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Heilig M, Witkiewitz K, Ray LA, Leggio L. Novel medications for problematic alcohol use. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e172889. [PMID: 38828724 PMCID: PMC11142745 DOI: 10.1172/jci172889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol-related harm, a major cause of disease burden globally, affects people along a spectrum of use. When a harmful pattern of drinking is present in the absence of significant behavioral pathology, low-intensity brief interventions that provide information about health consequences of continued use provide large health benefits. At the other end of the spectrum, profound behavioral pathology, including continued use despite knowledge of potentially fatal consequences, warrants a medical diagnosis, and treatment is strongly indicated. Available behavioral and pharmacological treatments are supported by scientific evidence but are vastly underutilized. Discovery of additional medications, with a favorable balance of efficacy versus safety and tolerability can improve clinical uptake of treatment, allow personalized treatment, and improve outcomes. Here, we delineate the clinical conditions when pharmacotherapy should be considered in relation to the main diagnostic systems in use and discuss clinical endpoints that represent meaningful clinical benefits. We then review specific developments in three categories of targets that show promise for expanding the treatment toolkit. GPCRs remain the largest category of successful drug targets across contemporary medicine, and several GPCR targets are currently pursued for alcohol-related indications. Endocrine systems are another established category, and several promising targets have emerged for alcohol indications. Finally, immune modulators have revolutionized treatment of multiple medical conditions, and they may also hold potential to produce benefits in patients with alcohol problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, and Department of Psychiatry, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology and Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Translational Addiction Medicine Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research, NIH, Baltimore and Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Bertotto LB, Lampson-Stixrud D, Sinha A, Rohani NK, Myer I, Zorrilla EP. Effects of the Phosphodiesterase 10A Inhibitor MR1916 on Alcohol Self-Administration and Striatal Gene Expression in Post-Chronic Intermittent Ethanol-Exposed Rats. Cells 2024; 13:321. [PMID: 38391934 PMCID: PMC10886814 DOI: 10.3390/cells13040321] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) requires new neurobiological targets. Problematic drinking involves underactive indirect pathway medium spiny neurons (iMSNs) that subserve adaptive behavioral selection vs. overactive direct pathway MSNs (dMSNs) that promote drinking, with a shift from ventromedial to dorsolateral striatal (VMS, DLS) control of EtOH-related behavior. We hypothesized that inhibiting phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A), enriched in striatal MSNs, would reduce EtOH self-administration in rats with a history of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure. To test this, Wistar rats (n = 10/sex) with a history of chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) vapor exposure received MR1916 (i.p., 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 µmol/kg), a PDE10A inhibitor, before operant EtOH self-administration sessions. We determined whether MR1916 altered the expression of MSN markers (Pde10a, Drd1, Drd2, Penk, and Tac1) and immediate-early genes (IEG) (Fos, Fosb, ΔFosb, and Egr1) in EtOH-naïve (n = 5-6/grp) and post-CIE (n = 6-8/grp) rats. MR1916 reduced the EtOH self-administration of high-drinking, post-CIE males, but increased it at a low, but not higher, doses, in females and low-drinking males. MR1916 increased Egr1, Fos, and FosB in the DLS, modulated by sex and alcohol history. MR1916 elicited dMSN vs. iMSN markers differently in ethanol-naïve vs. post-CIE rats. High-drinking, post-CIE males showed higher DLS Drd1 and VMS IEG expression. Our results implicate a role and potential striatal bases of PDE10A inhibitors to influence post-dependent drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (L.B.B.); (D.L.-S.); (A.S.); (N.K.R.); (I.M.)
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Zheng L, Aimaiti Z, Long L, Xia C, Wang W, Zhou ZZ. Discovery of 4-Ethoxy-6-chloro-5-azaindazoles as Novel PDE4 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder and Alcoholic Liver Diseases. J Med Chem 2024; 67:728-753. [PMID: 38156615 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) results in numerous disabilities and approximately 3 million deaths annually, caused mainly by alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Phosphodiesterase IV (PDE4) has emerged as an attractive molecular target for a new treatment for AUD and ALD. In this study, we describe the identification of 5-azaindazole analogues as PDE4 inhibitors against AUD and ALD. System optimization studies led to the discovery of ZL40 (IC50 = 37.4 nM) with a remarkable oral bioavailability (F = 94%), satisfactory safety, and a lower emetogenic potency than the approved PDE4 inhibitors roflumilast and apremilast. Encouragingly, ZL40 exhibited AUD therapeutic effects by decreasing alcohol intake and improving acute alcohol-induced sedation and motor impairment. Meanwhile, ZL40 displayed the potential to alleviate alcoholic liver injury and attenuate inflammation in the NIAAA mice model. These results showed that ZL40 is a promising compound for future drug development to treat alcohol-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zheng
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zulihuma Aimaiti
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lu Long
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chuang Xia
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Wenya Wang
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Zhong-Zhen Zhou
- Innovation Program of Drug Research on Neurological and Metabolic Diseases, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Banerjee S, Park T, Kim YS, Kim HY. Exacerbating effects of single-dose acute ethanol exposure on neuroinflammation and amelioration by GPR110 (ADGRF1) activation. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:187. [PMID: 37580715 PMCID: PMC10426059 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02868-w] [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: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroinflammation is a widely studied phenomenon underlying various neurodegenerative diseases. Earlier study demonstrated that pharmacological activation of GPR110 in both central and peripheral immune cells cooperatively ameliorates neuroinflammation caused by systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Ethanol consumption has been associated with exacerbation of neurodegenerative and systemic inflammatory conditions. The goal of this study is to determine the effects of single-dose acute ethanol exposure and GPR110 activation on the neuro-inflammation mechanisms. METHODS For in vivo studies, GPR110 wild type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice at 10-12 weeks of age were given an oral gavage of ethanol (3 g/kg) or maltose (5.4 g/kg) at 1-4 h prior to the injection of LPS (1 mg/kg, i.p.) followed by the GPR110 ligand, synaptamide (5 mg/kg). After 2-24 h, brains were collected for the analysis of gene expression by RT-PCR or protein expression by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Microglial activation was assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. For in vitro studies, microglia and peritoneal macrophages were isolated from adult WT mice and treated with 25 mM ethanol for 4 h and then with LPS (100 ng/ml) followed by 10 nM synaptamide for 2 h for gene expression and 12 h for protein analysis. RESULTS Single-dose exposure to ethanol by gavage before LPS injection upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the brain and plasma. The LPS-induced Iba-1 expression in the brain was significantly higher after ethanol pretreatment in both WT and GPR110KO mice. GPR110 ligand decreased the mRNA and/or protein expression of these cytokines and Iba-1 in the WT but not in GPR110KO mice. In the isolated microglia and peritoneal macrophages, ethanol also exacerbated the LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines which was mitigated at least partially by synaptamide. The expression of an inflammasome marker NLRP3 upregulated by LPS was further elevated with prior exposure to ethanol, especially in the brains of GPR110KO mice. Both ethanol and LPS reduced adenylate cyclase 8 mRNA expression which was reversed by the activation of GPR110. PDE4B expression at both mRNA and protein level in the brain increased after ethanol and LPS treatment while synaptamide suppressed its expression in a GPR110-dependent manner. CONCLUSION Single-dose ethanol exposure exacerbated LPS-induced inflammatory responses. The GPR110 ligand synaptamide ameliorated this effect of ethanol by counteracting on the cAMP system, the common target for synaptamide and ethanol, and by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmistha Banerjee
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Taeyeop Park
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Yoo Sun Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Hee-Yong Kim
- Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
- National Institutes of Health, 5625 Fishers Lane, Rm. 3N-07, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9410, USA.
