1
|
Becker HC, Lopez MF. Animal Models of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Rodents. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38340255 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of animal models that demonstrate excessive levels of alcohol consumption has played an important role in advancing our knowledge about neurobiological underpinnings and environmental circumstances that engender such maladaptive behavior. The use of these preclinical models has also provided valuable opportunities for discovering new and novel therapeutic targets that may be useful in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). While no single model can fully capture the complexities of AUD, the goal is to develop animal models that closely approximate characteristics of heavy alcohol drinking in humans to enhance their translational value and utility. A variety of experimental approaches have been employed to produce the desired phenotype of interest-robust and reliable excessive levels of alcohol drinking. Here we provide an updated review of five animal models that are commonly used. The models entail procedural manipulations of scheduled access to alcohol (time of day, duration, frequency), periods of time when access to alcohol is withheld, and history of alcohol exposure. Specially, the models involve (a) scheduled access to alcohol, (b) scheduled periods of alcohol deprivation, (c) scheduled intermittent access to alcohol, (d) scheduled-induced polydipsia, and (e) chronic alcohol (dependence) and withdrawal experience. Each of the animal models possesses unique experimental features that engender excessive levels of alcohol consumption. Both advantages and disadvantages of each model are described along with discussion of future work to be considered in developing more optimal models. Ultimately, the validity and utility of these models will lie in their ability to aid in the discovery of new and novel potential therapeutic targets as well as serve as a platform to evaluate treatment strategies that effectively reduce excessive levels of alcohol consumption associated with AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- RHJ Veterans Administration Health Care System, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4766-4776. [PMID: 37679472 PMCID: PMC10918038 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02236-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a life-threatening disease characterized by compulsive drinking, cognitive deficits, and social impairment that continue despite negative consequences. The inability of individuals with AUD to regulate drinking may involve functional deficits in cortical areas that normally balance actions that have aspects of both reward and risk. Among these, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critically involved in goal-directed behavior and is thought to maintain a representation of reward value that guides decision making. In the present study, we analyzed post-mortem OFC brain samples collected from age- and sex-matched control subjects and those with AUD using proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and reverse genetics approaches. Of the 4,500+ total unique proteins identified in the proteomics screen, there were 47 proteins that differed significantly by sex that were enriched in processes regulating extracellular matrix and axonal structure. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins differentially expressed in AUD cases were involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Alcohol-sensitive OFC proteins also mapped to abnormal social behaviors and social interactions. Machine learning analysis of the post-mortem OFC proteome revealed dysregulation of presynaptic (e.g., AP2A1) and mitochondrial proteins that predicted the occurrence and severity of AUD. Using a reverse genetics approach to validate a target protein, we found that prefrontal Ap2a1 expression significantly correlated with voluntary alcohol drinking in male and female genetically diverse mouse strains. Moreover, recombinant inbred strains that inherited the C57BL/6J allele at the Ap2a1 interval consumed higher amounts of alcohol than those that inherited the DBA/2J allele. Together, these findings highlight the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the human OFC proteome and identify important cross-species cortical mechanisms and proteins that control drinking in individuals with AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Christopher McMahan
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson-MUSC Artificial Intelligence Hub, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634-0975, USA
| | - Lauren E Ball
- Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Olivencia MA, Gil de Biedma-Elduayen L, Giménez-Gómez P, Barreira B, Fernández A, Angulo J, Colado MI, O'Shea E, Perez-Vizcaino F. Oxidized soluble guanylyl cyclase causes erectile dysfunction in alcoholic mice. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2361-2376. [PMID: 37021655 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Alcohol abuse has been associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), but the implicated molecular mechanisms are unresolved. This study analyses the role of alterations in soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) in ED. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH ED was analysed in adult male C57BL/6J mice subjected to the Chronic Intermittent Ethanol (CIE) paradigm. Erectile function was assessed in anaesthetised mice in vivo by evaluating intracavernosal pressure (ICP) and in vitro in isolated mice corpora cavernosa (CC) mounted in a myograph. Protein expression and reactive oxygen species were analysed by western blot and dihydroethidium staining, respectively. KEY RESULTS In CIE mice, we observed a significant decrease in the relaxant response of the CC to stimulation of NO release from nitrergic nerves by electrical field stimulation, to NO release from endothelial cells by acetylcholine, to the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil, and to the sGC stimulator riociguat. Conversely, the response to the sGC activator cinaciguat, whose action is independent of the oxidation state of sGC, was significantly enhanced in these CC. The responses to adenylyl cyclase stimulation with forskolin were unchanged. We found an increase in reactive oxygen species in the CC from CIE mice as well as an increase in CYP2E1 and NOX2 protein expression. In vivo pre-treatment with tempol prevented alcohol-induced erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results demonstrate that alcoholic mice show ED in vitro and in vivo due to an alteration in the redox state of sGC and suggest that sGC activators may be effective in ED associated with alcoholism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Olivencia
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leticia Gil de Biedma-Elduayen
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Giménez-Gómez
