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Kuhn BN, Cannella N, Chitre AS, Nguyen KMH, Cohen K, Chen D, Peng B, Ziegler KS, Lin B, Johnson BB, Missfeldt Sanches T, Crow AD, Lunerti V, Gupta A, Dereschewitz E, Soverchia L, Hopkins JL, Roberts AT, Ubaldi M, Abdulmalek S, Kinen A, Hardiman G, Chung D, Polesskaya O, Solberg Woods LC, Ciccocioppo R, Kalivas PW, Palmer AA. Genome-wide association study reveals multiple loci for nociception and opioid consumption behaviors associated with heroin vulnerability in outbred rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.27.582340. [PMID: 38712202 PMCID: PMC11071306 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.27.582340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The increased prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) makes it imperative to disentangle the biological mechanisms contributing to individual differences in OUD vulnerability. OUD shows strong heritability, however genetic variants contributing toward vulnerability remain poorly defined. We performed a genome-wide association study using over 850 male and female heterogeneous stock (HS) rats to identify genes underlying behaviors associated with OUD such as nociception, as well as heroin-taking, extinction and seeking behaviors. By using an animal model of OUD, we were able to identify genetic variants associated with distinct OUD behaviors while maintaining a uniform environment, an experimental design not easily achieved in humans. Furthermore, we used a novel non-linear network-based clustering approach to characterize rats based on OUD vulnerability to assess genetic variants associated with OUD susceptibility. Our findings confirm the heritability of several OUD-like behaviors, including OUD susceptibility. Additionally, several genetic variants associated with nociceptive threshold prior to heroin experience, heroin consumption, escalation of intake, and motivation to obtain heroin were identified. Tom1 , a microglial component, was implicated for nociception. Several genes involved in dopaminergic signaling, neuroplasticity and substance use disorders, including Brwd1 , Pcp4, Phb1l2 and Mmp15 were implicated for the heroin traits. Additionally, an OUD vulnerable phenotype was associated with genetic variants for consumption and break point, suggesting a specific genetic contribution for OUD-like traits contributing to vulnerability. Together, these findings identify novel genetic markers related to the susceptibility to OUD-relevant behaviors in HS rats.
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Nentwig TB, Obray JD, Kruyer A, Wilkes ET, Vaughan DT, Scofield MD, Chandler LJ. Central Amygdala Astrocyte Plasticity Underlies GABAergic Dysregulation in Ethanol Dependence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.11.598470. [PMID: 38915577 PMCID: PMC11195260 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.11.598470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Dependence is a hallmark of alcohol use disorder characterized by excessive alcohol intake and withdrawal symptoms. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a key brain structure underlying the synaptic and behavioral consequences of ethanol dependence. While accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes regulate synaptic transmission and behavior, there is a limited understanding of the role astrocytes play in ethanol dependence. The present study used a combination of viral labeling, super resolution confocal microscopy, 3D image analysis, and slice electrophysiology to determine the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure on astrocyte plasticity in the CeA. During withdrawal from CIE exposure, we observed increased GABA transmission, an upregulation in astrocytic GAT3 levels, and an increased proximity of astrocyte processes near CeA synapses. Furthermore, GAT3 levels and synaptic proximity were positively associated with voluntary ethanol drinking in dependent rats. Slice electrophysiology confirmed that the upregulation in astrocytic GAT3 levels was functional, as CIE exposure unmasked a GAT3-sensitive tonic GABA current in the CeA. A causal role for astrocytic GAT3 in ethanol dependence was assessed using viral-mediated GAT3 overexpression and knockdown approaches. However, GAT3 knockdown or overexpression had no effect on somatic withdrawal symptoms, dependence-escalated ethanol intake, aversion-resistant drinking, or post-dependent ethanol drinking in male or female rats. Moreover, intra-CeA pharmacological inhibition of GAT3 also did not alter dependent ethanol drinking. Together, these findings indicate that ethanol dependence induces GABAergic dysregulation and astrocyte plasticity in the CeA. However, astrocytic GAT3 does not appear necessary for the drinking related phenotypes associated with dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd B. Nentwig
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - J. Daniel Obray
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
- Current affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Erik T Wilkes
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - Dylan T. Vaughan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
- Current affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
| | - L. Judson Chandler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29425, United States
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3
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Parekh SV, Adams LO, Barkell GA, Paniccia JE, Reissner KJ, Lysle DT. Dorsal hippocampal astrocytes mediate the development of heroin withdrawal-enhanced fear learning. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1265-1275. [PMID: 38396195 PMCID: PMC11106136 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06562-4] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
There is a significant co-occurrence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in clinical populations. However, the neurobiological mechanisms linking chronic opioid use, withdrawal, and the development of PTSD are poorly understood. Our previous research has shown that proinflammatory cytokines, expressed primarily by astrocytes in the dorsal hippocampus (DH), play a role in the development of heroin withdrawal-enhanced fear learning (HW-EFL), an animal model of PTSD-OUD comorbidity. Given the role of astrocytes in memory, fear learning, and opioid use, our experiments aimed to investigate their involvement in HW-EFL. Experiment 1 examined the effect of withdrawal from chronic heroin administration on GFAP surface area and volume, and identified increased surface area and volume of GFAP immunoreactivity in the dentate gyrus (DG) following 24-hour heroin withdrawal. Experiment 2 examined astrocyte morphology and synaptic interactions at the 24-hour withdrawal timepoint using an astroglial membrane-bound GFP (AAV5-GfaABC1D-lck-GFP). Although we did not detect significant changes in surface area and volume of GfaABC1D-Lck-GFP labelled astrocytes, we did observe a significant increase in the colocalization of astrocyte membranes with PSD-95 (postsynaptic density protein 95) in the DG. Experiment 3 tested if stimulating astroglial Gi signaling in the DH alters HW-EFL, and our results demonstrate this manipulation attenuates HW-EFL. Collectively, these findings contribute to our current understanding of the effects of heroin withdrawal on astrocytes and support the involvement of astrocytes in the comorbid relationship between opioid use and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shveta V Parekh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Lydia O Adams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Gillian A Barkell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Jacqueline E Paniccia
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Kathryn J Reissner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA
| | - Donald T Lysle
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3720, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA.