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Grodin EN, Meredith LR, Burnette EM, Miotto K, Irwin MR, Ray LA. Baseline C-reactive protein levels are predictive of treatment response to a neuroimmune modulator in individuals with an alcohol use disorder: a preliminary study. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2023; 49:333-344. [PMID: 36282988 PMCID: PMC10840759 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2124918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background: Inflammation is implicated in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Ibudilast, a neuroimmune modulator, shows promise for the treatment of AUD. Elevated inflammation, indicated by high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), represents a possible subtype of AUD, which may be associated with treatment response to ibudilast.Objectives: The current study evaluated CRP as a predictor of treatment response to ibudilast; hypothesizing that ibudilast would be more effective at reducing drinking and alcohol cue-reactivity in individuals with higher CRP levels.Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a clinical trial of ibudilast for AUD, which found that ibudilast reduced heavy drinking in individuals with AUD. Fifty-one individuals were randomized to receive ibudilast (n = 24 [16 M/8F]) or placebo (n = 27 [18 M/9F]) for two weeks. Participants provided blood samples at baseline to assess CRP levels, completed daily assessments of alcohol use, and an fMRI alcohol cue-reactivity task at study mid-point. Models tested the effects of medication, CRP levels, and their interaction on drinks per drinking day and alcohol cue-reactivity.Results: There was a significant interaction between medication and CRP (F = 3.80, p = .03), such that the ibudilast high CRP group had fewer drinks per drinking day compared to the ibudilast low CRP group. CRP moderated the effect of medication on brain activation in a cluster extending from the left inferior frontal gyrus to the right-dorsal striatum (Z = 4.55, p < .001). This interaction was driven by attenuated cue-reactivity in the ibudilast high CRP group relative to the ibudilast low CRP and placebo high CRP groups.Conclusions: This study serves as an initial investigation into predictors of clinical response to ibudilast treatment and suggests that a baseline proinflammatory profile may enhance clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Lindsay R. Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Elizabeth M. Burnette
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Karen Miotto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Michael R. Irwin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
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Crews FT, Coleman LG, Macht VA, Vetreno RP. Targeting Persistent Changes in Neuroimmune and Epigenetic Signaling in Adolescent Drinking to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder in Adulthood. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:380-396. [PMID: 36781218 PMCID: PMC9969522 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.122.000710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies universally find early age of drinking onset is linked to lifelong risks of alcohol problems and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Assessment of the lasting effect of drinking during adolescent development in humans is confounded by the diversity of environmental and genetic factors that affect adolescent development, including emerging personality disorders and progressive increases in drinking trajectories into adulthood. Preclinical studies using an adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) exposure rat model of underage binge drinking avoid the human confounds and support lifelong changes that increase risks. AIE increases adult alcohol drinking, risky decision-making, reward-seeking, and anxiety as well as reductions in executive function that all increase risks for the development of an AUD. AIE causes persistent increases in brain neuroimmune signaling high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), Toll-like receptor, receptor for advanced glycation end products, and innate immune genes that are also found to be increased in human AUD brain. HMGB1 is released from cells by ethanol, both free and within extracellular vesicles, that act on neurons and glia, shifting transcription and cellular phenotype. AIE-induced decreases in adult hippocampal neurogenesis and loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are reviewed as examples of persistent AIE-induced pathology. Both are prevented and reversed by anti-inflammatory and epigenetic drugs. Findings suggest AIE-increased HMGB1 signaling induces the RE-1 silencing transcript blunting cholinergic gene expression, shifting neuronal phenotype. Inhibition of HMGB1 neuroimmune signaling, histone methylation enzymes, and galantamine, the cholinesterase inhibitor, both prevent and reverse AIE pathology. These findings provide new targets that may reverse AUD neuropathology as well as other brain diseases linked to neuroimmune signaling. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Adolescent underage binge drinking studies find that earlier adolescent drinking is associated with lifelong alcohol problems including high levels of lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD). Preclinical studies find the underage binge drinking adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE) model causes lasting changes in adults that increase risks of developing adult alcohol problems. Loss of hippocampal neurogenesis and loss of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons provide examples of how AIE-induced epigenetic and neuroimmune signaling provide novel therapeutic targets for adult AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulton T Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Leon G Coleman
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Victoria A Macht
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Ryan P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies and Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Goltseker K, Garay P, Bonefas K, Iwase S, Barak S. Alcohol-specific transcriptional dynamics of memory reconsolidation and relapse. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:55. [PMID: 36792579 PMCID: PMC9932068 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02352-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Relapse, a critical issue in alcohol addiction, can be attenuated by disruption of alcohol-associated memories. Memories are thought to temporarily destabilize upon retrieval during the reconsolidation process. Here, we provide evidence for unique transcriptional dynamics underpinning alcohol memory reconsolidation. Using a mouse place-conditioning procedure, we show that alcohol-memory retrieval increases the mRNA expression of immediate-early genes in the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex, and that alcohol seeking is abolished by post-retrieval non-specific inhibition of gene transcription, or by downregulating ARC expression using antisense-oligodeoxynucleotides. However, since retrieval of memories for a natural reward (sucrose) also increased the same immediate-early gene expression, we explored for alcohol-specific transcriptional changes using RNA-sequencing. We revealed a unique transcriptional fingerprint activated by alcohol memories, as the expression of this set of plasticity-related genes was not altered by sucrose-memory retrieval. Our results suggest that alcohol memories may activate two parallel transcription programs: one is involved in memory reconsolidation in general, and another is specifically activated during alcohol-memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koral Goltseker
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Patricia Garay
- The University of Michigan Neuroscience Graduate Program, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Katherine Bonefas
- The University of Michigan Neuroscience Graduate Program, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Shigeki Iwase
- The University of Michigan Neuroscience Graduate Program, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Human Genetics Department, The University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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Rozenfeld M, Azoulay IS, Ben Kasus Nissim T, Stavsky A, Melamed M, Stutzmann G, Hershfinkel M, Kofman O, Sekler I. Essential role of the mitochondrial Na +/Ca 2+ exchanger NCLX in mediating PDE2-dependent neuronal survival and learning. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111772. [PMID: 36476859 PMCID: PMC10521900 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired phosphodiesterase (PDE) function and mitochondrial Ca2+ (i.e., [Ca2+]m) lead to multiple health syndromes by an unknown pathway. Here, we fluorescently monitor robust [Ca2+]m efflux mediated by the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger NCLX in hippocampal neurons sequentially evoked by caffeine and depolarization. Surprisingly, neuronal depolarization-induced Ca2+ transients alone fail to evoke strong [Ca2+]m efflux in wild-type (WT) neurons. However, pre-treatment with the selective PDE2 inhibitor Bay 60-7550 effectively rescues [Ca2+]m efflux similarly to caffeine. Moreover, PDE2 acts by diminishing mitochondrial cAMP, thus promoting NCLX phosphorylation at its PKA site. We find that the protection of neurons against excitotoxic insults, conferred by PDE2 inhibition in WT neurons, is NCLX dependent. Finally, the administration of Bay 60-7550 enhances new object recognition in WT, but not in NCLX knockout (KO), mice. Our results identify a link between PDE and [Ca2+]m signaling that may provide effective therapy for cognitive and ischemic syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Rozenfeld
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ivana Savic Azoulay
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Tsipi Ben Kasus Nissim
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Alexandra Stavsky
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Moran Melamed
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Grace Stutzmann
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michal Hershfinkel
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Ora Kofman
- Department of Psychology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Israel Sekler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
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Blednov YA, Da Costa A, Mason S, Mayfield J, Moss SJ, Messing RO. Apremilast-induced increases in acute ethanol intoxication and decreases in ethanol drinking in mice involve PKA phosphorylation of GABA A β3 subunits. Neuropharmacology 2022; 220:109255. [PMID: 36152689 PMCID: PMC9810330 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We previously showed that apremilast, an FDA-approved PDE4 inhibitor, selectively alters behavioral responses to ethanol and certain GABAergic drugs in a PKA-dependent manner in C57BL6/J mice. Here, we investigated if PKA phosphorylation of β3 GABAA receptor subunits is involved in apremilast regulation of ethanol, propofol, or diazepam responses. Apremilast prolonged rotarod ataxia and loss of the righting reflex by ethanol and propofol in wild-type mice, but not in β3-S408A/S409A knock-in mice. In contrast, apremilast hastened recovery from the ataxic and sedative effects of diazepam in both genotypes. These findings suggest that apremilast modulation of ethanol and propofol behaviors in wild-type mice is mediated by β3 subunit phosphorylation, whereas its actions on diazepam responses involve a different mechanism. The PKA inhibitor H-89 prevented apremilast modulation of ethanol-induced ataxia. Apremilast sensitized wild-type males to ethanol-induced ataxia and decreased acute functional tolerance (AFT) in females but had no effect in β3-S408A/S409A mice of either sex. These results could not be attributed to genotype differences in blood ethanol clearance. There were also no baseline genotype differences in ethanol consumption and preference in two different voluntary drinking procedures. However, the ability of apremilast to reduce ethanol consumption was diminished in β3-S408A/S409A mice. Our results provide strong evidence that PKA-dependent phosphorylation of β3 GABAA receptor subunits is an important mechanism by which apremilast increases acute sensitivity to alcohol, decreases AFT, and decreases ethanol drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Adriana Da Costa
