1
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Gooding SW, Whistler JL. A Balancing Act: Learning from the Past to Build a Future-Focused Opioid Strategy. Annu Rev Physiol 2024; 86:1-25. [PMID: 38029388 PMCID: PMC10987332 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-042022-015914] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The harmful side effects of opioid drugs such as respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence, and abuse potential have limited the therapeutic utility of opioids for their entire clinical history. However, no previous attempt to develop effective pain drugs that substantially ameliorate these effects has succeeded, and the current opioid epidemic affirms that they are a greater hindrance to the field of pain management than ever. Recent attempts at new opioid development have sought to reduce these side effects by minimizing engagement of the regulatory protein arrestin-3 at the mu-opioid receptor, but there is significant controversy around this approach. Here, we discuss the ongoing effort to develop safer opioids and its relevant historical context. We propose a new model that reconciles results previously assumed to be in direct conflict to explain how different signaling profiles at the mu-opioid receptor contribute to opioid tolerance and dependence. Our goal is for this framework to inform the search for a new generation of lower liability opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer L Whistler
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California, USA;
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, UC Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California, USA
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2
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Fletcher PJ, Li Z, Ji XD, Lê AD. Established sensitization of ethanol-induced locomotor activity is not reversed by psilocybin or the 5-HT 2A receptor agonist TCB-2 in male DBA/2J mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 235:173703. [PMID: 38154589 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Psychedelic drugs, which share in common 5-HT2A receptor agonist activity, have shown promise in treating alcohol-use disorders (AUDs). Repeated exposure to ethanol (EtOH) induces molecular and behavioural changes reflective of neuroadaptations that may contribute to addiction. Psychedelic drugs can induce neuroplasticity also, raising the possibility that their potential clinical effects in AUD may involve an action to reverse or offset effects of long-term changes induced by EtOH. This possibility was examined by investigating whether psilocybin, or the 5-HT2A receptor agonist TCB-2, counteracted established sensitization of EtOH-induced locomotor activity. METHODS Male DBA/2J mice received repeated injections of 2.2 g/kg EtOH to induce a sensitized locomotor activity response. In two experiments separate groups of mice were then injected with psilocybin (0, 0.3 and 1 kg/kg) or TCB-2 (0, 1 and 3 mg/kg) on 5 consecutive days. Next, mice were challenged with 1.8 g/kg EtOH and locomotor activity measured for 15 min. RESULTS Relative to naïve controls, previously sensitized mice showed enhanced locomotor activity to the challenge dose. Despite reducing locomotor activity in their own right psilocybin and TCB-2 did not alter the strength of this sensitized response. CONCLUSION Psilocybin and TCB-2 at behaviourally effective doses did not reverse sensitization of EtOH-induced activity. This suggests that mechanisms involved in mediating short-term reductions in EtOH intake by psilocybin or TCB-2 may not involve a capacity of these drugs to offset enduring changes in behaviour and any underlying neural adaptations induced by repeated intermittent exposure to EtOH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Fletcher
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Zhaoxia Li
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xiao Dong Ji
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anh D Lê
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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3
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Truckenbrod LM, Cooper EM, Wheeler AR, Orsini CA. Cocaine intake correlates with risk-taking behavior and affects estrous cycling in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1293226. [PMID: 37965568 PMCID: PMC10641408 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1293226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Navigating complex decisions and considering their relative risks and rewards is an important cognitive ability necessary for survival. However, use of and dependence on illicit drugs can result in long-lasting changes to this risk/reward calculus in individuals with substance use disorder. Recent work has shown that chronic exposure to cocaine causes long-lasting increases in risk taking in male and female rats, but there are still significant gaps in our understanding of the relationship between cocaine use and changes in risk taking. For example, it is unclear whether the magnitude of cocaine intake dictates the extent to which risk taking is altered. To address this, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent cocaine (or sucrose) self-administration and, following a period of abstinence, were trained and tested in a rodent model of risky decision making. In this behavioral task, rats made discrete-trial choices between a lever associated with a small food reward (i.e., "safe" option) and a lever associated with a larger food reward accompanied by a variable risk of footshock delivery (i.e., "risky" option). Surprisingly, and in contrast to prior work in Long-Evans rats, there were no effects of cocaine self-administration on choice of the large, risky reward (i.e., risk taking) during abstinence in males or females. There was, however, a significant relationship between cocaine intake and risk taking in female rats, with greater intake associated with greater preference for the large, risky reward. Relative to their sucrose counterparts, female rats in the cocaine group also exhibited irregular estrous cycles, characterized by prolonged estrus and/or diestrus phases. Collectively, these data suggest that there may be strain differences in the effects of cocaine on risk taking and highlight the impact that chronic cocaine exposure has on hormonal cyclicity in females. Future work will focus on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying cocaine's intake-dependent effects on risk taking in females, and whether this is directly related to cocaine-induced alterations in neuroendocrine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Emily M. Cooper
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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4
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Elmers J, Colzato LS, Akgün K, Ziemssen T, Beste C. Neurofilaments - Small proteins of physiological significance and predictive power for future neurodegeneration and cognitive decline across the life span. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102037. [PMID: 37619618 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Neurofilaments (NFs) are not only important for axonal integrity and nerve conduction in large myelinated axons but they are also thought to be crucial for receptor and synaptic functioning. Therefore, NFs may play a critical role in cognitive functions, as cognitive processes are known to depend on synaptic integrity and are modulated by dopaminergic signaling. Here, we present a theory-driven interdisciplinary approach that NFs may link inflammation, neurodegeneration, and cognitive functions. We base our hypothesis on a wealth of evidence suggesting a causal link between inflammation and neurodegeneration and between these two and cognitive decline (see Fig. 1), also taking dopaminergic signaling into account. We conclude that NFs may not only serve as biomarkers for inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and cognitive processes but also represent a potential mechanical hinge between them, moreover, they may even have predictive power regarding future cognitive decline. In addition, we advocate the use of both NFs and MRI parameters, as their synthesis offers the opportunity to individualize medical treatment by providing a comprehensive view of underlying disease activity in neurological diseases. Since our society will become significantly older in the upcoming years and decades, maintaining cognitive functions and healthy aging will play an important role. Thanks to technological advances in recent decades, NFs could serve as a rapid, noninvasive, and relatively inexpensive early warning system to identify individuals at increased risk for cognitive decline and could facilitate the management of cognitive dysfunctions across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Elmers
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Lorenza S Colzato
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
| | - Katja Akgün
- Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
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5
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Short- and Long-Term Effects of Cocaine on Enteric Neuronal Functions. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040577. [PMID: 36831246 PMCID: PMC9954635 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine is one of the most consumed illegal drugs among (young) adults in the European Union and it exerts various acute and chronic negative effects on psychical and physical health. The central mechanism through which cocaine initially leads to improved performance, followed by addictive behavior, has already been intensively studied and includes effects on the homeostasis of the neurotransmitters dopamine, partly mediated via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and serotonin. However, effects on the peripheral nervous system, including the enteric nervous system, are much less understood, though a correlation between cocaine consumption and gastrointestinal symptoms has been reported. The aim of the present study was to gain more information on the effects of cocaine on enteric neuronal functions and the underlying mechanisms. For this purpose, functional experiments using an organ bath, Ussing chamber and neuroimaging techniques were conducted on gastrointestinal tissues from guinea pigs. Key results obtained are that cocaine (1) exhibits a stimulating, non-neuronal effect on gastric antrum motility, (2) acutely (but not chronically) diminishes responses of primary cultured enteric neurons to nicotinic and serotonergic stimulation and (3) reversibly attenuates neuronal-mediated intestinal mucosal secretion. It can be concluded that cocaine, among its central effects, also alters enteric neuronal functions, providing potential explanations for the coexistence of cocaine abuse and gastrointestinal complaints.
