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Gatta E, Camussi D, Auta J, Guidotti A, Pandey SC. Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone) and alcohol use disorder: From mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108299. [PMID: 36323379 PMCID: PMC9810076 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a multifaceted relapsing disorder that is commonly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, including anxiety. Alcohol exposure produces a plethora of effects on neurobiology. Currently, therapeutic strategies are limited, and only a few treatments - disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone - are available. Given the complexity of this disorder, there is a great need for the identification of novel targets to develop new pharmacotherapy. The GABAergic system, the primary inhibitory system in the brain, is one of the well-known targets for alcohol and is responsible for the anxiolytic effects of alcohol. Interestingly, GABAergic neurotransmission is fine-tuned by neuroactive steroids that exert a regulatory role on several endocrine systems involved in neuropsychiatric disorders including AUD. Mounting evidence indicates that alcohol alters the biosynthesis of neurosteroids, whereas acute alcohol increases and chronic alcohol decreases allopregnanolone levels. Our recent work highlighted that chronic alcohol-induced changes in neurosteroid levels are mediated by epigenetic modifications, e.g., DNA methylation, affecting key enzymes involved in neurosteroid biosynthesis. These changes were associated with changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression, suggesting an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in AUD. This review will recapitulate the role of neurosteroids in the regulation of the neuroendocrine system, highlight their role in the observed allostatic load in AUD, and develop a framework from mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Diletta Camussi
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Sparrow EL, James S, Hussain K, Beers SA, Cragg MS, Bogdanov YD. Activation of GABA(A) receptors inhibits T cell proliferation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251632. [PMID: 34014994 PMCID: PMC8136847 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The major sites for fast synaptic inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS) are ion channels activated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These receptors are referred as GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A)R). Recent evidence indicates a role of GABA(A)R in modulating the immune response. This work aimed to discern the role of GABA and GABA(A)Rs in human and mouse T cell activity. METHODS Mouse splenocytes or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were activated with anti-CD3 antibodies and the proliferation of both CD8+ and CD4+ T cells assessed through flow cytometry. Subsequently, the effects on T cell proliferation of either GABA(A)R modulation by diazepam that is also capable of activating mitochondrial based translocator protein (TSPO), alprazolam and allopregnanolone or inhibition by bicucculine methiodide (BMI) and (1,2,5,6-Tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)methylphosphinic acid (TPMPA) were assessed. RESULTS Positive modulation of GABA(A)Rs either by benzodiazepines or the neurosteroid allopregnanolone inhibits both mouse and human T cell proliferation. GABAergic inhibition of T cell proliferation by benzodiazepines could be rescued by GABA(A)R blocking. Our data suggest that benzodiazepines influence T cell proliferation through both TSPO and GABA(A)Rs activation. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that activation of GABA(A)Rs provides immunosuppression by inhibiting T cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Sparrow
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
| | - Sonya James
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
| | - Khiyam Hussain
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen A. Beers
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
| | - Mark S. Cragg
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
| | - Yury D. Bogdanov
- Antibody and Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, MP127, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, Hants, United Kingdom
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Wan F, Zhu Y, Hu H, Dai A, Cai X, Chen L, Gong H, Xia T, Yang D, Wang MW, Zeng J. DeepCPI: A Deep Learning-based Framework for Large-scale in silico Drug Screening. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2020; 17:478-495. [PMID: 32035227 PMCID: PMC7056933 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Accurate identification of compound–protein interactions (CPIs) in silico may deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of drug action and thus remarkably facilitate drug discovery and development. Conventional similarity- or docking-based computational methods for predicting CPIs rarely exploit latent features from currently available large-scale unlabeled compound and protein data and often limit their usage to relatively small-scale datasets. In the present study, we propose DeepCPI, a novel general and scalable computational framework that combines effective feature embedding (a technique of representation learning) with powerful deep learning methods to accurately predict CPIs at a large scale. DeepCPI automatically learns the implicit yet expressive low-dimensional features of compounds and proteins from a massive amount of unlabeled data. Evaluations of the measured CPIs in large-scale databases, such as ChEMBL and BindingDB, as well as of the known drug–target interactions from DrugBank, demonstrated the superior predictive performance of DeepCPI. Furthermore, several interactions among small-molecule compounds and three G protein-coupled receptor targets (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor, glucagon receptor, and vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor) predicted using DeepCPI were experimentally validated. The present study suggests that DeepCPI is a useful and powerful tool for drug discovery and repositioning. The source code of DeepCPI can be downloaded from https://github.com/FangpingWan/DeepCPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangping Wan
