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Salazar AL, Centanni SW. Sex Differences in Mouse Models of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking and Abstinence-Induced Negative Emotion. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00098-3. [PMID: 39053705 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.07.004] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a growing problem worldwide, causing an incredible burden on health and the economy. Though AUD impacts people of all backgrounds and demographics, increasing evidence has suggested robust sex differences in alcohol drinking patterns and AUD-induced negative emotionality or hyperkatifeia. Rates of problematic drinking have significantly risen among women, and women face more severe negative emotional consequences in abstinence such as increased risk of comorbidity with an anxiety or mood disorder and more severe symptoms of depression. As such, a bevy of preclinical literature using contingent methods of alcohol (ethanol) consumption has amassed in recent years to better understand sex as a biological variable in alcohol drinking and abstinence-induced negative emotionality. Mice are widely used to model alcohol drinking, as they are conducive to genetic manipulation strategies, and many strains will voluntarily consume alcohol. Sex-specific results from these mouse studies, however, have been inconsistent. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current knowledge on sex differences in AUD-related contingent ethanol drinking and abstinence-induced negative emotionality in mice. Various contingent mouse drinking models and negative emotional-based behavioral paradigms are introduced and subsequently discussed in the context of sex differences to show increasing indications of sex specificity in mouse preclinical studies of AUD. With this review, we hope to inform future research on potential sex differences in preclinical mouse models of AUD and provide mounting evidence supporting the need for more widespread inclusion of preclinical female subjects in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Salazar
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Samuel W Centanni
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA.
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2
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Jones BO, Paladino MS, Cruz AM, Spencer HF, Kahanek PL, Scarborough LN, Georges SF, Smith RJ. Punishment resistance for cocaine is associated with inflexible habits in rats. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 11:100148. [PMID: 38859977 PMCID: PMC11164474 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Addiction is characterized by continued drug use despite negative consequences. In an animal model, a subset of rats continues to self-administer cocaine despite footshock consequences, showing punishment resistance. We sought to test the hypothesis that punishment resistance arises from failure to exert goal-directed control over habitual cocaine seeking. While habits are not inherently permanent or maladaptive, continued use of habits under conditions that should encourage goal-directed control makes them maladaptive and inflexible. We trained male and female Sprague Dawley rats on a seeking-taking chained schedule of cocaine self-administration. We then exposed them to four days of punishment testing in which footshock was delivered randomly on one-third of trials. Before and after punishment testing (four days pre-punishment and ≥ four days post-punishment), we assessed whether cocaine seeking was goal-directed or habitual using outcome devaluation via cocaine satiety. We found that punishment resistance was associated with continued use of habits, whereas punishment sensitivity was associated with increased goal-directed control. Although punishment resistance for cocaine was not predicted by habitual responding pre-punishment, it was associated with habitual responding post-punishment. In parallel studies of food self-administration, we similarly observed that punishment resistance was associated with habitual responding post-punishment but not pre-punishment in males, although it was associated with habitual responding both pre- and post-punishment in females, indicating that punishment resistance was predicted by habitual responding in food-seeking females. These findings indicate that punishment resistance is related to habits that have become inflexible and persist under conditions that should encourage a transition to goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley O Jones
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Morgan S Paladino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adelis M Cruz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Haley F Spencer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Payton L Kahanek
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Lauren N Scarborough
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sandra F Georges
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rachel J Smith
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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3
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Tonetto S, Weikop P, Thomsen M. Nutritional ketosis as treatment for alcohol withdrawal symptoms in female C57BL/6J mice. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5092. [PMID: 38429369 PMCID: PMC10907582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Upon both acute and prolonged alcohol intake, the brain undergoes a metabolic shift associated with increased acetate metabolism and reduced glucose metabolism, which persists during abstinence, putatively leading to energy depletion in the brain. This study evaluates the efficacy of ketogenic treatments to rescue psychiatric and neurochemical alterations during long-term alcohol withdrawal. Female mice were intermittently exposed to alcohol vapor or air for three weeks, during which mice were introduced to either a ketogenic diet (KD), control diet supplemented with ketone ester (KE) or remained on control diet (CD). Withdrawal symptoms were assessed over a period of four weeks followed by re-exposure using several behavioral and biochemical tests. Alcohol-exposed mice fed CD displayed long-lasting depressive-like symptoms measured by saccharin preference and tail suspension, as well as decreased norepinephrine levels and serotonin turnover in the hippocampus. Both KD and KE rescued anhedonia for up to three weeks of abstinence. KD mice showed higher latency to first immobility in the tail suspension test, as well as lower plasma cholesterol levels. Our findings show promising effects of nutritional ketosis in ameliorating alcohol withdrawal symptoms in mice. KD seemed to better rescue these symptoms compared to KE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Tonetto
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital - Mental Health Services CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Weikop
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morgan Thomsen
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital - Mental Health Services CPH, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital - Mental Health Services CPH, Hovedvejen 17, 1., 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
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4
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Becker HC, Lopez MF. Animal Models of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Rodents. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38340255 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of animal models that demonstrate excessive levels of alcohol consumption has played an important role in advancing our knowledge about neurobiological underpinnings and environmental circumstances that engender such maladaptive behavior. The use of these preclinical models has also provided valuable opportunities for discovering new and novel therapeutic targets that may be useful in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). While no single model can fully capture the complexities of AUD, the goal is to develop animal models that closely approximate characteristics of heavy alcohol drinking in humans to enhance their translational value and utility. A variety of experimental approaches have been employed to produce the desired phenotype of interest-robust and reliable excessive levels of alcohol drinking. Here we provide an updated review of five animal models that are commonly used. The models entail procedural manipulations of scheduled access to alcohol (time of day, duration, frequency), periods of time when access to alcohol is withheld, and history of alcohol exposure. Specially, the models involve (a) scheduled access to alcohol, (b) scheduled periods of alcohol deprivation, (c) scheduled intermittent access to alcohol, (d) scheduled-induced polydipsia, and (e) chronic alcohol (dependence) and withdrawal experience. Each of the animal models possesses unique experimental features that engender excessive levels of alcohol consumption. Both advantages and disadvantages of each model are described along with discussion of future work to be considered in developing more optimal models. Ultimately, the validity and utility of these models will lie in their ability to aid in the discovery of new and novel potential therapeutic targets as well as serve as a platform to evaluate treatment strategies that effectively reduce excessive levels of alcohol consumption associated with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- RHJ Veterans Administration Health Care System, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Baker EJ, Moore S, Gonzales SW, Grant KA. Long-term drinking stability in the open-access self-administration monkey model. Alcohol 2023; 113:41-48. [PMID: 37516372 PMCID: PMC10818025 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
The Non-Human Primate (NHP) model for the study of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) as developed in our laboratories is critical to our understanding of the pathophysiology of voluntary, chronic, ethanol consumption. Previous work in this model established categories of ethanol consumption that parallel reported categories of human consumption across a spectrum spanning low drinking, binge drinking, heavy drinking, and very heavy drinking, albeit at generally higher daily intakes across categories than documented in people. Original categories assigned to ethanol consumption patterns were established using a limited cohort of rhesus macaques. This study revisits the validity of categorical drinking using an additional 28 monkeys. In addition to finding categorical representations consistent with the original 2014 report, our findings demonstrate that drinking categories remain stable across the observed 12 months of nearly consistent access to ethanol (22 h/day), termed "open access". Animals occupying the two ends of the spectrum, "low" and "very heavy" drinkers, exhibit the largest stability. The findings also indicate a slight escalatory drift over time, with very heavy drinking animals experiencing fatigue near the end of open access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich J Baker
- Department of Computer Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA.
