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Yoon HJ, Doyle MA, Altemus ME, Bethi R, Lago SH, Winder DG, Calipari ES. Operant ethanol self-administration behaviors do not predict sex differences in continuous access home cage drinking. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00114-9. [PMID: 39218047 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Understanding sex differences in disease prevalence is critical to public health, particularly in the context of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The goal of this study was to understand sex differences in ethanol drinking behavior and define the precise conditions under which sex differences emerge. Consistent with prior work, C57BL/6J females drank more than males under continuous access two-bottle choice conditions. However, using ethanol self-administration - where an operant response results in access to an ethanol sipper for a fixed time period - we found no sex differences in operant response rates or ethanol consumption (volume per body weight consumed, as well as lick behavior). This remained true across a wide range of parameters including acquisition, when the ethanol sipper access period was manipulated, and when the concentration of the ethanol available was scaled. The only sex differences observed were in total ethanol consumption, which was explained by differences in body weight between males and females, rather than by sex differences in motivation to drink. Using dimensionality reduction approaches, we found that drinking behavior in the operant context did not cluster by sex, but rather clustered by high and low drinking phenotypes. Interestingly, these high and low drinking phenotypes in the operant context showed no correlation with those same categorizations in the home cage context within the same animals. These data underscore the complexity of sex differences in ethanol consumption, highlighting the important role that drinking conditions/context plays in the expression of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Marie A Doyle
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Megan E Altemus
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rishik Bethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sofia H Lago
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Canto-de-Souza L, Baptista-de-Souza D, Nunes-de-Souza RL, Planeta C. Distinct roles of the left and right prelimbic cortices in the modulation of ethanol consumption in male mice under acute and chronic social defeat stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1161-1176. [PMID: 38347153 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06550-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Chronic stress exposure disrupts the medial prefrontal cortex's (mPFC) ability to regulate impulses, leading to the loss of control over alcohol drinking in rodents, emphasizing the critical role of this forebrain area in regulating alcohol consumption. Moreover, chronic stress exposure causes lateralization of mPFC functions with volumetric and functional changes, resulting in hyperactivity in the right hemisphere and functional decrease in the left. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the inhibitory role of the left prelimbic cortex (LPrL) on ethanol consumption induced by chronic social defeat stress (SDS) in male mice and to examine if inactivation of the LPrL causes disinhibition of the right mPFC, leading to an increase in ethanol consumption. We also investigated the role of lateralization and neurochemical alterations in the mPFC related to ethanol consumption induced by chronic SDS. To this end, we examined the activation patterns of ΔFosB, VGLUT2, and GAD67 in the left and right mPFC. RESULTS Temporarily blocking the LPrL or right PrL (RPrL) cortices during acute SDS did not affect male mice's voluntary ethanol consumption in male mice. When each cortex was blocked in mice previously exposed to chronic SDS, ethanol consumption also remained unaffected. However, male mice with LPrL lesions during chronic SDS showed an increase in voluntary ethanol consumption, which was associated with enhanced ΔFosB/VGLUT2-positive neurons within the RPrL cortex. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the LPrL may play a role in inhibiting ethanol consumption induced by chronic SDS, while the RPrL may be involved in the disinhibition of ethanol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Lab. Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, SP, 14800-903, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Lab. Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, SP, 14800-903, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Lab. Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, SP, 14800-903, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra Planeta
- Lab. Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University - UNESP, Araraquara, SP, 14800-903, Brazil.
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil.
