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Cruz B, Vozella V, Borgonetti V, Bullard R, Bianchi PC, Kirson D, Bertotto LB, Bajo M, Vlkolinsky R, Messing RO, Zorrilla EP, Roberto M. Chemogenetic inhibition of central amygdala CRF-expressing neurons decreases alcohol intake but not trauma-related behaviors in a rat model of post-traumatic stress and alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02514-8. [PMID: 38509197 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02514-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are often comorbid. Few treatments exist to reduce comorbid PTSD/AUD. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying their comorbidity could reveal new avenues for therapy. Here, we employed a model of comorbid PTSD/AUD, in which rats were subjected to a stressful shock in a familiar context followed by alcohol drinking. We then examined fear overgeneralization and irritability in these rats. Familiar context stress elevated drinking, increased fear overgeneralization, increased alcohol-related aggressive signs, and elevated peripheral stress hormones. We then examined transcripts of stress- and fear-relevant genes in the central amygdala (CeA), a locus that regulates stress-mediated alcohol drinking. Compared with unstressed rats, stressed rats exhibited increases in CeA transcripts for Crh and Fkbp5 and decreases in transcripts for Bdnf and Il18. Levels of Nr3c1 mRNA, which encodes the glucocorticoid receptor, increased in stressed males but decreased in stressed females. Transcripts of Il18 binding protein (Il18bp), Glp-1r, and genes associated with calcitonin gene-related peptide signaling (Calca, Ramp1, Crlr-1, and Iapp) were unaltered. Crh, but not Crhr1, mRNA was increased by stress; thus, we tested whether inhibiting CeA neurons that express corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) suppress PTSD/AUD-like behaviors. We used Crh-Cre rats that had received a Cre-dependent vector encoding hM4D(Gi), an inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs. Chemogenetic inhibition of CeA CRF neurons reduced alcohol intake but not fear overgeneralization or irritability-like behaviors. Our findings suggest that CeA CRF modulates PTSD/AUD comorbidity, and inhibiting CRF neural activity is primarily associated with reducing alcohol drinking but not trauma-related behaviors that are associated with PTSD/AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Cruz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Valentina Vozella
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Vittoria Borgonetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Ryan Bullard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Paula C Bianchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Dean Kirson
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Luisa B Bertotto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Roman Vlkolinsky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Eric P Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92073, USA.
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Wu J, Zhao Y. Single cocaine exposure attenuates the intrinsic excitability of CRH neurons in the ventral BNST via Sigma-1 receptors. Transl Neurosci 2024; 15:20220339. [PMID: 38681523 PMCID: PMC11047800 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2022-0339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) plays a key role in cocaine addiction, especially relapse. However, the direct effects of cocaine on corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the vBNST remain unclear. Here, we identify that cocaine exposure can remarkably attenuate the intrinsic excitability of CRH neurons in the vBNST in vitro. Accumulating studies reveal the crucial role of Sigma-1 receptors (Sig-1Rs) in modulating cocaine addiction. However, to the authors' best knowledge no investigations have explored the role of Sig-1Rs in the vBNST, let alone CRH neurons. Given that cocaine acts as a type of Sig-1Rs agonist, and the dramatic role of Sig-1Rs played in intrinsic excitability of neurons as well as cocaine addiction, we employ BD1063 a canonical Sig-1Rs antagonist to block the effects of cocaine, and significantly recover the excitability of CRH neurons. Together, we suggest that cocaine exposure leads to the firing rate depression of CRH neurons in the vBNST via binding to Sig-1Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Wu
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Galaj E, Barrera ED, Persaud K, Nisanov R, Vashisht A, Goldberg H, Patel N, Lenhard H, You ZB, Gardner EL, Ranaldi R. The Impact of Heroin Self-Administration and Environmental Enrichment on Ventral Tegmental CRF1 Receptor Expression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:828-839. [PMID: 37864842 PMCID: PMC10726410 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a strong link between chronic stress and vulnerability to drug abuse and addiction. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is central to the stress response that contributes to continuation and relapse to heroin abuse. Chronic heroin exposure can exacerbate CRF production, leading to dysregulation of the midbrain CRF-dopamine-glutamate interaction. METHODS Here we investigated the role of midbrain CRF1 receptors in heroin self-administration and assessed neuroplasticity in CRF1 receptor expression in key opioid addiction brain regions. RESULTS Infusions of antalarmin (a CRF1 receptor antagonist) into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dose dependently reduced heroin self-administration in rats but had no impact on food reinforcement or locomotor activity in rats. Using RNAscope in situ hybridization, we found that heroin, but not saline, self-administration upregulated CRF1 receptor mRNA in the VTA, particularly on dopamine neurons. AMPA GluR1 and dopamine reuptake transporter mRNA in VTA neurons were not affected by heroin. The western-blot assay showed that CRF1 receptors were upregulated in the VTA and nucleus accumbens. No significant changes in CRF1 protein expression were detected in the prefrontal cortex, insula, dorsal hippocampus, and substantia nigra. In addition, we found that 15 days of environmental enrichment implemented after heroin self-administration does not reverse upregulation of VTA CRF1 receptor mRNA but it downregulates dopamine transporter mRNA. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these data suggest that heroin self-administration requires stimulation of VTA CRF1 receptors and upregulates their expression in brain regions involved in reinforcement. Such long-lasting neuroadaptations may contribute to continuation of drug use and relapse due to stress exposure and are not easily reversed by EE exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA
| | - Eddy D Barrera
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Kirk Persaud
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Rudolf Nisanov
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Apoorva Vashisht
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
| | - Hindy Goldberg
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Nima Patel
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
| | - Hayley Lenhard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, USA
| | - Zhi-Bing You
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Eliot L Gardner
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert Ranaldi
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NYUSA
- Department of Psychology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA
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Passeri A, Municchi D, Cavalieri G, Babicola L, Ventura R, Di Segni M. Linking drug and food addiction: an overview of the shared neural circuits and behavioral phenotype. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1240748. [PMID: 37767338 PMCID: PMC10520727 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1240748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a lack of agreement on its definition and inclusion as a specific diagnosable disturbance, the food addiction construct is supported by several neurobiological and behavioral clinical and preclinical findings. Recognizing food addiction is critical to understanding how and why it manifests. In this overview, we focused on those as follows: 1. the hyperpalatable food effects in food addiction development; 2. specific brain regions involved in both food and drug addiction; and 3. animal models highlighting commonalities between substance use disorders and food addiction. Although results collected through animal studies emerged from protocols differing in several ways, they clearly highlight commonalities in behavioral manifestations and neurobiological alterations between substance use disorders and food addiction characteristics. To develop improved food addiction models, this heterogeneity should be acknowledged and embraced so that research can systematically investigate the role of specific variables in the development of the different behavioral features of addiction-like behavior in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Passeri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Cavalieri