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Bianca Barreira
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Argentina Fernández
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Histología-Investigación, Unidad de Investigación Traslacional en Cardiología (IRYCIS-UFV), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Angulo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Histología-Investigación, Unidad de Investigación Traslacional en Cardiología (IRYCIS-UFV), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Isabel Colado
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther O'Shea
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Perez-Vizcaino
- Departamento de Farmacologia y Toxicologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Respiratorias, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.28.542637. [PMID: 37398482 PMCID: PMC10312445 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.28.542637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a life-threatening disease characterized by compulsive drinking, cognitive deficits, and social impairment that continue despite negative consequences. The inability of individuals with AUD to regulate drinking may involve functional deficits in cortical areas that normally balance actions that have aspects of both reward and risk. Among these, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critically involved in goal-directed behavior and is thought to maintain a representation of reward value that guides decision making. In the present study, we analyzed post-mortem OFC brain samples collected from age- and sex-matched control subjects and those with AUD using proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and reverse genetics approaches. Of the 4,500+ total unique proteins identified in the proteomics screen, there were 47 proteins that differed significantly by sex that were enriched in processes regulating extracellular matrix and axonal structure. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins differentially expressed in AUD cases were involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Alcohol-sensitive OFC proteins also mapped to abnormal social behaviors and social interactions. Machine learning analysis of the post-mortem OFC proteome revealed dysregulation of presynaptic (e.g., AP2A1) and mitochondrial proteins that predicted the occurrence and severity of AUD. Using a reverse genetics approach to validate a target protein, we found that prefrontal Ap2a1 expression significantly correlated with voluntary alcohol drinking in male and female genetically diverse mouse strains. Moreover, recombinant inbred strains that inherited the C57BL/6J allele at the Ap2a1 interval consumed higher amounts of alcohol than those that inherited the DBA/2J allele. Together, these findings highlight the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the human OFC proteome and identify important cross-species cortical mechanisms and proteins that control drinking in individuals with AUD.
Collapse
|
5
|
Varodayan FP, Pahng AR, Davis TD, Gandhi P, Bajo M, Steinman MQ, Kiosses WB, Blednov YA, Burkart MD, Edwards S, Roberts AJ, Roberto M. Chronic ethanol induces a pro-inflammatory switch in interleukin-1β regulation of GABAergic signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex of male mice. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:125-139. [PMID: 36863493 PMCID: PMC10106421 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimmune pathways regulate brain function to influence complex behavior and play a role in several neuropsychiatric diseases, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). In particular, the interleukin-1 (IL-1) system has emerged as a key regulator of the brain's response to ethanol (alcohol). Here we investigated the mechanisms underlying ethanol-induced neuroadaptation of IL-1β signaling at GABAergic synapses in the prelimbic region of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), an area responsible for integrating contextual information to mediate conflicting motivational drives. We exposed C57BL/6J male mice to the chronic intermittent ethanol vapor-2 bottle choice paradigm (CIE-2BC) to induce ethanol dependence, and conducted ex vivo electrophysiology and molecular analyses. We found that the IL-1 system regulates basal mPFC function through its actions at inhibitory synapses on prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. IL-1β can selectively recruit either neuroprotective (PI3K/Akt) or pro-inflammatory (MyD88/p38 MAPK) mechanisms to produce opposing synaptic effects. In ethanol naïve conditions, there was a strong PI3K/Akt bias leading to a disinhibition of pyramidal neurons. Ethanol dependence produced opposite IL-1 effects - enhanced local inhibition via a switch in IL-1β signaling to the canonical pro-inflammatory MyD88 pathway. Ethanol dependence also increased cellular IL-1β in the mPFC, while decreasing expression of downstream effectors (Akt, p38 MAPK). Thus, IL-1β may represent a key neural substrate in ethanol-induced cortical dysfunction. As the IL-1 receptor antagonist (kineret) is already FDA-approved for other diseases, this work underscores the high therapeutic potential of IL-1 signaling/neuroimmune-based treatments for AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F P Varodayan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center and Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - A R Pahng
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - T D Davis
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - P Gandhi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Q Steinman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - W B Kiosses
- Microscopy Core Imaging Facility, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Y A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - M D Burkart
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - S Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - A J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - M Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