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yue Zhu
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hailin Hu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Antao Dai
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xiaoqing Cai
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ligong Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Haipeng Gong
- School of Life Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tian Xia
- Department of Electronics and Information Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Dehua Yang
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Ming-Wei Wang
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Jianyang Zeng
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Tian J, Dang H, Karashchuk N, Xu I, Kaufman DL. A Clinically Applicable Positive Allosteric Modulator of GABA Receptors Promotes Human β-Cell Replication and Survival as well as GABA's Ability to Inhibit Inflammatory T Cells. J Diabetes Res 2019; 2019:5783545. [PMID: 30937314 PMCID: PMC6413367 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5783545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A major goal of T1D research is to develop new approaches to increase β-cell mass and control autoreactive T cell responses. GABAA-receptors (GABAA-Rs) are promising drug targets in both those regards due to their abilities to promote β-cell replication and survival, as well as inhibit autoreactive T cell responses. We previously showed that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABAA-Rs could promote rat β-cell line INS-1 and human islet cell replication in vitro. Here, we assessed whether treatment with alprazolam, a widely prescribed GABAA-R PAM, could promote β-cell survival and replication in human islets after implantation into NOD/scid mice. We observed that alprazolam treatment significantly reduced human islet cell apoptosis following transplantation and increased β-cell replication in the xenografts. Evidently, the GABAA-R PAM works in conjunction with GABA secreted from β-cells to increase β-cell survival and replication. Treatment with both the PAM and GABA further enhanced human β-cell replication. Alprazolam also augmented the ability of suboptimal doses of GABA to inhibit antigen-specific T cell responses in vitro. Thus, combined GABAA-R agonist and PAM treatment may help control inflammatory immune responses using reduced drug dosages. Together, these findings suggest that GABAA-R PAMs represent a promising drug class for safely modulating islet cells toward beneficial outcomes to help prevent or reverse T1D and, together with a GABAA-R agonist, may have broader applications for ameliorating other disorders in which inflammation contributes to the disease process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jide Tian
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hoa Dang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nataliya Karashchuk
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Irvin Xu
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel L. Kaufman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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García-García L, Fernández de la Rosa R, Delgado M, Silván Á, Bascuñana P, Bankstahl JP, Gomez F, Pozo MA. Metyrapone prevents acute glucose hypermetabolism and short-term brain damage induced by intrahippocampal administration of 4-aminopyridine in rats. Neurochem Int 2017; 113:92-106. [PMID: 29203398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Intracerebral administration of the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) triggers neuronal depolarization and intense acute seizure activity followed by neuronal damage. We have recently shown that, in the lithium-pilocarpine rat model of status epilepticus (SE), a single administration of metyrapone, an inhibitor of the 11β-hydroxylase enzyme, had protective properties of preventive nature against signs of brain damage and neuroinflammation. Herein, our aim was to investigate to which extent, pretreatment with metyrapone (150 mg/kg, i.p.) was also able to prevent eventual changes in the acute brain metabolism and short-term neuronal damage induced by intrahippocampal injection of 4-AP (7 μg/5 μl). To this end, regional brain metabolism was assessed by 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) during the ictal period. Three days later, markers of neuronal death and hippocampal integrity and apoptosis (Nissl staining, NeuN and active caspase-3 immunohistochemistry), neurodegeneration (Fluoro-Jade C labeling), astrogliosis (glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry) and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation (in vitro [18F]GE180 autoradiography) were evaluated. 4-AP administration acutely triggered marked brain hypermetabolism within and around the site of injection as well as short-term signs of brain damage and inflammation. Most important, metyrapone pretreatment was able to reduce ictal hypermetabolism as well as all the markers of brain damage except microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Overall, our study corroborates the neuroprotective effects of metyrapone against multiple signs of brain damage caused by seizures triggered by 4-AP. Ultimately, our data add up to the consistent protective effect of metyrapone pretreatment reported in other models of neurological disorders of different etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis García-García