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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Haass-Koffler CL, Francis TC, Gandhi P, Patel R, Naemuddin M, Nielsen CK, Bartlett SE, Bonci A, Vasile S, Hood BL, Suyama E, Hedrick MP, Smith LH, Limpert AS, Roberto M, Cosford NDP, Sheffler DJ. Development and use of a high-throughput screen to identify novel modulators of the corticotropin releasing factor binding protein. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:448-459. [PMID: 36210051 PMCID: PMC9762412 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress responses are believed to involve corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), its two cognate receptors (CRF1 and CRF2), and the CRF-binding protein (CRFBP). Whereas decades of research has focused on CRF1, the role of CRF2 in the central nervous system (CNS) has not been thoroughly investigated. We have previously reported that CRF2, interacting with a C terminal fragment of CRFBP, CRFBP(10kD), may have a role in the modulation of neuronal activity. However, the mechanism by which CRF interacts with CRFBP(10kD) and CRF2 has not been fully elucidated due to the lack of useful chemical tools to probe CRFBP. METHODS We miniaturized a cell-based assay, where CRFBP(10kD) is fused as a chimera with CRF2, and performed a high-throughput screen (HTS) of 350,000 small molecules to find negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) of the CRFBP(10kD)-CRF2 complex. Hits were confirmed by evaluating activity toward parental HEK293 cells, toward CRF2 in the absence of CRFBP(10kD), and toward CRF1 in vitro. Hits were further characterized in ex vivo electrophysiology assays that target: 1) the CRF1+ neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) of CRF1:GFP mice that express GFP under the CRF1 promoter, and 2) the CRF-induced potentiation of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR)-mediated synaptic transmission in dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). RESULTS We found that CRFBP(10kD) potentiates CRF-intracellular Ca2+ release specifically via CRF2, indicating that CRFBP may possess excitatory roles in addition to the inhibitory role established by the N-terminal fragment of CRFBP, CRFBP(27kD). We identified novel small molecule CRFBP-CRF2 NAMs that do not alter the CRF1-mediated effects of exogenous CRF but blunt CRF-induced potentiation of NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission in dopamine neurons in the VTA, an effect mediated by CRF2 and CRFBP. CONCLUSION These results provide the first evidence of specific roles for CRF2 and CRFBP(10kD) in the modulation of neuronal activity and suggest that CRFBP(10kD)-CRF2 NAMs can be further developed for the treatment of stress-related disorders including alcohol and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Haass-Koffler
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies; Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence RI, United States.
| | - T Chase Francis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States; Intramural Research Program, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Pauravi Gandhi
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Reesha Patel
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Mohammad Naemuddin
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Carsten K Nielsen
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Selena E Bartlett
- Translational Research Institute, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Stefan Vasile
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Becky L Hood
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Eigo Suyama
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael P Hedrick
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Layton H Smith
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Allison S Limpert
- NCI Designated Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, United States; Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicholas D P Cosford
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States; NCI Designated Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, United States; Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Douglas J Sheffler
- NCI Designated Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, United States; Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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Spironolactone as a potential new pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder: convergent evidence from rodent and human studies. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4642-4652. [PMID: 36123420 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01736-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that spironolactone, a nonselective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist, modulates alcohol seeking and consumption. Therefore, spironolactone may represent a novel pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this study, we tested the effects of spironolactone in a mouse model of alcohol drinking (drinking-in-the-dark) and in a rat model of alcohol dependence (vapor exposure). We also investigated the association between spironolactone receipt for at least 60 continuous days and change in self-reported alcohol consumption, using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), in a pharmacoepidemiologic cohort study in the largest integrated healthcare system in the US. Spironolactone dose-dependently reduced the intake of sweetened or unsweetened alcohol solutions in male and female mice. No effects of spironolactone were observed on drinking of a sweet solution without alcohol, food or water intake, motor coordination, alcohol-induced ataxia, or blood alcohol levels. Spironolactone dose-dependently reduced operant alcohol self-administration in dependent and nondependent male and female rats. In humans, a greater reduction in alcohol consumption was observed among those who received spironolactone, compared to propensity score-matched individuals who did not receive spironolactone. The largest effects were among those who reported hazardous/heavy episodic alcohol consumption at baseline (AUDIT-C ≥ 8) and those exposed to ≥ 50 mg/day of spironolactone. These convergent findings across rodent and human studies demonstrate that spironolactone reduces alcohol use and support the hypothesis that this medication may be further studied as a novel pharmacotherapy for AUD.
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Parnarouskis L, Leventhal AM, Ferguson SG, Gearhardt AN. Withdrawal: A key consideration in evaluating whether highly processed foods are addictive. Obes Rev 2022; 23:e13507. [PMID: 36196649 PMCID: PMC9786266 DOI: 10.1111/obr.13507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Researchers are currently debating whether theories of addiction explain compulsive overeating of highly processed (HP) foods (i.e., industrially created foods high in refined carbohydrates and/or fat), which contributes to obesity and diet-related disease. A subset of individuals consumes HP foods with behavioral phenotypes that mirror substance use disorders. Withdrawal, the emergence of aversive physical and psychological symptoms upon reduction or cessation of substance use, is a core component of addiction that was central to historical debates about other substances' addictive potential (e.g., nicotine and cocaine). However, no one has systematically considered evidence for whether HP foods cause withdrawal, which represents a key knowledge gap regarding the utility of addiction models for understanding compulsive overeating. Thus, we reviewed evidence for whether animals and humans exhibit withdrawal when reducing or eliminating HP food intake. Controlled experimental evidence indicates animals experience HP food withdrawal marked by neural reward changes and behaviors consistent with withdrawal from other addictive substances. In humans, preliminary evidence supports subjective withdrawal-like experiences. However, most current human research is limited to retrospective recall. Further experimental research is needed to evaluate this construct. We outline future research directions to investigate HP food withdrawal in humans and consider potential clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam M Leventhal
- Institute for Addiction Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Stuart G Ferguson
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Ashley N Gearhardt
- Department of Psychology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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8
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Addictive and other mental disorders: a call for a standardized definition of dual disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:446. [PMID: 36229453 PMCID: PMC9562408 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02212-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The persistent difficulty in conceptualizing the relationship between addictive and other mental disorders stands out among the many challenges faced by the field of Psychiatry. The different philosophies and schools of thought about, and the sheer complexity of these highly prevalent clinical conditions make progress inherently difficult, not to mention the profusion of competing and sometimes contradictory terms that unnecessarily exacerbate the challenge. The lack of a standardized term adds confusion, fuels stigma, and contributes to a "wrong door syndrome" that captures the difficulty of not only diagnosing but also treating addictive and other mental disorders in an integrated manner. The World Association on Dual Disorders (WADD) proposes the adoption of the term "Dual Disorder" which, while still arbitrary, would help harmonize various clinical and research efforts by rallying around a single, more accurate, and less stigmatizing designation.