| | - Sharon Moore
- Department of Computer Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Steven W Gonzales
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Jones BO, Paladino MS, Cruz AM, Spencer HF, Kahanek PL, Scarborough LN, Georges SF, Smith RJ. Punishment resistance for cocaine is associated with inflexible habits in rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544242. [PMID: 37333299 PMCID: PMC10274925 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is characterized by continued drug use despite negative consequences. In an animal model, a subset of rats continues to self-administer cocaine despite footshock consequences, showing punishment resistance. We sought to test the hypothesis that punishment resistance arises from failure to exert goal-directed control over habitual cocaine seeking. While habits are not inherently permanent or maladaptive, continued use of habits under conditions that should encourage goal-directed control makes them maladaptive and inflexible. We trained male and female Sprague Dawley rats on a seeking-taking chained schedule of cocaine self-administration (2 h/day). We then exposed them to 4 days of punishment testing, in which footshock (0.4 mA, 0.3 s) was delivered randomly on one-third of trials, immediately following completion of seeking and prior to extension of the taking lever. Before and after punishment testing (4 days pre-punishment and ≥4 days post-punishment), we assessed whether cocaine seeking was goal-directed or habitual using outcome devaluation via cocaine satiety. We found that punishment resistance was associated with continued use of habits, whereas punishment sensitivity was associated with increased goal-directed control. Although punishment resistance was not predicted by habitual responding pre-punishment, it was associated with habitual responding post-punishment. In parallel studies of food self-administration, we similarly observed that punishment resistance was associated with habitual responding post-punishment but not pre-punishment. These findings indicate that punishment resistance is related to habits that have become inflexible and persist under conditions that should encourage a transition to goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley O. Jones
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Morgan S. Paladino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Adelis M. Cruz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Haley F. Spencer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Payton L. Kahanek
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Lauren N. Scarborough
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Sandra F. Georges
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Rachel J. Smith
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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7
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Sneddon EA, Fennell KA, Bhati S, Setters JE, Schuh KM, DeMedio JN, Arnold BJ, Monroe SC, Quinn JJ, Radke AK. Greater resistance to footshock punishment in female C57BL/6J mice responding for ethanol. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:678-686. [PMID: 36822578 PMCID: PMC10149597 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND One characteristic of alcohol use disorder is compulsive drinking or drinking despite negative consequences. When quinine is used to model such aversion-resistant drinking, female rodents typically are more resistant to punishment than males. Using an operant response task where C57BL/6J responded for ethanol mixed with quinine, we previously demonstrated that female mice tolerate higher concentrations of quinine in ethanol than males. Here, we aimed to determine whether this female vulnerability to aversion-resistant drinking behavior is similarly observed with footshock punishment. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6J mice were trained to respond for 10% ethanol in an operant task on a fixed-ratio three schedule. After consistent responding, mice were tested in a punishment session using either a 0.25 mA or 0.35 milliamp (mA) footshock. To assess footshock sensitivity, a subset of mice underwent a flinch, jump, and vocalize test in which behavioral responses to increasing amplitudes of footshock (0.05 to 0.95 mA) were assessed. In a separate cohort of mice, males and females were trained to respond for 2.5% sucrose and responses were punished using a 0.25 mA footshock. RESULTS Males and females continued to respond for 10% ethanol when paired with a 0.25 mA footshock. Females alone continued to respond for ethanol when a 0.35 mA footshock was delivered. Both males and females reduced responding for 2.5% sucrose when punished with a 0.25 mA footshock. Footshock sensitivity in the flinch, jump, and vocalize test did not differ by sex. CONCLUSIONS Females continue to respond for 10% ethanol despite a 0.35 mA footshock, and this behavior is not due to differences in footshock sensitivity between males and females. These results show that female C57BL/6J mice are generally more resistant to punishment in an operant self-administration paradigm. The findings add to the literature characterizing aversion-resistant alcohol-drinking behaviors in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Kaila A. Fennell
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Sachi Bhati
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Joshua E. Setters
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Kristen M. Schuh
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Jenelle N. DeMedio
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brandon J. Arnold
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Sean C. Monroe
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Jennifer J. Quinn
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
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8
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Bach EC, Ewin SE, Heaney CF, Carlson HN, Ortelli OA, Almonte AG, Chappell AM, Raab-Graham KF, Weiner JL. Chemogenetic inhibition of a monosynaptic projection from the basolateral amygdala to the ventral hippocampus selectively reduces appetitive, but not consummatory, alcohol drinking-related behaviours. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:1241-1259. [PMID: 36840503 PMCID: PMC10931538 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and anxiety/stressor disorders frequently co-occur and this dual diagnosis represents a major health and economic problem worldwide. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is a key brain region that is known to contribute to the aetiology of both disorders. Although many studies have implicated BLA hyperexcitability in the pathogenesis of AUD and comorbid conditions, relatively little is known about the specific efferent projections from this brain region that contribute to these disorders. Recent optogenetic studies have shown that the BLA sends a strong monosynaptic excitatory projection to the ventral hippocampus (vHC) and that this circuit modulates anxiety- and fear-related behaviours. However, it is not known if this pathway influences alcohol drinking-related behaviours. Here, we employed a rodent operant self-administration regimen that procedurally separates appetitive (e.g. seeking) and consummatory (e.g., drinking) behaviours, chemogenetics and brain region-specific microinjections, to determine if BLA-vHC circuitry influences alcohol and sucrose drinking-related measures. We first confirmed prior optogenetic findings that silencing this circuit reduced anxiety-like behaviours on the elevated plus maze. We then demonstrated that inhibiting the BLA-vHC pathway significantly reduced appetitive drinking-related behaviours for both alcohol and sucrose while having no effect on consummatory measures. Taken together, these findings provide the first indication that the BLA-vHC circuit may regulate appetitive reward seeking directed at alcohol and natural rewards and add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that dysregulation of this pathway may contribute to the pathophysiology of AUD and anxiety/stressor-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Bach
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah E Ewin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chelcie F Heaney
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hannah N Carlson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Olivia A Ortelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Antoine G Almonte
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ann M Chappell
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly F Raab-Graham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
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9
