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Singh D, Singh P, Srivastava P, Kakkar D, Pathak M, Tiwari AK. Development and challenges in the discovery of 5-HT 1A and 5-HT 7 receptor ligands. Bioorg Chem 2023; 131:106254. [PMID: 36528920 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106254] [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: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is a small molecule that acts both in the central and peripheral nervous system as a neurotransmitter and a hormone, respectively. Serotonin is synthesized via a multi-stage pathway beginning with l-tryptophan, which is converted by an enzyme called tryptophan hydroxylase into L-5-Hydroxytryptophan. It is well-known for its significance in the control of mood, anxiety, depression, and insomnia as well as in normal human functions such as sleep, sexual activity, and appetite. Thus, for medical chemists and pharmaceutical firms, serotonin is one of the most desirable targets. Among the seven different classes of serotonin receptors, the 5-HT1A was one of the first discovered serotonin receptors, and the 5-HT7 was the last addition to the serotonin receptor family. Both the classes were thoroughly examined. 5-HT1A neurotransmission-related dysfunctions are linked to many psychological conditions such as anxiety, depression, and movement disorders. 5-HT7 is a member of the cell surface receptor GPCR superfamily and is regulated by the serotonin neurotransmitter. It has been the focus of intensive research efforts since its discovery, which was prompted by its presence in functionally important regions of the brain. The thalamus and hypothalamus have the highest 5-HT7 receptor densities. They are also found in the hippocampus and cortex at higher densities. Thermoregulation, circadian rhythm, learning and memory, and sleep are all associated with the 5-HT7 receptor. It is also suspected that this receptor may be involved in the control of mood, indicating that it may be a beneficial target for depression treatment. Several differently structured molecules such as aminotetralins, ergolines, arylpiperazines, indolylalkylamines, aporphines, and aryloxyalkyl-amines are known to bind to 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptor sites. In brain serotonin receptors 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 are strongly co-expressed in regions involved in depression. However, their functional interaction has not been identified. An overview of the 5-HT1A and 5-HT7 receptor ligands belonging to different chemical groups is mentioned in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Priya Singh
- Department of Chemistry, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pooja Srivastava
- Division of Radiological, Nuclear and Imaging Sciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Brig S K Mazumdar Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Dipti Kakkar
- Division of Radiological, Nuclear and Imaging Sciences, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Brig S K Mazumdar Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Mallika Pathak
- Department of Chemistry, Miranda House, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Anjani Kumar Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow 226025, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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2
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Chang XW, Sun Y, Muhai JN, Li YY, Chen Y, Lu L, Chang SH, Shi J. Common and distinguishing genetic factors for substance use behavior and disorder: an integrated analysis of genomic and transcriptomic studies from both human and animal studies. Addiction 2022; 117:2515-2529. [PMID: 35491750 DOI: 10.1111/add.15908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Genomic and transcriptomic findings greatly broaden the biological knowledge regarding substance use. However, systematic convergence and comparison evidence of genome-wide findings is lacking for substance use. Here, we combined all the genome-wide findings from both substance use behavior and disorder (SUBD) and identified common and distinguishing genetic factors for different SUBDs. METHODS Systemic literature search for genome-wide association (GWAS) and RNA-seq studies of alcohol/nicotine/drug use behavior (partially meets or not reported diagnostic criteria) and alcohol use behavior and disorder (AUBD), nicotine use behavior and disorder (NUBD) and drug use behavior and disorder (DUBD) was performed using PubMed and the GWAS catalog. Drug use was focused upon cannabis, opioid, cocaine and methamphetamine use. GWAS studies required case-control or case/cohort samples. RNA-seq studies were based on brain tissues. The genes which contained significant single nucleotide polymorphism (P ≤ 1 × 10-6 ) in GWAS and reported as significant in RNA-seq studies were extracted. Pathway enrichment was performed by using Metascape. Gene interaction networks were identified by using the Protein Interaction Network Analysis database. RESULTS Total SUBD-related 2910 genes were extracted from 75 GWAS studies (2 773 889 participants) and 17 RNA-seq studies. By overlapping the genes and pathways of AUBD, NUBD and DUBD, four shared genes (CACNB2, GRIN2B, PLXDC2 and PKNOX2), four shared pathways [two Gene Ontology (GO) terms of 'modulation of chemical synaptic transmission', 'regulation of trans-synaptic signaling', two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of 'dopaminergic synapse', 'cocaine addiction'] were identified (significantly higher than random, P < 1 × 10-5 ). The top shared KEGG pathways (Benjamini-Hochberg-corrected P-value < 0.05) in the pairwise comparison of AUBD versus DUBD, NUBD versus DUBD, AUBD versus NUBD were 'Epstein-Barr virus infection', 'protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum' and 'neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction', respectively. We also identified substance-specific genetic factors: i.e. ADH1B and ALDH2 were unique for AUBD, while CHRNA3 and CHRNA4 were unique for NUBD. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review identifies the shared and unique genes and pathways for alcohol, nicotine and drug use behaviors and disorders at the genome-wide level and highlights critical biological processes for the common and distinguishing vulnerability of substance use behaviors and disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Wen Chang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia-Na Muhai
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Yang-Yang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Lu
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Su-Hua Chang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jie Shi
- National Institute on Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence Research, Peking University, Beijing, China.,The State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, China.,The Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of the Ministry of Education and Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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3
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Ding Z, Li X, Chen H, Hou H, Hu Q. Harmane Potentiates Nicotine Reinforcement Through MAO-A Inhibition at the Dose Related to Cigarette Smoking. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:925272. [PMID: 35832393 PMCID: PMC9271706 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.925272] [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: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nicotine is the primary addictive component in cigarette smoke, and dopamine release induced by nicotine is considered a significant cause of persistent smoking and nicotine dependence. However, the effects of nicotine replacement therapy on smoking cessation were less effective than expected, suggesting that other non-nicotine constituents may potentiate the reinforcing effects of nicotine. Harmane is a potent, selective monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitor found in cigarette smoke, but showed no effect on nicotine self-administration in previous studies, possibly due to the surprisingly high doses used. In the present study, we found that harmane potentiated nicotine self-administration on the fixed ration schedule at the dose related to human cigarette smoking by the synergistic effects in up-regulating genes in addiction-related pathways, and the effect was reduced at doses 10 times higher or lower than the smoking-related dose. The smoking-related dose of harmane also enhanced the increase of locomotor activity induced by nicotine, accompanied by increased dopamine basal level and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens through MAO-A inhibition. Our findings provided new evidence for the important role of non-nicotine ingredients of tobacco products in smoking addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Ding