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Sonia Mason
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Jody Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Stephen J Moss
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA
| | - Robert O Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA; Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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Grigsby K, Ledford C, Batish T, Kanadibhotla S, Smith D, Firsick E, Tran A, Townsley K, Reyes KAV, LeBlanc K, Ozburn A. Targeting the Maladaptive Effects of Binge Drinking on Circadian Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:11084. [PMID: 36232380 PMCID: PMC9569456 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies (1) support a role of circadian genes in regulating alcohol intake, and (2) reveal that harmful alcohol use alters circadian rhythms. However, there is minimal knowledge of the effects of chronic alcohol processes on rhythmic circadian gene expression across brain regions important for circadian biology and alcohol intake. Therefore, the present study sought to test the effects of chronic binge-like drinking on diurnal circadian gene expression patterns in the master circadian pacemaker (SCN), the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in High Drinking in the Dark-1 (HDID-1) mice, a unique genetic risk model for drinking to intoxication. Consistent with earlier findings, we found that 8 weeks of binge-like drinking reduced the amplitude of several core circadian clock genes in the NAc and SCN, but not the VTA. To better inform the use of circadian-relevant pharmacotherapies in reducing harmful drinking and ameliorating alcohol's effects on circadian gene expression, we tested whether the casein kinase-1 inhibitor, PF-67046, or the phosphodiesterase type-4 (an upstream regulator of circadian signalling) inhibitor, apremilast, would reduce binge-like intake and mitigate circadian gene suppression. PF-67046 did not reduce intake but did have circadian gene effects. In contrast, apremilast reduced drinking, but had no effect on circadian expression patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolter Grigsby
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Courtney Ledford
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Tanvi Batish
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Snigdha Kanadibhotla
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Delaney Smith
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Evan Firsick
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Alexander Tran
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Kayla Townsley
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Kaylee-Abril Vasquez Reyes
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Katherine LeBlanc
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Angela Ozburn
- Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Research and Development Service, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
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11
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Ma J, Kumar V, Mahato RI. Nanoparticle Delivery of Novel PDE4B Inhibitor for the Treatment of Alcoholic Liver Disease. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091894. [PMID: 36145643 PMCID: PMC9501368 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is increasing worldwide while no effective treatment has been approved. The progression of ALD has proven to be related to the upregulation of phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) expression, and PDE4 inhibitors showed potential to improve ALD. However, the application of PDE4 inhibitors is limited by the gastrointestinal side effects due to PDE4D inhibition. Therefore, we used a novel PDE4B inhibitor KVA-D88 as the therapeutic for ALD treatment. KVA-D88 inhibited inflammatory response, promoted β-oxidation, increased the level of antioxidants in the hepatocytes, and suppressed hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in vitro. To improve the solubility and availability in vivo, KVA-D88 was encapsulated into mPEG-b-P(CB-co-LA) nanoparticles (NPs) by solvent evaporation, with a mean particle size of 135 nm and drug loading of 4.2%. We fed the male C57BL/6 mice with a Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% (v/v) ethanol for 6 weeks to induce ALD. Systemic administration of KVA-D88 free drug and KVA-D88-loaded NPs at 5 mg/kg significantly improved the ALD in mice. KVA-D88 significantly ameliorated alcohol-induced hepatic injury and inflammation. KVA-D88 also markedly reduced steatosis by promoting fatty acid β-oxidation. Liver fibrosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-caused cellular damage was observed to be alleviated by KVA-D88. KVA-D88-loaded NPs proved better efficacy than free drug in the animal study. In conclusion, the novel PDE4B inhibitor KVA-D88-loaded NPs have the potential to treat ALD in mice
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Virender Kumar
- Correspondence: (V.K.); (R.I.M.); Tel.: +1-(402)-559-6422 (R.I.M.); Fax: +1-(402)-559-9543 (R.I.M.)
| | - Ram I. Mahato
- Correspondence: (V.K.); (R.I.M.); Tel.: +1-(402)-559-6422 (R.I.M.); Fax: +1-(402)-559-9543 (R.I.M.)
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12
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Grodin EN, Nieto SJ, Meredith LR, Burnette E, O’Neill J, Alger J, London ED, Miotto K, Evans CJ, Irwin MR, Ray LA. Effects of ibudilast on central and peripheral markers of inflammation in alcohol use disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13182. [PMID: 35754106 PMCID: PMC9888600 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Ibudilast, a neuroimmune modulator, shows promise as a pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder (AUD). In vivo administration of ibudilast reduces the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in animal models, but its effects on markers of inflammation in humans are unknown. This preliminary study examined the effect of ibudilast on peripheral and potential central markers of inflammation in individuals with AUD. This study also explored the predictive relationship of neurometabolite markers with subsequent drinking in the trial. Non-treatment-seeking individuals with an AUD (n = 52) were randomized to receive oral ibudilast (n = 24) or placebo (n = 28) for 2 weeks. Plasma levels of peripheral inflammatory markers were measured at baseline and after 1 and 2 weeks of medication. At study mid-point, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed to measure potential neurometabolite markers of inflammation: choline-compounds (Cho), myo-inositol (MI) and creatine + phosphocreatine (Cr) in frontal and cingulate cortices from 43 participants (ibudilast: n = 20; placebo: n = 23). The treatment groups were compared on peripheral and central markers. Ibudilast-treated participants had lower Cho in superior frontal white matter and nominally lower MI in pregenual anterior cingulate cortex. Ibudilast-treated participants had nominally lower C-reactive protein levels at visit 2 and nominally lower TNF-α/IL-10 ratios, relative to placebo. C-reactive protein and Cho levels were correlated, controlling for medication. Superior frontal white matter Cho predicted drinking in the following week. Micro-longitudinal ibudilast treatment may induce peripheral and putative central anti-inflammatory responses in patients with AUD. The neurometabolite responses may be associated with reduction in drinking, suggesting an anti-inflammatory component to the therapeutic action of ibudilast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Steven J. Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Lindsay R. Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Elizabeth Burnette
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Joseph O’Neill
- Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Jeffry Alger
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, MC 708522, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Edythe D. London
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Karen Miotto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Christopher J. Evans
- Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Michael R. Irwin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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13
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Barney TM, Vore AS, Deak T. Acute Ethanol Challenge Differentially Regulates Expression of Growth Factors and miRNA Expression Profile of Whole Tissue of the Dorsal Hippocampus. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:884197. [PMID: 35706690 PMCID: PMC9189295 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.884197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute ethanol exposure produces rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression that are both time- and cytokine-dependent. Interestingly, adolescent rats, who often consume binge-like quantities of alcohol, displayed reduced neuroimmune responses to acute ethanol challenge. However, it is not known whether growth factors, a related group of signaling factors, respond to ethanol similarly in adults and adolescents. Therefore, Experiment 1 aimed to assess the growth factor response to ethanol in both adolescents and adults. To test this, adolescent (P29-P34) and adult (P70-P80) Sprague Dawley rats of both sexes were injected with either ethanol (3.5 g/kg) or saline, and brains were harvested 3 h post-injection for assessment of growth factor, cytokine, or miRNA expression. As expected, acute ethanol challenge significantly increased IL-6 and IκBα expression in the hippocampus and amygdala, replicating our prior findings. Acute ethanol significantly decreased BDNF and increased FGF2 regardless of age condition. PDGF was unresponsive to ethanol, but showed heightened expression among adolescent males. Because recent work has focused on the PDE4 inhibitor ibudilast for treatment in alcohol use disorder, Experiment 2 tested whether ibudilast would alter ethanol-evoked gene expression changes in cytokines and growth factors in the CNS. Ibudilast (9.0 mg/kg s.c.) administration 1 h prior to ethanol had no effect on ethanol-induced changes in cytokine or growth factor changes in the hippocampus or amygdala. To further explore molecular alterations evoked by acute ethanol challenge in the adult rat hippocampus, Experiment 3 tested whether acute ethanol would change the miRNA expression profile of the dorsal hippocampus using RNASeq, which revealed a rapid suppression of 12 miRNA species 3 h after acute ethanol challenge. Of the miRNA affected by ethanol, the majority were related to inflammation or cell survival and proliferation factors, including FGF2, MAPK, NFκB, and VEGF. Overall, these findings suggest that ethanol-induced, rapid alterations in neuroimmune gene expression were (i) muted among adolescents; (ii) independent of PDE4 signaling; and (iii) accompanied by changes in several growth factors (increased FGF2, decreased BDNF). In addition, ethanol decreased expression of multiple miRNA species, suggesting a dynamic molecular profile of changes in the hippocampus within a few short hours after acute ethanol challenge. Together, these findings may provide important insight into the molecular consequences of heavy drinking in humans.