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6
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Jia M, Wang X, Zhang H, Wang X, Ma H, Yang M, Li Y, Cui C. MicroRNA-132 is involved in morphine dependence via modifying the structural plasticity of the dentate gyrus neurons in rats. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13086. [PMID: 34382313 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Repeated morphine exposure has been shown to induce neuronal plasticity in reward-related areas of the brain. miR-132, a CREB-induced and activation-dependent microRNA, has been suggested to be involved in the neuronal plasticity by increasing neuronal dendritic branches and spinogenesis. However, it is still unclear whether miR-132 is related to morphine dependence. Here, we investigate whether miR-132 is involved in morphine dependence and whether it is related to the structural plasticity of the dentate gyrus (DG) neurons. Sprague-Dawley rats are treated with increasing doses of morphine injection for six consecutive days to develop morphine dependence. Our results show that dendritic branching and spinogenesis of the DG neurons of morphine dependent rats are increased. Morphine treatment (24 h) promotes the differentiation of N2a cells stably expressing μ-opioid receptor by up-regulating miR-132 expression. Moreover, inhibiting miR-132 3p (but not 5p) of the DG neurons can reverse the structural plasticity and disrupt the formation of morphine dependence in rats. These findings indicate that miR-132 in the DG neurons is involved in morphine dependence via modifying the neuronal plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Jia
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
- Beijing Tiantan Hospital Capital Medical University Beijing China
- Center for basic and translational medicine National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Disease Beijing China
| | - Xuewei Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Haolin Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Xinjuan Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Hui Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Mingda Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Yijing Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
| | - Cailian Cui
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission of China, Neuroscience Research Institute Peking University Beijing China
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7
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O'Brien JB, Roman DL. Novel treatments for chronic pain: moving beyond opioids. Transl Res 2021; 234:1-19. [PMID: 33727192 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It is essential that safe and effective treatment options be available to patients suffering from chronic pain. The emergence of an opioid epidemic has shaped public opinions and created stigmas surrounding the use of opioids for the management of pain. This reality, coupled with high risk of adverse effects from chronic opioid use, has led chronic pain patients and their healthcare providers to utilize nonopioid treatment approaches. In this review, we will explore a number of cellular reorganizations that are associated with the development and progression of chronic pain. We will also discuss the safety and efficacy of opioid and nonopioid treatment options for chronic pain. Finally, we will review the evidence for adenylyl cyclase type 1 (AC1) as a novel target for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B O'Brien
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - David L Roman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.
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8
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Gowen AM, Odegaard KE, Hernandez J, Chand S, Koul S, Pendyala G, Yelamanchili SV. Role of microRNAs in the pathophysiology of addiction. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2021; 12:e1637. [PMID: 33336550 PMCID: PMC8026578 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a chronic and relapsing brain disorder characterized by compulsive seeking despite adverse consequences. There are both heritable and epigenetic mechanisms underlying drug addiction. Emerging evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs regulate synaptic plasticity and related behaviors caused by substances of abuse. These ncRNAs modify gene expression and may contribute to the behavioral phenotypes of addiction. Among the ncRNAs, the most widely researched and impactful are miRNAs. The goal in this systematic review is to provide a detailed account of recent research involving the role of miRNAs in addiction. This article is categorized under: RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Small Molecule-RNA Interactions RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin M Gowen
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Katherine E Odegaard
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Jordan Hernandez
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Subhash Chand
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Sneh Koul
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Gurudutt Pendyala
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Sowmya V Yelamanchili
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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9
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Gasparyan A, Navarrete F, Manzanares J. The administration of sertraline plus naltrexone reduces ethanol consumption and motivation in a long-lasting animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropharmacology 2021; 189:108552. [PMID: 33819457 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of sertraline (STR) and/or naltrexone (NTX) on ethanol consumption and motivation in an animal model of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Male C57BL/6J mice were submitted to an intermittent and progressively increasing stressful stimuli simulating PTSD behavioural features. Behavioural alterations were explored by the fear conditioning (FC), novelty suppressed feeding test (NSFT) and acoustic startle response (ASR) paradigms. Afterwards, mice were evaluated in the voluntary ethanol consumption (VC) and the oral ethanol self-administration (OEA) paradigms. The effects of STR (10 mg/kg) and/or NTX (0.7 mg/kg) on ethanol consumption and motivation were analysed in the OEA. Furthermore, relative gene expression analyses of tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), mu-opioid receptor (Oprm1) and 5-hydroxitryptamine transporter (Slc6a4) were performed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), respectively. PTSD-like mice presented increased fear-related memory, anxiety-like behaviours, and startle response, as well as enhanced ethanol consumption and motivation in the VC and OEA paradigms. Interestingly, STR plus NTX combination significantly reduced ethanol intake and motivation in the OEA. Gene expression analyses revealed reduced Th and Oprm1 whereas Slc6a4 gene expression increased in PTSD-like mice. STR and/or NTX modulated Th and Slc6a4 gene expression changes in PTSD-like mice. Furthermore, NTX increased Oprm1 gene expression revealing a synergistic action when combined with STR. These results provide evidence about the efficacy of the STR plus NTX to attenuate ethanol reinforcement and motivation in an animal model of PTSD and AUD dual pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal S/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain; Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal S/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain; Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal S/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550, Alicante, Spain; Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain.
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10
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Wang S, Zeng M, Ren Y, Han S, Li J, Cui W. In vivo reduction of hippocampal Caveolin-1 by RNA interference alters morphine addiction and neuroplasticity changes in male mice. Neurosci Lett 2021; 749:135742. [PMID: 33607203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Prescription opioids are powerful pain-controlling medications that have both benefits and potentially serious risks. Morphine is one of the preferred analgesics that are widely used to treat chronic pain. However, chronic morphine exposure has been found to cause both functional and structural changes in several brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and hippocampus (HPC), which lead to addictive behavior. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), a scaffolding protein of membrane lipid rafts (MLRs), has been shown to organize GPCRs and multiple synaptic signaling proteins within the MLRs to regulate synaptic signaling and neuroplasticity. Previously, we showed that in vitro morphine treatment significantly elevates Cav-1 expression and causes neuroplasticity changes. In this study, we confirmed that chronic morphine exposure can significantly increase Cav-1 expression (P < 0.05) and microtubule-associated protein (MAP-2)-positive neuronal dendritic growth in the hippocampus. Moreover, the rewarding effect and dendritic growth in the HPC induced by chronic morphine exposure were significantly inhibited by hippocampal Cav-1 knockdown. Together, these data suggest that Cav-1 in the hippocampus plays an essential role in the neuroplasticity changes that underlie morphine addiction behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, #119 Nan Si Huan Xi Lu, Beijing, 100050, PR China; Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr., San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - Min Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, #119 Nan Si Huan Xi Lu, Beijing, 100050, PR China
| | - Yi Ren
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, #56 Nan Li Shi Lu, Beijing, 100045, PR China
| | - Song Han
- Department of Neurobiology and Beijing Institute for Neuroscience, Capital Medical University, #10 You An Men Wai Xi TouTiao, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Junfa Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Beijing Institute for Neuroscience, Capital Medical University, #10 You An Men Wai Xi TouTiao, Beijing, 100069, PR China
| | - Weihua Cui
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, #119 Nan Si Huan Xi Lu, Beijing, 100050, PR China.
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Mukherjee D, Gonzales BJ, Ashwal-Fluss R, Turm H, Groysman M, Citri A. Egr2 induction in spiny projection neurons of the ventrolateral striatum contributes to cocaine place preference in mice. eLife 2021; 10:65228. [PMID: 33724178 PMCID: PMC8057818 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction develops due to brain-wide plasticity within neuronal ensembles, mediated by dynamic gene expression. Though the most common approach to identify such ensembles relies on immediate early gene expression, little is known of how the activity of these genes is linked to modified behavior observed following repeated drug exposure. To address this gap, we present a broad-to-specific approach, beginning with a comprehensive investigation of brain-wide cocaine-driven gene expression, through the description of dynamic spatial patterns of gene induction in subregions of the striatum, and finally address functionality of region-specific gene induction in the development of cocaine preference. Our findings reveal differential cell-type specific dynamic transcriptional recruitment patterns within two subdomains of the dorsal striatum following repeated cocaine exposure. Furthermore, we demonstrate that induction of the IEG Egr2 in the ventrolateral striatum, as well as the cells within which it is expressed, are required for the development of cocaine seeking. The human brain is ever changing, constantly rewiring itself in response to new experiences, knowledge or information from the environment. Addictive drugs such as cocaine can hijack the genetic mechanisms responsible for this plasticity, creating dangerous, obsessive drug-seeking and consuming behaviors. Cocaine-induced plasticity is difficult to apprehend, however, as brain regions or even cell populations can react differently to the compound. For instance, sub-regions in the striatum – the brain area that responds to rewards and helps to plan movement – show distinct responses during progressive exposure to cocaine. And while researchers know that the drug immediately changes how neurons switch certain genes on and off, it is still unclear how these genetic modifications later affect behavior. Mukherjee, Gonzales et al. explored these questions at different scales, first focusing on how progressive cocaine exposure changed the way various gene programs were activated across the entire brain. This revealed that programs in the striatum were the most affected by the drug. Examining this region more closely showed that cocaine switches on genes in specific ‘spiny projection’ neuron populations, depending on where these cells are located and the drug history of the mouse. Finally, Mukherjee, Gonzales et al. used genetically modified mice to piece together cocaine exposure, genetic changes and modifications in behavior. These experiments revealed that the drive to seek cocaine depended on activation of the Egr2 gene in populations of spiny projection neurons in a specific sub-region of the striatum. The gene, which codes for a protein that regulates how genes are switched on and off, was itself strongly activated by cocaine intake. Cocaine addiction can have devastating consequences for individuals. Grasping how this drug alters the brain could pave the way for new treatments, while also providing information on the basic mechanisms underlying brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diptendu Mukherjee
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel.,Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ben Jerry Gonzales
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel.,Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Reut Ashwal-Fluss
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hagit Turm
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel.,Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maya Groysman
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ami Citri
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, Jerusalem, Israel.,Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.,Program in Child and Brain Development, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, MaRS Centre, Toronto, Canada
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12