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision & Test Center, Zhengzhou, China,Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou, China,Joint Laboratory of Translational Neurobiology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiangyu Li
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision & Test Center, Zhengzhou, China,Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou, China,Joint Laboratory of Translational Neurobiology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huan Chen
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision & Test Center, Zhengzhou, China,Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou, China,Joint Laboratory of Translational Neurobiology, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongwei Hou
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision & Test Center, Zhengzhou, China,Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou, China,Joint Laboratory of Translational Neurobiology, Zhengzhou, China,*Correspondence: Hongwei Hou,
| | - Qingyuan Hu
- China National Tobacco Quality Supervision & Test Center, Zhengzhou, China,Key Laboratory of Tobacco Biological Effects, Zhengzhou, China,Joint Laboratory of Translational Neurobiology, Zhengzhou, China,Qingyuan Hu,
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4
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Müller CP. Serotonin and Consciousness-A Reappraisal. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113970. [PMID: 35716774 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113970] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The serotonergic system of the brain is a major modulator of behaviour. Here we describe a re-appraisal of its function for consciousness based on anatomical, functional and pharmacological data. For a better understanding, the current model of consciousness is expanded. Two parallel streams of conscious flow are distinguished. A flow of conscious content and an affective consciousness flow. While conscious content flow has its functional equivalent in the activity of higher cortico-cortical and cortico-thalamic networks, affective conscious flow originates in segregated deeper brain structures for single emotions. It is hypothesized that single emotional networks converge on serotonergic and other modulatory transmitter neurons in the brainstem where a bound percept of an affective conscious flow is formed. This is then dispersed to cortical and thalamic networks, where it is time locked with conscious content flow at the level of these networks. Serotonin acts in concert with other modulatory systems of the brain stem with some possible specialization on single emotions. Together, these systems signal a bound percept of affective conscious flow. Dysfunctions in the serotonergic system may not only give rise to behavioural and somatic symptoms, but also essentially affect the coupling of conscious affective flow with conscious content flow, leading to the affect-stained subjective side of mental disorders like anxiety, depression, or schizophrenia. The present model is an attempt to integrate the growing insights into serotonergic system function. However, it is acknowledged, that several key claims are still at a heuristic level that need further empirical support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany; Centre for Drug Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
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5
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Cisneros IE, Cunningham KA. Covid-19 interface with drug misuse and substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2021; 198:108766. [PMID: 34454912 PMCID: PMC8388132 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic intensified the already catastrophic drug overdose and substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic, signaling a syndemic as social isolation, economic and mental health distress, and disrupted treatment services disproportionally impacted this vulnerable population. Along with these social and societal factors, biological factors triggered by intense stress intertwined with incumbent overactivity of the immune system and the resulting inflammatory outcomes may impact the functional status of the central nervous system (CNS). We review the literature concerning SARS-CoV2 infiltration and infection in the CNS and the prospects of synergy between stress, inflammation, and kynurenine pathway function during illness and recovery from Covid-19. Taken together, inflammation and neuroimmune signaling, a consequence of Covid-19 infection, may dysregulate critical pathways and underlie maladaptive changes in the CNS, to exacerbate the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms and in the vulnerability to develop SUD. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Vulnerabilities to Substance Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- I E Cisneros
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - K A Cunningham
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Ahmadi-Mahmoodabadi N, Emamghoreishi M, Nasehi M, Zarrindast MR. The bidirectional effect of prelimbic 5-hydroxytryptamine type-4 (5-HT4) receptors on ACPA-mediated aversive memory impairment in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES 2021; 24:726-733. [PMID: 34630949 PMCID: PMC8487599 DOI: 10.22038/ijbms.2021.49501.11317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed at investigating the effect of serotonergic 5-HT4 receptor agonist/antagonist on memory consolidation deficit induced by ACPA (a potent, selective CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist) in the pre-limbic (PL) cortex. Materials and Methods We used the step-through passive avoidance test to evaluate memory consolidation of male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Bilateral post-training microinjections of the drugs were done in a volume of 0.6 μl/rat into the PL area (0.3 μl per side). Results The results showed a significant interaction between RS67333 hydrochloride (5-HT4 receptor agonist) or RS23597-190 hydrochloride (5-HT4 receptor antagonist) and ACPA on consolidation of aversive memory. RS67333 hydrochloride (0.5 μg/rat) enhanced consolidation of memory and its co-administration at the ineffective dose of 0.005 μg/rat with ineffective (0.001 μg/rat) or effective (0.1 μg/rat) doses of ACPA improved and prevented impairment of memory caused by ACPA, respectively. In other words, RS67333 had a bidirectional effect on ACPA-caused amnesia. While RS23597-190 hydrochloride had no effect on memory at the doses used (0.005, 0.01, 0.1, or 0.5 μg/rat); but its concomitant use with an effective dose of ACPA (0.1 μg/rat) potentiated amnesia. None of the drugs had an effect on locomotor activity. Conclusion This study revealed that activation or deactivation of the 5-HT4 receptors in the PL may mediate the IA memory impairment induced by ACPA indicating a modulatory role for the 5-HT4 serotonergic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nargol Ahmadi-Mahmoodabadi
- Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Basic Sciences, Campus of Shahid Bahonar, Farhangian University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Emamghoreishi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine and Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nasehi
- Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran.,Cognitive and Neuroscience Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.,Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Sequeira-Cordero A, Brenes JC. Time-dependent changes in striatal monoamine levels and gene expression following single and repeated amphetamine administration in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 904:174148. [PMID: 33961872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