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14
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Meredith LR, Grodin EN, Montoya AK, Miranda R, Squeglia LM, Towns B, Evans C, Ray LA. The effect of neuroimmune modulation on subjective response to alcohol in the natural environment. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:876-890. [PMID: 35362101 PMCID: PMC10460619 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the promising implications for novel immune therapeutics, few clinical trials have tested these therapies to date. An understanding of how immune pharmacotherapies influence complex alcohol use disorder (AUD) profiles, including subjective response to alcohol, is very limited. Initial findings show that ibudilast, a neuroimmune modulator, reduces rates of heavy drinking and measures of alcohol craving. METHODS This study is a secondary analysis of a 2-week clinical trial of ibudilast that enrolled a nontreatment-seeking sample with AUD. Eligible participants (N = 52) were randomized to receive ibudilast or matched placebo and completed daily diary assessments (DDAs) during the 2-week period. Each morning, participants reported on their mood and craving levels both before and during the previous day's drinking episode, as well as stimulation and sedation levels during the previous day's drinking episode. Multilevel models were used to compare the effects of ibudilast and placebo on subjective alcohol response. Exploratory analyses tested whether ibudilast moderated the relationship between daily stimulation/sedation and alcohol intake and whether withdrawal-related dysphoria moderated ibudilast's effects on subjective response. RESULTS Ibudilast did not significantly alter mean levels of stimulation or sedation (p's > 0.05). It did, however, moderate the effect of daily stimulation on drinking (p = 0.045). Ibudilast attenuated alcohol-induced increases in craving compared with placebo (p = 0.047), but not other subjective response measures. Ibudilast significantly tempered daily alcohol-induced changes in urge to drink and positive mood only among individuals without withdrawal-related dysphoria. CONCLUSIONS Ibudilast's effects on subjective alcohol responses appear to be nuanced and perhaps most salient for individuals drinking for positive reinforcement as distinguished from those who drink to feel normal. Consistent with previous findings, reductions in alcohol craving may represent a primary mechanism of ibudilast's effects on drinking. The ecologically valid nature of DDAs provide a clinically useful window into how individuals experience alcohol's effects while taking ibudilast.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda K. Montoya
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert Miranda
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- E. P. Bradley Hospital, Riverside, RI, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Brandon Towns
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christopher Evans
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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15
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Marrero-Cristobal G, Gelpi-Dominguez U, Morales-Silva R, Alvarado-Torres J, Perez-Torres J, Perez-Perez Y, Sepulveda-Orengo M. Aerobic exercise as a promising nonpharmacological therapy for the treatment of substance use disorders. J Neurosci Res 2021; 100:1602-1642. [PMID: 34850988 PMCID: PMC9156662 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24990] [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: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite the prevalence and public health impact of substance use disorders (SUDs), effective long-term treatments remain elusive. Aerobic exercise is a promising, nonpharmacological treatment currently under investigation as a strategy for preventing drug relapse. Aerobic exercise could be incorporated into the comprehensive treatment regimens for people with substance abuse disorders. Preclinical studies of SUD with animal models have shown that aerobic exercise diminishes drug-seeking behavior, which leads to relapse, in both male and female rats. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the effects of substance abuse-induced cellular and physiological adaptations believed to be responsible for drug-seeking behavior. Accordingly, the overall goal of this review is to provide a summary and an assessment of findings to date, highlighting evidence of the molecular and neurological effects of exercise on adaptations associated with SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ursula Gelpi-Dominguez
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
| | - Roberto Morales-Silva
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
| | - John Alvarado-Torres
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
| | - Joshua Perez-Torres
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
| | - Yobet Perez-Perez
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
| | - Marian Sepulveda-Orengo
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, PR, USA
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16
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Egervari G, Siciliano CA, Whiteley EL, Ron D. Alcohol and the brain: from genes to circuits. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:1004-1015. [PMID: 34702580 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use produces wide-ranging and diverse effects on the central nervous system. It influences intracellular signaling mechanisms, leading to changes in gene expression, chromatin remodeling, and translation. As a result of these molecular alterations, alcohol affects the activity of neuronal circuits. Together, these mechanisms produce long-lasting cellular adaptations in the brain that in turn can drive the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We provide an update on alcohol research, focusing on multiple levels of alcohol-induced adaptations, from intracellular changes to changes in neural circuits. A better understanding of how alcohol affects these diverse and interlinked mechanisms may lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets and to the development of much-needed novel and efficacious treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Egervari
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA.