de Biedma-Elduayen LG, Giménez-Gómez P, Morales-Puerto N, Vidal R, de la Calle CN, Gutiérrez-López MD, O'Shea E, Colado MI. Influx of kynurenine into the brain is involved in the reduction of ethanol consumption induced by Ro 61-8048 after chronic intermittent ethanol in mice. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3711-3726. [PMID: 35189673 PMCID: PMC9314579 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The kynurenine pathway has been proposed as a new target for modulating drug abuse. We previously demonstrated that inhibition of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) using Ro 61-8048 reduces ethanol consumption in a binge drinking model. Here we investigate the effect of the kynurenine pathway modulation in ethanol -dependent mice. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Adult male and female mice were subjected to the Chronic Intermittent Ethanol (CIE) paradigm. On the last day of CIE, mice were treated with Ro 61-8048, Ro 61-8048 + PNU-120596, a positive allosteric modulator of α7nAChR, and Ro 61-8048 + L-leucine or probenecid, which block the influx or efflux of kynurenine from the brain, respectively. Ethanol, water consumption and preference were measured and kynurenine levels in plasma and limbic forebrain were determined. KEY RESULTS Ro 61-8048 decreases consumption and preference for ethanol in both sexes exposed to the CIE model, an effect that is prevented by PNU-120596. The Ro 61-8048-induced decrease in ethanol consumption depends on the influx of kynurenine into the brain. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Inhibition of KMO reduces ethanol consumption and preference in both male and female mice subjected to CIE model by a mechanism involving α7nAChR. Moreover, the effect which is mediated centrally depends on the influx of peripheral kynurenine to the brain and can be prolonged by blocking the efflux of kynurenine from the brain. Here, for the first time we demonstrate that the modulation of the kynurenine pathway is a valid strategy for the treatment of ethanol dependence in both sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Gil de Biedma-Elduayen
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Giménez-Gómez
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Current address: University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA
| | - Nuria Morales-Puerto
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rebeca Vidal
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Núñez de la Calle
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gutiérrez-López
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esther O'Shea
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Isabel Colado
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.,Red de Trastornos Adictivos del Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Universitario de Investigación Neuroquímica (IUIN), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ferguson LB, Roberts AJ, Mayfield RD, Messing RO. Blood and brain gene expression signatures of chronic intermittent ethanol consumption in mice. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1009800. [PMID: 35176017 PMCID: PMC8853518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing syndrome diagnosed by a heterogeneous set of behavioral signs and symptoms. There are no laboratory tests that provide direct objective evidence for diagnosis. Microarray and RNA-Seq technologies enable genome-wide transcriptome profiling at low costs and provide an opportunity to identify biomarkers to facilitate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. However, access to brain tissue in living patients is not possible. Blood contains cellular and extracellular RNAs that provide disease-relevant information for some brain diseases. We hypothesized that blood gene expression profiles can be used to diagnose AUD. We profiled brain (prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus) and blood gene expression levels in C57BL/6J mice using RNA-seq one week after chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure, a mouse model of alcohol dependence. We found a high degree of preservation (rho range: [0.50, 0.67]) between blood and brain transcript levels. There was small overlap between blood and brain DEGs, and considerable overlap of gene networks perturbed after CIE related to cell-cell signaling (e.g., GABA and glutamate receptor signaling), immune responses (e.g., antigen presentation), and protein processing / mitochondrial functioning (e.g., ubiquitination, oxidative phosphorylation). Blood gene expression data were used to train classifiers (logistic regression, random forest, and partial least squares discriminant analysis), which were highly accurate at predicting alcohol dependence status (maximum AUC: 90.1%). These results suggest that gene expression profiles from peripheral blood samples contain a biological signature of alcohol dependence that can discriminate between CIE and Air subjects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura B. Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amanda J. Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - R. Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Robert O. Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Anderson EM, Lopez MF, Kastner A, Mulholland PJ, Becker HC, Cowan CW. The histone methyltransferase G9a mediates stress-regulated alcohol drinking. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13060. [PMID: 34013595 PMCID: PMC8602448 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13060] [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: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The epigenetic enzyme G9a is a histone methyltransferase that dimethylates lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2), and in the adult nucleus accumbens (NAc), G9a regulates multiple behaviors associated with substance use disorder. We show here that chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure in male mice reduced both G9a and H3K9me2 levels in the adult NAc, but not dorsal striatum. Viral-mediated reduction of G9a in the NAc had no effects on baseline volitional ethanol drinking or escalated alcohol drinking produced by CIE exposure; however, NAc G9a was required for stress-regulated changes in ethanol drinking, including potentiated alcohol drinking produced by activation of the kappa-opioid receptor. In addition, we observed that chronic systemic administration of a G9a inhibitor, UNC0642, also blocked stress-potentiated alcohol drinking. Together, our findings suggest that chronic alcohol use, similar to other abused substances, produces a NAc-selective reduction in G9a levels that serves to limit stress-regulated alcohol drinking. Moreover, our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of G9a might provide a novel therapeutic approach to treat stress-induced alcohol drinking, which is a major trigger of relapse in individuals suffering from AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ethan M. Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Marcelo F. Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Abigail Kastner