As drug addiction may result from pathological usurpations of learning and memory's neural mechanisms, we focused on the amphetamine-induced time-dependent neurochemical changes associated with neural plasticity. We used juvenile rats as the risk for drug abuse is higher during adolescence. Experiment 1 served to define the appropriate amphetamine dose and the neurochemical effects of a single administration. In experiment 2, rats received seven amphetamine or saline injections in the open-field test throughout a twelve-day period. We measured the mRNA levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), the microRNA-132, the Rho GTPase-activating protein 32 (p250GAP), the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and monoamines and amino-acids contents in the nucleus accumbens and the dorsal striatum 45, 90, and 180 min after the last injection. We found that amphetamine changed gene expression only at certain time points and in a dose and region-dependent manner. Repeated but not single administrations upregulated accumbal and striatal BDNF (180 min) and striatal pri-miR-132 (90 min) expression, while downregulated accumbal CREB levels (90 min). As only some drug users develop addiction, we compared brain parameters between low and high amphetamine responders. Prone subjects characterized by having reduced striatal 5-HT metabolism, higher accumbal BDNF and TrkB expression, and lower levels of CREB in the dorsal striatum and p250GAP in both regions. Thus, individual differences in drug-induced changes in neurotransmission and gene expression in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways may underlie the plasticity adaptations associated with behavioral sensitization to amphetamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - Juan C Brenes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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Prenatal Opioid Exposure Enhances Responsiveness to Future Drug Reward and Alters Sensitivity to Pain: A Review of Preclinical Models and Contributing Mechanisms. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0393-20.2020. [PMID: 33060181 PMCID: PMC7768284 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0393-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid crisis has resulted in an unprecedented number of neonates born with prenatal opioid exposure (POE); however, the long-term effects of POE on offspring behavior and neurodevelopment remain relatively unknown. The advantages and disadvantages of the various preclinical POE models developed over the last several decades are discussed in the context of clinical and translational relevance. Although considerable and important variability exists among preclinical models of POE, the examination of these preclinical models has revealed that opioid exposure during the prenatal period contributes to maladaptive behavioral development as offspring mature including an altered responsiveness to rewarding drugs and increased pain response. The present review summarizes key findings demonstrating the impact of POE on offspring drug self-administration (SA), drug consumption, the reinforcing properties of drugs, drug tolerance, and other reward-related behaviors such as hypersensitivity to pain. Potential underlying molecular mechanisms which may contribute to this enhanced addictive phenotype in POE offspring are further discussed with special attention given to key brain regions associated with reward including the striatum, prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), hippocampus, and amygdala. Improvements in preclinical models and further areas of study are also identified which may advance the translational value of findings and help address the growing problem of POE in clinical populations.
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Simmler LD, Blakely RD. The SERT Met172 Mouse: An Engineered Model To Elucidate the Contributions of Serotonin Signaling to Cocaine Action. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3053-3060. [PMID: 30817127 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine abuse and addiction remain highly prevalent and, unfortunately, poorly treated. It is well-known that essential aspects of cocaine's addictive actions involve the drug's ability to block the presynaptic dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT), thereby elevating extracellular levels of DA in brain circuits that subserve reward, reinforcement, and habit. Less well appreciated are the multiple DA-independent actions of cocaine, activities that we and others believe contribute key pieces to the puzzle of cocaine addiction, treatment, and relapse. In particular, a significant body of work points to altered serotonin (5-HT) signaling as one such component, not surprising given that, relative to DAT, cocaine acts as potently to block the 5-HT transporter (SERT) as to block DAT, and thereby elevates extracellular 5-HT levels throughout the brain when reward-eliciting DA elevations occur. To elucidate the contribution of SERT antagonism to the actions of cocaine, we engineered a mouse model that significantly reduces cocaine potency at SERT without disrupting the expression or function of SERT in vivo. In this short Perspective, we review the rationale for development of the SERT Met172 model, the studies that document the pharmacological impact of the Ile172Met substitution in vitro and in vivo, and our findings with the model that demonstrate serotonergic contributions to the genetic, physiological, and behavioral actions of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda D. Simmler
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Randy D. Blakely
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine and Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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Salman T, Nawaz S, Waraich RS, Haleem DJ. Repeated administration of methylphenidate produces reinforcement and downregulates 5-HT-1A receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens. Life Sci 2019; 218:139-146. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2018.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Chronic Oxycodone Self-administration Altered Reward-related Genes in the Ventral and Dorsal Striatum of C57BL/6J Mice: An RNA-seq Analysis. Neuroscience 2018; 393:333-349. [PMID: 30059705 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Prescription opioid abuse, for example of oxycodone, is a pressing public health issue. This study focuses on how chronic oxycodone self-administration (SA) affects the reward pathways in the mouse brain. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the expression of reward-related genes in the ventral and dorsal striatum, areas involved in different aspects of opioid addiction models, was altered within 1 h after chronic oxycodone SA, using transcriptome-wide sequencing (RNA-seq). Based on results from earlier human genetic and rodent preclinical studies, we focused on a set of genes that may be associated with the development of addictive diseases and the rewarding effect of drugs of abuse, primarily in the opioid, stress response and classical neurotransmitter systems. We found that 32 transcripts in the ventral striatum, and 7 in the dorsal striatum, were altered significantly in adult mice that had self-administered oxycodone (n = 5) for 14 consecutive days (4 h/day) compared with yoked saline controls (n = 5). The following 5 genes in the ventral striatum showed experiment-wise significant changes: proopiomelanocortin (Pomc) and serotonin 5-HT-2A receptor (Htr2a) were upregulated; serotonin receptor 7 (Htr7), galanin receptor1 (Galr1) and glycine receptor 1 (Glra1) were downregulated. Some genes detected by RNA-seq were confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Conclusion: A RNA-seq study shows that chronic oxycodone SA alters the expression of several reward-related genes in the dorsal and ventral striatum. These results suggest potential mechanisms underlying neuronal adaptation to chronic oxycodone self-exposure, of relevance to our mechanistic understanding of prescription opioid abuse.