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9
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Patel RR, Wolfe SA, Borgonetti V, Gandhi PJ, Rodriguez L, Snyder AE, D'Ambrosio S, Bajo M, Domissy A, Head S, Contet C, Dayne Mayfield R, Roberts AJ, Roberto M. Ethanol withdrawal-induced adaptations in prefrontal corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1-expressing neurons regulate anxiety and conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3441-3451. [PMID: 35668157 PMCID: PMC9708587 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01642-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prefrontal circuits are thought to underlie aberrant emotion contributing to relapse in abstinence; however, the discrete cell-types and mechanisms remain largely unknown. Corticotropin-releasing factor and its cognate type-1 receptor, a prominent brain stress system, is implicated in anxiety and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Here, we tested the hypothesis that medial prefrontal cortex CRF1-expressing (mPFCCRF1+) neurons comprise a distinct population that exhibits neuroadaptations following withdrawal from chronic ethanol underlying AUD-related behavior. We found that mPFCCRF1+ neurons comprise a glutamatergic population with distinct electrophysiological properties and regulate anxiety and conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. Notably, mPFCCRF1+ neurons undergo unique neuroadaptations compared to neighboring neurons including a remarkable decrease in excitability and glutamatergic signaling selectively in withdrawal, which is driven in part by the basolateral amygdala. To gain mechanistic insight into these electrophysiological adaptations, we sequenced the transcriptome of mPFCCRF1+ neurons and found that withdrawal leads to an increase in colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) in this population. We found that selective overexpression of CSF1 in mPFCCRF1+ neurons is sufficient to decrease glutamate transmission, heighten anxiety, and abolish ethanol reinforcement, providing mechanistic insight into the observed mPFCCRF1+ synaptic adaptations in withdrawal that drive these behavioral phenotypes. Together, these findings highlight mPFCCRF1+ neurons as a critical site of enduring adaptations that may contribute to the persistent vulnerability to ethanol misuse in abstinence, and CSF1 as a novel target for therapeutic intervention for withdrawal-related negative affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reesha R Patel
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sarah A Wolfe
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Vittoria Borgonetti
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50139, Firenze (FI), Italy
| | - Pauravi J Gandhi
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Larry Rodriguez
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Angela E Snyder
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Shannon D'Ambrosio
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michal Bajo
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Alain Domissy
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Steven Head
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Candice Contet
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, 10550N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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10
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Conte R, Zangirolame CMS, Gobbo DR, Pereira LDAS, Panfilio CE, Reginato RD, Maluf LLS, Scerni DA, Céspedes IC. Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on behavior and neural systems of Wistar rats. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2022; 94:e20210673. [PMID: 35857964 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202220210673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic alcohol consumption affects various neurotransmitters, especially those implicated in the transitioning to alcohol use disorders (particularly dopaminergic and CRFergic systems). Few studies have investigated moderate alcohol consumption and its harmful consequences. The objective of this work was to analyze behavioral and neurochemical (dopaminergic and CRFergic systems) alterations during chronic moderate alcohol consumption. Twelve male Wistar rats were submitted to an intermittent alcohol ingestion protocol (alcohol group) for four weeks. The control group consisted of six rats. Open Field and Elevated Plus Maze tests were used for analysis of motor and anxiety-like behaviors. Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed in dopaminergic and CRFergic systems. Animals exposed to alcohol consumed moderate doses, chronic and intermittently. Behavioral tests detected fewer fecal boli in the alcohol exposed group, and immunohistochemical analysis indicated fewer dopamine-immunoreactive cells in the ventral tegmental area, and more CRF-immunoreactive cells in the anterior cingulate cortex and dorsolateral septum in this group. Thus we concluded that Wistar rats that consumed moderate doses of alcohol voluntarily and chronically showed a discreet anxiolytic effect in behavior, and a hypodopaminergic and hyperCRFergic neurochemical condition, which together are strong inducers of alcohol consumption predisposing to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Conte
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Rua Botucatu, 740, 1º andar do Edifício Leitão da Cunha, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carolline M S Zangirolame
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade, Departamento de Biociências, Rua Silva Jardim, 136, Vila Matias, 11015-020 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Denise R Gobbo
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Rua Botucatu, 740, 1º andar do Edifício Leitão da Cunha, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Laís DA S Pereira
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Rua Botucatu, 740, 1º andar do Edifício Leitão da Cunha, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos E Panfilio
- Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul/USCS, Escola da Saúde, Rua Santo Antônio, 50, Centro, 09521-160 São Caetano do Sul, SP, Brazil
| | - Rejane D Reginato
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Rua Botucatu, 740, 1º andar do Edifício Leitão da Cunha, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana L S Maluf
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade, Departamento de Biociências, Rua Silva Jardim, 136, Vila Matias, 11015-020 Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Debora A Scerni
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Rua Pedro De Toledo, 669, Vila Clementino, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel C Céspedes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo/UNIFESP, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Rua Pedro De Toledo, 669, Vila Clementino, 04039-032 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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11
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Rodriguez L, Kirson D, Wolfe SA, Patel RR, Varodayan FP, Snyder AE, Gandhi PJ, Khom S, Vlkolinsky R, Bajo M, Roberto M. Alcohol Dependence Induces CRF Sensitivity in Female Central Amygdala GABA Synapses. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7842. [PMID: 35887190 PMCID: PMC9318832 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronically relapsing disease characterized by loss of control in seeking and consuming alcohol (ethanol) driven by the recruitment of brain stress systems. However, AUD differs among the sexes: men are more likely to develop AUD, but women progress from casual to binge drinking and heavy alcohol use more quickly. The central amygdala (CeA) is a hub of stress and anxiety, with corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-CRF1 receptor and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-ergic signaling dysregulation occurring in alcohol-dependent male rodents. However, we recently showed that GABAergic synapses in female rats are less sensitive to the acute effects of ethanol. Here, we used patch-clamp electrophysiology to examine the effects of alcohol dependence on the CRF modulation of rat CeA GABAergic transmission of both sexes. We found that GABAergic synapses of naïve female rats were unresponsive to CRF application compared to males, although alcohol dependence induced a similar CRF responsivity in both sexes. In situ hybridization revealed that females had fewer CeA neurons containing mRNA for the CRF1 receptor (Crhr1) than males, but in dependence, the percentage of Crhr1-expressing neurons in females increased, unlike in males. Overall, our data provide evidence for sexually dimorphic CeA CRF system effects on GABAergic synapses in dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Dean Kirson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Sarah A. Wolfe
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Reesha R. Patel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Florence P. Varodayan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Angela E. Snyder
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Pauravi J. Gandhi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Sophia Khom
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Vlkolinsky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.R.); (S.A.W.); (R.R.P.); (F.P.V.); (A.E.S.); (P.J.G.); (S.K.); (R.V.); (M.B.)