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4
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Valentino RJ, Nair SG, Volkow ND. Neuroscience in addiction research. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:453-459. [PMID: 37947883 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02713-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The prevention and treatment of addiction (moderate to severe substance use disorder-SUD) have remained challenging because of the dynamic and complex interactions between multiple biological and social determinants that shape SUD. The pharmacological landscape is ever changing and the use of multiple drugs is increasingly common, requiring an unraveling of pharmacological interactions to understand the effects. There are different stages in the trajectory from drug use to addiction that are characterized by distinct cognitive and emotional features. These are directed by different neurobiological processes that require identification and characterization including those that underlie the high co-morbidity with other disorders. Finally, there is substantial individual variability in the susceptibility to develop SUD because there are multiple determinants, including genetics, sex, developmental trajectories and times of drug exposures, and psychosocial and environmental factors including commercial determinants that influence drug availability. Elucidating how these factors interact to determine risk is essential for identifying the biobehavioral basis of addiction and developing prevention and treatment strategies. Basic research is tasked with addressing each of these challenges. The recent proliferation of technological advances that allow for genetic manipulation, visualization of molecular reactions and cellular activity in vivo, multiscale whole brain mapping across the life span, and the mining of massive data sets including multimodality human brain imaging are accelerating our ability to understand how the brain functions and how drugs influence it. Here, we highlight how the application of these tools to the study of addiction promises to illuminate its neurobiological basis and guide strategies for prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita J Valentino
- National Institute On Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Sunila G Nair
- National Institute On Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute On Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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5
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Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4766-4776. [PMID: 37679472 PMCID: PMC10918038 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02236-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a life-threatening disease characterized by compulsive drinking, cognitive deficits, and social impairment that continue despite negative consequences. The inability of individuals with AUD to regulate drinking may involve functional deficits in cortical areas that normally balance actions that have aspects of both reward and risk. Among these, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critically involved in goal-directed behavior and is thought to maintain a representation of reward value that guides decision making. In the present study, we analyzed post-mortem OFC brain samples collected from age- and sex-matched control subjects and those with AUD using proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and reverse genetics approaches. Of the 4,500+ total unique proteins identified in the proteomics screen, there were 47 proteins that differed significantly by sex that were enriched in processes regulating extracellular matrix and axonal structure. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins differentially expressed in AUD cases were involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Alcohol-sensitive OFC proteins also mapped to abnormal social behaviors and social interactions. Machine learning analysis of the post-mortem OFC proteome revealed dysregulation of presynaptic (e.g., AP2A1) and mitochondrial proteins that predicted the occurrence and severity of AUD. Using a reverse genetics approach to validate a target protein, we found that prefrontal Ap2a1 expression significantly correlated with voluntary alcohol drinking in male and female genetically diverse mouse strains. Moreover, recombinant inbred strains that inherited the C57BL/6J allele at the Ap2a1 interval consumed higher amounts of alcohol than those that inherited the DBA/2J allele. Together, these findings highlight the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the human OFC proteome and identify important cross-species cortical mechanisms and proteins that control drinking in individuals with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Christopher McMahan
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson-MUSC Artificial Intelligence Hub, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634-0975, USA
| | - Lauren E Ball
- Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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6
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Butelman ER, Goldstein RZ, Nwaneshiudu CA, Girdhar K, Roussos P, Russo SJ, Alia-Klein N. Neuroimmune Mechanisms of Opioid Use Disorder and Recovery: Translatability to Human Studies, and Future Research Directions. Neuroscience 2023; 528:102-116. [PMID: 37562536 PMCID: PMC10720374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.07.031] [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: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major current cause of morbidity and mortality. Long-term exposure to short-acting opioids (MOP-r agonists such as heroin or fentanyl) results in complex pathophysiological changes to neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory functions, affected in part by peripheral mechanisms (e.g., cytokines in blood), and by neuroendocrine systems such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis. There are important findings from preclinical models, but their role in the trajectory and outcomes of OUD in humans is not well understood. The goal of this narrative review is to examine available data on immune and inflammatory functions in persons with OUD, and to identify major areas for future research. Peripheral blood biomarker studies revealed a pro-inflammatory state in persons with OUD in withdrawal or early abstinence, consistent with available postmortem brain studies (which show glial activation) and diffusion tensor imaging studies (indicating white matter disruptions), with gradual abstinence-associated recovery. The mechanistic roles of these neuroimmune and neuroinflammatory changes in the trajectory of OUD (including recovery and medication management) cannot be examined practically with postmortem data. Collection of longitudinal data in larger-scale human cohorts would allow examination of these mechanisms associated with OUD stage and progression. Given the heterogeneity in presentation of OUD, a precision medicine approach integrating multi-omic peripheral biomarkers and comprehensive phenotyping, including neuroimaging, can be beneficial in risk stratification, and individually optimized selection of interventions for individuals who will benefit, and assessments under refractory therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo R Butelman
- Neuropsychoimaging of Addictions and Related Conditions Research Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Depts. of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Rita Z Goldstein
- Neuropsychoimaging of Addictions and Related Conditions Research Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Depts. of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chinwe A Nwaneshiudu
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kiran Girdhar
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Panos Roussos
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (VISN 2 South), James J. Peters VA, Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Brain and Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- Neuropsychoimaging of Addictions and Related Conditions Research Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Depts. of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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7
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Kalivas PW, Gourley SL, Paulus MP. Intrusive thinking: Circuit and synaptic mechanisms of a transdiagnostic psychiatric symptom. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105196. [PMID: 37094741 PMCID: PMC10249786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous thought is an adaptive cognitive process that can produce novel and insightful thought sequences useful in guiding future behavior. In many psychiatric disorders, spontaneous thinking becomes intrusive and uncontrolled, and can trigger symptoms such as craving, repetitive negative thinking and trauma-related memories. We link studies using clinical imaging and rodent modeling towards understanding the neurocircuitry and neuroplasticity of intrusive thinking. We propose a framework in which drugs or stress change the homeostatic set point of brain reward circuitry, which then impacts subsequent plasticity induced by drug/stress conditioned cues (metaplastic allostasis). We further argue for the importance of examining not only the canonical pre- and postsynapse, but also the adjacent astroglial protrusions and extracellular matrix that together form the tetrapartite synapse and that plasticity throughout the tetrapartite synapse is necessary for cue-induced drug or stress behaviors. This analysis reveals that drug use or trauma cause long-lasting allostatic brain plasticity that sets the stage for subsequent drug/trauma-associated cues to induce transient plasticity that can lead to intrusive thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Department of Pediatrics and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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8