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Zhao MJ, Wang MY, Ma L, Ahmad KA, Wang YX. Bulleyaconitine A Inhibits Morphine-Induced Withdrawal Symptoms, Conditioned Place Preference, and Locomotor Sensitization Via Microglial Dynorphin A Expression. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:620926. [PMID: 33716748 PMCID: PMC7953057 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.620926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bulleyaconitine A (BAA), a C19-diterpenoid alkaloid, has been prescribed as a nonnarcotic analgesic to treat chronic pain over four decades in China. The present study investigated its inhibition in morphine-induced withdrawal symptoms, conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization, and then explored the underlying mechanisms of actions. Multiple daily injections of morphine but not BAA up to 300 μg/kg/day into mice evoked naloxone-induced withdrawal symptoms (i.e., shakes, jumps, genital licks, fecal excretion and body weight loss), CPP expression, and locomotor sensitization. Single subcutaneous BAA injection (30–300 μg/kg) dose-dependently and completely attenuated morphine-induced withdrawal symptoms, with ED50 values of 74.4 and 105.8 μg/kg in shakes and body weight loss, respectively. Subcutaneous BAA (300 μg/kg) also totally alleviated morphine-induced CPP acquisition and expression and locomotor sensitization. Furthermore, subcutaneous BAA injection also specifically stimulated dynorphin A expression in microglia but not astrocytes or neurons in nucleus accumbens (NAc) and hippocampal, measured for gene and protein expression and double immunofluorescence staining. In addition, subcutaneous BAA-inhibited morphine-induced withdrawal symptoms and CPP expression were totally blocked by the microglial metabolic inhibitor minocycline, dynorphin A antiserum, or specific KOR antagonist GNTI, given intracerebroventricularly. These results, for the first time, illustrate that BAA attenuates morphine-induced withdrawal symptoms, CPP expression, and locomotor sensitization by stimulation of microglial dynorphin A expression in the brain, suggesting that BAA may be a potential candidate for treatment of opioids-induced physical dependence and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jing Zhao
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Mi-Ya Wang
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Ma
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Khalil Ali Ahmad
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Wang
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
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13
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McLean S, Rose N. Drug overdose deaths, addiction neuroscience and the challenges of translation. Wellcome Open Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16265.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article, we argue that the rapid rise in drug overdose deaths in America is a tragedy that draws attention to fundamental conceptual and experimental problems in addiction science that have significant human consequences. Despite enormous economic investment, political support and claims to have revolutionised addiction medicine, neurobiological models are yet to produce a treatment for substance addiction. This is partly, we claim, because neurobiology is unable to explain essential features of addiction and relapse that neurobehavioral models of addiction are better placed to investigate. We show how addiction neuroscience turned to long-term memory to explain the chronicity of addiction and persistent relapses long after neurochemical traces have left the body. The turn to memory may in time help to close the translational gap facing addiction medicine, but it is our view in this article that the primary value of memory theory lays in its potential to create new critical friendships between biological and social sciences that are attuned to the lived experience and suffering of stigmatised people. The value of the memory turn may rest upon the capacity of these critical friendships to wean addiction science off its long-term dependence on disease concepts of human distress.
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Jiang C, Wang X, Le Q, Liu P, Liu C, Wang Z, He G, Zheng P, Wang F, Ma L. Morphine coordinates SST and PV interneurons in the prelimbic cortex to disinhibit pyramidal neurons and enhance reward. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1178-1193. [PMID: 31413370 PMCID: PMC7985023 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0480-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Opioids, such as morphine, are clinic analgesics which induce euphoria. Morphine exposure modifies the excitability and functional interactions between neurons, while the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, especially how morphine assembles heterogeneous interneurons (INs) in prelimbic cortex (PrL) to mediate disinhibition and reward, are not clear. Using approaches of optogenetics, electrophysiology, and cell type-specific RNA-seq, we show that morphine attenuates the inhibitory synaptic transmission from parvalbumin+ (PV)-INs onto pyramidal neurons in PrL via μ-opioid receptor (MOR) in PV-INs. Meanwhile, morphine enhances the inhibitory inputs from somatostatin+ (SST)-INs onto PV-INs, and thus disinhibits pyramidal neurons via δ-opioid receptor (DOR)-dependent Rac1 upregulation in SST-INs. We show that MOR in PV-INs is required for morphine-induced behavioral sensitization, while DOR as well as Rac1 activity in SST-INs is required for morphine-induced conditioned place preference and hyper-locomotion. These results reveal that SST- and PV-INs, functioning in PrL as a disinhibitory architecture, are coordinated by morphine via different opioid receptors to disinhibit pyramidal neurons and enhance reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyou Jiang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Xueying Wang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Qiumin Le
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Peipei Liu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Cao Liu
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Zhilin Wang
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Guanhong He
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Zheng
- grid.8547.e0000 0001 0125 2443Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032 Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
| | - Lan Ma
- Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science and Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
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15
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McLean S, Rose N. Crisis, what crisis? Addiction neuroscience and the challenges of translation. Wellcome Open Res 2020. [DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16265.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this article we interrogate the claim that there is an opioid crisis: a dramatic rise in drug overdose fatalities in the United States over the past two decades that is also spreading to other countries. The usual argument is that this crisis is largely explained by errant prescription practices leading to an oversupply of opioids, leading to addiction, premature mortality and drug overdose deaths, both among those prescribed opioids for pain relief, and those obtaining them on the illegal market. We argue, that this view is highly problematic and that it is likely to entrench deeper problems with how substance addiction has been perceived and known. In this article, we develop an alternative picture of the addiction crisis based on four years of research and collaboration with addiction neuroscientists. Drug overdose deaths, we claim, are symptoms of what we term the ‘structural distribution of social despair.’ We argue that this is compounded by a translation crisis at the heart of addiction neuroscience. For all its dominance, the ‘dopamine hypothesis’ of addiction that shaped understandings for some three decades, has still not produced a single effective treatment. However, this translation crisis also represents an opportunity for ‘the memory turn’ in addiction neuroscience as it seeks to translate its emerging conception of addiction as a problem of memory into effective forms of treatment. We conclude by arguing that, for the ‘memory turn’ to underpin effective interventions into ‘the opioid crisis’, a new relation between neuroscientists and social scientists of addiction is needed, one that proceeds from the lived experience of human beings.
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Fatahi Z, Zeinaddini-Meymand A, Karimi S, Khodagholi F, Haghparast A. Impairment of cost-benefit decision making in morphine-dependent rats is partly mediated via the alteration of BDNF and p-CREB levels in the nucleus accumbens. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 194:172952. [PMID: 32428531 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The ability to choose goals based on decision usefulness or the time required to reach the goals chosen are important aspects of decision making. There is considerable evidence in the literature indicating the fact that drug abuse affects different aspects of cognition. In the current study, we assessed the effects of morphine dependence and its withdrawal on cost-benefit decision making and furthermore the involvement of BDNF and p-CREB in the nucleus accumbens, a key brain area involved in decision making was measured. Different groups of male Wistar rats were trained in an effort-based and/or delay-based form of cost-benefit T-maze decision-making task. Thereafter, the animals were morphine dependent and the percentage of the high reward preference was evaluated. After behavioral tests, the BDNF level, and p-CREB/CREB ratio were measured by Western blot analysis. The results showed that during effort-based but not delay-based decision making, BDNF and p-CREB levels increased. During effort-based decision making in morphine dependent rats, BDNF decreased but there was no significant change in p-CREB. Besides, during delay-based decision making in the morphine dependent group, both BDNF and p-CREB did not show any significant change. These findings revealed that BDNF and p-CREB/CREB ratio in the NAc are essential factors for effort-based but not delay-based decision making. In addition, impairment of effort-based decision making in morphine dependent rats is related to the decrease of BDNF level but not p-CREB/CREB ratio in the NAc. However, delay-based decision making defects in morphine dependent rats did not associate with the change in BDNF and p-CREB levels in the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Fatahi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arman Zeinaddini-Meymand
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sara Karimi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Khodagholi
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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17
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Viudez‐Martínez A, García‐Gutiérrez MS, Manzanares J. Gender differences in the effects of cannabidiol on ethanol binge drinking in mice. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12765. [PMID: 31074060 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on binge drinking and evaluate potential gender-related differences. To this aim, male and female C57BL/6J mice (n = 60 per sex) were exposed to the drinking in the dark (DID) model for 4 weeks (DID-1 to DID-4). Dose-response effects of CBD on the ethanol intake were tested by acute (day-4 of DID-3) or repeated administration (day-1 to 4 of DID-4) (experiment 1: CBD 15, 30, and 60 mg/kg, i.p.; experiment 2: CBD 90 mg/kg, i.p.). Finally, we analyzed the relative gene expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and μ-opioid receptor (OPRM1) and cannabinoid CB1 receptor (CB1 r) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), respectively, by real-time quantitative PCR. Females exhibited higher ethanol intake during each DID session. Interestingly, females also showed higher expression of TH and OPRM1, without any difference in CB1 r. Only the acute administration of CBD at the highest dose (90 mg/kg) reduced significantly ethanol consumption in both sexes. Chronic CBD administration (30, 60 and 90 mg/kg) reduced ethanol intake in males, whereas in females a significant reduction was only achieved with the highest dose (90 mg/kg). Repeated administration with CBD (60 mg/kg) significantly reduced TH and OPRM1 in males. In addition, CBD (30 and 60 mg/kg) significantly reduced CB1 r in males. No effect was observed in females. Taken together, these findings suggest that CBD may be of interest for treating binge-drinking patterns and that gender-related difference may affect the treatment outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María S. García‐Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández‐CSIC Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos AdictivosInstituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández‐CSIC Spain
- Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos AdictivosInstituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER Spain
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18
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Opioid signal transduction regulates the dendritic morphology of somatostatin and parvalbumin interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. Neuroreport 2019; 30:592-599. [PMID: 30969245 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system is of great importance to normal brain functions. Opiate acts on GABAergic cells in both the ventral tegmental area and the nucleus accumbens to exert psychological effects. However, the effects of opioid signal transduction on the morphology of GABAergic interneurons (INs) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region critical for motivational and addictive behaviors, are unclear. By fluorescent dye injection and morphological reconstruction, we found that the total dendrite length and dendritic complexity of both parvalbumin (PV) INs and somatostatin (SST) INs in mPFC were significantly increased after chronic morphine administration, and such changes lasted 7 days after morphine abstinence. We then downregulated the endogenous μ-opioid and δ-opioid receptors (ORs) in the mPFC by adeno-associated virus-mediated shRNA expression. Results showed that downregulating either μ-OR or δ-OR decreased the total dendrite length and dendritic complexity of SST-INs, whereas downregulating neither μ-OR nor δ-OR affected the morphology of PV-INs. Furthermore, δ-OR but not μ-OR knockdown impaired the dendritic structure of SST-INs in the mice upon single morphine administration. Our findings indicate the differential roles of endogenous ORs in the dendritic remodeling of SST-INs and PV-INs in mPFC.