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12
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Carmack SA, Vendruscolo JCM, Adrienne McGinn M, Miranda-Barrientos J, Repunte-Canonigo V, Bosse GD, Mercatelli D, Giorgi FM, Fu Y, Hinrich AJ, Jodelka FM, Ling K, Messing RO, Peterson RT, Rigo F, Edwards S, Sanna PP, Morales M, Hastings ML, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF. Corticosteroid sensitization drives opioid addiction. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2492-2501. [PMID: 35296810 PMCID: PMC10406162 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01501-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The global crisis of opioid overdose fatalities has led to an urgent search to discover the neurobiological mechanisms of opioid use disorder (OUD). A driving force for OUD is the dysphoric and emotionally painful state (hyperkatifeia) that is produced during acute and protracted opioid withdrawal. Here, we explored a mechanistic role for extrahypothalamic stress systems in driving opioid addiction. We found that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonism with mifepristone reduced opioid addiction-like behaviors in rats and zebrafish of both sexes and decreased the firing of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons in the rat amygdala (i.e., a marker of brain stress system activation). In support of the hypothesized role of glucocorticoid transcriptional regulation of extrahypothalamic GRs in addiction-like behavior, an intra-amygdala infusion of an antisense oligonucleotide that blocked GR transcriptional activity reduced addiction-like behaviors. Finally, we identified transcriptional adaptations of GR signaling in the amygdala of humans with OUD. Thus, GRs, their coregulators, and downstream systems may represent viable therapeutic targets to treat the "stress side" of OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Carmack
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Janaina C M Vendruscolo
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Adrienne McGinn
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jorge Miranda-Barrientos
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vez Repunte-Canonigo
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel D Bosse
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Daniele Mercatelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico M Giorgi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Hinrich
- Center for Genetic Diseases, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Francine M Jodelka
- Center for Genetic Diseases, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Karen Ling
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Department of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Randall T Peterson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Pietro P Sanna
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marisela Morales
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michelle L Hastings
- Center for Genetic Diseases, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leandro F Vendruscolo
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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13
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Sampedro‐Piquero P, Moreno‐Fernández RD, Begega A, López M, Santín LJ. Long-term consequences of alcohol use in early adolescent mice: Focus on neuroadaptations in GR, CRF and BDNF. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13158. [PMID: 35229955 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Our aim was to assess the cognitive and emotional state, as well as related-changes in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression of adolescent C57BL/6J male mice after a 5-week two-bottle choice protocol (postnatal day [pd]21 to pd52). Additionally, we wanted to analyse whether the behavioural and neurobiological effects observed in late adolescence (pd62) lasted until adulthood (pd84). Behavioural testing revealed that alcohol during early adolescence increased anxiety-like and compulsive-related behaviours, which was maintained in adulthood. Concerning cognition, working memory was only altered in late adolescent mice, whereas object location test performance was impaired in both ages. In contrast, novel object recognition remained unaltered. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that alcohol during adolescence diminished BDNF+ cells in the cingulate cortex, the hippocampal CA1 layer and the central amygdala. Regarding hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) functioning, alcohol abuse increased the GR and CRF expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and the central amygdala. Besides this, GR density was also higher in the prelimbic cortex and the basolateral amygdala, regardless of the animals' age. Our findings suggest that adolescent alcohol exposure led to long-term behavioural alterations, along with changes in BDNF, GR and CRF expression in limbic brain areas involved in stress response, emotional regulation and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Sampedro‐Piquero
- Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Facultad de Psicología Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid Spain
| | | | - Azucena Begega
- Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Psicología Universidad de Oviedo Oviedo Spain
| | - Matías López
- Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Psicología Universidad de Oviedo Oviedo Spain
| | - Luis J. Santín
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología Universidad de Málaga Málaga Spain
- Neuroimmunology and NeuroInflammation Department Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga‐IBIMA Málaga Spain
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14
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Dong Z, Zhang G, Xiang S, Jiang C, Chen Z, Li Y, Huang B, Zhou W, Lian Q, Wu B. The Antagonism of Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor-1 in Brain Suppress Stress-Induced Propofol Self-Administration in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:775209. [PMID: 34924971 PMCID: PMC8674615 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.775209] [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: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Propofol addiction has been detected in humans and rats, which may be facilitated by stress. Corticotropin-releasing factor acts through the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor-1 (CRF1R) and CRF2 receptor-2 (CRF2R) and is a crucial candidate target for the interaction between stress and drug abuse, but its role on propofol addiction remains unknown. Tail clip stressful stimulation was performed in rats to test the stress on the establishment of the propofol self-administration behavioral model. Thereafter, the rats were pretreated before the testing session at the bilateral lateral ventricle with one of the doses of antalarmin (CRF1R antagonist, 100–500 ng/site), antisauvagine 30 (CRF2R antagonist, 100–500 ng/site), and RU486 (glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, 100–500 ng/site) or vehicle. The dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) was detected to explore the underlying molecular mechanism. The sucrose self-administration establishment and maintenance, and locomotor activities were also examined to determine the specificity. We found that the establishment of propofol self-administration was promoted in the tail clip treated group (the stress group), which was inhibited by antalarmin at the dose of 100–500 ng/site but was not by antisauvagine 30 or RU486. Accordingly, the expression of D1R in the NAc was attenuated by antalarmin, dose-dependently. Moreover, pretreatments fail to change sucrose self-administration behavior or locomotor activities. This study supports the role of CRF1R in the brain in mediating the central reward processing through D1R in the NAc and provided a possibility that CRF1R antagonist may be a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of propofol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanglei Dong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Gaolong Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Saiqiong Xiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Chenchen Jiang
- Clinical Research Unit, The Second Affiliated and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhichuan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Medical School, Institution of Reproductive Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bingwu Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Wenhua Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab of Addiction, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo Universtiy, Ningbo, China
| | - Qingquan Lian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Binbin Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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15