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Childs JE, DeLeon J, Nickel E, Kroener S. Vagus nerve stimulation reduces cocaine seeking and alters plasticity in the extinction network. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 24:35-42. [PMID: 27980074 PMCID: PMC5159656 DOI: 10.1101/lm.043539.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Drugs of abuse cause changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and associated regions that impair inhibitory control over drug-seeking. Breaking the contingencies between drug-associated cues and the delivery of the reward during extinction learning reduces rates of relapse. Here we used vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to induce targeted synaptic plasticity to facilitate extinction of appetitive behaviors and to reduce relapse. Rats self-administered cocaine and were given VNS during extinction. Relapse to drug-seeking was assessed in a cued reinstatement session. We used immunohistochemistry to measure changes in the expression of the phosphorylated transcription factor cAMP response-element binding protein (pCREB) in the PFC and the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which regulate cue learning and extinction. In vivo recordings of evoked field potentials measured drug- and VNS-induced changes in metaplasticity in the pathway from the PFC to the BLA. VNS-treated rats showed improved rates of extinction and reduced reinstatement. Following reinstatement, pCREB levels were reduced in the IL and BLA of VNS-treated rats. Evoked responses in the BLA were greatly reduced in VNS-treated rats, and these rats were also resistant to the induction of LTD. Taken together, these results show that VNS facilitates extinction and reduces reinstatement. Changes in the pathway between the PFC and the amygdala may contribute to these beneficial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Childs
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Jaime DeLeon
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Emily Nickel
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
| | - Sven Kroener
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, USA
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Neurochemical substrates of the rewarding effects of MDMA: implications for the development of pharmacotherapies to MDMA dependence. Behav Pharmacol 2016; 27:116-32. [PMID: 26650254 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, studies with animal models of reward, such as the intracranial self-stimulation, self-administration, and conditioned place preference paradigms, have increased our knowledge on the neurochemical substrates of the rewarding effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) in rodents. However, pharmacological and neuroimaging studies with human participants are scarce. Serotonin [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)], dopamine (DA), endocannabinoids, and endogenous opiates are the main neurotransmitter systems involved in the rewarding effects of MDMA in rodents, but other neurotransmitters such as glutamate, acetylcholine, adenosine, and neurotensin are also involved. The most important finding of recent research is the demonstration of differential involvement of specific neurotransmitter receptor subtypes (5-HT2, 5-HT3, DA D1, DA D2, CB1, μ and δ opioid, etc.) and extracellular proteins (DA and 5-HT transporters) in the acquisition, expression, extinction, and reinstatement of MDMA self-administration and conditioned place preference. It is important to extend the research on the effects of different compounds acting on these receptors/transporters in animal models of reward, especially in priming-induced, cue-induced, and stress-induced reinstatement. Increase in knowledge of the neurochemical substrates of the rewarding effects of MDMA may contribute to the design of new pharmacological treatments for individuals who develop MDMA dependence.
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Zhang G, Cinalli D, Cohen SJ, Knapp KD, Rios LM, Martínez-Hernández J, Luján R, Stackman RW. Examination of the hippocampal contribution to serotonin 5-HT2A receptor-mediated facilitation of object memory in C57BL/6J mice. Neuropharmacology 2016; 109:332-340. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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15
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Kaplan SV, Limbocker RA, Gehringer RC, Divis JL, Osterhaus GL, Newby MD, Sofis MJ, Jarmolowicz DP, Newman BD, Mathews TA, Johnson MA. Impaired Brain Dopamine and Serotonin Release and Uptake in Wistar Rats Following Treatment with Carboplatin. ACS Chem Neurosci 2016; 7:689-99. [PMID: 27145395 PMCID: PMC4911621 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.5b00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
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Chemotherapy-induced
cognitive impairment, known also as “chemobrain”,
is a medical complication of cancer treatment that is characterized
by a general decline in cognition affecting visual and verbal memory,
attention, complex problem solving skills, and motor function. It
is estimated that one-third of patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment
will experience cognitive impairment. Alterations in the release and
uptake of dopamine and serotonin, central nervous system neurotransmitters
that play important roles in cognition, could potentially contribute
to impaired intellectual performance in those impacted by chemobrain.
To investigate how chemotherapy treatment affects these systems, fast-scan
cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) at carbon-fiber microelectrodes was used
to measure dopamine and serotonin release and uptake in coronal brain
slices containing the striatum and dorsal raphe nucleus, respectively.
Measurements were taken from rats treated weekly with selected doses
of carboplatin and from control rats treated with saline. Modeling
the stimulated dopamine release plots revealed an impairment of dopamine
release per stimulus pulse (80% of saline control at 5 mg/kg and 58%
at 20 mg/kg) after 4 weeks of carboplatin treatment. Moreover, Vmax, the maximum uptake rate of dopamine, was
also decreased (55% of saline control at 5 mg/kg and 57% at 20 mg/kg).
Nevertheless, overall dopamine content, measured in striatal brain
lysates by high performance liquid chromatography, and reserve pool
dopamine, measured by FSCV after pharmacological manipulation, did
not significantly change, suggesting that chemotherapy treatment selectively
impairs the dopamine release and uptake processes. Similarly, serotonin
release upon electrical stimulation was impaired (45% of saline control
at 20 mg/kg). Measurements of spatial learning discrimination were
taken throughout the treatment period and carboplatin was found to
alter cognition. These studies support the need for additional neurochemical
and behavioral analyses to identify the underlying mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced
cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Brooke D. Newman
- Department
of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202 United States
| | - Tiffany A. Mathews
- Department
of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202 United States
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Thanos PK, Malave L, Delis F, Mangine P, Kane K, Grunseich A, Vitale M, Greengard P, Volkow ND. Knockout ofp11attenuates the acquisition and reinstatement of cocaine conditioned place preference in male but not in female mice. Synapse 2016; 70:293-301. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.21904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Panayotis K. Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Lauren Malave
- Department of Biology; City College of New York; New York New York
| | - Foteini Delis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine; University of Ioannina; Ioannina Greece
| | - Paul Mangine
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Katie Kane
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Adam Grunseich
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Melissa Vitale
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions; Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo; Buffalo New York
| | - Paul Greengard
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience; the Rockefeller University; New York New York
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda Maryland
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MDMA self-administration fails to alter the behavioral response to 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(1B) agonists. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1323-30. [PMID: 26856854 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Regular use of the street drug, ecstasy, produces a number of cognitive and behavioral deficits. One possible mechanism for these deficits is functional changes in serotonin (5-HT) receptors as a consequence of prolonged 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-produced 5-HT release. Of particular interest are the 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(1B) receptor subtypes since they have been implicated in several of the behaviors that have been shown to be impacted in ecstasy users and in animals exposed to MDMA. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine the effect of extensive MDMA self-administration on behavioral responses to the 5-HT(1A) agonist, 8-hydroxy-2-(n-dipropylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), and the 5-HT(1B/1A) agonist, RU 24969. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered a total of 350 mg/kg MDMA, or vehicle, over 20-58 daily self-administration sessions. Two days after the last self-administration session, the hyperactive response to 8-OH-DPAT (0.03-1.0 mg/kg) or the adipsic response to RU 24969 (0.3-3.0 mg/kg) were assessed. RESULTS 8-OH-DPAT dose dependently increased horizontal activity, but this response was not altered by MDMA self-administration. The dose-response curve for RU 24969-produced adipsia was also not altered by MDMA self-administration. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive and behavioral deficits produced by repeated exposure to MDMA self-administration are not likely due to alterations in 5-HT(1A) or 5-HT(1B) receptor mechanisms.