| | - Ellanor L Whiteley
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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17
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Meredith LR, Burnette EM, Grodin EN, Irwin MR, Ray LA. Immune treatments for alcohol use disorder: A translational framework. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 97:349-364. [PMID: 34343618 PMCID: PMC9044974 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
While the immune system is essential for survival, an excessive or prolonged inflammatory response, such as that resulting from sustained heavy alcohol use, can damage the host and contribute to psychiatric disorders. A growing body of literature indicates that the immune system plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). As such, there is enthusiasm for treatments that can restore healthy levels of inflammation as a mechanism to reduce drinking and promote recovery. In this qualitative literature review, we provide a conceptual rationale for immune therapies and discuss progress in medications development for AUD focused on the immune system as a treatment target. This review is organized into sections based on primary signaling pathways targeted by the candidate therapies, namely: (a) toll-like receptors, (b) phosphodiesterase inhibitors, (c) peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, (d) microglia and astrocytes, (e) other immune pharmacotherapies, and (f) behavioral therapies. As relevant within each section, we examine the basic biological mechanisms of each class of therapy and evaluate preclinical research testing the role of the therapy on mitigating alcohol-related behaviors in animal models. To the extent available, translational findings are reviewed with discussion of completed and ongoing randomized clinical trials and their findings to date. An applied and clinically focused approach is taken to identify the potential clinical applications of the various treatments reviewed. We conclude by delineating the most promising candidate treatments and discussing future directions by considering opportunities for immune treatment development and personalized medicine for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Burnette
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica N Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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18
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de Laat B, Kling YE, Schroyen G, Ooms M, Hooker JM, Bormans G, Van Laere K, Ceccarini J. Effects of chronic voluntary alcohol consumption on PDE10A availability: a longitudinal behavioral and [ 18F]JNJ42259152 PET study in rats. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2021; 49:492-502. [PMID: 34142214 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-021-05448-3] [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: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) is a dual substrate enzyme highly enriched in dopamine-receptive striatal medium spiny neurons, which are involved in psychiatric disorders such as alcohol use disorders (AUD). Although preclinical studies suggest a correlation of PDE10A mRNA expression in neuronal and behavioral responses to alcohol intake, little is known about the effects of alcohol exposure on in vivo PDE10A activity in relation to apparent risk factors for AUD such as decision-making and anxiety. METHODS We performed a longitudinal [18F]JNJ42259152 microPET study to evaluate PDE10A changes over a 9-week intermittent access to alcohol model, including 6 weeks of alcohol exposure, 2 weeks of abstinence followed by 1 week relapse. Parametric PDE10A-binding potential (BPND) images were generated using a Logan reference tissue model with cerebellum as reference region and were analyzed using both a volume-of-interest and voxel-based approach. Moreover, individual decision-making and anxiety levels were assessed with the rat Iowa Gambling Task and open-field test over the IAE model. RESULTS We observed an increased alcohol preference especially in those animals that exhibited poor initial decision-making. The first 2 weeks of alcohol exposure resulted in an increased striatal PDE10A binding (> 10%). Comparing PDE10A-binding potential after 2 versus 4 weeks of exposure showed a significant decreased PDE10A in the caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens (pFWE-corrected < 0.05). This striatal PDE10A decrease was related to alcohol consumption and preference. Normalization of striatal PDE10A to initial levels was observed after 1 week of relapse, apart from the globus pallidus. CONCLUSION This study shows that chronic voluntary alcohol consumption induces a reversible increased PDE10A enzymatic availability in the striatum, which is related to the amount of alcohol preference. Thus, PDE10A-mediated signaling plays an important role in modulating the reinforcing effects of alcohol, and the data suggest that PDE10A inhibition may have beneficial behavioral effects on alcohol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart de Laat
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yvonne E Kling
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), Leuven, Belgium.,Center for Brain & Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gwen Schroyen
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Ooms
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jacob M Hooker
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jenny Ceccarini
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
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19
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Jimenez Chavez CL, Bryant CD, Munn-Chernoff MA, Szumlinski KK. Selective Inhibition of PDE4B Reduces Binge Drinking in Two C57BL/6 Substrains. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115443. [PMID: 34064099 PMCID: PMC8196757 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent signaling is highly implicated in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder (AUD), with evidence supporting the efficacy of inhibiting the cAMP hydrolyzing enzyme phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) as a therapeutic strategy for drinking reduction. Off-target emetic effects associated with non-selective PDE4 inhibitors has prompted the development of selective PDE4 isozyme inhibitors for treating neuropsychiatric conditions. Herein, we examined the effect of a selective PDE4B inhibitor A33 (0–1.0 mg/kg) on alcohol drinking in both female and male mice from two genetically distinct C57BL/6 substrains. Under two different binge-drinking procedures, A33 pretreatment reduced alcohol intake in male and female mice of both substrains. In both drinking studies, there was no evidence for carry-over effects the next day; however, we did observe some sign of tolerance to A33’s effect on alcohol intake upon repeated, intermittent, treatment (5 injections of 1.0 mg/kg, every other day). Pretreatment with 1.0 mg/kg of A33 augmented sucrose intake by C57BL/6NJ, but not C57BL/6J, mice. In mice with a prior history of A33 pretreatment during alcohol-drinking, A33 (1.0 mg/kg) did not alter spontaneous locomotor activity or basal motor coordination, nor did it alter alcohol’s effects on motor activity, coordination or sedation. In a distinct cohort of alcohol-naïve mice, acute pretreatment with 1.0 mg/kg of A33 did not alter motor performance on a rotarod and reduced sensitivity to the acute intoxicating effects of alcohol. These data provide the first evidence that selective PDE4B inhibition is an effective strategy for reducing excessive alcohol intake in murine models of binge drinking, with minimal off-target effects. Despite reducing sensitivity to acute alcohol intoxication, PDE4B inhibition reduces binge alcohol drinking, without influencing behavioral sensitivity to alcohol in alcohol-experienced mice. Furthermore, A33 is equally effective in males and females and exerts a quantitatively similar reduction in alcohol intake in mice with a genetic predisposition for high versus moderate alcohol preference. Such findings further support the safety and potential clinical utility of targeting PDE4 for treating AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Leonardo Jimenez Chavez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA;
| | - Camron D. Bryant
- Laboratory of Addiction Genetics, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9660, USA;
- Correspondence:
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20
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Lee JS, O’Connell EM, Pacher P, Lohoff FW. PCSK9 and the Gut-Liver-Brain Axis: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Immune Regulation in Alcohol Use Disorder. J Clin Med 2021; 10:1758. [PMID: 33919550 PMCID: PMC8074019 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10081758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by an impaired ability to control or stop alcohol intake and is associated with organ damage including alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and progressive neurodegeneration. The etiology of AUD is complex, but organ injury due to chronic alcohol use can be partially attributed to systemic and local inflammation along the gut-liver-brain axis. Excessive alcohol use can result in translocation of bacterial products into circulation, increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and activation of immune cells, including macrophages and/or microglia in the liver and brain. One potential mediator of this alcohol-induced inflammation is proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). PCSK9 is primarily known for its regulation of plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol but has more recently been shown to influence inflammatory responses in the liver and brain. In rodent and post-mortem brain studies, chronic alcohol use altered methylation of the PCSK9 gene and increased expression of PCSK9 in the liver and cerebral spinal fluid. Additionally, PCSK9 inhibition in a rat model of ALD attenuated liver inflammation and steatosis. PCSK9 may play an important role in alcohol-induced pathologies along the gut-liver-brain axis and may be a novel therapeutic target for AUD-related liver and brain inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Soo Lee
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.S.L.)
| | - Emma M. O’Connell
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.S.L.)
| | - Pal Pacher
- Laboratory of Cardiovascular Physiology and Tissue Injury, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA;
| | - Falk W. Lohoff
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; (J.S.L.)