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Patrick J. Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Howard C. Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Rangel-Barajas C, Boehm SL, Logrip ML. Altered excitatory transmission in striatal neurons after chronic ethanol consumption in selectively bred crossed high alcohol-preferring mice. Neuropharmacology 2021; 190:108564. [PMID: 33857521 PMCID: PMC8293703 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetic predisposition to heavy drinking is a risk factor for alcohol misuse. We used selectively bred crossed high alcohol-preferring (cHAP) mice to study sex differences in alcohol drinking and its effect on glutamatergic activity in dorsolateral (DLS) and dorsomedial (DMS) striatum. We performed whole-cell patch-clamp recording in neurons from male and female cHAP mice with 5-week alcohol drinking history and alcohol-naïve controls. In DMS, alcohol-naïve males' neurons displayed lower cell capacitance and higher membrane resistance than females' neurons, both effects reversed by drinking. Conversely, in DLS neurons, drinking history increased capacitance only in males and changed membrane resistance only in females. Altered biophysical membrane properties were accompanied by disrupted glutamatergic transmission. Drinking history increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude in DMS and frequency in DLS female neurons, compared to alcohol-naïve females, without effect in males. Acute ethanol differentially impacted DMS and DLS neurons by sex and drinking history. In DMS, acute alcohol significantly increased sEPSC frequency only in neurons from alcohol-naïve females, an effect that disappeared after drinking history. In DLS, acute alcohol had opposing effects in males and females based on drinking history. Estrous cycle also impacted DMS and DLS neurons differently: sEPSC amplitudes were higher in DMS cells from drinking history than alcohol-naïve females, whereas estrous cycle, not drinking history, modified DLS firing rate. Our data show sex differences in cHAP ethanol consumption and neurophysiology, suggesting differential dysregulation of glutamatergic drive onto DMS and DLS after chronic ethanol consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Stephen L Boehm
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Marian L Logrip
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Indiana Alcohol Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bagley JR, Chesler EJ, Philip VM, Jentsch JD. Heritability of ethanol consumption and pharmacokinetics in a genetically diverse panel of collaborative cross mouse strains and their inbred founders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:697-708. [PMID: 33619752 PMCID: PMC8441258 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Interindividual variation in voluntary ethanol consumption and ethanol response is partially influenced by genetic variation. Discovery of the genes and allelic variants that affect these phenotypes may clarify the etiology and pathophysiology of problematic alcohol use, including alcohol use disorder. Genetically diverse mouse populations, which demonstrate heritable variation in ethanol consumption, can be utilized to discover the genes and gene networks that influence this trait. The Collaborative Cross (CC) recombinant inbred strains, Diversity Outbred (DO) population and their 8 founder strains are complementary mouse resources that capture substantial genetic diversity and can demonstrate expansive phenotypic variation in heritable traits. These populations may be utilized to discover candidate genes and gene networks that moderate ethanol consumption and other ethanol-related traits. METHODS We characterized ethanol consumption, preference, and pharmacokinetics in the 8 founder strains and 10 CC strains in 12-hour drinking sessions during the dark phase of the circadian cycle. RESULTS Ethanol consumption was substantially heritable, both early in ethanol access and over a chronic intermittent access schedule. Ethanol pharmacokinetics were also heritable; however, no association between strain-level ethanol consumption and pharmacokinetics was detected. The PWK/PhJ strain was the highest drinking strain, with consumption substantially exceeding that of the C57BL/6J strain, which is commonly used as a model of "high" or "binge" drinking. Notably, we found strong evidence that sex moderated genetic effects on voluntary ethanol drinking. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, this research serves as a foundation for expanded genetic study of ethanol consumption in the CC/DO and related populations. Moreover, we identified reference strains with extreme consumption phenotypes that effectively represent polygenic models of excessive ethanol use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared R Bagley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Elissa J Chesler
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - Vivek M Philip
- The Jackson Laboratory for Mammalian Genetics, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
| | - James D Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Maldonado-Devincci AM, Makdisi JG, Hill AM, Waters RC, Hall NI, Shobande MJ, Kumari A. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure induces sex-dependent divergent changes in ethanol drinking and motor activity in adulthood in C57BL/6J mice. J Neurosci Res 2021; 100:1560-1572. [PMID: 33725399 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
With alcohol readily accessible to adolescents, its consumption leads to many adverse effects, including impaired learning, attention, and behavior. Adolescents report higher rates of binge drinking compared to adults. They are also more prone to substance use disorder in adulthood due to physiological changes during the adolescent developmental period. We used C57BL/6J male and female mice to investigate the long-lasting impact of binge ethanol exposure during adolescence on voluntary ethanol intake and open field behavior during later adolescence (Experiment 1) and during emerging adulthood (Experiment 2). The present set of experiments were divided into four stages: (1) adolescent intermittent vapor inhalation exposure, (2) abstinence, (3) voluntary ethanol intake, and (4) open field behavioral testing. During adolescence, male and female mice were exposed to air or ethanol using intermittent vapor inhalation from postnatal day (PND) 28-42. Following this, mice underwent short-term abstinence from PND 43-49 (Experiment 1) or protracted abstinence from PND 43-69 (Experiment 2). Beginning on PND 50-76 or PND 70-97, mice were assessed for intermittent voluntary ethanol consumption using a two-bottle choice drinking procedure over 28 days. Male adolescent ethanol-exposed mice showed increased ethanol consumption following short-term abstinence and following protracted abstinence. In contrast, female mice showed no changes in ethanol consumption following short-term abstinence and decreased ethanol consumption following protracted abstinence. There were modest changes in open field behavior following voluntary ethanol consumption in both experiments. These data demonstrate a sexually divergent shift in ethanol consumption following binge ethanol exposure during adolescence and differences in open field behavior. These results highlight sex-dependent vulnerability to developing substance use disorders in adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoniette M Maldonado-Devincci
- Department of Psychology, College of Health and Human Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Joseph G Makdisi
- Department of Social Work and Sociology, College of Health and Human Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Andrea M Hill