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Yim YY, Nestler EJ. Cell-Type-Specific Neuroproteomics of Synapses. Biomolecules 2023; 13:998. [PMID: 37371578 PMCID: PMC10296650 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060998] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, our knowledge of synaptic proteomes and their relationship to normal brain function and neuropsychiatric disorders has been expanding rapidly through the use of more powerful neuroproteomic approaches. However, mass spectrometry (MS)-based neuroproteomic studies of synapses still require cell-type, spatial, and temporal proteome information. With the advancement of sample preparation and MS techniques, we have just begun to identify and understand proteomes within a given cell type, subcellular compartment, and cell-type-specific synapse. Here, we review the progress and limitations of MS-based neuroproteomics of synapses in the mammalian CNS and highlight the recent applications of these approaches in studying neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder and substance use disorders. Combining neuroproteomic findings with other omics studies can generate an in-depth, comprehensive map of synaptic proteomes and possibly identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for several central nervous system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
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9
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Valeri J, Gisabella B, Pantazopoulos H. Dynamic regulation of the extracellular matrix in reward memory processes: a question of time. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1208974. [PMID: 37396928 PMCID: PMC10311570 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1208974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders are a global health problem with increasing prevalence resulting in significant socioeconomic burden and increased mortality. Converging lines of evidence point to a critical role of brain extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules in the pathophysiology of substance use disorders. An increasing number of preclinical studies highlight the ECM as a promising target for development of novel cessation pharmacotherapies. The brain ECM is dynamically regulated during learning and memory processes, thus the time course of ECM alterations in substance use disorders is a critical factor that may impact interpretation of the current studies and development of pharmacological therapies. This review highlights the evidence for the involvement of ECM molecules in reward learning, including drug reward and natural reward such as food, as well as evidence regarding the pathophysiological state of the brain's ECM in substance use disorders and metabolic disorders. We focus on the information regarding time-course and substance specific changes in ECM molecules and how this information can be leveraged for the development of therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Valeri
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Barbara Gisabella
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
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10
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Browne CJ, Futamura R, Minier-Toribio A, Hicks EM, Ramakrishnan A, Martínez-Rivera FJ, Estill M, Godino A, Parise EM, Torres-Berrío A, Cunningham AM, Hamilton PJ, Walker DM, Huckins LM, Hurd YL, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional signatures of heroin intake and relapse throughout the brain reward circuitry in male mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg8558. [PMID: 37294757 PMCID: PMC10256172 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg8558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) looms as one of the most severe medical crises facing society. More effective therapeutics will require a deeper understanding of molecular changes supporting drug-taking and relapse. Here, we develop a brain reward circuit-wide atlas of opioid-induced transcriptional regulation by combining RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and heroin self-administration in male mice modeling multiple OUD-relevant conditions: acute heroin exposure, chronic heroin intake, context-induced drug-seeking following abstinence, and relapse. Bioinformatics analysis of this rich dataset identified numerous patterns of transcriptional regulation, with both region-specific and pan-circuit biological domains affected by heroin. Integration of RNA-seq data with OUD-relevant behavioral outcomes uncovered region-specific molecular changes and biological processes that predispose to OUD vulnerability. Comparisons with human OUD RNA-seq and genome-wide association study data revealed convergent molecular abnormalities and gene candidates with high therapeutic potential. These studies outline molecular reprogramming underlying OUD and provide a foundational resource for future investigations into mechanisms and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J. Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily M. Hicks
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Freddyson J. Martínez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric M. Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashley M. Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter J. Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Deena M. Walker
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale Center for Genomic Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yasmin L. Hurd
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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11
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Kruyer A, Kalivas PW, Scofield MD. Astrocyte regulation of synaptic signaling in psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:21-36. [PMID: 35577914 PMCID: PMC9700696 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01338-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 15 years, the field of neuroscience has evolved toward recognizing the critical role of astroglia in shaping neuronal synaptic activity and along with the pre- and postsynapse is now considered an equal partner in tripartite synaptic transmission and plasticity. The relative youth of this recognition and a corresponding deficit in reagents and technologies for quantifying and manipulating astroglia relative to neurons continues to hamper advances in understanding tripartite synaptic physiology. Nonetheless, substantial advances have been made and are reviewed herein. We review the role of astroglia in synaptic function and regulation of behavior with an eye on how tripartite synapses figure into brain pathologies underlying behavioral impairments in psychiatric disorders, both from the perspective of measures in postmortem human brains and more subtle influences on tripartite synaptic regulation of behavior in animal models of psychiatric symptoms. Our goal is to provide the reader a well-referenced state-of-the-art understanding of current knowledge and predict what we may discover with deeper investigation of tripartite synapses using reagents and technologies not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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12
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Kuhn BN, Cannella N, Crow AD, Roberts AT, Lunerti V, Allen C, Nall RW, Hardiman G, Woods LCS, Chung D, Ciccocioppo R, Kalivas PW. Novelty-induced locomotor behavior predicts heroin addiction vulnerability in male, but not female, rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3605-3620. [PMID: 36112154 PMCID: PMC9632364 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06235-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ongoing rise in opioid use disorder (OUD) has made it imperative to better model the individual variation within the human population that contributes to OUD vulnerability. Using animal models that capture such variation can be a useful tool. Individual variation in novelty-induced locomotion is predictive of substance use disorder (SUD) propensity. In this model, rats are characterized as high-responders (HR) or low-responders (LR) using a median split based on distance travelled during a locomotor test, and HR rats are generally found to exhibit a more SUD vulnerable behavioral phenotype. OBJECTIVES The HR/LR model has commonly been used to assess behaviors in male rats using psychostimulants, with limited knowledge of the predictive efficacy of this model in females or the use of an opioid as the reward. In the current study, we assessed several behaviors across the different phases of drug addiction (heroin taking, refraining, and seeking) in over 500 male and female heterogeneous stock rats run at two geographically separate locations. Rats were characterized as HRs or LRs within each sex for analysis. RESULTS Overall, females exhibit a more OUD vulnerable phenotype relative to males. Additionally, the HR/LR model was predictive of OUD-like behaviors in male, but not female rats. Furthermore, phenotypes did not differ in anxiety-related behaviors, reacquisition of heroin-taking, or punished heroin-taking behavior in either sex. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize the importance of assessing females in models of individual variation in SUD and highlight limitations in using the HR/LR model to assess OUD propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Kuhn
