusses the role of this peptidergic system in the modulation of stress and stress-associated psychiatric disorders in particular drug addiction, mood, anxiety and food-related associated-disorders. Emerging preclinical evidence suggests that both NOP agonists and antagonists may represent a effective therapeutic approaches for substances use disorder. Moreover, the current literature suggests that NOP antagonists can be useful to treat depression and feeding-related diseases, such as obesity and binge eating behavior, whereas the activation of NOP receptor by agonists could be a promising tool for anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Ubaldi
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Nazzareno Cannella
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Anna Maria Borruto
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Michele Petrella
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Maria Vittoria Micioni Di Bonaventura
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Laura Soverchia
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Serena Stopponi
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Friedbert Weiss
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Carlo Cifani
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna Delle Carceri 9, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (M.U.); (N.C.); (A.M.B.); (M.P.); (M.V.M.D.B.); (L.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.)
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Bellia F, Fernández MS, Fabio MC, Pucci M, Pautassi RM, D'Addario C. Selective alterations in endogenous opioid system genes expression in rats selected for high ethanol intake during adolescence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 212:108025. [PMID: 32442753 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Historically, the roots of alcoholism have been linked to either environment or heredity. However, the interaction between these factors is still largely unexplored. The evidence supports a link between alcohol consumption and the endogenous opioid system. We here studied the opioid genes expression in male and female Wistar rats derived from a short-term breeding program which selected -- at adolescence -- for high (ADHI line) or low (ADLO line) ethanol drinking. Specifically, in this work we analyzed central opioid gene expression in the rats of the second filial generation (S2-ADLO and S2-ADHI). Selective downregulation of pronociceptin (Pnoc) and its receptor (Oprl1) mRNA levels were observed in the prefrontal cortex of male S2-ADHI rats when compared to S2-ADLO, and for Oprl1 also in the nucleus accumbens. An increase in gene expression was instead observed for pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc) in the nucleus accumbens of S2-ADHI males when compared to S2-ADLO, as well as for mu opioid receptor (Oprm1) but in females. The differences in mRNA levels may be due to the different alcohol consumption between the two groups of rats or may represent pre-existing differences between them. Moreover, we show a sex-specific modulation of the expression of these genes, thus pointing out the importance of sex on ethanol responses. The results might lead to more specific and effective pharmacological treatments for alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Macarena Soledad Fernández
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Carolina Fabio
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Ricardo Marcos Pautassi
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Claudio D'Addario
- Università degli Studi di Teramo, Teramo, Italy; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Romano A, Friuli M, Cifani C, Gaetani S. Oxytocin in the neural control of eating: At the crossroad between homeostatic and non-homeostatic signals. Neuropharmacology 2020; 171:108082. [PMID: 32259527 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the biological substrates regulating feeding behavior is relevant to address the health problems related to food overconsumption. Several studies have expanded the conventional view of the homeostatic regulation of body weight mainly orchestrated by the hypothalamus, to include also the non-homeostatic control of appetite. Such processes include food reward and are mainly coordinated by the activation of the central mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. The identification of endogenous systems acting as a bridge between homoeostatic and non-homeostatic pathways might represent a significant step toward the development of drugs for the treatment of aberrant eating patterns. Oxytocin is a hypothalamic hormone that is directly secreted into the brain and reaches the blood circulation through the neurohypophysis. Oxytocin regulates a variety of physiologic functions, including eating and metabolism. In the last years both preclinical and clinical studies well characterized oxytocin for its effects in reducing food intake and body weight. In the present review we summarize the role played by oxytocin in the control of both homeostatic and non-homeostatic eating, within cognitive, metabolic and reward mechanisms, to mostly highlight its potential therapeutic effects as a new pharmacological approach for the development of drugs for eating disorders. We conclude that the central oxytocinergic system is possibly one of the mechanisms that coordinate energy balance at the crossroads between homeostatic and non-homeostatic mechanisms. This concept should foster studies aimed at exploring the possible exploitation of oxytocin in the treatment of aberrant eating