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rubén Fernández de la Rosa
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Delgado
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ágata Silván
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Bascuñana
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Jens P Bankstahl
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg Str 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Francisca Gomez
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología, Farmacognosia y Biología Vegetal, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel A Pozo
- Unidad de Cartografía Cerebral, Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Paseo Juan XXIII n° 1, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto Tecnológico PET, C/ Manuel Bartolomé Cossío n° 10, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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6
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Simola N, Paci E, Serra M, Costa G, Morelli M. Modulation of Rat 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalizations by Glucocorticoid Signaling: Possible Relevance to Reward and Motivation. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 21:73-83. [PMID: 29182715 PMCID: PMC5795343 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyx106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) to communicate positive emotional states, and these USVs are increasingly being investigated in preclinical studies on reward and motivation. Although it is the activation of dopamine receptors that initiates the emission of 50-kHz USVs, non-dopaminergic mechanisms may modulate calling in the 50 kHz frequency band. To further elucidate these mechanisms, the present study investigated whether the pharmacological manipulation of glucocorticoid signaling influenced calling. METHODS Rats were administered corticosterone (1-5 mg/kg, s.c.), the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist mifepristone (40 or 100 mg/kg, s.c.), or the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (50 or 100 mg/kg, i.p.). The effects of these drugs on calling initiation and on calling recorded during nonaggressive social contacts or after the administration of amphetamine (0.25 or 1 mg/kg, i.p.) were then evaluated. RESULTS Corticosterone failed to initiate the emission of 50-kHz USVs and did not influence pro-social and amphetamine-stimulated calling. Similarly, mifepristone and metyrapone did not initiate calling. However, metyrapone suppressed pro-social calling and calling stimulated by a moderate dose (1 mg/kg, i.p.) of amphetamine. Conversely, mifepristone attenuated calling stimulated by a low (0.25 mg/kg, i.p.), but not moderate (1 mg/kg, i.p.), dose of amphetamine and had no influence on pro-social calling. CONCLUSIONS The present results demonstrate that glucocorticoid signaling modulates calling in the 50 kHz frequency band only in certain conditions and suggest that mechanisms different from the inhibition of corticosterone synthesis may participate in the suppression of calling by metyrapone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Simola
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,Correspondence: Nicola Simola, PhD, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale, 72, 09124, Cagliari, Italy ()
| | - Elena Paci
- Department of Physiology, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom,Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Marcello Serra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Giulia Costa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Micaela Morelli
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuropsychopharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy,NCR, National Research Council of Italy, Neuroscience Institute, Cagliari, Italy
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Clinically applicable GABA receptor positive allosteric modulators promote ß-cell replication. Sci Rep 2017; 7:374. [PMID: 28336918 PMCID: PMC5428733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00515-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A key goal of diabetes research is to develop treatments to safely promote human ß-cell replication. It has recently become appreciated that activation of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA-Rs) on ß-cells can promote their survival and replication. A number of positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) that enhance GABA’s actions on neuronal GABAA-Rs are in clinical use. Repurposing these GABAA-R PAMs to help treat diabetes is theoretically appealing because of their safety and potential to enhance the ability of GABA, secreted from ß-cells, or exogenously administered, to promote ß-cell replication and survival. Here, we show that clinically applicable GABAA-R PAMs can increase significantly INS-1 ß-cell replication, which is enhanced by exogenous GABA application. Furthermore, a GABAA-R PAM promoted human islet cell replication in vitro. This effect was abrogated by a GABAA-R antagonist. The combination of a PAM and low levels of exogenous GABA further increased human islet cell replication. These findings suggest that PAMs may potentiate the actions of GABA secreted by islet ß-cells on GABAA-Rs and provide a new class of drugs for diabetes treatment. Finally, our findings may explain a past clinical observation of a GABAA-R PAM reducing HbA1c levels in diabetic patients.