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Carlson ER, Guerin SP, Nixon K, Fonken LK. The neuroimmune system - Where aging and excess alcohol intersect. Alcohol 2023; 107:153-167. [PMID: 36150610 PMCID: PMC10023388 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
As the percentage of the global population over age 65 grows, and with it a subpopulation of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), understanding the effect of alcohol on the aged brain is of utmost importance. Neuroinflammation is implicated in both natural aging as well as alcohol use, and its role in alterations to brain morphology and function may be exacerbated in aging individuals who drink alcohol to excess. The neuroimmune response to alcohol in aging is complex. The few studies investigating this issue have reported heightened basal activity and either hypo- or hyper-reactivity to an alcohol challenge. This review of preclinical research will first introduce key players of the immune system, then explore changes in neuroimmune function with aging or alcohol alone, with discussion of vulnerable brain regions, changes in cytokines, and varied reactions of microglia and astrocytes. We will then consider different levels of alcohol exposure, relevant animal models of AUD, and neuroimmune activation by alcohol across the lifespan. By identifying key findings, challenges, and targets for future research, we hope to bring more attention and resources to this underexplored area of inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika R Carlson
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Steven P Guerin
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Laura K Fonken
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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10
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Tonetto S, Weikop P, Brudek T, Thomsen M. Behavioral and biochemical effects of alcohol withdrawal in female C3H/HeNRj and C57BL/6JRj mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1143720. [PMID: 36910126 PMCID: PMC9995974 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1143720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major problem of our society and is often characterized and worsened by relapse. Prolonged alcohol exposure leads to numerous biochemical alterations that, upon cessation of alcohol intake, cause an array of immediate and lasting withdrawal symptoms. Acute withdrawal and neuroinflammation can be harmful in themselves, and lasting withdrawal symptoms contribute to relapse. Here, we conducted an initial feasibility study assessing several behavioral and neurochemical factors in female C3H/HeNRj (C3H) and C57BL/6JRj (B6) mice to determine which strain showed the clearest alcohol withdrawal symptoms during long-term abstinence and neurochemical alterations following re-exposure. Methods Female C3H and B6 mice (n = 12 per group/strain) were intermittently exposed to alcohol-containing or control liquid diets for 3 weeks. Acute and prolonged withdrawal symptoms were assessed over a period of 3 weeks using a battery of behavioral test, comprised of alcohol self-administration, anhedonia, hyperalgesia, anxiety-like and depressive-like disturbances. Brain inflammation was measured by multiplex cytokine assay. Monoamine levels in the hippocampus and striatum, as well as exploratory analyses of cations levels in the cerebellum, were assessed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results Both C3H and B6 alcohol-exposed mice displayed decreased saccharin intake or preference and higher stress levels assessed by ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) recordings. B6 but not C3H alcohol-exposed mice also exhibited a slower decline of alcohol oral self-administration (OSA), hyperalgesia, elevated brain TNF-α and elevated serotonin turnover. Conclusion Our findings highlight the suitability of the B6 strain to study the behavioral and neurochemical alterations caused by alcohol withdrawal and the potential efficacy of experimental treatments, not only in early detoxification, but also in prolonged abstinence. The feasibility of these assays is important because long-lasting withdrawal symptoms are often the main cause of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Tonetto
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Weikop
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomasz Brudek
- Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morgane Thomsen
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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de Guglielmo G, Simpson S, Kimbrough A, Conlisk D, Baker R, Cantor M, Kallupi M, George O. Voluntary and forced exposure to ethanol vapor produces similar escalation of alcohol drinking but differential recruitment of brain regions related to stress, habit, and reward in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109309. [PMID: 36334765 PMCID: PMC10022477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation of the most widely used current animal models of alcohol dependence is that they use forced exposure to ethanol including ethanol-containing liquid diet and chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor to produce clinically relevant blood alcohol levels (BAL) and addiction-like behaviors. We recently developed a novel animal model of voluntary induction of alcohol dependence using ethanol vapor self-administration (EVSA). However, it is unknown whether EVSA leads to an escalation of alcohol drinking per se, and whether such escalation is associated with neuroadaptations in brain regions related to stress, reward, and habit. To address these issues, we compared the levels of alcohol drinking during withdrawal between rats passively exposed to alcohol (CIE) or voluntarily exposed to EVSA and measured the number of Fos+ neurons during acute withdrawal (16 h) in key brain regions important for stress, reward, and habit-related processes. CIE and EVSA rats exhibited similar BAL and similar escalation of alcohol drinking and motivation for alcohol during withdrawal. Acute withdrawal from EVSA and CIE recruited a similar number of Fos+ neurons in the Central Amygdala (CeA), however, acute withdrawal from EVSA recruited a higher number of Fos+ neurons in every other brain region analyzed compared to acute withdrawal from CIE. In summary, while the behavioral measures of alcohol dependence between the voluntary (EVSA) and passive (CIE) model were similar, the recruitment of neuronal ensembles during acute withdrawal was very different. The EVSA model may be particularly useful to unveil the neuronal networks and pharmacology responsible for the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence and may improve translational studies by providing preclinical researchers with an animal model that highlights the volitional aspects of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sierra Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam Kimbrough
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Dana Conlisk
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocenter Magendie, Psychobiology of Drug Addiction Group, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Robert Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell Cantor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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12
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Mineur YS, Garcia-Rivas V, Thomas MA, Soares AR, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Sex differences in stress-induced alcohol intake: a review of preclinical studies focused on amygdala and inflammatory pathways. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2041-2061. [PMID: 35359158 PMCID: PMC9704113 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that women are more likely than men to relapse to alcohol drinking in response to stress; however, the mechanisms underlying this sex difference are not well understood. A number of preclinical behavioral models have been used to study stress-induced alcohol intake. Here, we review paradigms used to study effects of stress on alcohol intake in rodents, focusing on findings relevant to sex differences. To date, studies of sex differences in stress-induced alcohol drinking have been somewhat limited; however, there is evidence that amygdala-centered circuits contribute to effects of stress on alcohol seeking. In addition, we present an overview of inflammatory pathways leading to microglial activation that may contribute to alcohol-dependent behaviors. We propose that sex differences in neuronal function and inflammatory signaling in circuits centered on the amygdala are involved in sex-dependent effects on stress-induced alcohol seeking and suggest that this is an important area for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Vernon Garcia-Rivas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Merrilee A Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA.