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19
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Davoudi M, Azizi H, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Semnanian S. Decrease of inhibitory synaptic currents of locus coeruleus neurons via orexin type 1 receptors in the context of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. J Physiol Sci 2019; 69:281-293. [PMID: 30406600 PMCID: PMC10717061 DOI: 10.1007/s12576-018-0645-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Acute opioid withdrawal syndrome is a series of neurological symptoms caused by the abrupt cessation of the chronic administration of opioids such as morphine. The locus coeruleus (LC) in the brain stem receives a dense projection of orexinergic fibers from the hypothalamus and is a candidate site for the expression of the somatic aspects of morphine withdrawal. Previous studies have shown that orexin-A contributes to the behavioral symptoms of naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal, partly by reducing the activity of GABAergic neurons, suggesting that orexin-A may negatively modulate fast GABAergic neurotransmission during morphine withdrawal. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of LC neurons in brainstem slices to investigate the effect of orexin-A on bicuculline-sensitive GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) during naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal. Male Wistar rats (P14-P21) were given morphine (20 mg/kg, i.p.) daily for seven consecutive days to create dependency on the drug. The application of naloxone (1 µM) to brain slices of morphine-treated rats reduced the amplitude of evoked IPSCs (eIPSCs) as well as spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) frequency but did not change sIPSCs amplitude. Orexin-A (100 nM) significantly enhanced the suppressive effect of naloxone on eIPSCs amplitude and sIPSCs frequency but had no effect on the presence of the orexin type 1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist, SB-334867. Orexin-A alone had no significant effect on eIPSCs and sIPSCs in the absence of naloxone. In summary, our results show that orexin-A, via OX1R, potentiates the suppressive effect of naloxone on GABAergic IPSCs of LC neurons in morphine-treated rats. We conclude that orexins may have a critical role in regulating GABAergic neurotransmission to LC neurons during naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Davoudi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Semnanian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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20
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MicroRNA-132 in the Adult Dentate Gyrus is Involved in Opioid Addiction Via Modifying the Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:486-496. [PMID: 30721395 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00338-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA-132 (miR-132), a small RNA that regulates gene expression, is known to promote neurogenesis in the embryonic nervous system and adult brain. Although exposure to psychoactive substances can increase miR-132 expression in cultured neural stem cells (NSCs) and the adult brain of rodents, little is known about its role in opioid addiction. So, we set out to determine the effect of miR-132 on differentiation of the NSCs and whether this effect is involved in opioid addiction using the rat morphine self-administration (MSA) model. We found that miR-132 overexpression enhanced the differentiation of NSCs in vivo and in vitro. Similarly, specific overexpression of miR-132 in NSCs of the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) during the acquisition stage of MSA potentiated morphine-seeking behavior. These findings indicate that miR-132 is involved in opioid addiction, probably by promoting the differentiation of NSCs in the adult DG.
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21
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Womersley JS, Townsend DM, Kalivas PW, Uys JD. Targeting redox regulation to treat substance use disorder using N‐acetylcysteine. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2538-2551. [PMID: 30144182 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by transitioning from acute drug reward to compulsive drug use. Despite the heavy personal and societal burden of SUDs, current treatments are limited and unsatisfactory. For this reason, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction is required. Altered redox status, primarily due to drug-induced increases in dopamine metabolism, is a unifying feature of abused substances. In recent years, knowledge of the effects of oxidative stress in the nervous system has evolved from strictly neurotoxic to include a more nuanced role in redox-sensitive signaling. More specifically, S-glutathionylation, a redox-sensitive post-translational modification, has been suggested to influence the response to drugs of abuse. In this review we will examine the evidence for redox-mediating drugs as therapeutic tools focusing on N-acetylcysteine as a treatment for cocaine addiction. We will conclude by suggesting future research directions that may further advance this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline S Womersley
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 409 Drug Discovery Building, 70 President Street, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Danyelle M Townsend
- Department of Drug Discover and Biomedical Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Joachim D Uys
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 409 Drug Discovery Building, 70 President Street, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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22
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O'Brien MA, Weston RM, Sheth NU, Bradley S, Bigbee J, Pandey A, Williams RW, Wolstenholme JT, Miles MF. Ethanol-Induced Behavioral Sensitization Alters the Synaptic Transcriptome and Exon Utilization in DBA/2J Mice. Front Genet 2018; 9:402. [PMID: 30319688 PMCID: PMC6166094 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcoholism is a complex behavioral disorder characterized by loss of control in limiting intake, and progressive compulsion to seek and consume ethanol. Prior studies have suggested that the characteristic behaviors associated with escalation of drug use are caused, at least in part, by ethanol-evoked changes in gene expression affecting synaptic plasticity. Implicit in this hypothesis is a dependence on new protein synthesis and remodeling at the synapse. It is well established that mRNA can be transported to distal dendritic processes, where it can undergo localized translation. It is unknown whether such modulation of the synaptic transcriptome might contribute to ethanol-induced synaptic plasticity. Using ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization as a model of neuroplasticity, we investigated whether repeated exposure to ethanol altered the synaptic transcriptome, contributing to mechanisms underlying subsequent increases in ethanol-evoked locomotor activity. RNAseq profiling of DBA/2J mice subjected to acute ethanol or ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization was performed on frontal pole synaptoneurosomes to enrich for synaptic mRNA. Genomic profiling showed distinct functional classes of mRNA enriched in the synaptic vs. cytosolic fractions, consistent with their role in synaptic function. Ethanol sensitization regulated more than twice the number of synaptic localized genes compared to acute ethanol exposure. Synaptic biological processes selectively perturbed by ethanol sensitization included protein folding and modification as well as and mitochondrial respiratory function, suggesting repeated ethanol exposure alters synaptic energy production and the processing of newly translated proteins. Additionally, marked differential exon usage followed ethanol sensitization in both synaptic and non-synaptic cellular fractions, with little to no perturbation following acute ethanol exposure. Altered synaptic exon usage following ethanol sensitization strongly affected genes related to RNA processing and stability, translational regulation, and synaptic function. These genes were also enriched for targets of the FMRP RNA-binding protein and contained consensus sequence motifs related to other known RNA binding proteins, suggesting that ethanol sensitization altered selective mRNA trafficking mechanisms. This study provides a foundation for investigating the role of ethanol in modifying the synaptic transcriptome and inducing changes in synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A O'Brien
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Rory M Weston
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Nihar U Sheth
- VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Steven Bradley
- VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - John Bigbee
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Ashutosh Pandey
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Jennifer T Wolstenholme
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Michael F Miles
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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23
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Harris NA, Winder DG. Synaptic Plasticity in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis: Underlying Mechanisms and Potential Ramifications for Reinstatement of Drug- and Alcohol-Seeking Behaviors. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:2173-2187. [PMID: 29851347 PMCID: PMC6146063 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a component of the extended amygdala that shows significant changes in activity and plasticity through chronic exposure to drugs and stress. The region is critical for stress- and cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behaviors and is thus a candidate region for the plastic changes that occur in abstinence that prime addicted patients for reinstatement behaviors. Here, we discuss the various forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in the rodent BNST and highlight the way that these changes in excitatory transmission interact with exposure to alcohol and other drugs of abuse, as well as other stressors. In addition, we highlight potential areas for future research in this area, including investigating input- and cell-specific bidirectional changes in activity. As we continue to accrue foundational knowledge in the mechanisms and effects of plasticity in the BNST, molecular targets and treatment strategies that are relevant to reinstatement behaviors will also begin to emerge. Here, we briefly discuss the effects of catecholamine receptor modulators on synaptic plasticity in the BNST due to the role of norepinephrine in LTD and dopamine on the short-term component of LTP as well as the role that signaling at these receptors plays in reinstatement of drug- and alcohol-seeking behaviors. We hope that insights gained on the specific changes in plasticity that occur within the BNST during abstinence from alcohol and other drugs of abuse will provide insight into the biological underpinnings of relapse behavior in human addicts and inform future treatment modalities for addiction that tackle this complex biological problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Harris
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics
- Vanderbilt J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