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Bahi A. Serotonin transporter knockdown relieves depression-like behavior and ethanol-induced CPP in mice after chronic social defeat stress. Behav Brain Res 2024; 466:114998. [PMID: 38614210 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Patients with stress-triggered major depression disorders (MDD) can often seek comfort or temporary relief through alcohol consumption, as they may turn to it as a means of self-medication or coping with overwhelming emotions. The use of alcohol as a coping mechanism for stressful events can escalate, fostering a cycle where the temporary relief it provides from depression can deepen into alcohol dependence, exacerbating both conditions. Although, the specific mechanisms involved in stress-triggered alcohol dependence and MDD comorbidities are not well understood, a large body of literature suggests that the serotonin transporter (SERT) plays a critical role in these abnormalities. To further investigate this hypothesis, we used a lentiviral-mediated knockdown approach to examine the role of hippocampal SERT knockdown in social defeat stress-elicited depression like behavior and ethanol-induced place preference (CPP). The results showed that social defeat stress-pro depressant effects were reversed following SERT knockdown demonstrated by increased sucrose preference, shorter latency to feed in the novelty suppressed feeding test, and decreased immobility time in the tail suspension and forced swim tests. Moreover, and most importantly, social stress-induced ethanol-CPP acquisition and reinstatement were significantly reduced following hippocampal SERT knockdown using short hairpin RNA shRNA-expressing lentiviral vectors. Finally, we confirmed that SERT hippocampal mRNA expression correlated with measures of depression- and ethanol-related behaviors by Pearson's correlation analysis. Taken together, our data suggest that hippocampal serotoninergic system is involved in social stress-triggered mood disorders as well as in the acquisition and retrieval of ethanol contextual memory and that blockade of this transporter can decrease ethanol rewarding properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bahi
- College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Department of Anatomy, CMHS, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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Guiard BP, Gotti G. The High-Precision Liquid Chromatography with Electrochemical Detection (HPLC-ECD) for Monoamines Neurotransmitters and Their Metabolites: A Review. Molecules 2024; 29:496. [PMID: 38276574 PMCID: PMC10818480 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29020496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
This review highlights the advantages of high-precision liquid chromatography with an electrochemical detector (HPLC-ECD) in detecting and quantifying biological samples obtained through intracerebral microdialysis, specifically the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems: Serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (5-HIAA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), dopamine (DA), 3-metoxytryptamin (3-MT) and homovanillic acid (HVA). Recognized for its speed and selectivity, HPLC enables direct analysis of intracerebral microdialysis samples without complex derivatization. Various chromatographic methods, including reverse phase (RP), are explored for neurotransmitters (NTs) and metabolites separation. Electrochemical detector (ECD), particularly with glassy carbon (GC) electrodes, is emphasized for its simplicity and sensitivity, aimed at enhancing reproducibility through optimization strategies such as modified electrode materials. This paper underscores the determination of limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) and the linear range (L.R.) showcasing the potential for real-time monitoring of compounds concentrations. A non-exhaustive compilation of literature values for LOD, LOQ, and L.R. from recent publications is included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno P. Guiard
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), CNRS UMR5169, 31062 Toulouse, France;
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Faculté Sciences Ingénierie (FSI), Université de Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Guillaume Gotti
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), CNRS UMR5169, 31062 Toulouse, France;
- Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Faculté Sciences Ingénierie (FSI), Université de Toulouse III, 31062 Toulouse, France
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Bahi A. Gestational environmental enrichment prevents chronic social stress induced anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors in offspring. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 234:173679. [PMID: 37977553 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological surveys have shown a strong relationship between maternal stress and offspring's mood disorders. Growing evidence suggested that environmental enrichment (EE) improves cognitive function in models of psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, the potential protective effects of gestational EE on social stress-elicited mood disorders in offspring have not been studied. Knowing that the undeveloped brain is more sensitive to gestational environmental stimuli, we hypothesized that initiating cognitive stimulation, during gestation, would protect against social stress-induced behavioral alterations in adulthood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of gestational EE on social stress-elicited anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors in adult offspring. EE consisted of free access, of dams, to tubular devices of different shapes, colors, and sizes that were changed regularly. After birth and weaning, young adult offspring were exposed to 19 days of social stress and anxiety-like behavior was evaluated by elevated plus maze, open field, and marbles burying tests. The two-bottle choice (TBC) drinking paradigm was used to assess stress-induced ethanol intake. Results showed that gestational EE prevented social stress-elicited anxiogenic-like effects with no differences in spontaneous locomotor activity. Moreover, in the TBC paradigm, mice pre-exposed to EE consistently showed a significantly decreased consumption and preference for ethanol with no effects on tastants' intakes. Interestingly, gestational EE increased serum BDNF levels, which showed a correlation with measures of anxiety- and ethanol-related behaviors. These findings indicate that some neurodevelopmental changes associated with prenatal EE may counteract adult social stress-induced behavioral alterations through a BDNF mechanism. Therefore, we propose that gestational EE has significant protective and beneficial effects on social stress-induced cognitive impairment. It can also alleviate anxiety-like behavior and subsequent excessive alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amine Bahi
- College of Medicine, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Center of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Department of Anatomy, CMHS, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
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