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Attenuated methamphetamine-induced locomotor sensitization in serotonin transporter knockout mice is restored by serotonin 1B receptor antagonist treatment. Behav Pharmacol 2015; 26:167-79. [PMID: 25485646 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Repeated administration of methamphetamine (METH) enhances acute locomotor responses to METH administered in the same context, a phenomenon termed as 'locomotor sensitization'. Although many of the acute effects of METH are mediated by its influences on the compartmentalization of dopamine, serotonin systems have also been suggested to influence the behavioral effects of METH in ways that are not fully understood. The present experiments examined serotonergic roles in METH-induced locomotor sensitization by assessing: (a) the effect of serotonin transporter (SERT; Slc6A4) knockout (KO) on METH-induced locomotor sensitization; (b) extracellular monoamine levels in METH-treated animals as determined by in-vivo microdialysis; and (c) effects of serotonin (5-HT) receptor antagonists on METH-induced behavioral sensitization, with focus on effects of the 5-HT1B receptor antagonist SB 216641 and a comparison with the 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin. Repeated METH administration failed to induce behavioral sensitization in homozygous SERT KO (SERT-/-) mice under conditions that produced substantial sensitization in wild-type or heterozygous SERT KO (SERT+/-) mice. The selective 5-HT1B antagonist receptor SB 216641 restored METH-induced locomotor sensitization in SERT-/- mice, whereas ketanserin was ineffective. METH-induced increases in extracellular 5-HT (5-HTex) levels were substantially reduced in SERT-/- mice, although SERT genotype had no effect on METH-induced increases in extracellular dopamine. These experiments demonstrate that 5-HT actions, including those at 5-HT1B receptors, contribute to METH-induced locomotor sensitization. Modulation of 5-HT1B receptors might aid therapeutic approaches to the sequelae of chronic METH use.
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Deconstructing 5-HT6 receptor effects on striatal circuit function. Neuroscience 2015; 299:97-106. [PMID: 25934037 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) constitute 95% of neurons in the dorsal striatum subdivided into direct (striatonigral) and indirect (striatopallidal) pathways. Whereas D1 and D2 receptors and several neuropeptides, including dynorphin and enkephalin, are differentially expressed in these neurons, 5-hydroxytryptamine 6 receptors (5-HT6) are expressed in both pathways. Previous results demonstrate that concurrent 5-HT6 receptor overexpression in MSNs of both pathways in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) interferes with instrumental learning and that 5-HT6 overexpression in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) relieves rats from inflexible habitual behaviors. We hypothesized that 5-HT6 receptor-mediated co-activation of both pathways interferes with the differential activation/inhibition of direct/indirect pathways by dopamine. To test this idea, we cloned novel viral vectors to selectively overexpress 5-HT6 receptors in direct or indirect pathway MSNs to deconstruct their role in modulating instrumental learning and habitual responding. We found that increasing 5-HT6 receptor expression in either direct or indirect pathway MSNs of the posterior DMS selectively enhanced or impaired initial acquisition of a discrete instrumental learning task respectively, though all rats were ultimately able to learn the task. In a separate set of experiments, 5-HT6 receptor overexpression in indirect pathway MSNs of the DLS facilitated behavioral flexibility in rats overtrained on a repetitive pressing task using a variable interval schedule of reinforcement, during an omission contingency training session and subsequent probe testing. Together these findings further the notion that 5-HT6 signaling causes balanced activation of opposing MSN pathways by serotonin in sub-regions of the dorsal striatum allowing for more reflective modalities of behavior.
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20
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Inhibition of apomorphine-induced conditioned place preference in rats co-injected with buspirone: relationship with serotonin and dopamine in the striatum. Brain Res 2014; 1586:73-82. [PMID: 25160128 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2014] [Revised: 06/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Apomorphine is a non-narcotic derivative of morphine, which acts as a dopamine agonist to produce psychostimulant like effects. Currently, apomorphine is used in patients with advanced Parkinson׳s disease, for the treatment of persistent and disabling motor fluctuations, but a constellation of addictive syndromes such as excessive over use of medication, compulsive behaviors, and disturbances of impulse control are noticed in certain patients. Research on rodent models using conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm also shows that the drug is rewarding. Previously we have shown that repeated administration of apomorphine produces behavioral sensitization which is prevented in rats co-injected with a low (1.0mg/kg) but not higher (2.0mg/kg) dose of buspirone. The present study shows that rewarding effects of apomorphine (1.0mg/kg) in a CPP paradigm are also blocked in rats co-injected with a low (1.0mg/kg) but not higher (2.0mg/kg) dose of buspirone. The levels of serotonin and its metabolite are decreased in the caudate as well as nucleus accumbens of rats exhibiting CPP and the decreases do not occur in animals co-injected with low or higher dose of buspirone. The levels of dopamine and its metabolites are not affected in animals exhibiting CPP; administration as well as co-administration of higher dose of buspirone decreased dopamine metabolism in the caudate as well as nucleus accumbens. The findings suggest a critical role of serotonin in the rewarding effects of apomorphine and imply that co-use of buspirone at low doses can help to control addictive syndromes in Parkinson׳s disease patients on apomorphine therapy.