- Department of Psychology, College of Health and Human Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA.,The Gerontology Institute, College of Arts and Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Renee C Waters
- Department of Psychology, College of Health and Human Sciences, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology, Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Nzia I Hall
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Biomedical Graduate Education, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mariah J Shobande
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Anjali Kumari
- Department of Biology, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Townsley KG, Borrego MB, Ozburn AR. Effects of chemogenetic manipulation of the nucleus accumbens core in male C57BL/6J mice. Alcohol 2021; 91:21-27. [PMID: 33160072 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking is a widespread public health concern with limited effective treatment options. To better select pharmaceutical targets, it is imperative to expand our knowledge of the underlying neural mechanisms involved in binge drinking. Our previous experiments in C57BL/6J female mice found that increasing activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core using excitatory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) reduced binge-like drinking. These results differed from what has been found in males; however, it is unclear whether differences in experimental procedures or sex underlie these discrepancies. We matched the conditions used in our female study and asked whether bidirectional manipulation of NAc core activity has different effects on binge-like drinking in males. Male C57BL/6J mice were stereotaxically injected with AAV2 hSyn-HA hM3Dq (excitatory), -hM4Di (inhibitory), or -eGFP bilaterally into the NAc core. We tested the effects of altering NAc activity on binge-like ethanol intake using Drinking in the Dark (DID). During the first week, mice were pre-treated with vehicle to establish baseline ethanol intake. In week 2, mice were treated with 1 mg/kg CNO prior to DID to determine the effects of DREADD-induced changes in NAc core activity on ethanol intake. Decreasing activity via CNO/hM4Di significantly decreased binge-like drinking in male mice relative to eGFP and hM4Di groups. We also measured intake of sucrose, quinine, and water after CNO treatment and found that increasing NAc core activity via CNO/hM3Dq increased quinine intake, and increased water intake over time. We did not observe significant differences in the GFP or hM4Di groups. This work suggests there exist apparent sex-related differences in NAc core contributions to binge-like alcohol drinking, thus demonstrating the need for inclusion of both sexes in future work.
Collapse
|
13
|
The escalation in ethanol consumption following chronic intermittent ethanol exposure is blunted in mice expressing ethanol-resistant GluN1 or GluN2A NMDA receptor subunits. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:271-279. [PMID: 33052417 PMCID: PMC7796987 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05680-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are glutamate-gated ion channels essential for glutamatergic transmission and plasticity. NMDARs are inhibited by acute ethanol and undergo brain region-specific adaptations after chronic alcohol exposure. In previous studies, we reported that knock-in mice expressing ethanol-insensitive GluN1 or GluN2A NMDAR subunits display altered behavioral responses to acute ethanol and genotype-dependent changes in drinking using protocols that do not produce dependence. A key unanswered question is whether the intrinsic ethanol sensitivity of NMDARs also plays a role in determining behavioral adaptations that accompany the development of dependence. To test this, we exposed mice to repeated cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor known to produce a robust escalation in ethanol consumption and preference. As expected, wild-type mice showed a significant increase from baseline in ethanol consumption and preference after each of the four weekly CIE cycles. In contrast, ethanol consumption in male GluN2A(A825W) mice was unchanged following cycles 1, 2, and 4 of CIE with a modest increase appearing after cycle 3. Wild-type and GluN2A(A825W) female mice did not show a clear or consistent escalation in ethanol consumption or preference following CIE treatment. In male GluN1(F639A) mice, the increase in ethanol consumption observed with their wild-type littermates was delayed until later cycles of exposure. These results suggest that the acute ethanol sensitivity of NMDARs especially those containing the GluN2A subunit may be a critical factor in the escalation of ethanol intake in alcohol dependence.
Collapse
|
14
|
Lopez MF, Reasons SE, Carper BA, Nolen TL, Williams RL, Becker HC. Evaluation of the effect of doxasozin and zonisamide on voluntary ethanol intake in mice that experienced chronic intermittent ethanol exposure and stress. Alcohol 2020; 89:37-42. [PMID: 32712186 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The comorbidity between alcohol use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder represents a serious health care burden with few effective treatment options. The current study was designed to evaluate the effect of an alpha 1 receptor antagonist (doxazosin) and a novel anticonvulsant (zonisamide) in a model of alcohol (ethanol) dependence and stress exposure. The main dependent variable was voluntary ethanol intake in mice that experienced chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure and forced swim stress (FSS) alone, and in combination. Adult male and female C57BL/6J mice had access to a single bottle of 15% (v/v) ethanol for 1-hr in the home cage, 3-hr into the dark phase of the light/dark cycle. Once stable ethanol intake was established (~4 weeks), mice were separated into four groups (CTL, CIE, FSS, CIE + FSS). Mice in the FSS condition received 10-min FSS exposure 4-hr prior to drinking sessions (remaining mice were not disturbed). During baseline and the first two test cycles, all mice received vehicle (saline) injections (IP) 30-min before ethanol access. As previously observed, FSS increased ethanol drinking in dependent (CIE-exposed) mice but not in nondependent control (CTL) mice. In the following test cycles mice were evaluated for ethanol intake after administration of doxazosin, zonisamide or their combination. Results indicated that the three doses of doxazosin evaluated significantly reduced voluntary ethanol intake in all mice. Zonisamide had a more modest effect and may require a more prolonged treatment regime. The combined administration of both compounds was not more effective than each drug alone. This study suggests that doxazosin is reliable at reducing voluntary ethanol intake in mice independently of their history of ethanol dependence and stress exposure.