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Viudez-Martínez A, García-Gutiérrez MS, Fraguas-Sánchez AI, Torres-Suárez AI, Manzanares J. Effects of cannabidiol plus naltrexone on motivation and ethanol consumption. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:3369-3378. [PMID: 29859012 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The aim of this study was to explore if the administration of naltrexone together with cannabidiol (CBD) may improve the efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption and motivation rather than any of the drugs given separately. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of low doses of naltrexone (0.7 mg·kg-1 , p.o.) and/or CBD (20 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 , s.c.) on ethanol consumption and motivation to drink were evaluated in the oral-ethanol self-administration paradigm in C57BL/6 mice. Gene expression analyses of the opioid μ receptor (Oprm1) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the 5-HT1A receptor in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) were carried out by real-time PCR. The role of 5-HT1A receptors in the ethanol reduction induced by the administration of CBD + naltrexone was analysed by using the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY100635 (0.3 mg·kg-1 , i.p.). KEY RESULTS The administration of CBD + naltrexone significantly reduced motivation and ethanol intake in the oral self-administration procedure in a greater proportion than the drugs given alone. Only the combination of both drugs significantly reduced Oprm1, TH and 5-HT1A gene expressions in the NAc, VTA and DR respectively. Interestingly, the administration of WAY100635 significantly blocked the actions of CBD + naltrexone but had no effects by itself. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS The combination of low doses of CBD plus naltrexone were more effective than either CBD or naltrexone alone at reducing ethanol consumption and the motivation to drink. These effects appear to be mediated, at least in part, by 5-HT1A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - María S García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Fraguas-Sánchez
- Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Instituto de Farmacia Industrial, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Torres-Suárez
- Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Instituto de Farmacia Industrial, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Alicante, Spain.,Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Salud (RETICS), Red de Trastornos Adictivos, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, Madrid, Spain
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McCarthy GM, Farris SP, Blednov YA, Harris RA, Mayfield RD. Microglial-specific transcriptome changes following chronic alcohol consumption. Neuropharmacology 2017; 128:416-424. [PMID: 29101021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microglia are fundamentally important immune cells within the central nervous system (CNS) that respond to environmental challenges to maintain normal physiological processes. Alterations in steady-state cellular function and over-activation of microglia can facilitate the initiation and progression of neuropathological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Major Depressive Disorder. Alcohol consumption disrupts signaling pathways including both innate and adaptive immune responses that are necessary for CNS homeostasis. Coordinate expression of these genes is not ascertained from an admixture of CNS cell-types, underscoring the importance of examining isolated cellular populations to reveal systematic gene expression changes arising from mature microglia. Unbiased RNA-Seq profiling was used to identify gene expression changes in isolated prefrontal cortical microglia in response to recurring bouts of voluntary alcohol drinking behavior. The voluntary ethanol paradigm utilizes long-term consumption ethanol that results in escalated alcohol intake and altered cortical plasticity that is seen in humans. Gene coexpression analysis identified a coordinately regulated group of genes, unique to microglia, that collectively are associated with alcohol consumption. Genes within this group are involved in toll-like receptor signaling and transforming growth factor beta signaling. Network connectivity of this group identified Siglech as a putative hub gene and highlighted the potential importance of proteases in the microglial response to chronic ethanol. In conclusion, we identified a distinctive microglial gene expression signature for neuroimmune responses related to alcohol consumption that provides valuable insight into microglia-specific changes underlying the development of substance abuse, and possibly other CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizelle M McCarthy
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Sean P Farris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Yuri A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - R Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States; Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and potentially life threatening illness that carries a staggering global burden. Characterized by depressed mood, MDD is often difficult to diagnose and treat owing to heterogeneity of syndrome and complex etiology. Contemporary antidepressant treatments are based on improved monoamine-based formulations from serendipitous discoveries made > 60 years ago. Novel antidepressant treatments are necessary, as roughly half of patients using available antidepressants do not see long-term remission of depressive symptoms. Current development of treatment options focuses on generating efficacious antidepressants, identifying depression-related neural substrates, and better understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of depression. Recent insight into the brain's mesocorticolimbic circuitry from animal models of depression underscores the importance of ionic mechanisms in neuronal homeostasis and dysregulation, and substantial evidence highlights a potential role for ion channels in mediating depression-related excitability changes. In particular, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are essential regulators of neuronal excitability. In this review, we describe seminal research on HCN channels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in stress and depression-related behaviors, and highlight substantial evidence within the ventral tegmental area supporting the development of novel therapeutics targeting HCN channels in MDD. We argue that methods targeting the activity of reward-related brain areas have significant potential as superior treatments for depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy M Ku
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ming-Hu Han
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Institute for Systems Biomedicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Warren BL, Suto N, Hope BT. Mechanistic Resolution Required to Mediate Operant Learned Behaviors: Insights from Neuronal Ensemble-Specific Inactivation. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:28. [PMID: 28484375 PMCID: PMC5401897 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many learned behaviors are directed by complex sets of highly specific stimuli or cues. The neural mechanisms mediating learned associations in these behaviors must be capable of storing complex cue information and distinguishing among different learned associations—we call this general concept “mechanistic resolution”. For many years, our understanding of the circuitry of these learned behaviors has been based primarily on inactivation of specific cell types or whole brain areas regardless of which neurons were activated during the cue-specific behaviors. However, activation of all cells or specific cell types in a brain area do not have enough mechanistic resolution to encode or distinguish high-resolution learned associations in these behaviors. Instead, these learned associations are likely encoded within specific patterns of sparsely distributed neurons called neuronal ensembles that are selectively activated by the cues. This review article focuses on studies of neuronal ensembles in operant learned responding to obtain food or drug rewards. These studies suggest that the circuitry of operant learned behaviors may need to be re-examined using ensemble-specific manipulations that have the requisite level of mechanistic resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Warren
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nobuyoshi Suto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Scripps Research InstituteLa Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Bruce T Hope
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)Baltimore, MD, USA
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28
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Abstract
Corticostriatal connections play a central role in developing appropriate goal-directed behaviors, including the motivation and cognition to develop appropriate actions to obtain a specific outcome. The cortex projects to the striatum topographically. Thus, different regions of the striatum have been associated with these different functions: the ventral striatum with reward; the caudate nucleus with cognition; and the putamen with motor control. However, corticostriatal connections are more complex, and interactions between functional territories are extensive. These interactions occur in specific regions in which convergence of terminal fields from different functional cortical regions are found. This article provides an overview of the connections of the cortex to the striatum and their role in integrating information across reward, cognitive, and motor functions. Emphasis is placed on the interface between functional domains within the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne N Haber
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, New York, USA
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29
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Abstract
The cloning of the δ-opioid receptor allowed for the rapid cloning of the two other classically defined opioid receptors, the μ- and κ-opioid receptors. However, several groups cloned a fourth receptor (ORL-1, for opioid receptor-like) that had high homology to the opioid receptors but did not bind any known endogenous opioid peptides (i.e., endorphins) or exogenous opiates. Recently, two independent groups isolated a 17- amino-acid peptide that is an endogenous ligand for ORL-1; one group named it orphanin FQ (OFQ), the other named it nociceptin (N). It was reported that intracerebroventricular administration of this heptadeca peptide (OFQ/N) in mice induced an increased responsiveness to painful stimuli, an effect in striking contrast to the analgesia that is a hallmark of classical opiate drugs. Further research has revealed that OFQ/N has complex effects on pain perception: OFQ/N has been touted as having analgesic, hyperalgesic, and anti opioid properties. In addition to discussing these disparate findings, this review highlights the structural and pharmacological parallels between ORL-1 and opioid receptors as well as their respective endogenous ligands. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:172-184, 1998
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulette A. Zaki
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
| | - Chris J. Evans
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California
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30
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Abstract
Drug addiction can be viewed as a form of neural plasticity—drug—induced neural plasticity. This is because most features of addiction develop gradually and progressively in response to repeated exposure to a drug of abuse and can persist for a long time, perhaps even a lifetime, after discontinuation of drug administration. Within this context of neural plasticity, studies of drug addiction offer a unique opportunity to establish the biological basis of a complex and clinically relevant behavioral abnormality. This derives from the fact that many aspects of addiction can be reproduced with increasing accuracy in laboratory animals. The availability of animal models, in turn, has made it possible to identify specific regions of the brain that mediate behavioral aspects of addiction. Identification of these discrete brain regions has made it possible to begin the process of identifying the molecular and cellular basis of addiction mediated via these regions. This situation for drug addiction contrasts markedly with that for most other model systems of neural plasticity, for which behavioral, let alone clinical, correlates are not readily apparent. It also contrasts with many other neuropsychiatric abnormalities, for example, schizophrenia and depression, for which animal models are much less straight forward and much more difficult to interpret. Advances made in the field of drug addiction have the potential of providing insight into the types of mechanisms underlying other forms of neural plasticity and even, per haps, other neuropsychiatric abnormalities. The goal of this review is to describe recent progress in under standing the molecular basis of addictive states. The Neuroscientist 1:212-220, 1995