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21
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The role of serotonin in memory: interactions with neurotransmitters and downstream signaling. Exp Brain Res 2014; 232:723-38. [PMID: 24430027 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3818-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is found to be involved in many physiological or pathophysiological processes including cognitive function. Seven distinct receptors (5-HT1-7), each with several subpopulations, have been identified for serotonin, which are different in terms of localization and downstream signaling. Because of the development of selective agonists and antagonists for these receptors as well as transgenic animal models of cognitive disorders, our understanding of the role of serotonergic transmission in learning and memory has improved in recent years. A large body of evidence indicates the interplay between serotonergic transmission and other neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate, in the neurobiological control of learning and memory. In addition, there has been an alteration in the density of serotonergic receptors in aging and Alzheimer's disease, and serotonin modulators are found to alter the process of amyloidogenesis and exert cognitive-enhancing properties. Here, we discuss the serotonin-induced modulation of various systems involved in mnesic function including cholinergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic, glutamatergic transmissions as well as amyloidogenesis and intracellular pathways.
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22
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Sarnyai Z, Kovács GL. Oxytocin in learning and addiction: From early discoveries to the present. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 119:3-9. [PMID: 24280016 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OXT) has a plethora of effects on brain function. This review provides a historical overview of the development of research on OXT and drug addiction. By focusing on research that has emerged from our laboratories, we describe how early discoveries of the influence of OXT on learning and memory processes and the emerging conceptualization of addiction as 'pathological learning' have contributed to the demonstration that OXT effectively attenuates long-term neuroadaptation related to opiate and psychostimulant addiction. Through integrating earlier evidence with recent discoveries of the social/affiliative role of OXT, we propose that OXT may interfere with reward and addiction by influencing neurobiological processes involved in stress, learning and memory and social/affiliative behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Sarnyai
- Discipline of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
| | - Gábor L Kovács
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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Serotonin 1A, 1B, and 7 receptors of the rat medial nucleus accumbens differentially regulate feeding, water intake, and locomotor activity. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2013; 112:96-103. [PMID: 24125784 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2013.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Revised: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) signaling has been widely implicated in the regulation of feeding behaviors in both humans and animal models. Recently, we reported that co-stimulation of 5-HT1&7 receptors of the anterior medial nucleus accumbens with the drug 5-CT caused a dose-dependent decrease in food intake, water intake, and locomotion in rats (Pratt et al., 2009). The current experiments sought to determine which of three serotonin receptor subtypes (5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, or 5-HT7) might be responsible for these consummatory and locomotor effects. Food-deprived rats were given 2-h access to rat chow after stimulation of nucleus accumbens 5-HT1A, 5-HT1B, or 5-HT7 receptors, or blockade of the 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptors. Stimulation of 5-HT1A receptors with 8-OH-DPAT (at 0.0, 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 μg/0.5 μl/side) caused a dose-dependent decrease in food and water intake, and reduced rearing behavior but not ambulation. In contrast, rats that received the 5-HT1B agonist CP 93129 (at 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 μg/0.5 μl/side) showed a significant dose-dependent decrease in water intake only; stimulation of 5-HT7 receptors (AS 19; at 0.0, 1.0, and 5.0 μg/0.5 μl/side) decreased ambulatory activity but did not affect food or water consumption. Blockade of 5-HT1A or 5-HT1B receptors had no lasting effects on measures of food consumption. These data suggest that the food intake, water intake, and locomotor effects seen after medial nucleus accumbens injections of 5-CT are due to actions on separate serotonin receptor subtypes, and contribute to growing evidence for selective roles of individual serotonin receptors within the nucleus accumbens on motivated behavior.
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24
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Herin DV, Bubar MJ, Seitz PK, Thomas ML, Hillman GR, Tarasenko YI, Wu P, Cunningham KA. Elevated Expression of Serotonin 5-HT(2A) Receptors in the Rat Ventral Tegmental Area Enhances Vulnerability to the Behavioral Effects of Cocaine. Front Psychiatry 2013; 4:2. [PMID: 23390419 PMCID: PMC3565455 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopamine mesocorticoaccumbens pathway which originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex is a circuit important in mediating the actions of psychostimulants. The function of this circuit is modulated by the actions of serotonin (5-HT) at 5-HT(2A) receptors (5-HT(2A)R) localized to the VTA. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that virally mediated overexpression of 5-HT(2A)R in the VTA would increase cocaine-evoked locomotor activity in the absence of alterations in basal locomotor activity. A plasmid containing the gene for the 5-HT(2A)R linked to a synthetic marker peptide (Flag) was created and the construct was packaged in an adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV-5-HT(2A)R-Flag). This viral vector (2 μl; 10(9-10) transducing units/ml) was unilaterally infused into the VTA of male rats, while control animals received an intra-VTA infusion of Ringer's solution. Virus-pretreated rats exhibited normal spontaneous locomotor activity measured in a modified open-field apparatus at 7, 14, and 21 days following infusion. After an injection of cocaine (15 mg/kg, ip), both horizontal hyperactivity and rearing were significantly enhanced in virus-treated rats (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed expression of Flag and overexpression of the 5-HT(2A)R protein. These data indicate that the vulnerability of adult male rats to hyperactivity induced by cocaine is enhanced following increased levels of expression of the 5-HT(2A)R in the VTA and suggest that the 5-HT(2A)R receptor in the VTA plays a role in regulation of responsiveness to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V Herin
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX, USA ; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, TX, USA
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25