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Snyder AE, Silberman Y. Corticotropin releasing factor and norepinephrine related circuitry changes in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in stress and alcohol and substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2021; 201:108814. [PMID: 34624301 PMCID: PMC8578398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) affects around 14.5 million individuals in the United States, with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) affecting an additional 8.3 million individuals. Relapse is a major barrier to effective long-term treatment of this illness with stress often described as a key trigger for a person with AUD or SUD to relapse during a period of abstinence. Two signaling molecules, norepinephrine (NE) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), are released during the stress response, and also play important roles in reward behaviors and the addiction process. Within the addiction literature, one brain region in which there has been increasing research focus in recent years is the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). The BNST is a limbic structure with numerous cytoarchitecturally and functionally different subregions that has been implicated in drug-seeking behaviors and stress responses. This review focuses on drug and stress-related neurocircuitry changes in the BNST, particularly within the CRF and NE systems, with an emphasis on differences and similarities between the major dorsal and ventral BNST subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Snyder
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, USA
| | - Yuval Silberman
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, USA.
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16
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Zuo W, Zuo Q, Wu L, Mei Q, Shah M, Zheng J, Li D, Xu Y, Ye JH. Roles of corticotropin-releasing factor signaling in the lateral habenula in anxiety-like and alcohol drinking behaviors in male rats. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100395. [PMID: 34568522 PMCID: PMC8449174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system is known to modulate anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption, behaviors that also have been associated with the hyper-glutamatergic state of the lateral habenula (LHb) neurons in rats. However, the role of CRF signaling in the LHb on the glutamate transmission, anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption is unknown. Here, we used male rats that had been consuming alcohol for three months to address this gap in the literature. First, using electrophysiological techniques, we evaluated CRF's effects on the glutamate transmission in LHb neurons in brain slices. CRF facilitated glutamate transmission. The facilitation was greater in neurons of alcohol-withdrawing rats than in those of naïve rats. The facilitation was mimicked by the activation of CRF receptor 1 (CRF1R) but attenuated by the activation of CRF receptor 2 (CRF2R). This facilitation was mediated by upregulating CRF1R-protein kinase A signaling. Conversely, protein kinase C blockade attenuated CRF's facilitation in neurons of naïve rats but promoted it in neurons of alcohol-withdrawing rats. Next, using site-direct pharmacology, we evaluated the role of CRF signaling in the LHb on anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption. Intra-LHb inhibition of CRF1R or activation of CRF2R ameliorated the anxiety-like behaviors in alcohol-withdrawing rats and reduced their alcohol intake when drinking was resumed. These observations provide the first direct behavioral pharmacological and cellular evidence that CRF signaling in the LHb modulates glutamate transmission, anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption, and that adaptation occurs in CRF signaling in the LHb after chronic alcohol consumption. CRF regulates glutamate transmission in the lateral habenula of male rats. CRF1R blockage or CRF2R activation in the LHb reduces anxiety in male rats. CRF1R blockage/CRF2R activation in the LHb reduces alcohol consumption in male rats. Acute ethanol facilitates LHb glutamate transmission involving CRF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qikang Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Liangzhi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qinghua Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Manan Shah
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiayi Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ding Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
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17
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Baumgartner HM, Schulkin J, Berridge KC. Activating Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Systems in the Nucleus Accumbens, Amygdala, and Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis: Incentive Motivation or Aversive Motivation? Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1162-1175. [PMID: 33726937 PMCID: PMC8178165 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neural systems are important stress mechanisms in the central amygdala (CeA), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and related structures. CRF-containing neural systems are traditionally posited to generate aversive distress states that motivate overconsumption of rewards and relapse in addiction. However, CRF-containing systems may alternatively promote incentive motivation to increase reward pursuit and consumption without requiring aversive states. METHODS We optogenetically stimulated CRF-expressing neurons in the CeA, BNST, or NAc using Crh-Cre+ rats (n = 37 female, n = 34 male) to investigate roles in incentive motivation versus aversive motivation. We paired CRF-expressing neuronal stimulations with earning sucrose rewards in two-choice and progressive ratio tasks and investigated recruitment of distributed limbic circuitry. We further assessed valence with CRF-containing neuron laser self-stimulation tasks. RESULTS Channelrhodopsin excitation of CRF-containing neurons in the CeA and NAc amplified and focused incentive motivation and recruited activation of mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry. CRF systems in both the CeA and NAc supported laser self-stimulation, amplified incentive motivation for sucrose in a breakpoint test, and focused "wanting" on laser-paired sucrose over a sucrose alternative in a two-choice test. Conversely, stimulation of CRF-containing neurons in the BNST produced negative valence or aversive effects and recruited distress-related circuitry, as stimulation was avoided and suppressed motivation for sucrose. CONCLUSIONS CRF-containing systems in the NAc and CeA can promote reward consumption by increasing incentive motivation without involving aversion. In contrast, stimulation of CRF-containing systems in the BNST is aversive but suppresses sucrose reward pursuit and consumption rather than increase, as predicted by traditional hedonic self-medication hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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18
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Converging vulnerability factors for compulsive food and drug use. Neuropharmacology 2021; 196:108556. [PMID: 33862029 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Highly palatable foods and substance of abuse have intersecting neurobiological, metabolic and behavioral effects relevant for understanding vulnerability to conditions related to food (e.g., obesity, binge eating disorder) and drug (e.g., substance use disorder) misuse. Here, we review data from animal models, clinical populations and epidemiological evidence in behavioral, genetic, pathophysiologic and therapeutic domains. Results suggest that consumption of highly palatable food and drugs of abuse both impact and conversely are regulated by metabolic hormones and metabolic status. Palatable foods high in fat and/or sugar can elicit adaptation in brain reward and withdrawal circuitry akin to substances of abuse. Intake of or withdrawal from palatable food can impact behavioral sensitivity to drugs of abuse and vice versa. A robust literature suggests common substrates and roles for negative reinforcement, negative affect, negative urgency, and impulse control deficits, with both highly palatable foods and substances of abuse. Candidate genetic risk loci shared by obesity and alcohol use disorders have been identified in molecules classically associated with both metabolic and motivational functions. Finally, certain drugs may have overlapping therapeutic potential to treat obesity, diabetes, binge-related eating disorders and substance use disorders. Taken together, data are consistent with the hypotheses that compulsive food and substance use share overlapping, interacting substrates at neurobiological and metabolic levels and that motivated behavior associated with feeding or substance use might constitute vulnerability factors for one another. This article is part of the special issue on 'Vulnerabilities to Substance Abuse'.