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13
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Bloch S, Holleran KM, Kash TL, Vazey EM, Rinker JA, Lebonville CL, O'Hara K, Lopez MF, Jones SR, Grant KA, Becker HC, Mulholland PJ. Assessing negative affect in mice during abstinence from alcohol drinking: Limitations and future challenges. Alcohol 2022; 100:41-56. [PMID: 35181404 PMCID: PMC8983487 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is frequently comorbid with mood disorders, and these co-occurring neuropsychiatric disorders contribute to the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence and relapse. In preclinical models, mice chronically exposed to alcohol display anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. However, in total, results from studies using voluntary alcohol-drinking paradigms show variable behavioral outcomes in assays measuring negative affective behaviors. Thus, the main objective of this review is to summarize the literature on the variability of negative affective behaviors in mice after chronic alcohol exposure. We compare the behavioral phenotypes that emerge during abstinence across different exposure models, including models of alcohol and stress interactions. The complicated outcomes from these studies highlight the difficulties of assessing negative affective behaviors in mouse models designed for the study of AUD. We discuss new behavioral assays, comprehensive platforms, and unbiased machine-learning algorithms as promising approaches to better understand the interaction between alcohol and negative affect in mice. New data-driven approaches in the understanding of mouse behavior hold promise for improving the identification of mechanisms, cell subtypes, and neurocircuits that mediate negative affect. In turn, improving our understanding of the neurobehavioral basis of alcohol-associated negative affect will provide a platform to test hypotheses in mouse models that aim to improve the development of more effective strategies for treating individuals with AUD and co-occurring mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solal Bloch
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Elena M Vazey
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - Jennifer A Rinker
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Christina L Lebonville
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Krysten O'Hara
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, United States
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States
| | - Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
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14
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Guttlein L, Molina JC, Abate P. Operant conditioning with a stimulus discrimination: An alternative method for evaluating alcohol reinforcement in preweaning rats. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 363:109345. [PMID: 34464651 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethanol exposure at early ontogeny promotes further predisposition to consume the drug. Operant conditioning allows motivational alcohol properties to be assessed. To date, the operant conditioning approach used during infancy consisted in paired subjects being trained to learn an operant response, using simultaneously a yoked partner, which received reinforcer solution as a result of a paired animal instrumental response (OYS). NEW METHOD In our study, we attempted to evaluate ethanol reinforcing effects during PDs 15-18 in an operant conditioning schedule with a stimulus discrimination procedure (OSD), as an alternative control learning. This new proposal includes a single subject, who has to choose between an S+ nose-poke hole, which delivers the reinforcer into the mouth, or an S- nose-poke hole with no reinforcement effect. RESULTS The OSD results seemed to be more reliable than those obtained using the OYS procedure, since some data appeared to be more robust when using a yoked nose-poke hole than when employing a yoked subject, such as in control learning. Consequently, OSD has the following advantages compared to the OYS procedure: a) the operant response learned is controlled by the overall behavior of the same subject, resulting in a relatively clearer data; b) a yoked animal is not necessary, thereby reducing the number of rats used in the operant conditioning procedure. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS AND CONCLUSIONS A novel technique of operant conditioning adapted to infancy was developed by training animals to emit a particular response to gain access to alcohol solution as a reinforcer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larisa Guttlein
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5016, Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5016, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5000, Argentina
| | - Paula Abate
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5000, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIPsi-CONICET-UNC), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5000, Argentina.
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15
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Gruol DL, Melkonian C, Huitron-Resendiz S, Roberts AJ. Alcohol alters IL-6 Signal Transduction in the CNS of Transgenic Mice with Increased Astrocyte Expression of IL-6. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021; 41:733-750. [PMID: 32447612 PMCID: PMC7680720 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00879-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimmune factors, including the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), are important chemical regulators of central nervous system (CNS) function under both physiological and pathological conditions. Elevated expression of IL-6 occurs in the CNS in a variety of disorders associated with altered CNS function, including excessive alcohol use. Alcohol-induced production of IL-6 has been reported for several CNS regions including the cerebellum. Cerebellar actions of alcohol occur through a variety of mechanisms, but alcohol-induced changes in signal transduction, transcription, and translation are known to play important roles. IL-6 is an activator of signal transduction that regulates gene expression. Thus, alcohol-induced IL-6 production could contribute to cerebellar effects of alcohol by altering gene expression, especially under conditions of chronic alcohol abuse, where IL-6 levels could be habitually elevated. To gain an understanding of the effects of alcohol on IL-6 signal transduction, we studied activation/expression of IL-6 signal transduction partners STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription), CCAAT-enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) beta, and p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) at the protein level. Cerebella of transgenic mice that express elevated levels of astrocyte produced IL-6 in the CNS were studied. Results show that the both IL-6 and chronic intermittent alcohol exposure/withdrawal affect IL-6 signal transduction partners and that the actions of IL-6 and alcohol interact to alter activation/expression of IL-6 signal transduction partners. The alcohol/IL-6 interactions may contribute to cerebellar actions of alcohol, whereas the effects of IL-6 alone may have relevance to cerebellar changes occurring in CNS disorders associated with elevated levels of IL-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L Gruol
- Neuroscience Department, SR301, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
| | - Claudia Melkonian
- Neuroscience Department, SR301, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | - Amanda J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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16
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Effects of ceftriaxone on ethanol drinking and GLT-1 expression in ethanol dependence and relapse drinking. Alcohol 2021; 92:1-9. [PMID: 33465464 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure increase voluntary consumption of alcohol (ethanol) in mice. Previous reports from our laboratory show that CIE increases extracellular glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and that manipulating accumbal glutamate concentrations will alter ethanol drinking, indicating that glutamate homeostasis plays a crucial role in ethanol drinking in this model. A number of studies have shown that ceftriaxone increases GLT-1 expression, the major glutamate transporter, and that treatment with this antibiotic reduces ethanol drinking. The present studies examined the effects of ceftriaxone on ethanol drinking and GLT-1 in a mouse model of ethanol dependence and relapse drinking. The results show that ceftriaxone did not influence drinking at any dose in either ethanol-dependent or non-dependent mice. Further, ceftriaxone did not increase GLT-1 expression in the accumbens core or shell, with the exception of the ethanol-dependent mice receiving the highest dose of ceftriaxone. Interestingly, ethanol-dependent mice treated with only vehicle displayed reduced expression of GLT-1 in the accumbens shell and of the presynaptic mGlu2 receptor in the accumbens core. The reduced expression of the major glutamate transporter (GLT-1), as well as a receptor that regulates glutamate release (mGlu2), may help explain, at least in part, increased glutamatergic transmission in this model of ethanol dependence and relapse drinking.