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Nestler
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry Departments of Psychiatry
and Pharmacology Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, Connecticut
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31
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Abstract
The elucidation within the past few years of a wide array of neurotrophic growth factors has been one of the important advances in the neurosciences. These factors are small proteins that exert powerful growth, differentiation, and tropic effects on specific neuron types via specific receptors and their signaling pathways. These characteristics have generated ex citement within the clinical fields of neurology and psychiatry because therapeutic oppor tunities exist in nearly all areas. Currently, the clinical trials are for neurodegenerative dis eases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's-type dementia. However, preclinical studies span across afflictions as diverse as epilepsy, drug addiction, and de pression. This Update briefly describes the general characteristics of the neurotrophic fac tors and discusses some of the potential clinical uses. The Neuroscientist 1:119-122,1995
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Abstract
Within recent years, new cellular, molecular, and genetic techniques have led to an ex plosion of biochemical information about cell growth and regulation. Growth factor recep tor signal transduction and proto-oncogene product function are among the fields that have experienced the most impressive and exciting gains. One important area in which these have merged is in the elucidation of the mechanisms of signal transduction of a class of receptors bearing intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. The basis of the current "De cade of the Brain" has been the expectation that these powerful techniques and discov eries in cell biology would fuel equally exciting discoveries in the function of the brain and the nervous system in general. The neurotrophins are a class of neurotrophic factors that powerfully shape both the developing and the adult brain. The mechanisms of neuro trophin action via their trk receptors, briefly reviewed in this Update, is one area where the groundwork is likely being established for the futures of neurology and psychiatry. The Neuroscientist 1:3-6, 1995
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33
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Russell DS, Widnell KL, Nestler EJ. Antisense Oligonucleotides: New Tools for the Study of Brain Function. Neuroscientist 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/107385849600200207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Antisense techniques, especially those using short unmodified or modified oligonucleotides, are now proving useful in many experimental systems. Their usefulness derives from the ability to rapidly and reversibly apply the simplicity and specificity of molecular sequence information to analyzing the complex cellular milieu. In theory, any protein, if a portion of its transcript sequence is known, can be specifically targeted for down-regulation, even if other very similar proteins, subtypes, or splice variants are expressed. Early preclinical studies on the role of antisense oligonucleotides as therapeutics are also underway. Interestingly, the CNS may be particularly amenable to the use of antisense techniques. This Update briefly presents antisense theory and techniques, illustrating them with an example from our own laboratory—using antisense oligonucleotides to probe the role of cAMP response element binding protein in drug-induced neuronal plasticity. The Neuroscientist 2:79-82, 1996
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34
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Belujon P, Grace AA. Regulation of dopamine system responsivity and its adaptive and pathological response to stress. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:rspb.2014.2516. [PMID: 25788601 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Although, historically, the norepinephrine system has attracted the majority of attention in the study of the stress response, the dopamine system has also been consistently implicated. It has long been established that stress plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. However, the neurobiological mechanisms that mediate the stress response and its effect in psychiatric diseases are not well understood. The dopamine system can play distinct roles in stress and psychiatric disorders. It is hypothesized that, even though the dopamine (DA) system forms the basis for a number of psychiatric disorders, the pathology is likely to originate in the afferent structures that are inducing dysregulation of the DA system. This review explores the current knowledge of afferent modulation of the stress/DA circuitry, and presents recent data focusing on the effect of stress on the DA system and its relevance to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Belujon
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Anthony A Grace
- Departments of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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35
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Ignatowski TA, Aalinkeel R, Reynolds JL, Nair BB, Sykes DE, Gleason CPK, Law WC, Mammen MJ, Prasad PN, Schwartz SA, Mahajan SD. Nanotherapeutic Approach for Opiate Addiction Using DARPP-32 Gene Silencing in an Animal Model of Opiate Addiction. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2015; 10:136-52. [DOI: 10.1007/s11481-015-9585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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36
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Cruz FC, Javier Rubio F, Hope BT. Using c-fos to study neuronal ensembles in corticostriatal circuitry of addiction. Brain Res 2014; 1628:157-73. [PMID: 25446457 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Learned associations between drugs and environment play an important role in addiction and are thought to be encoded within specific patterns of sparsely distributed neurons called neuronal ensembles. This hypothesis is supported by correlational data from in vivo electrophysiology and cellular imaging studies in relapse models in rodents. In particular, cellular imaging with the immediate early gene c-fos and its protein product Fos has been used to identify sparsely distributed neurons that were strongly activated during conditioned drug behaviors such as drug self-administration and context- and cue-induced reinstatement of drug seeking. Here we review how Fos and the c-fos promoter have been employed to demonstrate causal roles for Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in conditioned drug behaviors. This work has allowed identification of unique molecular and electrophysiological alterations within Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles that may contribute to the development and expression of learned associations in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio C Cruz
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, IRP/NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - F Javier Rubio
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, IRP/NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States
| | - Bruce T Hope
- Behavioral Neuroscience Branch, IRP/NIDA/NIH/DHHS, 251 Bayview Blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
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Stolyarova A, O'Dell SJ, Marshall JF, Izquierdo A. Positive and negative feedback learning and associated dopamine and serotonin transporter binding after methamphetamine. Behav Brain Res 2014; 271:195-202. [PMID: 24959862 PMCID: PMC4232208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Learning from mistakes and prospectively adjusting behavior in response to reward feedback is an important facet of performance monitoring. Dopamine (DA) pathways play an important role in feedback learning and a growing literature has also emerged on the importance of serotonin (5HT) in reward learning, particularly during punishment or reward omission (negative feedback). Cognitive impairments resulting from psychostimulant exposure may arise from altered patterns in feedback learning, which in turn may be modulated by DA and 5HT transmission. We analyzed long-term, off-drug changes in learning from positive and negative feedback and associated striatal DA transporter (DAT) and frontocortical 5HT transporter (SERT) binding in rats pretreated with methamphetamine (mAMPH). Specifically, we assessed the reversal phase of pairwise visual discrimination learning in rats receiving single dose- (mAMPHsingle) vs. escalating-dose exposure (mAMPHescal). Using fine-grained trial-by-trial analyses, we found increased sensitivity to and reliance on positive feedback in mAMPH-pretreated animals, with the mAMPHsingle group showing more pronounced use of this type of feedback. In contrast, overall negative feedback sensitivity was not altered following any mAMPH treatment. In addition to validating the enduring effects of mAMPH on early reversal learning, we found more consecutive error commissions before the first correct response in mAMPH-pretreated rats. This behavioral rigidity was negatively correlated with subregional frontocortical SERT whereas positive feedback sensitivity negatively correlated with striatal DAT binding. These results provide new evidence for the overlapping, yet dissociable roles of DA and 5HT systems in overcoming perseveration and in learning new reward rules.
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Ligand-specific regulation of the endogenous mu-opioid receptor by chronic treatment with mu-opioid peptide agonists. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 2013:501086. [PMID: 24350273 PMCID: PMC3857906 DOI: 10.1155/2013/501086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of the endomorphins (EM), the postulated endogenous peptide agonists of the mu-opioid receptors, several analogues have been synthesized to improve their binding and pharmacological profiles. We have shown previously that a new analogue, cis-1S,2R-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid2-endomorphin-2 (ACHC-EM2), had elevated mu-receptor affinity, selectivity, and proteolytic stability over the parent compound. In the present work, we have studied its antinociceptive effects and receptor regulatory processes. ACHC-EM2 displayed a somewhat higher (60%) acute antinociceptive response than the parent peptide, EM2 (45%), which peaked at 10 min after intracerebroventricular (icv) administration in the rat tail-flick test. Analgesic tolerance developed to the antinociceptive effect of ACHC-EM2 upon its repeated icv injection that was complete by a 10-day treatment. This was accompanied by attenuated coupling of mu-sites to G-proteins in subcellular fractions of rat brain. Also, the density of mu-receptors was upregulated by about 40% in the light membrane fraction, with no detectable changes in surface binding. Distinct receptor regulatory processes were noted in subcellular fractions of rat brains made tolerant by the prototypic full mu-agonist peptide, DAMGO, and its chloromethyl ketone derivative, DAMCK. These results are discussed in light of the recently discovered phenomenon, that is, the “so-called biased agonism” or “functional selectivity”.