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21
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Namba MD, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Nagy EK, Olive MF, Neisewander JL. Neuroimmune Mechanisms as Novel Treatment Targets for Substance Use Disorders and Associated Comorbidities. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:650785. [PMID: 33935636 PMCID: PMC8082184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.650785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies examining the neurobiology of substance abuse have revealed a significant role of neuroimmune signaling as a mechanism through which drugs of abuse induce aberrant changes in synaptic plasticity and contribute to substance abuse-related behaviors. Immune signaling within the brain and the periphery critically regulates homeostasis of the nervous system. Perturbations in immune signaling can induce neuroinflammation or immunosuppression, which dysregulate nervous system function including neural processes associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). In this review, we discuss the literature that demonstrates a role of neuroimmune signaling in regulating learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity, emphasizing specific cytokine signaling within the central nervous system. We then highlight recent preclinical studies, within the last 5 years when possible, that have identified immune mechanisms within the brain and the periphery associated with addiction-related behaviors. Findings thus far underscore the need for future investigations into the clinical potential of immunopharmacology as a novel approach toward treating SUDs. Considering the high prevalence rate of comorbidities among those with SUDs, we also discuss neuroimmune mechanisms of common comorbidities associated with SUDs and highlight potentially novel treatment targets for these comorbid conditions. We argue that immunopharmacology represents a novel frontier in the development of new pharmacotherapies that promote long-term abstinence from drug use and minimize the detrimental impact of SUD comorbidities on patient health and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Namba
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | | | - Erin K. Nagy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - M. Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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22
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Burkovetskaya ME, Liu Q, Vadukoot AK, Gautam N, Alnouti Y, Kumar S, Miczek K, Buch S, Hopkins CR, Guo M. KVA-D-88, a Novel Preferable Phosphodiesterase 4B Inhibitor, Decreases Cocaine-Mediated Reward Properties in Vivo. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:2231-2242. [PMID: 32609488 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine addiction remains a major public concern throughout the world especially in developed countries. In the last three decades, significant achievements have led to a greater understanding of the signaling pathways involved in the development of cocaine addiction; however, there are no FDA-approved treatments available to reverse or block this brain disease due to either the unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy or severe side effects. Previous studies have demonstrated that chronic exposure to cocaine elevates levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP) as a neuroadaptative response in reward-related brain regions. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors, which elevate cAMP levels, have been shown to block cocaine-mediated behavioral changes related to psychoactive and reinforcing properties. Unfortunately, previously studied PDE4 inhibitors induce severe side-effects, which limit their clinical usage. In this study, we identified a novel PDE4B inhibitor, KVA-D-88, with an improved selectivity profile compared to previous compounds (e.g., rolipram). Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that this compound is brain penetrant and preferably acts on PDE4B compared to PDE4D in vitro, alluding to less unwanted side effects with KVA-D-88 in vivo. Interestingly, pretreatment with KVA-D-88 significantly inhibited cocaine-induced hyperlocomotor activity. In cocaine self-administering mice with differential schedules, KVA-D-88 strikingly decreased the number of active nose-pokes and cocaine infusions and reduced the break point. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that this novel PDE4 inhibitor, KVA-D-88, could inhibit cocaine-mediated rewarding effects implying its potential clinical usage for cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria E. Burkovetskaya
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Qiaoling Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Anish K. Vadukoot
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Nagsen Gautam
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Yazen Alnouti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Sushil Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Klaus Miczek
- Department of Psychology, Tufts University, 530 Boston Ave, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Shilpa Buch
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Corey R. Hopkins
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Minglei Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
- Department of Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23507, United States
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23
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Olga K, Yulia B, Vassilios P. The Functions of Mitochondrial 2',3'-Cyclic Nucleotide-3'-Phosphodiesterase and Prospects for Its Future. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093217. [PMID: 32370072 PMCID: PMC7246452 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide-3′-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) is a myelin-associated enzyme that catalyzes the phosphodiester hydrolysis of 2’,3’-cyclic nucleotides to 2’-nucleotides. However, its presence is also found in unmyelinated cells and other cellular structures. Understanding of its specific physiological functions, particularly in unmyelinated cells, is still incomplete. This review concentrates on the role of mitochondrial CNPase (mtCNPase), independent of myelin. mtCNPase is able to regulate the functioning of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), and thus is involved in the mechanisms of cell death, both apoptosis and necrosis. Its participation in the development of various diseases and pathological conditions, such as aging, heart disease and alcohol dependence, is also reviewed. As such, mtCNPase can be considered as a potential target for the development of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of mitochondria-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krestinina Olga
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, 142290 Moscow region, Russia;
- Correspondence:
| | - Baburina Yulia
- Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, 142290 Moscow region, Russia;
| | - Papadopoulos Vassilios
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
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24
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Scholz H. Unraveling the Mechanisms of Behaviors Associated With AUDs Using Flies and Worms. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2274-2284. [PMID: 31529787 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are very common worldwide and negatively affect both individuals and societies. To understand how normal behavior turns into uncontrollable use of alcohol, several approaches have been utilized in the last decades. However, we still do not completely understand how AUDs evolve or how they are maintained in the brains of affected individuals. In addition, efficient and effective treatment is still in need of development. This review focuses on alternative approaches developed over the last 20 years using Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophila) and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as genetic model systems to determine the mechanisms underlying the action of ethanol (EtOH) and behaviors associated with AUDs. All the results and insights of studies over the last 20 years cannot be comprehensively summarized. Thus, a few prominent examples are provided highlighting the principles of the genes and mechanisms that have been uncovered and are involved in the action of EtOH at the cellular level. In addition, examples are provided of the genes and mechanisms that regulate behaviors relevant to acquiring and maintaining excessive alcohol intake, such as decision making, reward and withdrawal, and/or relapse regulation. How the insight gained from the results of Drosophila and C. elegans models can be translated to higher organisms, such as rodents and/or humans, is discussed, as well as whether these insights have any relevance or impact on our understanding of the mechanisms underlying AUDs in humans. Finally, future directions are presented that might facilitate the identification of drugs to treat AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrike Scholz
- From the, Department of Biology, Institute for Zoology, Albertus-Magnus University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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25
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Baillie GS, Tejeda GS, Kelly MP. Therapeutic targeting of 3',5'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: inhibition and beyond. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2019; 18:770-796. [PMID: 31388135 PMCID: PMC6773486 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Phosphodiesterases (PDEs), enzymes that degrade 3',5'-cyclic nucleotides, are being pursued as therapeutic targets for several diseases, including those affecting the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, fertility, immunity, cancer and metabolism. Clinical development programmes have focused exclusively on catalytic inhibition, which continues to be a strong focus of ongoing drug discovery efforts. However, emerging evidence supports novel strategies to therapeutically target PDE function, including enhancing catalytic activity, normalizing altered compartmentalization and modulating post-translational modifications, as well as the potential use of PDEs as disease biomarkers. Importantly, a more refined appreciation of the intramolecular mechanisms regulating PDE function and trafficking is emerging, making these pioneering drug discovery efforts tractable.
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Affiliation(s)
- George S Baillie
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Gonzalo S Tejeda
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michy P Kelly
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA.
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26
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Melbourne JK, Thompson KR, Peng H, Nixon K. Its complicated: The relationship between alcohol and microglia in the search for novel pharmacotherapeutic targets for alcohol use disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 167:179-221. [PMID: 31601404 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder with wide-ranging health consequences. Alcohol targets the central nervous system producing neurodegeneration and subsequent cognitive and behavioral deficits, but the mechanisms behind these effects remain unclear. Recently, evidence has been mounting for the role of neuroimmune activation in the pathogenesis of AUDs, but our nascent state of knowledge about the interaction of alcohol with the neuroimmune system supports that the relationship is complicated. As the resident macrophage of the central nervous system, microglia are a central focus. Human and animal research on the interplay between microglia and alcohol in AUDs has proven to be complex, and though early research focused on a pro-inflammatory phenotype of microglia, the anti-inflammatory and homeostatic roles of microglia must be considered. How these new roles for microglia should be incorporated into our thinking about the neuroimmune system in AUDs is discussed in the context of developing novel pharmacotherapies for AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K Melbourne
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, United States
| | - K Ryan Thompson
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Hui Peng
- University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Austin, TX, United States.
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28
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Genetic loci for alcohol-related life events and substance-induced affective symptoms: indexing the "dark side" of addiction. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:71. [PMID: 30718457 PMCID: PMC6362044 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0397-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A limited number of genetic variants have been identified in traditional GWAS as risk or protective factors for alcohol use disorders (AUD) and related phenotypes. We herein report whole-genome association and rare-variant analyses on AUD traits in American Indians (AI) and European Americans (EA). We evaluated 742 AIs and 1711 EAs using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing. Phenotypes included: (1) a metric based on the occurrence of 36 alcohol-related life events that reflect AUD severity; (2) two alcohol-induced affective symptoms that accompany severe AUDs. We identified two new loci for alcohol-related life events with converging evidence from both cohorts: rare variants of K2P channel gene KCNK2, and rare missense and splice-site variants in pro-inflammatory mediator gene PDE4C. A NAF1-FSTL5 intergenic variant and an FSTL5 variant were respectively associated with alcohol-related life events in AI and EA. PRKG2 of serine/threonine protein kinase family, and rare variants in interleukin subunit gene EBI3 (IL-27B) were uniquely associated with alcohol-induced affective symptoms in AI. LncRNA LINC02347 on 12q24.32 was uniquely associated with alcohol-induced depression in EA. The top GWAS findings were primarily rare/low-frequency variants in AI, and common variants in EA. Adrenal gland was the most enriched in tissue-specific gene expression analysis for alcohol-related life events, and nucleus accumbens was the most enriched for alcohol-induced affective states in AI. Prefrontal cortex was the most enriched in EA for both traits. These studies suggest that whole-genome sequencing can identify novel, especially uncommon, variants associated with severe AUD phenotypes although the findings may be population specific.