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | | | - Ayteria D Crow
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Analyse T Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | | | - Carter Allen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rusty W Nall
- Department of Psychology, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL, USA
| | - Gary Hardiman
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Dongjun Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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13
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Ventral pallidum GABA neurons bidirectionally control opioid relapse across rat behavioral models. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 3. [PMID: 36156918 PMCID: PMC9494709 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Opioid addiction is a chronic, relapsing disorder. Whether addicted individuals are forced to abstain or they decide themselves to quit using drugs, relapse rates are high—especially upon encountering contexts and stimuli associated with prior opioid use. Rodents similarly show context- and cue-induced reinstatement of drug seeking following abstinence, and intriguingly, the neural circuits underlying these relapse-like behaviors differ when abstinence is involuntarily imposed, responding is extinguished, or animals decide themselves to cease taking drug. Here, we employ two complementary rat behavioral models of relapse-like behavior for the highly reinforcing opioid drug remifentanil, and asked whether GABAergic neurons in the ventral pallidum (VPGABA) control opioid seeking under these behavioral conditions. Specifically, we asked how chemogenetically stimulating VPGABA neurons with clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) influences the ability of contextual or discrete remifentanil-paired cues to reinstate drug seeking following either voluntary abstinence (punishment-induced; GroupPunish), or extinction training (GroupExt). In GroupPunish rats, we also chemogenetically inhibited VPGABA neurons, and examined spontaneous VP activity (Fos) during cued reinstatement. In both GroupPunish and GroupExt rats, stimulating Gq-signaling in VPGABA neurons augmented remifentanil reinstatement in a cue- and context-dependent manner. Conversely, engaging inhibitory Gi-signaling in VPGABA neurons in GroupPunish suppressed cue-induced reinstatement, and cue-triggered seeking was correlated with Fos expression in rostral, but not caudal VP. Neither stimulating nor inhibiting VPGABA neurons influenced unpunished remifentanil self-administration. We conclude that VPGABA neurons bidirectionally control opioid seeking regardless of the specific relapse model employed, highlighting their fundamental role in opioid relapse-like behavior across behavioral models, and potentially across species.
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Sosnowski DW, Jaffe AE, Tao R, Deep-Soboslay A, Shu C, Sabunciyan S, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Maher BS. Differential expression of NPAS4 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex following opioid overdose. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2022; 3:100040. [PMID: 36845993 PMCID: PMC9948892 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Although preclinical models reveal the neurobiological pathways altered through opioid abuse, comprehensive assessments of gene expression in human brain samples are needed. Moreover, less is known about gene expression in response to fatal overdose. The primary goal of the present study was to compare gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) between brain samples of individuals who died of acute opioid intoxication and group-matched controls. Methods Postmortem tissue samples of the DLPFC from 153 deceased individuals (Mage = 35.4; 62% male; 77% European ancestry). Study groups included 72 brain samples from individuals who died of acute opioid intoxication, 53 psychiatric controls, and 28 normal controls. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing was used to generate exon counts, and differential expression was tested using limma-voom. Analyses were adjusted for relevant sociodemographic characteristics, technical covariates, and cryptic relatedness using quality surrogate variables. Weighted correlation network analysis and gene set enrichment analyses also were conducted. Results Two genes were differentially expressed in opioid samples compared to control samples. The top gene, NPAS4, was downregulated in opioid samples (log2FC = -2.47, adj. p = .049) and has been implicated in opioid, cocaine, and methamphetamine use. Weighted correlation network analysis revealed 15 gene modules associated with opioid overdose, though no intramodular hub genes were related to opioid overdose, nor were pathways related to opioid overdose enriched for differential expression. Conclusions Results provide preliminary evidence that NPAS4 is implicated in opioid overdose, and more research is needed to understand its role in opioid abuse and associated outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Sosnowski
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Andrew E. Jaffe
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
| | - Ran Tao
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
| | | | - Chang Shu
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, United States
| | | | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, United States
| | | | - Brion S. Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway, Hampton House, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
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15
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Custodio L, Malone S, Bardo MT, Turner JR. Nicotine and opioid co-dependence: Findings from bench research to clinical trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104507. [PMID: 34968525 PMCID: PMC10986295 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Concomitant use of tobacco and opioids represents a growing public health concern. In fact, the mortality rate due to smoking-related illness approaches 50% among SUD patients. Cumulative evidence demonstrates that the vulnerability to drugs of abuse is influenced by behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. This review explores the contribution of genetics and neural mechanisms influencing nicotine and opioid reward, respiration, and antinociception, emphasizing the interaction of cholinergic and opioid receptor systems. Despite the substantial evidence demonstrating nicotine-opioid interactions within the brain and on behavior, the currently available pharmacotherapies targeting these systems have shown limited efficacy for smoking cessation on opioid-maintained smokers. Thus, further studies designed to identify novel targets modulating both nicotinic and opioid receptor systems may lead to more efficacious approaches for co-morbid nicotine dependence and opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Custodio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Samantha Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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16
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Addiction-induced plasticity in underlying neural circuits. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:1605-1615. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05778-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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17
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Hodebourg R, Kalivas PW, Kruyer A. Extrasynaptic therapeutic targets in substance use and stress disorders. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2022; 43:56-68. [PMID: 34753604 PMCID: PMC8688303 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.10.006] [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: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Treatments for substance use and stress disorders are based on ameliorating behavioral symptoms, not on reversing the synaptic pathology that has the potential to cure disorders. This failing arises in part from a research focus on how pre- and postsynaptic physiology is changed even though key neuropathology exists in the perisynaptic neuropil that homeostatically regulates synaptic transmission. We explore recent findings from the substance use and stress disorder literature pointing to a key role for perisynaptic astroglia and signaling in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in regulating synaptic pathology. We conclude that drugs and stress initiate long-lasting changes in brain synapses via enduring neuroadaptations in astroglia and the ECM, and that modulating extrasynaptic regulators may be therapeutically useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritchy Hodebourg
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29464, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29464, USA.
| | - Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29464, USA
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18
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Abstract
Astroglia are key regulators of synaptic function, playing central roles in homeostatic ion buffering, energy dynamics, transmitter uptake, maintenance of neurotransmitter pools, and regulation of synaptic plasticity through release of neuroactive chemicals. Given the myriad of crucial homeostatic and signaling functions attributed to astrocytes and the variety of neurotransmitter receptors expressed by astroglia, they serve as prime cellular candidates for establishing maladaptive synaptic plasticity following drug exposure. Initial studies on astroglia and addiction have placed drug-mediated disruptions in the homeostatic regulation of glutamate as a central aspect of relapse vulnerability. However, the generation of sophisticated tools to study and manipulate astroglia have proven that the interaction between addictive substances, astroglia, and relapse-relevant synaptic plasticity extends far beyond the homeostatic regulation of glutamate. Here we present astroglial systems impacted by drug exposure and discuss how changes in astroglial biology contribute to addiction biology.
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19
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Calarco CA, Fox ME, Van Terheyden S, Turner MD, Alipio JB, Chandra R, Lobo MK. Mitochondria-Related Nuclear Gene Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens and Blood Mitochondrial Copy Number After Developmental Fentanyl Exposure in Adolescent Male and Female C57BL/6 Mice. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:737389. [PMID: 34867530 PMCID: PMC8637046 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.737389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The potency of the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its increased clinical availability has led to the rapid escalation of use in the general population, increased recreational exposure, and subsequently opioid-related overdoses. The wide-spread use of fentanyl has, consequently, increased the incidence of in utero exposure to the drug, but the long-term effects of this type of developmental exposure are not yet understood. Opioid use has also been linked to reduced mitochondrial copy number in blood in clinical populations, but the link between this peripheral biomarker and genetic or functional changes in reward-related brain circuitry is still unclear. Additionally, mitochondrial-related gene expression in reward-related brain regions has not been examined in the context of fentanyl exposure, despite the growing literature demonstrating drugs of abuse impact mitochondrial function, which subsequently impacts neuronal signaling. The current study uses exposure to fentanyl via dam access to fentanyl drinking water during gestation and lactation as a model for developmental drug exposure. This perinatal drug-exposure is sufficient to impact mitochondrial copy number in circulating blood leukocytes, as well as mitochondrial-related gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a reward-related brain structure, in a sex-dependent manner in adolescent offspring. Specific NAc gene expression is correlated with both blood mitochondrial copy number and with anxiety related behaviors dependent on developmental exposure to fentanyl and sex. These data indicate that developmental fentanyl exposure impacts mitochondrial function in both the brain and body in ways that can impact neuronal signaling and may prime the brain for altered reward-related behavior in adolescence and later into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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20
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Vollmer KM, Doncheck EM, Grant RI, Winston KT, Romanova EV, Bowen CW, Siegler PN, Green LM, Bobadilla AC, Trujillo-Pisanty I, Kalivas PW, Otis JM. A Novel Assay Allowing Drug Self-Administration, Extinction, and Reinstatement Testing in Head-Restrained Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:744715. [PMID: 34776891 PMCID: PMC8585999 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.744715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiphoton microscopy is one of several new technologies providing unprecedented insight into the activity dynamics and function of neural circuits. Unfortunately, some of these technologies require experimentation in head-restrained animals, limiting the behavioral repertoire that can be integrated and studied. This issue is especially evident in drug addiction research, as no laboratories have coupled multiphoton microscopy with simultaneous intravenous drug self-administration, a behavioral paradigm that has predictive validity for treatment outcomes and abuse liability. Here, we describe a new experimental assay wherein head-restrained mice will press an active lever, but not inactive lever, for intravenous delivery of heroin or cocaine. Similar to freely moving animals, we find that lever pressing is suppressed through daily extinction training and subsequently reinstated through the presentation of relapse-provoking triggers (drug-associative cues, the drug itself, and stressors). Finally, we show that head-restrained mice will show similar patterns of behavior for oral delivery of a sucrose reward, a common control used for drug self-administration experiments. Overall, these data demonstrate the feasibility of combining drug self-administration experiments with technologies that require head-restraint, such as multiphoton imaging. The assay described could be replicated by interested labs with readily available materials to aid in identifying the neural underpinnings of substance use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Vollmer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Roger I Grant
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Kion T Winston
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Elizaveta V Romanova
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Christopher W Bowen
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Preston N Siegler
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Lisa M Green
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | | | | | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - James M Otis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States.,Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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21