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Keller CM, Breaux KN, Goeders NE. Effects of the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam on cocaine-induced increases in corticosterone in the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 77:75-83. [PMID: 28024272 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated that a combination of drugs (i.e., metyrapone and oxazepam) known to attenuate HPA-axis activity effectively decreases cocaine self-administration and cue reactivity in rats. However, we did not find changes in plasma corticosterone that matched the behavioral effects we observed, indicating that a different mechanism of action must be involved. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam attenuates cocaine taking and seeking by decreasing cocaine-induced increases in corticosterone in the brain. Male rats were implanted with guide cannulae targeting the medial prefrontal cortex or nucleus accumbens. After the rats recovered from surgery, the microdialysis session was conducted. Rats were housed in the experimental chamber and the dialysis probes inserted into the guide cannulae the night before the session. The following day, dialysate samples were collected over a five-hour session. Baseline samples were collected for the first two hours, every 20min. Samples were then collected following administration of cocaine (15mg/kg, ip). Before injections of cocaine, rats were pretreated with either vehicle or the combination of metyrapone (50mg/kg, ip) and oxazepam (10mg/kg, ip). The administration of cocaine resulted in an increase in corticosterone in the medial prefrontal cortex following vehicle pretreatment, which was not observed in the nucleus accumbens. This cocaine-induced increase in corticosterone was attenuated by metyrapone/oxazepam. Reducing cocaine-induced increases in corticosterone in the medial prefrontal cortex might represent a novel mechanism through which the combination of metyrapone/oxazepam produces its behavioral effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M Keller
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States.
| | - Kelly N Breaux
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States
| | - Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States
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Spence AL, Guerin GF, Goeders NE. The differential effects of alprazolam and oxazepam on methamphetamine self-administration in rats. Drug Alcohol Depend 2016; 166:209-17. [PMID: 27485488 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine is the second most commonly used illicit drug in the world, and despite recent attempts by the Drug Enforcement Administration to combat this epidemic, methamphetamine use is still on the rise. As methamphetamine use increases so does polydrug use, particularly that involving methamphetamine and benzodiazepines. The present study was designed to examine the effects of two benzodiazepines on methamphetamine self-administration. METHODS Five doses of methamphetamine (0.0075, 0.015, 0.03, 0.09, and 0.12mg/kg/infusion) were tested, producing an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. Rats were then pretreated with oxazepam, alprazolam, or vehicle prior to methamphetamine self-administration. To determine if the effects of these drugs were due to the GABAA receptor and/or translocator protein (TSPO), we also pretreated rats with an antagonist for the benzodiazepine-binding site on the GABAA receptor (i.e., flumazenil) and a TSPO antagonist (i.e., PK11195) prior to alprazolam or oxazepam administration. RESULTS Oxazepam significantly reduced methamphetamine self-administration as demonstrated by a downward shift of the dose-response curve. In contrast, alprazolam significantly enhanced methamphetamine self-administration as evidenced by a leftward shift of the dose-response curve. Flumazenil completely blocked the effects of alprazolam on methamphetamine self-administration. When administered individually, both flumazenil and PK11195 partially reversed the effects of oxazepam on methamphetamine self-administration. However, when these two antagonists were combined, the effects of oxazepam were completely reversed. CONCLUSIONS The GABAA receptor is responsible for the alprazolam-induced enhancement of methamphetamine self-administration, while the activation of both the GABAA receptor and TSPO are responsible for the oxazepam-induced reduction of methamphetamine self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson L Spence
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States.
| | - Glenn F Guerin
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States
| | - Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, United States
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Howland RH. Oxazepam for the Treatment of Substance Abuse and Depression: Is it Appropriate? J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2016; 54:21-4. [DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20160420-03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Howland RH. Safety and Abuse Liability of Oxazepam: Is This Benzodiazepine Drug Underutilized? J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2016; 54:22-5. [DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20160322-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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12
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Spence A, Guerin G, Goeders N. Differential modulation of the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine and cocaine by alprazolam and oxazepam in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2016; 102:146-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.10.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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13
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Schmoutz CD, Guerin GF, Runyon SP, Dhungana S, Goeders NE. A therapeutic combination of metyrapone and oxazepam increases brain levels of GABA-active neurosteroids and decreases cocaine self-administration in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2015; 291:108-111. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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