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Bardo MT, Hammerslag LR, Malone SG. Effect of early life social adversity on drug abuse vulnerability: Focus on corticotropin-releasing factor and oxytocin. Neuropharmacology 2021; 191:108567. [PMID: 33862030 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity can set the trajectory for later psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. There are a host of neurobiological factors that may play a role in the negative trajectory. The current review examines preclinical evidence suggesting that early life adversity specifically involving social factors (maternal separation, adolescent social isolation and adolescent social defeat) may influence drug abuse vulnerability by strengthening corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems and weakening oxytocin (OT) systems. In adulthood, pharmacological and genetic evidence indicates that both CRF and OT systems are directly involved in drug reward processes. With early life adversity, numerous studies show an increase in drug abuse vulnerability measured in adulthood, along a concomitant strengthening of CRF systems and a weakening of OT systems. Mechanistic studies, while relatively few in number, are generally consistent with the theme that strengthened CRF systems and weakened OT systems mediate, at least in part, the link between early life adversity and drug abuse vulnerability. Establishing a direct role of CRF and OT in mediating the relation between early life social stressors and drug abuse vulnerability will inform clinical researchers and practitioners toward the development of intervention strategies to reduce risk among those suffering from early life adversities. This article is part of the special issue on 'Vulnerabilities to Substance Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA.
| | - Lindsey R Hammerslag
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
| | - Samantha G Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
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20
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Xu H, Li H, Liu D, Wen W, Xu M, Frank JA, Chen J, Zhu H, Grahame NJ, Luo J. Chronic Voluntary Alcohol Drinking Causes Anxiety-like Behavior, Thiamine Deficiency, and Brain Damage of Female Crossed High Alcohol Preferring Mice. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:614396. [PMID: 33767622 PMCID: PMC7985542 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.614396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system is vulnerable to chronic alcohol abuse, and alcohol dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder which causes a variety of physical and mental disorders. Appropriate animal models are important for investigating the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. The crossed High Alcohol Preferring mice prefer alcohol to water when given free access. In the present study, we used female cHAP mice as a model of chronic voluntary drinking to evaluate the effects of alcohol on neurobehavioral and neuropathological changes. The female cHAP mice had free-choice access to 10% ethanol and water, while control mice had access to water alone at the age of 60-day-old. The mice were exposed to alcohol for 7 months then subjected to neurobehavioral tests including open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), and Morris water maze (MWM). Results from OF and EPM tests suggested that chronic voluntary drinking caused anxiety-like behaviors. After behavior tests, mice were sacrificed, and brain tissues were processed for biochemical analyses. Alcohol altered the levels of several neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors in the brain including gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), corticotropin-releasing factor, cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Alcohol increased the expression of neuroinflammation markers including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and C-C chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2). Alcohol also induced cleaved caspase-3 and glial fibrillary acidic protein, indicative of neurodegeneration and gliosis. In addition, alcohol inhibited the expression of thiamine transporters in the brain and reduced thiamine levels in the blood. Alcohol also caused oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and stimulated neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Dexiang Liu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wen Wen
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Mei Xu
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jacqueline A Frank
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Haining Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Nicholas J Grahame
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Jia Luo
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States.,Iowa City VA Health Care System, Iowa City, IA, United States
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21
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Abstract
Alcohol dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking, loss of control in limiting intake, and the emergence of a withdrawal syndrome in the absence of the drug. Accumulating evidence suggests an important role for synaptic transmission in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in mediating alcohol-related behaviors and neuroadaptive mechanisms associated with alcohol dependence. Acute alcohol facilitates γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic transmission in the CeA via both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms, and chronic alcohol increases baseline GABAergic transmission. Acute alcohol inhibits glutamatergic transmission via effects at N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors in the CeA, whereas chronic alcohol up-regulates NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-mediated transmission. Pro- (e.g., corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) and antistress (e.g., nociceptin/orphanin FQ, oxytocin) neuropeptides affect alcohol- and anxiety-related behaviors, and also alter the alcohol-induced effects on CeA neurotransmission. Alcohol dependence produces plasticity in these neuropeptide systems, reflecting a recruitment of those systems during the transition to alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Roberto
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Dean Kirson
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Sophia Khom
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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22
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Lueptow LM, Shashkova EC, Miller MG, Evans CJ, Cahill CM. Insights into the Neurobiology of Craving in Opioid Use Disorder. CURRENT ANESTHESIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 10:378-387. [PMID: 33424457 DOI: 10.1007/s40140-020-00420-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of review Opioids remain the most potent form of pain relief currently available, yet have a high abuse liability. Here we discuss underlying neurobiological changes in Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) that likely contribute to drug craving, which in turn drives continued drug use and relapse. Recent findings Craving has emerged as a strong indicator in drug-seeking and relapse. Studies have demonstrated a number of allostatic changes in circuitry that facilitate learning of drug-stimuli relationships, thereby augmenting cue-triggered drug use and relapse. Summary This review will focus on key neurobiological changes in underlying circuitry observed during the initial and continued exposure to opioids that result in an increase in neural-reactivity to drug-related intrinsic and extrinsic drug cues, and to enhanced learning of drug-context correlations. This sensitized learning state may be an indication of the underlying framework that drives craving and ultimately, motivates increased salience of drug cues and drives drug-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M Lueptow