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29
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Erickson EK, Grantham EK, Warden AS, Harris RA. Neuroimmune signaling in alcohol use disorder. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 177:34-60. [PMID: 30590091 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a widespread disease with limited treatment options. Targeting the neuroimmune system is a new avenue for developing or repurposing effective pharmacotherapies. Alcohol modulates innate immune signaling in different cell types in the brain by altering gene expression and the molecular pathways that regulate neuroinflammation. Chronic alcohol abuse may cause an imbalance in neuroimmune function, resulting in prolonged perturbations in brain function. Likewise, manipulating the neuroimmune system may change alcohol-related behaviors. Psychiatric disorders that are comorbid with AUD, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and other substance use disorders, may also have underlying neuroimmune mechanisms; current evidence suggests that convergent immune pathways may be involved in AUD and in these comorbid disorders. In this review, we provide an overview of major neuroimmune cell-types and pathways involved in mediating alcohol behaviors, discuss potential mechanisms of alcohol-induced neuroimmune activation, and present recent clinical evidence for candidate immune-related drugs to treat AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma K Erickson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-01095, USA.
| | - Emily K Grantham
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-01095, USA
| | - Anna S Warden
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-01095, USA
| | - R A Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-01095, USA
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30
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Shi J, Liu H, Pan J, Chen J, Zhang N, Liu K, Fei N, O'Donnell JM, Zhang HT, Xu Y. Inhibition of phosphodiesterase 2 by Bay 60-7550 decreases ethanol intake and preference in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2377-2385. [PMID: 29876622 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4934-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronically relapsing condition, which affects nearly 11% of population worldwide. Currently, there are only three FDA-approved medications for treatment of AUD, and normally, satisfactory effects are hard to be achieved. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling has been implicated in regulation of ethanol intake. Phosphodiesterase 2 (PDE), a dual substrate PDE that hydrolyzes both cAMP and cGMP, may play a crucial role in regulating ethanol consumption. METHODS The present study determined whether PDE2 was involved in the regulation of ethanol intake and preference. The two-bottle choice procedure was used to examine the effects of the selective PDE2 inhibitor Bay 60-7550 on ethanol intake. The sucrose and quinine intake (taste preference) and locomotor activity (sedative effects) were also measured to exclude the false positive effects of Bay 60-7550. RESULTS Treatment with Bay 60-7550 (1 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased ethanol intake and preference, without changing total fluid intake. In addition, Bay 60-7550 at doses that reduced ethanol intake did not affect sucrose and quinine intake and preference, which excluded the potential influence of taste preference and sedative effects on ethanol drinking behavior. Moreover, Bay 60-7550 at 3 mg/kg did not alter locomotor activity or ethanol metabolism, further supporting the specific effect of Bay 60-7550 on ethanol drinking behavior. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that PDE2 plays a role in the regulation of ethanol consumption and that PDE2 inhibitors may be a novel class of drugs for treatment of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Huaxia Liu
- School of Nursing, Taishan Medical University, Tai'an, 271016, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jianchun Pan
- Brain Institute, Wenzhou Medical University School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou, 325021, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Brain Institute, Wenzhou Medical University School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou, 325021, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Nianping Zhang
- Datong University Medical College, Datong, 037009, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Kaiping Liu
- Brain Institute, Wenzhou Medical University School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou, 325021, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ning Fei
- Brain Institute, Wenzhou Medical University School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou, 325021, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - James M O'Donnell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Departments of Behavioral Medicine & Psychiatry and Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
- Institute of Pharmacology, Taishan Medical University, Tai'an, 271016, Shandong, China.
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA.
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31
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Wen RT, Zhang FF, Zhang HT. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases: potential therapeutic targets for alcohol use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1793-1805. [PMID: 29663017 PMCID: PMC5949271 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD), which combines the criteria of both alcohol abuse and dependence, contributes as an important causal factor to multiple health and social problems. Given the limitation of current treatments, novel medications for AUD are needed to better control alcohol consumption and maintain abstinence. It has been well established that the intracellular signal transduction mediated by the second messengers cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP) crucially underlies the genetic predisposition, rewarding properties, relapsing features, and systemic toxicity of compulsive alcohol consumption. On this basis, the upstream modulators phosphodiesterases (PDEs), which critically control intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides by catalyzing their degradation, are proposed to play a role in modulating alcohol abuse and dependent process. Here, we highlight existing evidence that correlates cAMP and cGMP signal cascades with the regulation of alcohol-drinking behavior and discuss the possibility that PDEs may become a novel class of therapeutic targets for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ting Wen
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Fang-Fang Zhang
- Institute of Pharmacology, Qilu Medical University, Taian, 271016, Shandong, China
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Institute of Pharmacology, Qilu Medical University, Taian, 271016, Shandong, China.
- Departments of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA.
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32
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Ch’Ng SS, Lawrence AJ. Investigational drugs for alcohol use disorders: a review of preclinical data. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2018; 27:459-474. [DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2018.1472763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Ch’Ng
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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33
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Wen RT, Liang JH, Zhang HT. Targeting Phosphodiesterases in Pharmacotherapy for Substance Dependence. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 17:413-444. [PMID: 28956341 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-58811-7_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Substance dependence is a chronic relapsing brain disorder associated with adaptational changes in synaptic plasticity and neuronal functions. The high levels of substance consumption and relapse rate suggest more reliable medications are in need to better address the underlying causes of this disease. It has been well established that the intracellular second messengers cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP) and their signaling systems play an important role in the molecular mechanisms of substance taking behaviors. On this basis, the phosphodiesterase (PDE) superfamily, which crucially controls cyclic nucleotide levels by catalyzing their hydrolysis, has been proposed as a novel class of therapeutic targets for substance use disorders. This chapter reviews the expression patterns of PDEs in the brain with regard to neural structures underlying the dependent process and highlights available evidence for a modulatory role of PDEs in substance dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ting Wen
- Department of Pharmacy, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Jian-Hui Liang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Peking University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Han-Ting Zhang
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA. .,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA. .,Institute of Pharmacology, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271016, China.