patterns. This article is part of the special issue on Neuropeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Friuli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, via Madonna delle Carceri, 9, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Silvana Gaetani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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Bodnar RJ. Endogenous opioid modulation of food intake and body weight: Implications for opioid influences upon motivation and addiction. Peptides 2019; 116:42-62. [PMID: 31047940 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This review is part of a special issue dedicated to Opioid addiction, and examines the influential role of opioid peptides, opioid receptors and opiate drugs in mediating food intake and body weight control in rodents. This review postulates that opioid mediation of food intake was an example of "positive addictive" properties that provide motivational drives to maintain opioid-seeking behavior and that are not subject to the "negative addictive" properties associated with tolerance, dependence and withdrawal. Data demonstrate that opiate and opioid peptide agonists stimulate food intake through homeostatic activation of sensory, metabolic and energy-related In contrast, general, and particularly mu-selective, opioid receptor antagonists typically block these homeostatically-driven ingestive behaviors. Intake of palatable and hedonic food stimuli is inhibited by general, and particularly mu-selective, opioid receptor antagonists. The selectivity of specific opioid agonists to elicit food intake was confirmed through the use of opioid receptor antagonists and molecular knockdown (antisense) techniques incapacitating specific exons of opioid receptor genes. Further extensive evidence demonstrated that homeostatic and hedonic ingestive situations correspondingly altered the levels and expression of opioid peptides and opioid receptors. Opioid mediation of food intake was controlled by a distributed brain network intimately related to both the appetitive-consummatory sites implicated in food intake as well as sites intimately involved in reward and reinforcement. This emergent system appears to sustain the "positive addictive" properties providing motivational drives to maintain opioid-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, United States; Psychology Doctoral Program and CUNY Neuroscience Collaborative, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, United States.
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Lin N, Zhu Y, Fan R, Xiong M. A quadratically regularized functional canonical correlation analysis for identifying the global structure of pleiotropy with NGS data. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005788. [PMID: 29040274 PMCID: PMC5659802 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating the pleiotropic effects of genetic variants can increase statistical power, provide important information to achieve deep understanding of the complex genetic structures of disease, and offer powerful tools for designing effective treatments with fewer side effects. However, the current multiple phenotype association analysis paradigm lacks breadth (number of phenotypes and genetic variants jointly analyzed at the same time) and depth (hierarchical structure of phenotype and genotypes). A key issue for high dimensional pleiotropic analysis is to effectively extract informative internal representation and features from high dimensional genotype and phenotype data. To explore correlation information of genetic variants, effectively reduce data dimensions, and overcome critical barriers in advancing the development of novel statistical methods and computational algorithms for genetic pleiotropic analysis, we proposed a new statistic method referred to as a quadratically regularized functional CCA (QRFCCA) for association analysis which combines three approaches: (1) quadratically regularized matrix factorization, (2) functional data analysis and (3) canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Large-scale simulations show that the QRFCCA has a much higher power than that of the ten competing statistics while retaining the appropriate type 1 errors. To further evaluate performance, the QRFCCA and ten other statistics are applied to the whole genome sequencing dataset from the TwinsUK study. We identify a total of 79 genes with rare variants and 67 genes with common variants significantly associated with the 46 traits using QRFCCA. The results show that the QRFCCA substantially outperforms the ten other statistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lin
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Yun Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States of America
| | - Ruzong Fan
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch (BBB), Division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Momiao Xiong
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