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Department of Psychology at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Shashkova
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Margaret G Miller
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Christopher J Evans
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Catherine M Cahill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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23
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Gyawali U, Martin DA, Sulima A, Rice KC, Calu DJ. Role of BNST CRFR1 Receptors in Incubation of Fentanyl Seeking. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:153. [PMID: 33088264 PMCID: PMC7493668 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The time-dependent increase in cue-triggered opioid seeking, termed “incubation of opioid craving,” is modeled in rodents by examining responding for opioid-associated cues after a period of forced abstinence. With opioid drugs, withdrawal symptoms may heighten cue reactivity by recruiting brain systems involved in both reward seeking and stress responses. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a critical driver of stress-induced relapse to drug seeking. Here, we sought to determine whether BNST CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1) signaling drives incubation of opioid craving in opioid dependent and non-dependent rats. First, we tested whether BNST CRFR1 signaling drives incubation of opioid craving in rats with short-access fentanyl self-administration experience (2.5 μg/kg/infusion, 3 h/day for 10 days). On Day 1 of forced abstinence, we gave bilateral intra-BNST vehicle injections to all rats and measured lever responding for opioid cues in the absence of fentanyl infusions. On Day 30 of forced abstinence, we gave an identical test after bilateral intra-BNST injections of vehicle or CRFR1 receptor antagonist, R121919 (1 μg/0.3 μL/hemisphere). Vehicle treated rats showed greater responding for opioid associated cues on Day 30 relative to Day 1, and this incubation effect was prevented by intra-BNST R121919 on Day 30. Next, we incorporated an opioid-dependence procedure to investigate whether BNST CRFR1 signaling drives opioid cue-reactivity to a greater extent in opioid-dependent relative to non-dependent rats. We trained rats to self-administer fentanyl for 5 days before initiating the dependence phase and resuming daily fentanyl self-administration sessions for 10 days. We gave intra-BNST R121919 or vehicle injections before testing during acute (Day 5) or protracted (Day 30) withdrawal. During acute withdrawal, antagonizing BNST CRFR1 decreased the number of press bouts without affecting bout size or duration. These patterns of responding with R121919 treatment resulted in less fentanyl-associated conditioned reinforcement during test. Together, these findings suggest a role for BNST CRFR1 signaling in driving cue-reinforced opioid seeking after periods of forced abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Utsav Gyawali
- Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David A Martin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Agnieszka Sulima
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kenner C Rice
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Donna J Calu
- Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
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24
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Duan S, Xie L, Zheng L, Huang J, Guo R, Sun Z, Xie Y, Lv J, Lin Z, Ma S. Long-term exposure to ephedrine leads to neurotoxicity and neurobehavioral disorders accompanied by up-regulation of CRF in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in rhesus macaques. Behav Brain Res 2020; 393:112796. [PMID: 32634541 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction continues to threaten the health and welfare of people worldwide, and ephedrine abuse is a serious drug problem in many areas of the world. Ephedrine toxicity is thought to induce behavioral effects primarily through actions on the central nervous system. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system plays an important role in regulating behavioral effects induced by addictive drugs, but whether CRF is related to ephedrine toxicity remains unclear. This study seeks to examine whether there is a correlation between the CRF and chronic ephedrine neurotoxicity. To this end, we established a chronic ephedrine (0.4-1.6 mg/kg/d) exposure model in rhesus macaques, assessed its effects on body weight and behavior, examined neuronal changes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and measured the CRF expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. After 8-weeks of exposure to ephedrine, the toxic effects of ephedrine included significant weight loss and induction of behavioral changes in rhesus macaques. In particular, in the modeling group, the abnormal behavioral changes mainly manifested as irritability and behavioral sensitization. Meanwhile, the histological abnormalities included neuronal morphological changes, pyknosis and irregular shapes of neurons in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. In addition, the expression levels of CRF mRNA and protein were increased in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of ephedrine-treated animals. In summary, the finding of this study indicated that ephedrine neurotoxicity can cause neuronal damage in cerebral cortex, which in turn can result in certain neurobehavioral abnormalities, and that CRF expression in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus is elevated in response to ephedrine exposure. These observations suggested that long-term exposure to ephedrine might be causing neurotoxicity and leading to neurobehavioral disorders accompanied by up-regulation of CRF in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shouxing Duan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Xie
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Lian Zheng
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - JinZhuang Huang
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - RuiWei Guo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - ZongBo Sun
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Yao Xie
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - JunYao Lv
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - ZhiRong Lin
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Shuhua Ma
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Shantou University Medical College, No. 22 Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China; Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging, No. 57 Changping Road, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China.