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Planeta CS, Lepsch LB, Alves R, Scavone C. Influence of the dopaminergic system, CREB, and transcription factor-κB on cocaine neurotoxicity. Braz J Med Biol Res 2013; 46:909-915. [PMID: 24141554 PMCID: PMC3854330 DOI: 10.1590/1414-431x20133379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine is a widely used drug and its abuse is associated with physical, psychiatric
and social problems. Abnormalities in newborns have been demonstrated to be due to
the toxic effects of cocaine during fetal development. The mechanism by which cocaine
causes neurological damage is complex and involves interactions of the drug with
several neurotransmitter systems, such as the increase of extracellular levels of
dopamine and free radicals, and modulation of transcription factors. The aim of this
review was to evaluate the importance of the dopaminergic system and the
participation of inflammatory signaling in cocaine neurotoxicity. Our study showed
that cocaine activates the transcription factors NF-κB and CREB, which regulate genes
involved in cellular death. GBR 12909 (an inhibitor of dopamine reuptake), lidocaine
(a local anesthetic), and dopamine did not activate NF-κB in the same way as cocaine.
However, the attenuation of NF-κB activity after the pretreatment of the cells with
SCH 23390, a D1 receptor antagonist, suggests that the activation of NF-κB by cocaine
is, at least partially, due to activation of D1 receptors. NF-κB seems to have a
protective role in these cells because its inhibition increased cellular death caused
by cocaine. The increase in BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) mRNA can also be
related to the protective role of both CREB and NF-κB transcription factors. An
understanding of the mechanisms by which cocaine induces cell death in the brain will
contribute to the development of new therapies for drug abusers, which can help to
slow down the progress of degenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Planeta
- Universidade Estadual Paulista, Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, AraraquaraSP, Brasil
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Waselus M, Flagel SB, Jedynak JP, Akil H, Robinson TE, Watson SJ. Long-term effects of cocaine experience on neuroplasticity in the nucleus accumbens core of addiction-prone rats. Neuroscience 2013; 248:571-84. [PMID: 23811073 PMCID: PMC3859827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse is associated with structural plasticity in brain reward pathways. Rats selectively bred for locomotor response to novelty differ on a number of neurobehavioral dimensions relevant to addiction. This unique genetic animal model was used here to examine both pre-existing differences and long-term consequences of repeated cocaine treatment on structural plasticity. Selectively bred high-responder (bHR) and low-responder (bLR) rats received repeated saline or cocaine injections for 9 consecutive days. Escalating doses of cocaine (7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg) were administered on the first (day 1) and last (day 9) days of treatment and a single injection of the intermediate dose (15 mg/kg) was given on days 2-8. Motor activity in response to escalating doses of cocaine was compared on the first and last days of treatment to assess the acute and sensitized response to the drug. Following prolonged cocaine abstinence (28 days), spine density was examined on terminal dendrites of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core. Relative to bLRs, bHRs exhibited increased psychomotor activation in response to both the acute and repeated effects of cocaine. There were no differences in spine density between bHR and bLR rats under basal conditions or following repeated saline treatment. However, spine density differed markedly between these two lines following prolonged cocaine abstinence. All spine types were decreased in cocaine-treated bHRs, while only mushroom spines were decreased in bLRs that received cocaine. Changes in spine density occurred specifically near the branch point of terminal dendrites. These findings indicate that structural plasticity associated with prolonged cocaine abstinence varies markedly in two selected strains of rats that vary on numerous traits relevant to addiction. Thus, genetic factors that contribute to individual variation in the behavioral response to cocaine also influence cocaine-induced structural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Waselus
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - S B Flagel
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J P Jedynak
- Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Akil
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - T E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S J Watson
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Collo G, Bono F, Cavalleri L, Plebani L, Mitola S, Merlo Pich E, Millan MJ, Zoli M, Maskos U, Spano P, Missale C. Nicotine-Induced Structural Plasticity in Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons Is Mediated by Dopamine D3 Receptors and Akt-mTORC1 Signaling. Mol Pharmacol 2013; 83:1176-89. [DOI: 10.1124/mol.113.084863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
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Abstract
AIMS To evaluate the pharmacogenetic evidence relating to the use of opioid antagonists (in particular naltrexone) in treating patients with alcohol abuse problems. METHODS Narrative review of pre-clinical and clinical published research regarding genetic modulation of psychotropic effects produced by alcohol and the therapeutic effects of opioid antagonists. RESULTS Alcohol activates brain reward pathways, leading to positive reinforcement of alcohol seeking and consumption. Thus, the underlying biological mechanisms may be targets for treatment, particularly in the early stages of addiction development. Alcohol reward is in part mediated by endogenous opioids. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within the OPRM1 gene, A118G, leading to an amino acid change (Asn40Asp) in the extracellular portion of the receptor, has been implicated in alcoholism as well as in drug addiction, pain sensitivity and stress response, and in animal and human studies relates to the alcohol-dependent phenotype as well as to the treatment response to the µ-opioid antagonist naltrexone. CONCLUSION The effect size reported in naltrexone clinical studies is often small, which may be due to heterogeneity among patients. Pharmacogenetic approaches may help guide us in the search for the appropriate treatment optimal for one patient's need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Thorsell
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
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43
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Piazza PV, Deroche-Gamonet V. A multistep general theory of transition to addiction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 229:387-413. [PMID: 23963530 PMCID: PMC3767888 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3224-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several theories propose alternative explanations for drug addiction. OBJECTIVES We propose a general theory of transition to addiction that synthesizes knowledge generated in the field of addiction into a unitary explanatory frame. MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF THE THEORY Transition to addiction results from a sequential three-step interaction between: (1) individual vulnerability; (2) degree/amount of drug exposure. The first step, sporadic recreational drug use is a learning process mediated by overactivation of neurobiological substrates of natural rewards that allows most individuals to perceive drugs as highly rewarding stimuli. The second, intensified, sustained, escalated drug use occurs in some vulnerable individuals who have a hyperactive dopaminergic system and impaired prefrontal cortex function. Sustained and prolonged drug use induces incentive sensitization and an allostatic state that makes drugs strongly wanted and needed. Habit formation can also contribute to stabilizing sustained drug use. The last step, loss of control of drug intake and full addiction, is due to a second vulnerable phenotype. This loss-of-control-prone phenotype is triggered by long-term drug exposure and characterized by long-lasting loss of synaptic plasticity in reward areas in the brain that induce a form of behavioral crystallization resulting in loss of control of drug intake. Because of behavioral crystallization, drugs are now not only wanted and needed but also pathologically mourned when absent. CONCLUSIONS This general theory demonstrates that drug addiction is a true psychiatric disease caused by a three-step interaction between vulnerable individuals and amount/duration of drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pier Vincenzo Piazza
- Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U862, INSERM, 146 rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, 33076, France,
| | - Véronique Deroche-Gamonet
- Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U862, INSERM, 146 rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, 33076 France ,Neurocentre Magendie, Physiopathologie de la Plasticité Neuronale, U862, University of Bordeaux, 146 rue Léo Saignat, Bordeaux, 33077 France
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Hearing MC, Zink AN, Wickman K. Cocaine-induced adaptations in metabotropic inhibitory signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system. Rev Neurosci 2012; 23:325-51. [PMID: 22944653 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2012-0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The addictive properties of psychostimulants such as cocaine are rooted in their ability to activate the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system. This system consists primarily of dopaminergic projections arising from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the limbic and cortical brain regions, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and prefrontal cortex (PFC). While the basic anatomy and functional relevance of the mesocorticolimbic DA system is relatively well-established, a key challenge remaining in addiction research is to understand where and how molecular adaptations and corresponding changes in function of this system facilitate a pathological desire to seek and take drugs. Several lines of evidence indicate that inhibitory signaling, particularly signaling mediated by the Gi/o class of heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G proteins), plays a key role in the acute and persistent effects of drugs of abuse. Moreover, recent evidence argues that these signaling pathways are targets of drug-induced adaptations. In this review we discuss inhibitory signaling pathways involving DA and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in two brain regions - the VTA and PFC - that are central to the effects of acute and repeated cocaine exposure and represent sites of adaptations linked to addiction-related behaviors including sensitization, craving, and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Hearing
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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45