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Graves SM, Rafeyan R, Watts J, Napier TC. Mirtazapine, and mirtazapine-like compounds as possible pharmacotherapy for substance abuse disorders: evidence from the bench and the bedside. Pharmacol Ther 2012; 136:343-53. [PMID: 22960395 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2012.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2012] [Accepted: 08/16/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding substance use disorders (SUDs) and the problems associated with abstinence has grown in recent years. Nonetheless, highly efficacious treatment targeting relapse prevention has remained elusive, and there remains no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for psychostimulant dependence. Preclinical and clinical investigations assessing the utility of classical antidepressants, which block monoamine reuptake, show mixed and often contradictory results. Mirtazapine (Remeron®) is a unique FDA-approved antidepressant, with negligible affinity for reuptake proteins, indirectly augments monoamine transmission presumably through antagonist activity at multiple receptors including the norepinephrine (NE)(α2), and serotonin (5-HT)(2A/C) receptors. Historically, mirtazapine was also considered to be a 5-HT(2C) antagonist, but recent evidence indicates that mirtazapine is an inverse agonist at this receptor subtype. Suggesting a promising role for mixed-action serotonergic drugs for addiction pharmacotherapy, mirtazapine attenuates psychostimulant-induced behaviors in several rodent models of substance abuse, and antagonizes methamphetamine-induced biochemical and electrophysiological alterations in rats. Preclinical findings are confirmed through published case studies documenting successful outcomes with mirtazapine therapy across a number of SUDs. To date, a large scale clinical trial assessing the utility of mirtazapine in substance abuse pharmacotherapy has yet to be conducted. However, as reviewed here, accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence argues that mirtazapine, or compounds that emulate aspects of its pharmacological profile, may prove useful in helping treat addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Graves
- Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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26
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Ding C, Bremer NM, Smith TD, Seitz PK, Anastasio NC, Cunningham KA, Zhou J. Exploration of synthetic approaches and pharmacological evaluation of PNU-69176E and its stereoisomer as 5-HT2C receptor allosteric modulators. ACS Chem Neurosci 2012; 3:538-45. [PMID: 22860223 DOI: 10.1021/cn300020x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosteric modulators of the serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT(2C) receptor (5-HT(2C)R) present a unique drug design strategy to augment the response to endogenous 5-HT in a site- and event-specific manner with great potential as novel central nervous system probes and therapeutics. To date, PNU-69176E is the only reported selective positive allosteric modulator for the 5-HT(2C)R. For the first time, an optimized synthetic route to readily access PNU-69176E (1) and its diastereomer 2 has been established in moderate to good overall yields over 10 steps starting from commercially available picolinic acid. This synthetic approach not only enables a feasible preparation of a sufficient amount of 1 for use as a reference compound for secondary pharmacological studies, but also provides an efficient synthesis of key intermediates to develop novel and simplified 5-HT(2C)R allosteric modulators. Compound 1 and its diastereomer 2 were functionally characterized in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells stably transfected with the 5-HT(2C)R using an intracellular calcium (Ca(i) (2+)) release assay. Compound 1 demonstrated efficacy and potency as an allosteric modulator for the 5-HT(2C)R with no intrinsic agonist activity. Compound 1 did not alter 5-HT-evoked Ca(i) (2+) in CHO cells stably transfected with the highly homologous 5-HT(2A)R. In contrast, the diastereomer 2 did not alter 5-HT-evoked Ca(i) (2+) release in 5-HT(2A)R-CHO or 5-HT(2C)R-CHO cells or exhibit intrinsic agonist activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyong Ding
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Nicole M. Bremer
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Thressa D. Smith
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Patricia K. Seitz
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Noelle C. Anastasio
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Kathryn A. Cunningham
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
| | - Jia Zhou
- Chemical
Biology Program, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, ‡Center for Addiction
Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, Texas 77555, United States
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Individual differences in the improvement of cocaine-induced place preference response by the 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB242084 in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 220:731-40. [PMID: 21989806 PMCID: PMC3314106 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2524-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Accepted: 09/26/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) receptors have been shown to be differentially involved in modulating cocaine-induced behaviors. In this study we investigated the effects of the 5-HT(2A) antagonist MDL100907 (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) and the 5-HT(2C) antagonist SB242084 (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) on development, expression, and recall of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in high- (HR) and low-responder (LR) rats to novelty. RESULTS First, we examined the effects of MDL100907 and SB242084 on development of cocaine-induced CPP. Our results indicated that LR, but not HR, animals conditioned with SB242084 + cocaine showed a significantly higher CPP response than controls. This effect was long lasting, as it was still present 30 days after the last conditioning session. Second, we investigated the acute effects of MDL100907 and SB242084 on CPP expression 24 h after cocaine conditioning. Again, our data showed that SB242084 significantly enhanced the expression of cocaine CPP in LR, but not HR animals. Finally, we studied the acute effects of MDL100907 and SB242084 on CPP recall 30 days after cocaine conditioning. Neither MDL100907 nor SB242084 significantly affected the CPP response regardless of the rats' behavioral phenotype. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study investigating the contribution of 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2C) receptors on development, expression, and recall of cocaine-induced CPP in the HR-LR model of individual vulnerability to drug abuse. Our results show that SB242084 differentially modulates development and expression of CPP in HR vs. LR rats and suggest that 5-HT(2C) receptors play a key role in individual differences on cocaine reward-related learning/memory processes.
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Schenk S, Gittings D, Colussi-Mas J. Dopaminergic mechanisms of reinstatement of MDMA-seeking behaviour in rats. Br J Pharmacol 2011; 162:1770-80. [PMID: 21198550 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.01193.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Animal models of drug-seeking suggest that exposure to cues associated with self-administered drugs and drug primes might precipitate relapse via activation of central dopaminergic substrates. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of priming injections of dopamine and 5-HT agonists on drug-seeking and effects of dopamine antagonists on methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-produced potentiation of drug-seeking following extinguished MDMA self-administration were examined. KEY RESULTS Drug-seeking was produced by exposure to a light stimulus that had been paired with self-administered MDMA infusions and this effect was potentiated by experimenter-administered injections of the dopamine D(2) -like receptor agonist, quinpirole, the indirect agonist, amphetamine and the uptake inhibitor, GBR 12909. Drug-seeking was not elicited by the dopamine D(1) -like receptor agonist, SKF 81297 or the non-selective agonist, apomorphine. The 5-HT receptor agonists DOI or mCPP also failed to elicit drug-seeking. The 5-HT uptake inhibitor, clomipramine, attenuated drug-seeking produced by the MDMA-associated stimulus but failed to alter the potentiated response produced by GBR 12909. The D(1) receptor antagonist, SCH 23390 or the D(2) receptor antagonist, eticlopride attenuated the potentiation of drug-seeking produced by MDMA. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data provide evidence of dopaminergic mechanisms in drug-seeking following extinction of MDMA self-administration. Because tissue levels of 5-HT were significantly decreased following MDMA self-administration, we suggest that MDMA begins to preferentially activate dopaminergic substrates to potentiate the drug-seeking response.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Schenk
- Victoria University of Wellington, School of Psychology, Wellington, New Zealand.