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25
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Morrow AL, Boero G, Porcu P. A Rationale for Allopregnanolone Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorders: Basic and Clinical Studies. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:320-339. [PMID: 31782169 PMCID: PMC7018555 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
For many years, research from around the world has suggested that the neuroactive steroid (3α,5α)-3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (allopregnanolone or 3α,5α-THP) may have therapeutic potential for treatment of various symptoms of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). In this critical review, we systematically address all the evidence that supports such a suggestion, delineate the etiologies of AUDs that are addressed by treatment with allopregnanolone or its precursor pregnenolone, and the rationale for treatment of various components of the disease based on basic science and clinical evidence. This review presents a theoretical framework for understanding how endogenous steroids that regulate the effects of stress, alcohol, and the innate immune system could play a key role in both the prevention and the treatment of AUDs. We further discuss cautions and limitations of allopregnanolone or pregnenolone therapy with suggestions regarding the management of risk and the potential for helping millions who suffer from AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Giorgia Boero
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Cagliari, Italy
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26
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Abstract
Drug consumption is driven by a drug's pharmacological effects, which are experienced as rewarding, and is influenced by genetic, developmental, and psychosocial factors that mediate drug accessibility, norms, and social support systems or lack thereof. The reinforcing effects of drugs mostly depend on dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens, and chronic drug exposure triggers glutamatergic-mediated neuroadaptations in dopamine striato-thalamo-cortical (predominantly in prefrontal cortical regions including orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex) and limbic pathways (amygdala and hippocampus) that, in vulnerable individuals, can result in addiction. In parallel, changes in the extended amygdala result in negative emotional states that perpetuate drug taking as an attempt to temporarily alleviate them. Counterintuitively, in the addicted person, the actual drug consumption is associated with an attenuated dopamine increase in brain reward regions, which might contribute to drug-taking behavior to compensate for the difference between the magnitude of the expected reward triggered by the conditioning to drug cues and the actual experience of it. Combined, these effects result in an enhanced motivation to "seek the drug" (energized by dopamine increases triggered by drug cues) and an impaired prefrontal top-down self-regulation that favors compulsive drug-taking against the backdrop of negative emotionality and an enhanced interoceptive awareness of "drug hunger." Treatment interventions intended to reverse these neuroadaptations show promise as therapeutic approaches for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Michael Michaelides
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ruben Baler
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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27
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Daiwile AP, Jayanthi S, Ladenheim B, McCoy MT, Brannock C, Schroeder J, Cadet JL. Sex Differences in Escalated Methamphetamine Self-Administration and Altered Gene Expression Associated With Incubation of Methamphetamine Seeking. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:710-723. [PMID: 31562746 PMCID: PMC6902093 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine (METH) use disorder is prevalent worldwide. There are reports of sex differences in quantities of drug used and relapses to drug use among individuals with METH use disorder. However, the molecular neurobiology of these potential sex differences remains unknown. METHODS We trained rats to self-administer METH (0. 1 mg/kg/infusion, i.v.) on an fixed-ratio-1 schedule for 20 days using two 3-hour daily METH sessions separated by 30-minute breaks. At the end of self-administration training, rats underwent tests of cue-induced METH seeking on withdrawal days 3 and 30. Twenty-four hours later, nucleus accumbens was dissected and then used to measure neuropeptide mRNA levels. RESULTS Behavioral results show that male rats increased the number of METH infusions earlier during self-administration training and took more METH than females. Both male and female rats could be further divided into 2 phenotypes labeled high and low takers based on the degree of escalation that they exhibited during the course of the METH self-administration experiment. Both males and females exhibited incubation of METH seeking after 30 days of forced withdrawal. Females had higher basal mRNA levels of dynorphin and hypocretin/orexin receptors than males, whereas males expressed higher vasopressin mRNA levels than females under saline and METH conditions. Unexpectedly, only males showed increased expression of nucleus accumbens dynorphin after METH self-administration. Moreover, there were significant correlations between nucleus accumbens Hcrtr1, Hcrtr2, Crhr2, and Avpr1b mRNA levels and cue-induced METH seeking only in female rats. CONCLUSION Our results identify some behavioral and molecular differences between male and female rats that had self-administered METH. Sexual dimorphism in responses to METH exposure should be considered when developing potential therapeutic agents against METH use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul P Daiwile
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Subramaniam Jayanthi
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Bruce Ladenheim
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Michael T McCoy
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Christie Brannock
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jennifer Schroeder
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD,Correspondence: Jean Lud Cadet, MD, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIDA IRP, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224 ()
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28
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From Synapse to Function: A Perspective on the Role of Neuroproteomics in Elucidating Mechanisms of Drug Addiction. Proteomes 2018; 6:proteomes6040050. [PMID: 30544849 PMCID: PMC6315754 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes6040050] [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: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex disorder driven by dysregulation in molecular signaling across several different brain regions. Limited therapeutic options currently exist for treating drug addiction and related psychiatric disorders in clinical populations, largely due to our incomplete understanding of the molecular pathways that influence addiction pathology. Recent work provides strong evidence that addiction-related behaviors emerge from the convergence of many subtle changes in molecular signaling networks that include neuropeptides (neuropeptidome), protein-protein interactions (interactome) and post-translational modifications such as protein phosphorylation (phosphoproteome). Advancements in mass spectrometry methodology are well positioned to identify these novel molecular underpinnings of addiction and further translate these findings into druggable targets for therapeutic development. In this review, we provide a general perspective of the utility of novel mass spectrometry-based approaches for addressing critical questions in addiction neuroscience, highlighting recent innovative studies that exemplify how functional assessments of the neuroproteome can provide insight into the mechanisms of drug addiction.
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29
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Negative consequences of early-life adversity on substance use as mediated by corticotropin-releasing factor modulation of serotonin activity. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:29-39. [PMID: 30151419 PMCID: PMC6108067 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity is associated with increased risk for substance abuse in later life, with women more likely to report past and current stress as a mediating factor in their substance use and relapse as compared to men. Preclinical models of neonatal and peri-adolescent (early through late adolescence) stress all support a direct relationship between experiences of early-life adversity and adult substance-related behaviors, and provide valuable information regarding the underlying neurobiology. This review will provide an overview of these animal models and how these paradigms alter drug and alcohol consumption and/or seeking in male and female adults. An introduction to the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and serotonin systems, their development and their interactions at the level of the dorsal raphe will be provided, illustrating how this particular stress system is sexually dimorphic, and is well positioned to be affected by stressors early in development and throughout maturation. A model for CRF-serotonin interactions in the dorsal raphe and how these influence dopaminergic activity within the nucleus accumbens and subsequent reward-associated behaviors will be provided, and alterations to the activity of this system following early-life adversity will be identified. Overall, converging findings suggest that early-life adversity has long-term effects on the functioning of the CRF-serotonin system, highlighting a potentially important and targetable mediator linking stress to addiction. Future work should focus on identifying the exact mechanisms that promote long-term changes to the expression and activity of CRF receptors in the dorsal raphe. Moreover, it is important to clarify whether similar neurobiological mechanisms exist for males and females, given the sexual dimorphism both in CRF receptors and serotonin indices in the dorsal raphe and in the behavioral outcomes of early-life adversity. Early life stress increases risk for substance abuse in adulthood. Stress and drugs increase CRF which alters serotonin release in the brain. CRF2 receptor expression in the dorsal raphe is altered by early life stress. Resultant changes to serotonin output facilitates dopamine in the accumbens. CRF2-sertotonin-dopamine interactions may link early life stress with substance abuse.
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Key Words
- 5-HIAA, 5–Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid
- BNST, Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis
- CRF, Corticotropin-Releasing Factor
- CRF-BP, Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Binding Protein
- CeA, Central Nucleus of the Amygdala
- Corticotropin-releasing factor
- Dorsal raphe nucleus
- Drug reward
- Early-life stress
- LC, Locus Coeruleus
- MDMA, 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
- NAc, Nucleus Accumbens
- NMDA, N-methyl-d-aspartate
- PND, Postnatal Day
- Serotonin
- Sex differences
- TPH2, Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2
- VTA, Ventral Tegmental Area
- dRN, Dorsal Raphe Nucleus
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