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Rodríguez RE. Morphine and microRNA Activity: Is There a Relation with Addiction? Front Genet 2012; 3:223. [PMID: 23162566 PMCID: PMC3494017 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When we talk about drug addiction, we are really dealing with an extremely complex system in which there still remain many unknowns and where many empty spaces or missing links are still present. Recent studies have identified changes in the expression profiles of several specific miRNAs which affect the interactions between these molecules and their targets in various illnesses, including addiction, and which may serve as valuable targets for more efficient therapies. In this review, we summarize results which clearly demonstrate that several morphine-related miRNAs have roles in the mechanisms that define addiction. In this regard, morphine has been shown to have an important role in the regulation of different miRNAs, such as miR-let-7 [which works as a mediator of the movement of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) mRNA into P-bodies, leading to translational repression], miR-23b (involved in linking MOR expression and morphine treatment at the post-transcriptional level), and miR-190 (a key post-transcriptional repressor of neurogenic differentiation, NeuroD). Fentanyl increases NeuroD levels by reducing the amount of miR-190, but morphine does not affect the levels of NeuroD. We also discuss the relationship between morphine, miRNAs, and the immune system, based on the discovery that morphine treatment of monocytes led to a decrease in several anti-HIV miRNAs (mir-28, 125b, 150, and 382). This review is centered on miR-133b and its possible involvement in addiction through the effects of morphine. We establish the importance of miR-133b as a regulatory factor by summarizing its activity in different pathological processes, especially cancer. Using the zebrafish as a research model, we discuss the relationship between mir-133b, the dopaminergic system, and morphine, considering: (1) that morphine modulates the expression of miR-133b and of its target transcript Pitx3, (2) the role of the zebrafish mu opioid receptor (zfMOR) in morphine-induced regulation of miR-133b, which depends on ERK1/2, (3) that morphine regulates miR-133b in hippocampal neurons, and (4) the role of delta opioid receptors in morphine-induced regulation of miR-133b. We conclude that the control of miR-133b levels may be a mechanism for the development of addiction to morphine, or other drugs of abuse that increase dopaminergic levels in the extracellular space. These results show that miR-133b is a possible new target for the design of new treatments against addictive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel E Rodríguez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Salamanca Salamanca, Spain
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46
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Newman AH, Blaylock BL, Nader MA, Bergman J, Sibley DR, Skolnick P. Medication discovery for addiction: translating the dopamine D3 receptor hypothesis. Biochem Pharmacol 2012; 84:882-90. [PMID: 22781742 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2012.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The dopamine D3 receptor (D3R) has been investigated as a potential target for medication development to treat substance use disorders (SUDs) with a particular focus on cocaine and methamphetamine. Currently, there are no approved medications to treat cocaine and methamphetamine addiction and thus developing pharmacotherapeutics to complement existing behavioral strategies is a fundamental goal. Novel compounds with high affinity and D3R selectivity have been evaluated in numerous animal models of drug abuse and favorable outcomes in nonhuman primate models of self-administration and relapse have provided compelling evidence to advance these agents into the clinic. One approach is to repurpose drugs that share the D3R mechanism and already have clinical utility, and to this end buspirone has been identified as a viable candidate for clinical trials. A second, but substantially more resource intensive and risky approach involves the development of compounds that exclusively target D3R, such as GSK598809 and PG 619. Clinical investigation of these drugs or other novel D3R-selective agents will provide a better understanding of the role D3R plays in addiction and whether or not antagonists or partial agonists that are D3R selective are effective in achieving abstinence in this patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Hauck Newman
- Medicinal Chemistry Section, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Tucci P, Morgese MG, Colaianna M, Zotti M, Schiavone S, Cuomo V, Trabace L. Neurochemical consequence of steroid abuse: stanozolol-induced monoaminergic changes. Steroids 2012; 77:269-75. [PMID: 22197661 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2011] [Revised: 12/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
An extensive literature has documented adverse effects on mental health in anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) abusers. Depression seems a common adverse reaction in AAS abusers. Recently it has been reported that in a rat model of AAS abuse stanozolol induces behavioural and biochemical changes related to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder. In the present study, we used the model of AAS abuse to examine possible changes in the monoaminergic system, a neurobiological substrate of depression, in different brain areas of stanozolol-treated animals. Wistar rats received repeated injections of stanozolol (5mg/kg, s.c.), or vehicle (propylene glycol, 1ml/kg) once daily for 4weeks. Twenty-four hours after last injection, changes of dopamine (DA) and relative metabolite levels, homovanilic acid (HVA) and 3,4-dihydroxy phenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite levels, 5-hydroxy indolacetic acid (5-HIAA), and noradrenaline (NA) amount were investigated in prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAC), striatum (STR) and hippocampus (HIPP). The analysis of data showed that after chronic stanozolol, DA levels were increased in the HIPP and decreased in the PFC. No significant changes were observed in the STR or in the NAC. 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels were decreased in all brain areas investigated after stanozolol exposure; however, the 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio was not altered. Taken together, our data indicate that chronic use of stanozolol significantly affects brain monoamines leading to neurochemical modifications possibly involved in depression and stress-related states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Tucci
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Foggia, V.le Luigi Pinto 1, 71121 Foggia, Italy
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Collo G, Bono F, Cavalleri L, Plebani L, Merlo Pich E, Millan MJ, Spano PF, Missale C. Pre-synaptic dopamine D3 receptor mediates cocaine-induced structural plasticity in mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons via ERK and Akt pathways. J Neurochem 2012; 120:765-78. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07618.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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49
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Lee CWS, Yan JY, Chiang YC, Hung TW, Wang HL, Chiou LC, Ho IK. Differential pharmacological actions of methadone and buprenorphine in human embryonic kidney 293 cells coexpressing human μ-opioid and opioid receptor-like 1 receptors. Neurochem Res 2011; 36:2008-21. [PMID: 21671107 PMCID: PMC3183316 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-011-0525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Methadone and buprenorphine are used in maintenance therapy for heroin addicts. In this study, we compared their effects on adenylate cyclase (AC) activity in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably overexpressing human μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and nociceptin/opioid receptor-like 1 receptor (ORL1) simultaneously. After acute exposure, methadone inhibited AC activity; however, buprenorphine induced compromised AC inhibition. When naloxone was introduced after 30 min incubation with methadone, the AC activity was enhanced. This was not observed in the case of buprenorphine. Enhancement of the AC activity was more significant when the incubation lasted for 4 h, and prolonged exposure to buprenorphine elevated the AC activity as well. The removal of methadone and buprenorphine by washing also obtained similar AC superactivation as that revealed by naloxone challenge. The study demonstrated that methadone and buprenorphine exert initially different yet eventually convergent adaptive changes of AC activity in cells coexpressing human MOR and ORL1 receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Wei-Sheng Lee
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan
| | - Jia-Ying Yan
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan
| | - Yao-Chang Chiang
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Wei Hung
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan
| | - Hung-Li Wang
- Department of Physiology, Chang Gung University School of Medicine, Kwei-San, Taoyuan, 33302 Taiwan
| | - Lih-Chu Chiou
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051 Taiwan
| | - Ing-Kang Ho
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction Medicine, Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, 35 Keyan Road, Zhunan, Miaoli County, 35053 Taiwan
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50
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Cumming P, Caprioli D, Dalley JW. What have positron emission tomography and 'Zippy' told us about the neuropharmacology of drug addiction? Br J Pharmacol 2011; 163:1586-604. [PMID: 20846139 PMCID: PMC3166689 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.01036.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Revised: 08/09/2010] [Accepted: 08/31/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and allied technologies offer unrivalled applications in the discovery of biomarkers and aetiological mechanisms relevant to human disease. Foremost among clinical PET findings during the past two decades of addiction research is the seminal discovery of reduced dopamine D(2/3) receptor expression in the striatum of drug addicts, which could indicate a predisposing factor and/or compensatory reaction to the chronic abuse of stimulant drugs. In parallel, recent years have witnessed significant improvements in the performance of small animal tomographs (microPET) and a refinement of animal models of addiction based on clinically relevant diagnostic criteria. This review surveys the utility of PET in the elucidation of neuropharmacological mechanisms underlying drug addiction. It considers the consequences of chronic drug exposure on regional brain metabolism and neurotransmitter function and identifies those areas where further research is needed, especially concerning the implementation of PET tracers targeting neurotransmitter systems other than dopamine, which increasingly have been implicated in the pathophysiology of drug addiction. In addition, this review considers the causal effects of behavioural traits such as impulsivity and novelty/sensation-seeking on the emergence of compulsive drug-taking. Previous research indicates that spontaneously high-impulsive rats--as exemplified by 'Zippy'--are pre-disposed to escalate intravenous cocaine self-administration, and subsequently to develop compulsive drug taking tendencies that endure despite concurrent adverse consequences of such behaviour, just as in human addiction. The discovery using microPET of pre-existing differences in dopamine D(2/3) receptor expression in the striatum of high-impulsive rats suggests a neural endophenotype that may likewise pre-dispose to stimulant addiction in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian's University, Munich, Germany
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