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17
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Fernandes PR, Almeida FB, da Cunha MMMV, Feddern CF, Freese L, Barros HMT. The effects of caffeine on alcohol oral self-administration behavior in rats. Physiol Behav 2020; 223:112966. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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18
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Gruol DL, Melkonian C, Ly K, Sisouvanthong J, Tan Y, Roberts AJ. Alcohol and IL-6 Alter Expression of Synaptic Proteins in Cerebellum of Transgenic Mice with Increased Astrocyte Expression of IL-6. Neuroscience 2020; 442:124-137. [PMID: 32634532 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that neuroimmune factors, including the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), play a role in the CNS actions of alcohol. The cerebellum is a sensitive target of alcohol, but few studies have examined a potential role for neuroimmune factors in the actions of alcohol on this brain region. A number of studies have shown that synaptic transmission, and in particular inhibitory synaptic transmission, is an important cerebellar target of alcohol. IL-6 also alters synaptic transmission, although it is unknown if IL-6 targets are also targets of alcohol. This is an important issue because alcohol induces glial production of IL-6, which could then covertly influence the actions of alcohol. The persistent cerebellar effects of both IL-6 and alcohol typically involve chronic exposure and, presumably, altered gene and protein expression. Thus, in the current studies we tested the possibility that proteins involved in inhibitory and excitatory synaptic transmission in the cerebellum are common targets of alcohol and IL-6. We used transgenic mice that express elevated levels of astrocyte produced IL-6 to model persistently elevated expression of IL-6, as would occur in alcohol use disorders, and a chronic intermittent alcohol exposure/withdrawal paradigm (CIE/withdrawal) that is known to produce alcohol dependence. Multiple cerebellar synaptic proteins were assessed by Western blot. Results show that IL-6 and CIE/withdrawal have both unique and common actions that affect synaptic protein expression. These common targets could provide sites for IL-6/alcohol exposure/withdrawal interactions and play an important role in cerebellar symptoms of alcohol use such as ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna L Gruol
- Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Claudia Melkonian
- Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kristine Ly
- Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jasmin Sisouvanthong
- Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yvette Tan
- Neuroscience Department, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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19
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Johnson KA, Lovinger DM. Allosteric modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptors in alcohol use disorder: Insights from preclinical investigations. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2020; 88:193-232. [PMID: 32416868 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors are family C G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that modulate neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission throughout the nervous system. Owing to recent advances in development of subtype-selective allosteric modulators of mGlu receptors, individual members of the mGlu receptor family have been proposed as targets for treating a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders. In this chapter, we highlight preclinical evidence that allosteric modulators of mGlu receptors could be useful for reducing alcohol consumption and preventing relapse in alcohol use disorder (AUD). We begin with an overview of the preclinical models that are used to study mGlu receptor involvement in alcohol-related behaviors. Alcohol exposure causes adaptations in both expression and function of various mGlu receptor subtypes, and pharmacotherapies aimed at reversing these adaptations have the potential to reduce alcohol consumption and seeking. Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of mGlu2 and negative allosteric modulators of mGlu5 show particular promise for reducing alcohol intake and/or preventing relapse. Finally, this chapter discusses important considerations for translating preclinical findings toward the development of clinically useful drugs, including the potential for PAMs to avoid tolerance issues that are frequently observed with repeated administration of GPCR agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari A Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.
| | - David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, United States
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20
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Renteria R, Cazares C, Gremel CM. Habitual Ethanol Seeking and Licking Microstructure of Enhanced Ethanol Self-Administration in Ethanol-Dependent Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:880-891. [PMID: 32020644 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant component of ethanol (EtOH) dependence is the disruption to decision-making processes. Prior work has shown EtOH dependence biases habitual seeking of EtOH and disrupts neural mechanisms supporting decision-making. This has contributed to the hypothesis that habitual EtOH seeking in EtOH dependence may promote excessive habitual or compulsive EtOH consumption. However, decision-making and behavioral processes underlying seeking and consummatory behaviors differ. Here, we examine the microstructure of EtOH consummatory behavior in the context of habitual EtOH seeking. METHODS Following home cage pre-exposure to EtOH, C57Bl/6J mice underwent 4 rounds of chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) or air exposure. Following acute withdrawal, mice began training for operant self-administration of 15% EtOH. Training consisted of 16-hour sessions in which mice were trained in a random ratio (RR) schedule of reinforcement for 30-second access to the EtOH sipper. To test for CIE-induced changes in action control, we used sensory-specific satiation and assessed the effect of outcome devaluation on EtOH seeking. Importantly, the use of a lickometer during operant training allowed us to measure the microstructure of lick behavior. RESULTS Prior induction of EtOH dependence led to increased EtOH seeking, consumption, and an insensitivity to outcome devaluation, the latter indicative of habitual EtOH seeking. We also found altered consummatory lick patterns in CIE-exposed mice compared to Air controls. While CIE mice had significantly more licks in a burst and a longer burst duration, there were no differences in the total number of bursts compared to Air controls. Furthermore, these EtOH consummatory behaviors correlated with blood EtOH concentrations (BECs), while EtOH-seeking responses did not. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that EtOH dependence can produce habitual EtOH seeking and suggests the increased EtOH consummatory behaviors following EtOH dependence are separable from decision-making processes controlling EtOH seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Renteria
- From the, Department of Psychology, (RR, CMG), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Christian Cazares
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, (CC, CMG), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Christina M Gremel
- From the, Department of Psychology, (RR, CMG), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.,The Neurosciences Graduate Program, (CC, CMG), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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21
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Centanni SW, Bedse G, Patel S, Winder DG. Driving the Downward Spiral: Alcohol-Induced Dysregulation of Extended Amygdala Circuits and Negative Affect. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2000-2013. [PMID: 31403699 PMCID: PMC6779502 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) afflicts a large number of individuals, families, and communities globally. Affective disturbances, including stress, depression, and anxiety, are highly comorbid with AUD, contributing in some cases to initial alcohol use and continued use. Negative affect has a particularly strong influence on the withdrawal/abstinence stage of addiction as individuals with AUD frequently report stressful events, depression, and anxiety as key factors for relapse. Treatment options for negative affect associated with AUD are limited and often ineffective, highlighting the pressing need for preclinical studies examining the underlying neural circuitry driving AUD-associated negative affect. The extended amygdala (EA) is a set of brain areas collectively involved in generating and regulating affect, and extensive research has defined a critical role for the EA in all facets of substance use disorder. Here, we review the expansive historical literature examining the effects of ethanol exposure on the EA, with an emphasis on the complex EA neural circuitry driving negative affect in all phases of the alcohol addiction cycle. Specifically, this review focuses on the effects of alcohol exposure on the neural circuitry in 2 key components of the EA, the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Additionally, future directions are proposed to advance our understanding of the relationship between AUD-associated negative affect and neural circuitry in the EA, with the long-term goal of developing better diagnostic tools and new pharmacological targets aimed at treating negative affect in AUD. The concepts detailed here will serve as the foundation for a companion review focusing on the potential for the endogenous cannabinoid system in the EA as a novel target for treating the stress, anxiety, and negative emotional state driving AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel W. Centanni
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gaurav Bedse
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sachin Patel
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Nashville, TN, USA
- Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt J.F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Nashville, TN, USA
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22
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Advances in behavioral animal models of alcohol use disorder. Alcohol 2019; 74:73-82. [PMID: 30424979 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a multifaceted neuropsychiatric disease that combines behavioral, psychosocial, and neurobiological aspects. Over the previous decade, animal models have advanced in modeling the major psychological constructs that characterize AUD. These advances pave the road for more sophisticated behavioral models that capture addiction-related aspects, such as alcohol craving, compulsive seeking and intake, dependence, and relapse. In this review, we survey the recent progress in behavioral animal modeling of five aspects of AUD: alcohol consumption, dependence, and seeking; compulsivity in alcohol intake despite adverse outcomes; vulnerability and resilience factors in alcohol addiction; relapse despite treatment; and relapse prevention by manipulating alcohol-associated memory reconsolidation. These advances represent a general attempt to grasp the complexity and multidimensional nature of AUD, and to focus on behavioral characteristics that better reflect and model this disorder.