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Pucci M, Micioni Di Bonaventura MV, Giusepponi ME, Romano A, Filaferro M, Maccarrone M, Ciccocioppo R, Cifani C, D'Addario C. Epigenetic regulation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ and corticotropin-releasing factor system genes in frustration stress-induced binge-like palatable food consumption. Addict Biol 2016; 21:1168-1185. [PMID: 26387568 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Revised: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that binge eating may be caused by a unique interaction between dieting and stress. We developed a binge-eating model in which female rats with a history of intermittent food restriction show binge-like palatable food consumption after a 15-minute exposure to the sight of the palatable food (frustration stress). The aim of the present study was to investigate the regulation of the stress neurohormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system and of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) system genes in selective rat brain regions, using our animal model. Food restriction by itself seems to be responsible in the hypothalamus for the downregulation on messenger RNA levels of CRF-1 receptor, N/OFQ and its receptor (NOP). For the latter, this alteration might be due to selective histone modification changes. Instead, CRF gene appears to be upregulated in the hypothalamus as well as in the ventral tegmental area only when rats are food restricted and exposed to frustration stress, and, of relevance, these changes appear to be due to a reduction in DNA methylation at gene promoters. Moreover, also CRF-1 receptor gene resulted to be differentially regulated in these two brain regions. Epigenetic changes may be viewed as adaptive mechanisms to environmental perturbations concurring to facilitate food consumption in adverse conditions, that is, in this study, under food restriction and stressful conditions. Our data on N/OFQ and CRF signaling provide insight on the use of this binge-eating model for the study of epigenetic modifications in controlled genetic and environmental backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariangela Pucci
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy
| | | | | | - Adele Romano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Filaferro
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic Sciences and Neurosciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Mauro Maccarrone
- Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Italy
- European Center for Brain Research (CERC)/Santa Lucia Foundation, Italy
| | | | - Carlo Cifani
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Italy.
- Intramural Research Program, NIDA/NIH, Baltimore,, MD, USA.
| | - Claudio D'Addario
- Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Italy.
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.
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Bodnar RJ. Endogenous opioids and feeding behavior: A decade of further progress (2004-2014). A Festschrift to Dr. Abba Kastin. Peptides 2015; 72:20-33. [PMID: 25843025 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2015.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Functional elucidation of the endogenous opioid system temporally paralleled the creation and growth of the journal, Peptides, under the leadership of its founding editor, Dr. Abba Kastin. He was prescient in publishing annual and uninterrupted reviews on Endogenous Opiates and Behavior that served as a microcosm for the journal under his stewardship. This author published a 2004 review, "Endogenous opioids and feeding behavior: a thirty-year historical perspective", summarizing research in this field between 1974 and 2003. The present review "closes the circle" by reviewing the last 10 years (2004-2014) of research examining the role of endogenous opioids and feeding behavior. The review summarizes effects upon ingestive behavior following administration of opioid receptor agonists, in opioid receptor knockout animals, following administration of general opioid receptor antagonists, following administration of selective mu, delta, kappa and ORL-1 receptor antagonists, and evaluating opioid peptide and opioid receptor changes in different food intake models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Doctoral Program Cluster, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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Job MO, Perry J, Shen LL, Kuhar MJ. Cocaine-and-Amphetamine Regulated Transcript (CART) peptide attenuates dopamine- and cocaine-mediated locomotor activity in both male and female rats: lack of sex differences. Neuropeptides 2014; 48:75-81. [PMID: 24630272 PMCID: PMC4023686 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine-and-Amphetamine Regulated Transcript peptide (CART peptide) is known for having an inhibitory effect on dopamine (DA)- and cocaine-mediated actions and is postulated to be a homeostatic, regulatory factor in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Some sex differences in cocaine-mediated locomotor activity (LMA) and in the expression and function of CART peptide have been reported. However, it is not known if the inhibitory effect of CART peptide on cocaine-mediated LMA is sexually dimorphic. In this study, the effects of CART 55-102 on LMA due to intra-NAc DA and i.p. cocaine were determined in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. The results show that CART 55-102 blunted or reduced both the DA- and cocaine-induced LMA in both males and females. In conclusion, CART peptide is effective in blunting DA- and cocaine-mediated LMA in both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin O Job
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Joanna Perry
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Li L Shen
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Michael J Kuhar
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
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Abstract
This paper is the thirty-fourth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2011 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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