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34
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Savarese AM, Lasek AW. Transcriptional Regulators as Targets for Alcohol Pharmacotherapies. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 248:505-533. [PMID: 29594350 PMCID: PMC6242703 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain disease that currently afflicts over 15 million adults in the United States. Despite its prevalence, there are only three FDA-approved medications for AUD treatment, all of which show limited efficacy. Because of their ability to alter expression of a large number of genes, often with great cell-type and brain-region specificity, transcription factors and epigenetic modifiers serve as promising new targets for the development of AUD treatments aimed at the neural circuitry that underlies chronic alcohol abuse. In this chapter, we will discuss transcriptional regulators that can be targeted pharmacologically and have shown some efficacy in attenuating alcohol consumption when targeted. Specifically, the transcription factors cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), as well as the epigenetic enzymes, the DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy W. Lasek
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago,Corresponding author: 1601 West Taylor Street, MC 912, Chicago, IL 60612, Tel: (312) 355-1593,
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35
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Abstract
Animal models provide rapid, inexpensive assessments of an investigational drug's therapeutic potential. Ideally, they support the plausibility of therapeutic efficacy and provide a rationale for further investigation. Here, I discuss how the absence of clear effective-ineffective categories for alcohol use disorder (AUD) medications and biases in the clinical and preclinical literature affect the development of predictive preclinical alcohol dependence (AD) models. Invoking the analogical argument concept from the philosophy of science field, I discuss how models of excessive alcohol drinking support the plausibility of clinical pharmacotherapy effects. Even though these models are not likely be completely discriminative, they are sensitive to clinically effective medications and have revealed dozens of novel medication targets. In that context, I discuss recent preclinical work on GLP-1 receptor agonists, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, glucocorticoid receptor antagonists, nociception agonists and antagonists, and CRF1 antagonists. Clinically approved medications are available for each of these drug classes. I conclude by advocating a translational approach in which drugs are evaluated highly congruent preclinical models and human laboratory studies. Once translation is established, I suggest the burden is to develop hypothesis-based therapeutic interventions maximizing the impact of the confirmed pharmacotherapeutic effects in the context of additional variables falling outside the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Egli
- Division of Neuroscience and Behavior, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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36
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The phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor roflumilast decreases ethanol consumption in C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2409-2419. [PMID: 28477089 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4631-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use disorders have become one of the most damaging psychiatric disorders in the world; however, there are no ideal treatments in clinic. Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), has been involved in alcohol use disorders. Roflumilast is the first PDE4 inhibitor approved for treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases in clinic. It was of particular interest to researchers to determine whether roflumilast altered ethanol consumption. OBJECTIVES The present study tried to determine the effects of roflumilast on ethanol intake and preference. METHODS We used the two-bottle choice paradigm to assess ethanol intake and preference in C57BL/6J mice treated with roflumilast (1, 3, or 10 mg/kg) or rolipram (0.5 mg/kg; positive control). The effect of roflumilast was verified using the ethanol drinking-in-dark (DID) test. Locomotor activity was examined using the open-field test. Intake of sucrose or quinine was also tested to determine whether natural reward preference and aversive stimuli were involved in the effect of PDE4 inhibitors. RESULTS Similar to rolipram, roflumilast decreased ethanol intake and preference in two-bottle choice and DID tests in a dose-dependent manner, with significant changes at the dose of 10 mg/kg; in contrast, roflumilast did not affect sucrose or quinine drinking, although it decreased locomotor activity at the high dose within 3 h of treatment. CONCLUSIONS These data provide novel demonstration for the effect of roflumilast on ethanol consumption and suggest that roflumilast may be beneficial for treatment of alcoholism.
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Cervera-Juanes R, Wilhelm LJ, Park B, Grant KA, Ferguson B. Genome-wide analysis of the nucleus accumbens identifies DNA methylation signals differentiating low/binge from heavy alcohol drinking. Alcohol 2017; 60:103-113. [PMID: 27866807 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-use disorders encompass a range of drinking levels and behaviors, including low, binge, and heavy drinking. In this regard, investigating the neural state of individuals who chronically self-administer lower doses of alcohol may provide insight into mechanisms that prevent the escalation of alcohol use. DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that stabilizes adaptations in gene expression and has been associated with alcohol use. Thus, we investigated DNA methylation, gene expression, and the predicted neural effects in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) of male rhesus macaques categorized as "low" or "binge" drinkers, compared to "alcohol-naïve" and "heavy" drinkers based on drinking patterns during a 12-month alcohol self-administration protocol. Using genome-wide CpG-rich region enrichment and bisulfite sequencing, the methylation levels of 2.6 million CpGs were compared between alcohol-naïve (AN), low/binge (L/BD), and heavy/very heavy (H/VHD) drinking subjects (n = 24). Through regional clustering analysis, we identified nine significant differential methylation regions (DMRs) that specifically distinguished ANs and L/BDs, and then compared those DMRs among H/VHDs. The DMRs mapped to genes encoding ion channels, receptors, cell adhesion molecules, and cAMP, NF-κβ and Wnt signaling pathway proteins. Two of the DMRs, linked to PDE10A and PKD2L2, were also differentially methylated in H/VHDs, suggesting an alcohol-dose independent effect. However, two other DMRs, linked to the CCBE1 and FZD5 genes, had L/BD methylation levels that significantly differed from both ANs and H/VHDs. The remaining five DMRs also differentiated L/BDs and ANs. However, H/VHDs methylation levels were not distinguishable from either of the two groups. Functional validation of two DMRs, linked to FZD5 and PDE10A, support their role in regulating gene expression and exon usage, respectively. In summary, the findings demonstrate that L/BD is associated with unique DNA methylation signatures in the primate NAcc, and that the methylation signatures identify synaptic genes that may play a role in preventing the escalation of alcohol use.
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Olsen CM, Liu QS. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors and drugs of abuse: current knowledge and therapeutic opportunities. FRONTIERS IN BIOLOGY 2016; 11:376-386. [PMID: 28974957 PMCID: PMC5617368 DOI: 10.1007/s11515-016-1424-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term exposure to drugs of abuse causes an up-regulation of the cAMP-signaling pathway in the nucleus accumbens and other forebrain regions, this common neuroadaptation is thought to underlie aspects of drug tolerance and dependence. Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) is an enzyme that the selective hydrolyzes intracellular cAMP. It is expressed in several brain regions that regulate the reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse. OBJECTIVE Here, we review the current knowledge about central nervous system (CNS) distribution of PDE4 isoforms and the effects of systemic and brain-region specific inhibition of PDE4 on behavioral models of drug addiction. METHODS A systematic literature search was performed using the Pubmed. RESULTS Using behavioral sensitization, conditioned place preference and drug self-administration as behavioral models, a large number of studies have shown that local or systemic administration of PDE4 inhibitors reduce drug intake and/or drug seeking for psychostimulants, alcohol, and opioids in rats or mice. CONCLUSIONS Preclinical studies suggest that PDE4 could be a therapeutic target for several classes of substance use disorder. We conclude by identifying opportunities for the development of subtype-selective PDE4 inhibitors that may reduce addiction liability and minimize the side effects that limit the clinical potential of non-selective PDE4 inhibitors. Several PDE4 inhibitors have been clinically approved for other diseases. There is a promising possibility to repurpose these PDE4 inhibitors for the treatment of drug addiction as they are safe and well-tolerated in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Olsen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Qing-song Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Mons N, Beracochea D. Behavioral Neuroadaptation to Alcohol: From Glucocorticoids to Histone Acetylation. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:165. [PMID: 27766083 PMCID: PMC5052254 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
A prime mechanism that contributes to the development and maintenance of alcoholism is the dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity and the release of glucocorticoids (cortisol in humans and primates, corticosterone in rodents) from the adrenal glands. In the brain, sustained, local elevation of glucocorticoid concentration even long after cessation of chronic alcohol consumption compromises functional integrity of a circuit, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the hippocampus (HPC), and the amygdala (AMG). These structures are implicated in learning and memory processes as well as in orchestrating neuroadaptive responses to stress and anxiety responses. Thus, potentiation of anxiety-related neuroadaptation by alcohol is characterized by an abnormally AMG hyperactivity coupled with a hypofunction of the PFC and the HPC. This review describes research on molecular and epigenetic mechanisms by which alcohol causes distinct region-specific adaptive changes in gene expression patterns and ultimately leads to a variety of cognitive and behavioral impairments on prefrontal- and hippocampal-based tasks. Alcohol-induced neuroadaptations involve the dysregulation of numerous signaling cascades, leading to long-term changes in transcriptional profiles of genes, through the actions of transcription factors such as [cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)] and chromatin remodeling due to posttranslational modifications of histone proteins. We describe the role of prefrontal-HPC-AMG circuit in mediating the effects of acute and chronic alcohol on learning and memory, and region-specific molecular and epigenetic mechanisms involved in this process. This review first discusses the importance of brain region-specific dysregulation of glucocorticoid concentration in the development of alcohol dependence and describes how persistently increased glucocorticoid levels in PFC may be involved in mediating working memory impairments and neuroadaptive changes during withdrawal from chronic alcohol intake. It then highlights the role of cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling cascade and histone acetylation within the PFC and limbic structures in alcohol-induced anxiety and behavioral impairments, and how an understanding of functional alterations of these pathways might lead to better treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Mons
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut des Neurosciences cognitives et intégratives d'Aquitaine, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux , Pessac , France
| | - Daniel Beracochea
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut des Neurosciences cognitives et intégratives d'Aquitaine, Nouvelle Université de Bordeaux , Pessac , France
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