Collapse
|
15
|
Mc Hugh R, McBride O. Self-medicating low mood with alcohol use: Examining the role of frequency of alcohol use, quantity consumed and context of drinking. Addict Behav 2020; 111:106557. [PMID: 32721645 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The concept of self-medication refers to the use of substances to help cope with periods of psychological distress. This study sought to examine the typical drinking patterns of adults who self-report using alcohol to self-medicate low mood using data from a large, nationally representative US household survey. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data was from the Wave I (2001-2002) National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). The sample consisted of individuals who met the depression criteria, who indicated that they had drank alcohol to improve their mood when they felt down for at least two weeks, and consumed alcohol in the last 12 months (n = 5900). Alcohol use related to the last 12 months (frequency, quantity, and drinking context). RESULTS A multiple group Latent Class Analysis was conducted to identified clinically relevant homogeneous groups of drinkers who self-report use of alcohol to self-medicate compared to those who do not. Two latent classes emerged for each of the two self-medicating groups, which were named based on their probabilities, as 'seldom drinkers' and 'hazardous drinkers' in the self-medication group, and as 'normal drinkers' and 'very seldom drinkers' in the non-self-medication group. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this paper indicate that the behaviour of self-medication may be a factor in why people may be more hazardous drinkers, and that these individuals are drinking to relieve their mood, more likely than someone who does not use alcohol for this purpose. The findings also provide clinical insight, as the behaviour of self-medication could be used as a target for intervention.
Collapse
|
16
|
Mulligan MK, Lu L, Cavigelli SA, Mormède P, Terenina E, Zhao W, Williams RW, Jones BC. Impact of Genetic Variation on Stress-Related Ethanol Consumption. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1391-1402. [PMID: 31034606 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of stress on alcohol consumption in humans is highly variable, and the underlying processes are not yet understood. Attempts to model a positive relationship between stress and increased ethanol (EtOH) consumption in animals have been only modestly successful. Our hypothesis is that individual differences in stress effects on EtOH consumption are mediated by genetics. METHODS We measured alcohol consumption, using the drinking-in-the-dark (DID) paradigm in females from 2 inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2), and 35 of their inbred progeny (the BXD family). A control group was maintained in normal housing and a stress group was exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS), consisting of unpredictable stressors over 7 weeks. These included predator, social, and environmental perturbations. Alcohol intake was measured over 16 weeks in both groups during baseline (preceding 5-week period), CMS (intervening 7-week period), and post-CMS (final 4-week period). RESULTS We detected a strong effect of CMS on alcohol intake. A few strains demonstrated CMS-related increased alcohol consumption; however, most showed decreased intake. We identified 1 nearly significant quantitative trait locus on chromosome 5 that contains the neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene (Nos1). The expression of Nos1 is frequently changed following alcohol exposure, and variants in this gene segregating among the BXD population may modulate alcohol intake in response to stress. CONCLUSIONS The results we present here represent the first study to combine chronic stress and alcohol consumption in a genetic reference population of mice. Differences in susceptibility to the effects of stressful environments vis-à-vis alcohol use disorders would suggest that the differences have at least some basis in genetic constitution. We have also nominated a likely candidate gene underlying the large individual differences in effects of stress on alcohol consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan K Mulligan
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Lu Lu
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | - Pierre Mormède
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Elena Terenina
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRA, ENVT, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Wenyuan Zhao
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Robert W Williams
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Byron C Jones
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Farris SP, Riley BP, Williams RW, Mulligan MK, Miles MF, Lopez MF, Hitzemann R, Iancu OD, Colville A, Walter NAR, Darakjian P, Oberbeck DL, Daunais JB, Zheng CL, Searles RP, McWeeney SK, Grant KA, Mayfield RD. Cross-species molecular dissection across alcohol behavioral domains. Alcohol 2018; 72:19-31. [PMID: 30213503 PMCID: PMC6309876 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This review summarizes the proceedings of a symposium presented at the "Alcoholism and Stress: A Framework for Future Treatment Strategies" conference held in Volterra, Italy on May 9-12, 2017. Psychiatric diseases, including alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), are influenced through complex interactions of genes, neurobiological pathways, and environmental influences. A better understanding of the common neurobiological mechanisms underlying an AUD necessitates an integrative approach, involving a systematic assessment of diverse species and phenotype measures. As part of the World Congress on Stress and Alcoholism, this symposium provided a detailed account of current strategies to identify mechanisms underlying the development and progression of AUDs. Dr. Sean Farris discussed the integration and organization of transcriptome and postmortem human brain data to identify brain regional- and cell type-specific differences related to excessive alcohol consumption that are conserved across species. Dr. Brien Riley presented the results of a genome-wide association study of DSM-IV alcohol dependence; although replication of genetic associations with alcohol phenotypes in humans remains challenging, model organism studies show that COL6A3, KLF12, and RYR3 affect behavioral responses to ethanol, and provide substantial evidence for their role in human alcohol-related traits. Dr. Rob Williams expanded upon the systematic characterization of extensive genetic-genomic resources for quantifying and clarifying phenotypes across species that are relevant to precision medicine in human disease. The symposium concluded with Dr. Robert Hitzemann's description of transcriptome studies in a mouse model selectively bred for high alcohol ("binge-like") consumption and a non-human primate model of long-term alcohol consumption. Together, the different components of this session provided an overview of systems-based approaches that are pioneering the experimental prioritization and validation of novel genes and gene networks linked with a range of behavioral phenotypes associated with stress and AUDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sean P Farris
- University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Brien P Riley