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23
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Siciliano CA, Tye KM. Leveraging calcium imaging to illuminate circuit dysfunction in addiction. Alcohol 2019; 74:47-63. [PMID: 30470589 PMCID: PMC7575247 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and drug use can dysregulate neural circuit function to produce a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction. To understand the neural circuit computations that mediate behavior, and how substances of abuse may transform them, we must first be able to observe the activity of circuits. While many techniques have been utilized to measure activity in specific brain regions, these regions are made up of heterogeneous sub-populations, and assessing activity from neuronal populations of interest has been an ongoing challenge. To fully understand how neural circuits mediate addiction-related behavior, we must be able to reveal the cellular granularity within brain regions and circuits by overlaying functional information with the genetic and anatomical identity of the cells involved. The development of genetically encoded calcium indicators, which can be targeted to populations of interest, allows for in vivo visualization of calcium dynamics, a proxy for neuronal activity, thus providing an avenue for real-time assessment of activity in genetically and anatomically defined populations during behavior. Here, we highlight recent advances in calcium imaging technology, compare the current technology with other state-of-the-art approaches for in vivo monitoring of neural activity, and discuss the strengths, limitations, and practical concerns for observing neural circuit activity in preclinical addiction models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States; The Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, 10010 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States.
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24
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Moorman DE. The role of the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:85-107. [PMID: 29355587 PMCID: PMC6072631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
One of the major functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is to promote flexible motivated behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that recent work has demonstrated a prominent impact of chronic drug use on the OFC and a potential role for OFC disruption in drug abuse and addiction. Among drugs of abuse, the use of alcohol is particularly salient with respect to OFC function. Although a number of studies in humans have implicated OFC dysregulation in alcohol use disorders, animal models investigating the association between OFC and alcohol use are only beginning to be developed, and there is still a great deal to be revealed. The goal of this review is to consider what is currently known regarding the role of the OFC in alcohol use and dependence. I will first provide a brief, general overview of current views of OFC function and its contributions to drug seeking and addiction. I will then discuss research to date related to the OFC and alcohol use, both in human clinical populations and in non-human models. Finally I will consider issues and strategies to guide future study that may identify this brain region as a key player in the transition from moderated to problematic alcohol use and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA 01003 USA
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Blegen MB, da Silva E Silva D, Bock R, Morisot N, Ron D, Alvarez VA. Alcohol operant self-administration: Investigating how alcohol-seeking behaviors predict drinking in mice using two operant approaches. Alcohol 2018; 67:23-36. [PMID: 29310048 PMCID: PMC5939586 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol operant self-administration paradigms are critical tools for studying the neural circuits implicated in both alcohol-seeking and consummatory behaviors and for understanding the neural basis underlying alcohol-use disorders. In this study, we investigate the predictive value of two operant models of oral alcohol self-administration in mice, one in which alcohol is delivered into a cup following nose-poke responses with no accurate measurement of consumed alcohol solution, and another paradigm that provides access to alcohol via a sipper tube following lever presses and where lick rate and consumed alcohol volume can be measured. The goal was to identify a paradigm where operant behaviors such as lever presses and nose pokes, as well as other tracked behavior such as licks and head entries, can be used to reliably predict blood alcohol concentration (BAC). All mice were first exposed to alcohol in the home cage using the "drinking in the dark" (DID) procedure for 3 weeks and then were trained in alcohol self-administration using either of the operant paradigms for several weeks. Even without sucrose fading or food pre-training, mice acquired alcohol self-administration with both paradigms. However, neither lever press nor nose-poke rates were good predictors of alcohol intake or BAC. Only the lick rate and consumed alcohol were consistently and significantly correlated with BAC. Using this paradigm that accurately measures alcohol intake, unsupervised cluster analysis revealed three groups of mice: high-drinking (43%), low-drinking (37%), and non-drinking mice (20%). High-drinking mice showed faster acquisition of operant responding and achieved higher BACs than low-drinking mice. Lick rate and volume consumed varied with the alcohol concentration made available only for high- and low-drinking mice, but not for non-drinking mice. In addition, high- and low-drinking mice showed similar patterns during extinction and significant cue-induced reinstatement of seeking. Only high-drinking mice showed insensitivity to quinine adulteration, indicating a willingness to drink alcohol despite pairing with aversive stimuli. Thus, this study shows that relying on active presses is not an accurate determination of drinking behavior in mice. Only paradigms that allow for accurate measurements of consumed alcohol and/or lick rate are valid models of operant alcohol self-administration, where compulsive-like drinking could be accurately determined based on changes in alcohol intake when paired with bitter-tasting stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariah B Blegen
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Daniel da Silva E Silva
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília, DF, 70.040-020, Brazil
| | - Roland Bock
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nadege Morisot
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0663, USA
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0663, USA
| | - Veronica A Alvarez
- Laboratory on Neurobiology of Compulsive Behaviors, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Sánchez-Marín L, Ladrón de Guevara-Miranda D, Mañas-Padilla MC, Alén F, Moreno-Fernández RD, Díaz-Navarro C, Pérez-Del Palacio J, García-Fernández M, Pedraza C, Pavón FJ, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Santín LJ, Serrano A, Castilla-Ortega E. Systemic blockade of LPA 1/3 lysophosphatidic acid receptors by ki16425 modulates the effects of ethanol on the brain and behavior. Neuropharmacology 2018; 133:189-201. [PMID: 29378212 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The systemic administration of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) LPA1/3 receptor antagonists is a promising clinical tool for cancer, sclerosis and fibrosis-related diseases. Since LPA1 receptor-null mice engage in increased ethanol consumption, we evaluated the effects of systemic administration of an LPA1/3 receptor antagonist (intraperitoneal ki16425, 20 mg/kg) on ethanol-related behaviors as well as on brain and plasma correlates. Acute administration of ki16425 reduced motivation for ethanol but not for saccharine in ethanol self-administering Wistar rats. Mouse experiments were conducted in two different strains. In Swiss mice, ki16425 treatment reduced both ethanol-induced sedation (loss of righting reflex, LORR) and ethanol reward (escalation in ethanol consumption and ethanol-induced conditioned place preference, CPP). Furthermore, in the CPP-trained Swiss mice, ki16425 prevented the effects of ethanol on basal c-Fos expression in the medial prefrontal cortex and on adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. In the c57BL6/J mouse strain, however, no effects of ki16425 on LORR or voluntary drinking were observed. The c57BL6/J mouse strain was then evaluated for ethanol withdrawal symptoms, which were attenuated when ethanol was preceded by ki16425 administration. In these animals, ki16425 modulated the expression of glutamate-related genes in brain limbic regions after ethanol exposure; and peripheral LPA signaling was dysregulated by either ki16425 or ethanol. Overall, these results suggest that LPA1/3 receptor antagonists might be a potential new class of drugs that are suitable for treating or preventing alcohol use disorders. A pharmacokinetic study revealed that systemic ki16425 showed poor brain penetration, suggesting the involvement of peripheral events to explain its effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sánchez-Marín
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain
| | - David Ladrón de Guevara-Miranda
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - M Carmen Mañas-Padilla
- Centro de Experimentación Animal, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Alén
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain
| | - Román D Moreno-Fernández
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Caridad Díaz-Navarro
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Avenida del Conocimiento 34, 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - José Pérez-Del Palacio
- Fundación MEDINA, Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Avenida del Conocimiento 34, 18016, Granada, Spain
| | - María García-Fernández
- Departamento de Fisiología Humana, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Carmen Pedraza
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco J Pavón
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain
| | - Luis J Santín
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
| | - Antonia Serrano
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain.
| | - Estela Castilla-Ortega
- Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Spain.