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Seney ML, Kim SM, Glausier JR, Hildebrand MA, Xue X, Zong W, Wang J, Shelton MA, Phan BN, Srinivasan C, Pfenning AR, Tseng GC, Lewis DA, Freyberg Z, Logan RW. Transcriptional Alterations in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Accumbens Implicate Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Remodeling in Opioid Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:550-562. [PMID: 34380600 PMCID: PMC8463497 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prevalence rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) have increased dramatically, accompanied by a surge of overdose deaths. While opioid dependence has been extensively studied in preclinical models, an understanding of the biological alterations that occur in the brains of people who chronically use opioids and who are diagnosed with OUD remains limited. To address this limitation, RNA sequencing was conducted on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, regions heavily implicated in OUD, from postmortem brains in subjects with OUD. METHODS We performed RNA sequencing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens from unaffected comparison subjects (n = 20) and subjects diagnosed with OUD (n = 20). Our transcriptomic analyses identified differentially expressed transcripts and investigated the transcriptional coherence between brain regions using rank-rank hypergeometric orderlap. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified OUD-specific modules and gene networks. Integrative analyses between differentially expressed transcripts and genome-wide association study datasets using linkage disequilibrium scores assessed the genetic liability of psychiatric-related phenotypes in OUD. RESULTS Rank-rank hypergeometric overlap analyses revealed extensive overlap in transcripts between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens in OUD, related to synaptic remodeling and neuroinflammation. Identified transcripts were enriched for factors that control proinflammatory cytokine, chondroitin sulfate, and extracellular matrix signaling. Cell-type deconvolution implicated a role for microglia as a potential driver for opioid-induced neuroplasticity. Linkage disequilibrium score analysis suggested genetic liabilities for risky behavior, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression in subjects with OUD. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings suggest connections between the brain's immune system and opioid dependence in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne L Seney
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sam-Moon Kim
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms, and Sleep, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine
| | - Jill R Glausier
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiangning Xue
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Zong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Micah A Shelton
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - BaDoi N Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Andreas R Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - David A Lewis
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan W Logan
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
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22
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Proteomic Analysis Unveils Expressional Changes in Cytoskeleton- and Synaptic Plasticity-Associated Proteins in Rat Brain Six Months after Withdrawal from Morphine. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11070683. [PMID: 34357055 PMCID: PMC8304287 DOI: 10.3390/life11070683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug withdrawal is associated with abstinence symptoms including deficits in cognitive functions that may persist even after prolonged discontinuation of drug intake. Cognitive deficits are, at least partially, caused by alterations in synaptic plasticity but the precise molecular mechanisms have not yet been fully identified. In the present study, changes in proteomic and phosphoproteomic profiles of selected brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum) from rats abstaining for six months after cessation of chronic treatment with morphine were determined by label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomic analysis. Interestingly, prolonged morphine withdrawal was found to be associated especially with alterations in protein phosphorylation and to a lesser extent in protein expression. Gene ontology (GO) term analysis revealed enrichment in biological processes related to synaptic plasticity, cytoskeleton organization, and GTPase activity. More specifically, significant changes were observed in proteins localized in synaptic vesicles (e.g., synapsin-1, SV2a, Rab3a), in the active zone of the presynaptic nerve terminal (e.g., Bassoon, Piccolo, Rims1), and in the postsynaptic density (e.g., cadherin 13, catenins, Arhgap35, Shank3, Arhgef7). Other differentially phosphorylated proteins were associated with microtubule dynamics (microtubule-associated proteins, Tppp, collapsin response mediator proteins) and the actin–spectrin network (e.g., spectrins, adducins, band 4.1-like protein 1). Taken together, a six-month morphine withdrawal was manifested by significant alterations in the phosphorylation of synaptic proteins. The altered phosphorylation patterns modulating the function of synaptic proteins may contribute to long-term neuroadaptations induced by drug use and withdrawal.
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23
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Facilitating mGluR4 activity reverses the long-term deleterious consequences of chronic morphine exposure in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1373-1385. [PMID: 33349673 PMCID: PMC8136479 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of abstinence from drugs of abuse is critical to allow better recovery and ensure relapse prevention in addicted subjects. By comparing the long-term transcriptional consequences of morphine and cocaine exposure, we identified the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 (mGluR4) as a promising pharmacological target in morphine abstinence. We evaluated the behavioral and molecular effects of facilitating mGluR4 activity in abstinent mice. Transcriptional regulation of marker genes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) allowed best discriminating between 4-week morphine and cocaine abstinence in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Among these markers, Grm4, encoding mGluR4, displayed down-regulated expression in the caudate putamen and NAc of morphine, but not cocaine, abstinent mice. Chronic administration of the mGluR4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0155041 (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) rescued social behavior, normalized stereotypies and anxiety and blunted locomotor sensitization in morphine abstinent mice. This treatment improved social preference but increased stereotypies in cocaine abstinent mice. Finally, the beneficial behavioral effects of VU0155041 treatment in morphine abstinent mice were correlated with restored expression of key MSN and neural activity marker genes in the NAc. This study reports that chronic administration of the mGluR4 PAM VU0155041 relieves long-term deleterious consequences of morphine exposure. It illustrates the neurobiological differences between opiate and psychostimulant abstinence and points to pharmacological repression of excessive activity of D2-MSNs in the NAc as a promising therapeutic lever in drug addiction.