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Robert W Williams
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Megan K Mulligan
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Michael F Miles
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Robert Hitzemann
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Ovidiu D Iancu
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - James B Daunais
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | | | - Robert P Searles
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | | | - Kathleen A Grant
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Sidhu H, Kreifeldt M, Contet C. Affective Disturbances During Withdrawal from Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Inhalation in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Male Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1281-1290. [PMID: 29687895 PMCID: PMC6028290 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorders are characterized by a complex behavioral symptomatology, which includes the loss of control over alcohol consumption and the emergence of a negative affective state when alcohol is not consumed. Some of these symptoms can be recapitulated in rodent models, for instance following chronic intermittent ethanol (EtOH; CIE) vapor inhalation. However, the detection of negative affect in mice withdrawn from CIE has proven challenging and variable between strains. This study aimed to detect reliable indices of negative emotionality in CIE-exposed C57BL/6J (C57) and DBA/2J (DBA) mice. Males were used because they are known to escalate their voluntary EtOH consumption upon CIE exposure, which is hypothesized to be driven by negative reinforcement (relief from negative affect). METHODS Adult male mice were exposed to 4 to 6 weeks of CIE and were evaluated 3 to 10 days into withdrawal in the social approach, novelty-suppressed feeding, digging, marble burying, and bottle brush tests. RESULTS Withdrawal from CIE decreased sociability in DBA mice but not in C57 mice. Conversely, hyponeophagia was exacerbated by CIE in C57 mice but not in DBA mice. Withdrawal from CIE robustly increased digging activity in both strains, even in the absence of marbles. Aggressive responses to bottle brush attacks were elevated in both C57 and DBA mice following CIE exposure, but CIE had an opposite effect on defensive responses in the 2 strains (increase in C57 vs. decrease in DBA). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that withdrawal from CIE elicits negative emotionality in both C57 and DBA mice, but different tests need to be used to measure the anxiogenic-like effects of withdrawal in each strain. Increased digging activity and irritability-like behavior represent novel indices of affective dysfunction associated with withdrawal from CIE in both mouse strains. Our findings enrich the characterization of the affective symptomatology of protracted withdrawal from CIE in mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Sidhu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Max Kreifeldt
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Candice Contet
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
An increasing emphasis has been placed on the development and use of animal models of addiction that capture defining features of human drug addiction, including escalation/binge drug use, enhanced motivation for the drug, preference for the drug over other reward options, use despite negative consequences, and enhanced drug-seeking/relapse vulnerability. The need to examine behavior in both males and females has also become apparent given evidence demonstrating that the addiction process occurs differently in males and females. This review discusses the procedures that are used to model features of addiction in animals, as well as factors that influence their development. Individual differences are also discussed, with a particular focus on sex differences. While no one procedure consistently produces all characteristics, different models have been developed to focus on certain characteristics. A history of escalating/binge patterns of use appears to be critical for producing other features characteristic of addiction, including an enhanced motivation for the drug, enhanced drug seeking, and use despite negative consequences. These characteristics tend to emerge over abstinence, and appear to increase rather than decrease in magnitude over time. In females, these characteristics develop sooner during abstinence and/or following less drug exposure as compared to males, and for psychostimulant addiction, may require estradiol. Although preference for the drug over other reward options has been demonstrated in non-human primates, it has been more difficult to establish in rats. Future research is needed to define the parameters that optimally induce each of these features of addiction in the majority of animals. Such models are essential for advancing our understanding of human drug addiction and its treatment in men and women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rinker JA, Fulmer DB, Trantham-Davidson H, Smith ML, Williams RW, Lopez MF, Randall PK, Chandler LJ, Miles MF, Becker HC, Mulholland PJ. Differential potassium channel gene regulation in BXD mice reveals novel targets for pharmacogenetic therapies to reduce heavy alcohol drinking. Alcohol 2017; 58:33-45. [PMID: 27432260 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol (ethanol) dependence is a chronic relapsing brain disorder partially influenced by genetics and characterized by an inability to regulate harmful levels of drinking. Emerging evidence has linked genes that encode KV7, KIR, and KCa2 K+ channels with variation in alcohol-related behaviors in rodents and humans. This led us to experimentally test relations between K+ channel genes and escalation of drinking in a chronic-intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure model of dependence in BXD recombinant inbred strains of mice. Transcript levels for K+ channel genes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) covary with voluntary ethanol drinking in a non-dependent cohort. Transcripts that encode KV7 channels covary negatively with drinking in non-dependent BXD strains. Using a pharmacological approach to validate the genetic findings, C57BL/6J mice were allowed intermittent access to ethanol to establish baseline consumption before they were treated with retigabine, an FDA-approved KV7 channel positive modulator. Systemic administration significantly reduced drinking, and consistent with previous evidence, retigabine was more effective at reducing voluntary consumption in high-drinking than low-drinking subjects. We evaluated the specific K+ channel genes that were most sensitive to CIE exposure and identified a gene subset in the NAc and PFC that were dysregulated in the alcohol-dependent BXD cohort. CIE-induced modulation of nine genes in the NAc and six genes in the PFC covaried well with the changes in drinking induced by ethanol dependence. Here we identified novel candidate genes in the NAc and PFC that are regulated by ethanol dependence and correlate with voluntary drinking in non-dependent and dependent BXD mice. The findings that Kcnq expression correlates with drinking and that retigabine reduces consumption suggest that KV7 channels could be pharmacogenetic targets to treat individuals with alcohol addiction.