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Targeting the intracellular signaling "STOP" and "GO" pathways for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1727-1743. [PMID: 29654346 PMCID: PMC5949137 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4882-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, research has identified the molecular and neural substrates underlying the transition of moderate "social" consumption of alcohol to the characteristic alcohol use disorder (AUD) phenotypes including excessive and compulsive alcohol use which we define in the review as the GO signaling pathways. In addition, growing evidence points to the existence of molecular mechanisms that keep alcohol consumption in check and that confer resilience for the development of AUD which we define herein as the STOP signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on examples of the GO and the STOP intracellular signaling pathways and discuss our current knowledge of how manipulations of these pathways may be used for the treatment of AUD.
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Bell RL, Hauser SR, Liang T, Sari Y, Maldonado-Devincci A, Rodd ZA. Rat animal models for screening medications to treat alcohol use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:201-243. [PMID: 28215999 PMCID: PMC5659204 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to present animal research models that can be used to screen and/or repurpose medications for the treatment of alcohol abuse and dependence. The focus will be on rats and in particular selectively bred rats. Brief introductions discuss various aspects of the clinical picture, which provide characteristics of individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) to model in animals. Following this, multiple selectively bred rat lines will be described and evaluated in the context of animal models used to screen medications to treat AUDs. Next, common behavioral tests for drug efficacy will be discussed particularly as they relate to stages in the addiction cycle. Tables highlighting studies that have tested the effects of compounds using the respective techniques are included. Wherever possible the Tables are organized chronologically in ascending order to describe changes in the focus of research on AUDs over time. In general, high ethanol-consuming selectively bred rats have been used to test a wide range of compounds. Older studies usually followed neurobiological findings in the selected lines that supported an association with a propensity for high ethanol intake. Most of these tests evaluated the compound's effects on the maintenance of ethanol drinking. Very few compounds have been tested during ethanol-seeking and/or relapse and fewer still have assessed their effects during the acquisition of AUDs. Overall, while a substantial number of neurotransmitter and neuromodulatory system targets have been assessed; the roles of sex- and age-of-animal, as well as the acquisition of AUDs, ethanol-seeking and relapse continue to be factors and behaviors needing further study. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Bell
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Sheketha R Hauser
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Tiebing Liang
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Youssef Sari
- University of Toledo, Department of Pharmacology, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | | | - Zachary A Rodd
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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de Guglielmo G, Kallupi M, Cole MD, George O. Voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence in rats using alcohol vapor self-administration. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2009-2018. [PMID: 28342089 PMCID: PMC5658208 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4608-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE A major issue in the addiction field is the limited number of animal models of the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence in outbred rats. OBJECTIVES To address this issue, we developed a novel apparatus that vaporizes alcohol for 2-10 min after an active nosepoke response. METHODS Male Wistar rats were allowed to self-administer alcohol vapor for 8 h/day every other day for 24 sessions (escalated) or eight sessions (non-escalated). Escalated and non-escalated rats were then tested for progressive ratio responding. Anxiety-like behavior, somatic signs of withdrawal, and hyperalgesia were assessed during acute withdrawal. RESULTS The results showed that rats exhibited excellent discrimination between the active and inactive operanda (>85%), and the escalated rats quickly increased their blood alcohol levels from ~50 to >200 mg% in ~6 weeks. Compared with non-escalated rats, escalated rats exhibited severe addiction-like behavior, including somatic signs of withdrawal, anxiety-like behavior, hyperalgesia, and higher responding on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that outbred rats will voluntarily self-administer alcohol vapor to the point of dependence without the use of forced alcohol administration, sweeteners, food/water restriction, operant pretraining, or behavioral/genetic selection. This novel animal model may be particularly useful for medication development to help unveil the neuronal circuitry that underlies the voluntary induction of alcohol addiction and identify novel molecular targets that are specifically recruited after the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30-2400, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30-2400, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Maury D Cole
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30-2400, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30-2400, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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30
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Radke AK, Jury NJ, Kocharian A, Marcinkiewcz CA, Lowery-Gionta EG, Pleil KE, McElligott ZA, McKlveen JM, Kash TL, Holmes A. Chronic EtOH effects on putative measures of compulsive behavior in mice. Addict Biol 2017; 22:423-434. [PMID: 26687341 PMCID: PMC4916036 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Addictions, including alcohol use disorders, are characterized by the loss of control over drug seeking and consumption, but the neural circuits and signaling mechanisms responsible for the transition from controlled use to uncontrolled abuse remain incompletely understood. Prior studies have shown that 'compulsive-like' behaviors in rodents, for example, persistent responding for ethanol (EtOH) despite punishment, are increased after chronic exposure to EtOH. The main goal of the current study was to assess the effects of chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure on multiple, putative measures of compulsive-like EtOH seeking in C57BL/6 J mice. Mice were exposed to two or four weekly cycles of CIE and then, post-withdrawal, tested for progressive ratio responding for EtOH, sustained responding during signaled EtOH unavailability and (footshock) punished suppression of responding for EtOH. Results showed that mice exposed to CIE exhibited attenuated suppression of EtOH seeking during punishment, as compared with air-exposed controls. By contrast, CIE exposure affected neither punished food reward-seeking behavior, nor other putative measures of compulsive-like EtOH seeking. Ex vivo reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of brain tissue found reduced sensitivity to punished EtOH seeking after CIE exposure was accompanied by a significant increase in gene expression of the GluN1 and GluN2A subunits of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor, specifically in the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Moreover, slice electrophysiological analysis revealed increased N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor-mediated currents in the orbitofrontal cortex after CIE exposure in test-naïve mice. Collectively, the current findings add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that chronic exposure to EtOH fosters resistance to punished EtOH seeking in association with adaptations in cortical glutamatergic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Radke
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nicholas J. Jury
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Adrina Kocharian
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Catherine A. Marcinkiewcz
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Emily G. Lowery-Gionta
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Kristen E. Pleil
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Zoe A. McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Psychiatry, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jessica M. McKlveen
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Department of Pharmacology, UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Becker HC, Lopez MF. An Animal Model of Alcohol Dependence to Screen Medications for Treating Alcoholism. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2016; 126:157-77. [PMID: 27055614 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the United States, only a relatively small percentage of those afflicted seek treatment. This is further compounded by the fact that there are too few medications available to effectively treat this significant public health problem. The need for identifying and evaluating more effective treatments that aid in preventing relapse and/or tempering risky and harmful alcohol consumption cannot be overstated. Use of animal models represents a critical step in the process of screening, identifying, and informing plans for prioritizing the most promising candidate medications that can be advanced to the next stage of evaluation (clinical laboratory paradigms and controlled clinical trials). Numerous animal models have been developed to study excessive levels of alcohol self-administration. In recent years, a large literature has amassed of studies in which rodent models of dependence have been linked with alcohol self-administration procedures. This chapter focuses on studies employing a dependence model that involves chronic exposure to alcohol vapor by inhalation, which yields in both mice and rats significant escalation of voluntary alcohol consumption. These animal models of dependence and alcohol self-administration have revealed valuable insights about underlying mechanisms that drive excessive drinking. Additionally, this preclinical approach is useful in evaluating the effects of medications on escalated drinking associated with dependence vs more stable levels displayed by nondependent animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- H C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, SC, United States; Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States; RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, United States.