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Nall RW, Heinsbroek JA, Nentwig TB, Kalivas PW, Bobadilla AC. Circuit selectivity in drug versus natural reward seeking behaviors. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1450-1472. [PMID: 33420731 PMCID: PMC8178159 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized, in part by behavior biased toward drug use and away from natural sources of reward (e.g., social interaction, food, sex). The neurobiological underpinnings of SUDs reveal distinct brain regions where neuronal activity is necessary for the manifestation of SUD-characteristic behaviors. Studies that specifically examine how these regions are involved in behaviors motivated by drug versus natural reward allow determinations of which regions are necessary for regulating seeking of both reward types, and appraisals of novel SUD therapies for off-target effects on behaviors motivated by natural reward. Here, we evaluate studies directly comparing regulatory roles for specific brain regions in drug versus natural reward. While it is clear that many regions drive behaviors motivated by all reward types, based on the literature reviewed we propose a set of interconnected regions that become necessary for behaviors motivated by drug, but not natural rewards. The circuitry is selectively necessary for drug seeking includes an Action/Reward subcircuit, comprising nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, and ventral tegmental area, a Prefrontal subcircuit comprising prelimbic, infralimbic, and insular cortices, a Stress subcircuit comprising the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and a Diencephalon circuit including lateral hypothalamus. Evidence was mixed for nucleus accumbens shell, insular cortex, and ventral pallidum. Studies for all other brain nuclei reviewed supported a necessary role in regulating both drug and natural reward seeking. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies to further disambiguate the necessity of brain regions in drug- versus natural reward-associated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusty W. Nall
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Todd B. Nentwig
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W. Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- These authors share senior authorship
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- These authors share senior authorship
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25
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Zinsmaier AK, Dong Y. A Third-Party Facilitator of Bipartisanship. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:940-941. [PMID: 33958033 PMCID: PMC8466749 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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26
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Chioma VC, Kruyer A, Bobadilla AC, Angelis A, Ellison Z, Hodebourg R, Scofield MD, Kalivas PW. Heroin Seeking and Extinction From Seeking Activate Matrix Metalloproteinases at Synapses on Distinct Subpopulations of Accumbens Cells. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:947-958. [PMID: 33579535 PMCID: PMC8434769 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seeking addictive drugs is regulated by synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens core and involves distinct plasticity in D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1/2-MSNs). However, it is unknown how differential plasticity between the two cell types is coordinated. Synaptic plasticity and seeking behavior induced by drug-paired cues depends not only on plasticity in the canonical pre- and postsynapse, but also on cue-induced changes in astrocytes and the extracellular matrix adjacent to the synapse. Drug cue-induced signaling in the extracellular matrix is regulated by catalytic activity of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2,9. We hypothesized that the cell type-specific synaptic plasticity is associated with parallel cell-specific activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. METHODS Transgenic rats were trained on a heroin self-administration protocol in which a light/tone cue was paired with heroin delivery, followed by 2 weeks of drug withdrawal, and then reinstated to heroin-conditioned cues. Confocal microscopy was used to make morphological measurements in membrane reporter-transduced D1- and D2-MSNs and astrocytes, and MMP-2,9 gelatinase activity adjacent to cell surfaces was quantified using in vivo zymography. RESULTS Presenting heroin-paired cues transiently increased MMP-9 activity around D1-MSN dendritic spines and synapse-proximal astroglial processes. Conversely, extinction training induced long-lasting increases in MMP-2 activity adjacent to D2-MSN synapses. Moreover, heroin-paired cues increased tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases TIMP-1,2, which caused transient inhibition of MMP-2 activity around D2-MSNs during cue-induced heroin seeking. CONCLUSIONS The differential regulation of heroin seeking and extinguished seeking by different MMP subtypes on distinct cell populations poses MMP-2,9 activity as an important mediator and contributor in heroin-induced cell-specific synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian C Chioma
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Ariana Angelis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Zachary Ellison
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Ritchy Hodebourg
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
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27
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Drug addiction co-morbidity with alcohol: Neurobiological insights. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 157:409-472. [PMID: 33648675 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Addiction is a chronic disorder that consists of a three-stage cycle of binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation. These stages involve, respectively, neuroadaptations in brain circuits involved in incentive salience and habit formation, stress surfeit and reward deficit, and executive function. Much research on addiction focuses on the neurobiology underlying single drug use. However, alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be co-morbid with substance use disorder (SUD), called dual dependence. The limited epidemiological data on dual dependence indicates that there is a large population of individuals suffering from addiction who are dependent on more than one drug and/or alcohol, yet dual dependence remains understudied in addiction research. Here, we review neurobiological data on neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems that are known to contribute to addiction pathology and how the involvement of these systems is consistent or divergent across drug classes. In particular, we highlight the dopamine, opioid, corticotropin-releasing factor, norepinephrine, hypocretin/orexin, glucocorticoid, neuroimmune signaling, endocannabinoid, glutamate, and GABA systems. We also discuss the limited research on these systems in dual dependence. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the use of multiple drugs can produce neuroadaptations that are distinct from single drug use. Further investigation into the neurobiology of dual dependence is necessary to develop effective treatments for addiction to multiple drugs.