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Kaun KR, Azanchi R, Maung Z, Hirsh J, Heberlein U. A Drosophila model for alcohol reward. Nat Neurosci 2011; 14:612-9. [PMID: 21499254 PMCID: PMC4249630 DOI: 10.1038/nn.2805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The rewarding properties of drugs contribute to the development of abuse and addiction. We developed a new assay for investigating the motivational properties of ethanol in the genetically tractable model Drosophila melanogaster. Flies learned to associate cues with ethanol intoxication and, although transiently aversive, the experience led to a long-lasting attraction for the ethanol-paired cue, implying that intoxication is rewarding. Temporally blocking transmission in dopaminergic neurons revealed that flies require activation of these neurons to express, but not develop, conditioned preference for ethanol-associated cues. Moreover, flies acquired, consolidated and retrieved these rewarding memories using distinct sets of neurons in the mushroom body. Finally, mutations in scabrous, encoding a fibrinogen-related peptide that regulates Notch signaling, disrupted the formation of memories for ethanol reward. Our results thus establish that Drosophila can be useful for understanding the molecular, genetic and neural mechanisms underling the rewarding properties of ethanol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla R Kaun
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA.
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Cunningham KA, Bubar MJ, Anastasio NC. The serotonin 5-HT2C receptor in medial prefrontal cortex exerts rheostatic control over the motivational salience of cocaine-associated cues: new observations from preclinical animal research. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:2319-21. [PMID: 20948510 PMCID: PMC3055336 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Cunningham
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UTMB Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555–0617, USA.
| | - Marcy J Bubar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UTMB Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Noelle C Anastasio
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, UTMB Center for Addiction Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Contrasting effects of systemic and central sibutramine administration on the intake of a palatable diet in the rat. Neurosci Lett 2010; 484:30-4. [PMID: 20705119 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2010] [Revised: 07/28/2010] [Accepted: 08/04/2010] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sibutramine hydrochloride monohydrate is the only centrally active weight-modifying agent currently approved by the FDA for long-term use in the treatment of obesity. Systemic sibutramine treatment has been shown to reduce food intake in humans and rodent models in a manner that is consistent with the enhancement of satiety mechanisms. Although it is generally assumed that the hypophagic effects of the drug are mediated by actions within the brain, the locus or loci of these effects remains unclear. These experiments compared the effects of systemic and intracranial injections of sibutramine on the intake of a palatable diet in non-deprived animals. Consistent with prior reports, systemic injections of sibutramine hydrochloride (at 0, 0.5, 1.0, or 3.0mg/kg sibutramine i.p.) dose-dependently reduced feeding on a high fat/high sucrose diet across a 2-h feeding session, but did not alter water intake or locomotor activity. In contrast, bilateral injections of sibutramine (at 0.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 10.0μg/0.5μl/side) into either the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) or the medial nucleus accumbens shell (ACb) significantly and dose-dependently increased food intake of the sweetened fat diet. ACb treatment also modestly inhibited locomotor behavior; intracranial injections had no effect on water consumption. These experiments are the first to suggest that sibutramine treatment may have distinct actions upon separate neural circuits that modulate food intake behavior in the rat.
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5-HT6 antagonism attenuates cue-induced relapse to cocaine seeking without affecting cocaine reinforcement. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2010; 13:961-5. [PMID: 20426879 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145710000428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Re-exposure to drug-related cues elicits drug-seeking behaviour and relapse in humans even after months of abstinence. Similarly, in laboratory rats, drug-associated stimuli reinstate cocaine seeking after prolonged withdrawal periods, thus providing a model to study mechanisms underlying cocaine relapse. 5-HT6 receptors (5-HT6Rs) are abundantly expressed in brain areas such as the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex, which are critically involved in cocaine reinforcement and relapse. Nevertheless, the role of 5-HT6Rs in relapse mechanisms has not been investigated. We report here that the 5-HT6R antagonists SB-271046 and Ro-04-6790 significantly attenuate cue-induced cocaine seeking. However, effective doses of both 5-HT6R antagonists did not affect cocaine self-administration. This indicates that 5-HT6Rs are specifically involved in the secondary reinforcing properties of cocaine, leaving primary reinforcement and ability to perform an operant response unaffected. As such, 5-HT6Rs may represent a novel target for the prevention of relapse to cocaine seeking.
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Berg KA, Clarke WP, Cunningham KA, Spampinato U. Fine-tuning serotonin2c receptor function in the brain: molecular and functional implications. Neuropharmacology 2008; 55:969-76. [PMID: 18602407 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2008] [Revised: 06/05/2008] [Accepted: 06/09/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The serotonin(2C) receptor (5-HT(2C)R) is a member of the serotonin(2) family of 7-transmembrane-spanning (7-TMS) receptors, which possesses unique molecular and pharmacological properties such as constitutive activity and RNA editing. The 5-HT(2C)R is widely expressed within the central nervous system, where is thought to play a major role in the regulation of neuronal network excitability. In keeping with its ability to modulate dopamine (DA) neuron function in the brain, the 5-HT(2C)R is currently considered as a major target for improved treatments of neuropsychiatric disorders related to DA neuron dysfunction, such as depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease or drug addiction. The aim of this review is to provide an update of the functional status of the central 5-HT(2C)R, covering molecular, cellular, anatomical, biochemical and behavioral aspects to highlight its distinctive regulatory properties, the emerging functional significance of constitutive activity and RNA editing in vivo, and the therapeutic potential of inverse agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Berg
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA
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