Collapse
|
21
|
Siciliano CA, Locke JL, Mathews TA, Lopez MF, Becker HC, Jones SR. Dopamine synthesis in alcohol drinking-prone and -resistant mouse strains. Alcohol 2017; 58:25-32. [PMID: 27425261 PMCID: PMC5684872 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a prevalent and debilitating neuropsychiatric disease, and much effort has been aimed at elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying maladaptive alcohol drinking in an effort to design rational treatment strategies. In preclinical literature, the use of inbred mouse lines has allowed for the examination of ethanol effects across vulnerable and resistant phenotypes. C57BL/6J mice consistently show higher rates of ethanol drinking compared to most mouse strains. Conversely, DBA/2J mice display low rates of ethanol consumption. Given that the reinforcing and rewarding effects of ethanol are thought to be in part mediated by its actions on dopamine neurotransmission, we hypothesized that alcohol-preferring C57BL/6J and alcohol-avoiding DBA/2J mice would display basal differences in dopamine system function. By administering an L-aromatic acid decarboxylase inhibitor and measuring L-Dopa accumulation via high-performance liquid chromatography as a measure of tyrosine hydroxylase activity, we found no difference in dopamine synthesis between mouse strains in the midbrain, dorsal striatum, or ventral striatum. However, we did find that quinpirole-induced inhibition of dopamine synthesis was greater in the ventral striatum of C57BL/6J mice, suggesting increased presynaptic D2-type dopamine autoreceptor sensitivity. To determine whether dopamine synthesis or autoreceptor sensitivity was altered by a history of ethanol, we exposed C57BL/6J mice to one or two weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure and withdrawal. We found that there was an attenuation of baseline dopamine synthesis in the ventral striatum after two cycles of CIE. Finally, we examined tissue content of dopamine and dopamine metabolites across recombinant inbred mice bred from a C57BL/6J × DBA/2J cross (BXD). We found that low dopaminergic activity, as indicated by high dopamine/metabolite ratios, was positively correlated with drinking. Together, these findings show differential autoreceptor effects on dopamine synthesis between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, and suggest that decreased dopaminergic activity is associated with excessive drinking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Siciliano
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jason L Locke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Tiffany A Mathews
- College of Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
van der Vaart AD, Wolstenholme JT, Smith ML, Harris GM, Lopez MF, Wolen AR, Becker HC, Williams RW, Miles MF. The allostatic impact of chronic ethanol on gene expression: A genetic analysis of chronic intermittent ethanol treatment in the BXD cohort. Alcohol 2017; 58:93-106. [PMID: 27838001 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The transition from acute to chronic ethanol exposure leads to lasting behavioral and physiological changes such as increased consumption, dependence, and withdrawal. Changes in brain gene expression are hypothesized to underlie these adaptive responses to ethanol. Previous studies on acute ethanol identified genetic variation in brain gene expression networks and behavioral responses to ethanol across the BXD panel of recombinant inbred mice. In this work, we have performed the first joint genetic and genomic analysis of transcriptome shifts in response to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) by vapor chamber exposure in a BXD cohort. CIE treatment is known to produce significant and sustained changes in ethanol consumption with repeated cycles of ethanol vapor. Using Affymetrix microarray analysis of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAC) RNA, we compared CIE expression responses to those seen following acute ethanol treatment, and to voluntary ethanol consumption. Gene expression changes in PFC and NAC after CIE overlapped significantly across brain regions and with previously published expression following acute ethanol. Genes highly modulated by CIE were enriched for specific biological processes including synaptic transmission, neuron ensheathment, intracellular signaling, and neuronal projection development. Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analyses identified genomic loci associated with ethanol-induced transcriptional changes with largely distinct loci identified between brain regions. Correlating CIE-regulated genes to ethanol consumption data identified specific genes highly associated with variation in the increase in drinking seen with repeated cycles of CIE. In particular, multiple myelin-related genes were identified. Furthermore, genetic variance in or near dynamin3 (Dnm3) on Chr1 at ∼164 Mb may have a major regulatory role in CIE-responsive gene expression. Dnm3 expression correlates significantly with ethanol consumption, is contained in a highly ranked functional group of CIE-regulated genes in the NAC, and has a cis-eQTL within a genomic region linked with multiple CIE-responsive genes.
Collapse
|