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Mongi-Bragato B, Avalos MP, Guzmán AS, García-Keller C, Bollati FA, Cancela LM. Endogenous enkephalin is necessary for cocaine-induced alteration in glutamate transmission within the nucleus accumbens. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 53:1441-1449. [PMID: 33159343 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Altered glutamate transmission within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been proposed as a central mechanism underlying behavioural sensitisation associated with repeated cocaine exposure. In addition to glutamate, enkephalin, an endogenous opioid peptide derived from proenkephalin, is necessary for the neuroadaptations associated with chronic cocaine. However, the influence of enkephalin on long-term changes in glutamate transmission within the NAc associated with cocaine-induced sensitisation has not been described. This study used knockout proenkephalin mice (KO) to study the influence of endogenous enkephalin on the adaptations in glutamate neurotransmission associated with repeated cocaine treatment. Wild-type (WT) and KO mice were treated with daily cocaine injections for 9 days to induce sensitisation. On days 15 and 21, the animals received a cocaine challenge and locomotor sensitisation was evaluated, and microdialysis was performed to determine accumbens glutamate content on day 21. No expression of behavioural sensitisation to cocaine was evidenced in the KO mice. Consistently, these showed no changes in glutamate transmission in the NAc associated with repeated cocaine. This study reveals the central role of enkephalin in regulating the glutamate mechanisms associated with cocaine sensitisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethania Mongi-Bragato
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Paula Avalos
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea S Guzmán
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Constanza García-Keller
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Flavia A Bollati
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Liliana M Cancela
- Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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29
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Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) represents a major public health problem that affects millions of people in the USA and worldwide. The relapsing and recurring aspect of OUD, driven by lasting neurobiological adaptations at different reward centres in the brain, represents a major obstacle towards successful long-term remission from opioid use. Currently, three drugs that modulate the function of the opioidergic receptors, methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat OUD. In this review, we discuss the limitations and challenges associated with the current maintenance and medication-assisted withdrawal strategies commonly used to treat OUD. We further explore the involvement of glutamatergic, endocannabinoid and orexin signaling systems in the development, maintenance and expression of addiction-like behaviours in animal models of opioid addiction, and as potential and novel targets to expand therapeutic options to treat OUD. Despite a growing preclinical literature highlighting the role of these potential targets in animal models of opioid addiction, clinical and translational studies for novel treatments of OUD remain limited and inconclusive. Further preclinical and clinical investigations are needed to expand the arsenal of primary treatment options and adjuncts to maximise efficacy and prevent relapse.
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30
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Interruption of continuous opioid exposure exacerbates drug-evoked adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1781-1792. [PMID: 32079024 PMCID: PMC7608117 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0643-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drug-evoked adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system are postulated to drive opioid abuse and addiction. These adaptations vary in magnitude and direction following different patterns of opioid exposure, but few studies have systematically manipulated the pattern of opioid administration while measuring neurobiological and behavioral impact. We exposed male and female mice to morphine for one week, with administration patterns that were either intermittent (daily injections) or continuous (osmotic minipump infusion). We then interrupted continuous morphine exposure with either naloxone-precipitated or spontaneous withdrawal. Continuous morphine exposure caused tolerance to the psychomotor-activating effects of morphine, whereas both intermittent and interrupted morphine exposure caused long-lasting psychomotor sensitization. Given links between locomotor sensitization and mesolimbic dopamine signaling, we used fiber photometry and a genetically encoded dopamine sensor to conduct longitudinal measurements of dopamine dynamics in the nucleus accumbens. Locomotor sensitization caused by interrupted morphine exposure was accompanied by enhanced dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens. To further assess downstream consequences on striatal gene expression, we used next-generation RNA sequencing to perform genome-wide transcriptional profiling in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum. The interruption of continuous morphine exposure exacerbated drug-evoked transcriptional changes in both nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum, dramatically increasing differential gene expression and engaging unique signaling pathways. Our study indicates that opioid-evoked adaptations in brain function and behavior are critically dependent on the pattern of drug administration, and exacerbated by interruption of continuous exposure. Maintaining continuity of chronic opioid administration may, therefore, represent a strategy to minimize iatrogenic effects on brain reward circuits.
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31
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Kumar M, Adeluyi A, Anderson EL, Turner JR. Glial cells as therapeutic targets for smoking cessation. Neuropharmacology 2020; 175:108157. [PMID: 32461156 PMCID: PMC7791555 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Smoking remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with less than 5% of smokers attempting to quit succeeding. This low smoking cessation success rate is thought to be due to the long-term adaptations and alterations in synaptic plasticity that occur following chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal. Glial cells have recently emerged as active players in the development of dependence phenotypes due to their roles in modulating neuronal functions and synaptic plasticity. Fundamental studies have demonstrated that microglia and astrocytes are crucial for synapse formation and elimination in the developing brain, likely contributing to why glial dysfunction is implicated in numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders. Recently, there is increasing evidence for the involvement of glial cells in drug dependence and its associated behavioral manifestations. This review summarizes the newly evaluated role of microglia and astrocytes as molecular drivers of nicotine dependence and withdrawal phenotypes. This article is part of the special issue on 'Contemporary Advances in Nicotine Neuropharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Adewale Adeluyi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA; Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Erin L Anderson
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA.
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32
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Chromatin accessibility mapping of the striatum identifies tyrosine kinase FYN as a therapeutic target for heroin use disorder. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4634. [PMID: 32929078 PMCID: PMC7490718 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18114-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The current opioid epidemic necessitates a better understanding of human addiction neurobiology to develop efficacious treatment approaches. Here, we perform genome-wide assessment of chromatin accessibility of the human striatum in heroin users and matched controls. Our study reveals distinct neuronal and non-neuronal epigenetic signatures, and identifies a locus in the proximity of the gene encoding tyrosine kinase FYN as the most affected region in neurons. FYN expression, kinase activity and the phosphorylation of its target Tau are increased by heroin use in the post-mortem human striatum, as well as in rats trained to self-administer heroin and primary striatal neurons treated with chronic morphine in vitro. Pharmacological or genetic manipulation of FYN activity significantly attenuates heroin self-administration and responding for drug-paired cues in rodents. Our findings suggest that striatal FYN is an important driver of heroin-related neurodegenerative-like pathology and drug-taking behavior, making FYN a promising therapeutic target for heroin use disorder. Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as contributors to the molecular impairments caused by exposure to environmental factors such as abused substances. Here the authors perform epigenetic profiling of the striatum and identify the tyrosine kinase FYN is an important driver of neurodegenerative-like pathology and drug-taking behaviour.
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33
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Valentino RJ, Koroshetz W, Volkow ND. Neurobiology of the Opioid Epidemic: Basic and Translational Perspectives. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:2-3. [PMID: 31806083 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Walter Koroshetz
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland
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