| | - M F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Charleston, SC, United States
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Follesa P, Floris G, Asuni GP, Ibba A, Tocco MG, Zicca L, Mercante B, Deriu F, Gorini G. Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Regulates Hippocampal GABA(A) Receptor Delta Subunit Gene Expression. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:445. [PMID: 26617492 PMCID: PMC4637418 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic ethanol consumption causes structural and functional reorganization in the hippocampus and induces alterations in the gene expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs). Distinct forced intermittent exposure models have been used previously to investigate changes in GABAAR expression, with contrasting results. Here, we used repeated cycles of a Chronic Intermittent Ethanol paradigm to examine the relationship between voluntary, dependence-associated ethanol consumption, and GABAAR gene expression in mouse hippocampus. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to four 16-h ethanol vapor (or air) cycles in inhalation chambers alternated with limited-access two-bottle choice between ethanol (15%) and water consumption. The mice exposed to ethanol vapor showed significant increases in ethanol consumption compared to their air-matched controls. GABAAR alpha4 and delta subunit gene expression were measured by qRT-PCR at different stages. There were significant changes in GABAAR delta subunit transcript levels at different time points in ethanol-vapor exposed mice, while the alpha4 subunit levels remained unchanged. Correlated concurrent blood ethanol concentrations suggested that GABAAR delta subunit mRNA levels fluctuate depending on ethanol intoxication, dependence, and withdrawal state. Using a vapor-based Chronic Intermittent Ethanol procedure with combined two-bottle choice consumption, we corroborated previous evidences showing that discontinuous ethanol exposure affects GABAAR delta subunit expression but we did not observe changes in alpha4 subunit. These findings indicate that hippocampal GABAAR delta subunit expression changes transiently over the course of a Chronic Intermittent Ethanol paradigm associated with voluntary intake, in response to ethanol-mediated disturbance of GABAergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Follesa
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gabriele Floris
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | - Gino P Asuni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonio Ibba
- Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria G Tocco
- Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | - Luca Zicca
- Department of Public Health, Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
| | | | - Franca Deriu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari Sassari, Italy
| | - Giorgio Gorini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari Cagliari, Italy
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Increased Basolateral Amygdala Pyramidal Cell Excitability May Contribute to the Anxiogenic Phenotype Induced by Chronic Early-Life Stress. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9730-40. [PMID: 26134655 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0384-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Adolescence represents a particularly vulnerable period during which exposure to stressors can precipitate the onset of psychiatric disorders and addiction. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays an integral role in the pathophysiology of anxiety and addiction. Acute and chronic stress promote increases in BLA pyramidal cell firing, and decreasing BLA excitability alleviates anxiety measures in humans and rodents. Notably, the impact of early-life stress on the mechanisms that govern BLA excitability is unknown. To address this gap in our knowledge, we used a rodent model of chronic early-life stress that engenders robust and enduring increases in anxiety-like behaviors and ethanol intake and examined the impact of this model on the intrinsic excitability of BLA pyramidal cells. Adolescent social isolation was associated with a significant increase in the intrinsic excitability of BLA pyramidal cells and a blunting of the medium component of the afterhyperpolarization potential, a voltage signature of calcium-activated potassium (Kca) channel activity. Western blot analysis revealed reduced expression of small-conductance Kca (SK) channel protein in the BLA of socially isolated (SI) rats. Bath application of a positive SK channel modulator (1-EBIO) normalized firing in ex vivo recordings from SI rats, and in vivo intra-BLA 1-EBIO infusion reduced anxiety-like behaviors. These findings reveal that chronic adolescent stress impairs SK channel function, which contributes to an increase in BLA pyramidal cell excitability and highlights BLA SK channels as promising targets for the treatment of anxiety disorders and comorbid addiction. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although anxiety disorders and alcohol addiction frequently co-occur, the mechanisms that contribute to this comorbidity are poorly understood. Here, we used a rodent early-life stress model that leads to robust and longlasting increases in behaviors associated with elevated risk of anxiety disorders and addiction to identify novel neurobiological substrates that may underlie these behaviors. Our studies focused on the primary output neurons of the basolateral amygdala, a brain region that plays a key role in anxiety and addiction. We discovered that early-life stress decreases the activity of a specific class of potassium channels and increases the intrinsic excitability of BLA neurons and present evidence that enhancing the function of these channels normalizes BLA excitability and attenuates anxiety-like behaviors.
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34
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Operant self-administration of ethanol in infant rats. Physiol Behav 2015; 148:87-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Osterndorff-Kahanek EA, Becker HC, Lopez MF, Farris SP, Tiwari GR, Nunez YO, Harris RA, Mayfield RD. Chronic ethanol exposure produces time- and brain region-dependent changes in gene coexpression networks. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121522. [PMID: 25803291 PMCID: PMC4372440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated ethanol exposure and withdrawal in mice increases voluntary drinking and represents an animal model of physical dependence. We examined time- and brain region-dependent changes in gene coexpression networks in amygdala (AMY), nucleus accumbens (NAC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and liver after four weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure in C57BL/6J mice. Microarrays were used to compare gene expression profiles at 0-, 8-, and 120-hours following the last ethanol exposure. Each brain region exhibited a large number of differentially expressed genes (2,000-3,000) at the 0- and 8-hour time points, but fewer changes were detected at the 120-hour time point (400-600). Within each region, there was little gene overlap across time (~20%). All brain regions were significantly enriched with differentially expressed immune-related genes at the 8-hour time point. Weighted gene correlation network analysis identified modules that were highly enriched with differentially expressed genes at the 0- and 8-hour time points with virtually no enrichment at 120 hours. Modules enriched for both ethanol-responsive and cell-specific genes were identified in each brain region. These results indicate that chronic alcohol exposure causes global 'rewiring' of coexpression systems involving glial and immune signaling as well as neuronal genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Howard C. Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Marcelo F. Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gayatri R. Tiwari
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yury O. Nunez
- Pharmacotherapy Education and Research Center, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - R. Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - R. Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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