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Grodin EN. Neuroimmune modulators as novel pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100744. [PMID: 38435721 PMCID: PMC10906159 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
One promising avenue of research is the use of neuroimmune modulators to treat substance use disorders (SUDs). Neuroimmune modulators target the interactions between the nervous system and immune system, which have been found to play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of SUDs. Multiple classes of substances produce alterations to neuroimmune signaling and peripheral immune function, including alcohol, opioids, and psychostimulants Preclinical studies have shown that neuroimmune modulators can reduce drug-seeking behavior and prevent relapse in animal models of SUDs. Additionally, early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and feasibility of using neuroimmune modulators as a treatment for SUDs in humans. These therapeutics can be used as stand-alone treatments or as adjunctive. This review summarizes the current state of the field and provides future directions with a specific focus on personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Alasmari MS, Almohammed OA, Hammad AM, Altulayhi KA, Alkadi BK, Alasmari AF, Alqahtani F, Sari Y, Alasmari F. Effects of Beta Lactams on Behavioral Outcomes of Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Preclinical Studies. Neuroscience 2024; 537:58-83. [PMID: 38036059 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.11.014] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical studies demonstrated that beta-lactams have neuroprotective effects in conditions involving glutamate neuroexcitotoxicity, including substance use disorders (SUDs). This meta-analysis aims to analyze the existing evidences on the effects of beta-lactams as glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) upregulators in animal models of SUDs, identification of gaps in the literature, and setting the stage for potential translation into clinical phases. METHODS Meta-analysis was conducted on preclinical studies retrieved systematically from MEDLINE and ScienceDirect databases. Abused substances were identified by refereeing to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The results were quantitatively described with a focus on the behavioral outcomes. Treatment effect sizes were described using standardized mean difference, and they were pooled using random effect model. I2-statistic was used to assess heterogeneity, and Funnel plot and Egger's test were used for assessment of publication bias. RESULTS Literature search yielded a total of 71 studies that were eligible to be included in the analysis. Through these studies, the effects of beta-lactams were evaluated in animal models of nicotine, cannabis, amphetamines, synthetic cathinone, opioids, ethanol, and cocaine use disorders as well as steroids-related aggressive behaviors. Meta-analysis showed that treatments with beta-lactams consistently reduced the pooled undesired effects of the abused substances in several paradigms, including drug-self administration, conditioned place preference, drug seeking behaviors, hyperlocomotion, withdrawal syndromes, tolerance to analgesic effects, hyperalgesia, and hyperthermia. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis revealed that enhancing GLT-1 expression in the brain through beta-lactams seemed to be a promising treatment approach in the context of substance use disorders, as indicated by results in animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed S Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar A Almohammed
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa M Hammad
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Khalid A Altulayhi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bader K Alkadi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah F Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faleh Alqahtani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Youssef Sari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Fawaz Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
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Esmaili-Shahzade-Ali-Akbari P, Ghaderi A, Hosseini SMM, Nejat F, Saeedi-Mofrad M, Karimi-Houyeh M, Ghattan A, Etemadi A, Rasoulian E, Khezri A. β_lactam antibiotics against drug addiction: A novel therapeutic option. Drug Dev Res 2023; 84:1411-1426. [PMID: 37602907 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.22110] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction as a problem for the health of the individual and the society is the result of a complex process in which there is an interaction between brain nuclei and neurotransmitters (such as glutamate). β-lactam antibiotics, due to their enhancing properties on the glutamate transporter glutamate transporter-1, can affect and counteract the addictive mechanisms of drugs through the regulation of extracellular glutamate. Since glutamate is a key neurotransmitter in the development of drug addiction, it seems that β-lactams can be considered as a promising treatment for addiction. However, more research in this field is necessary to identify other mechanisms involved in their effectiveness. This article is a review of the studies conducted on the effect of β-lactam administration in preventing the development of drug addiction, as well as their possible cellular and molecular mechanisms. This review suggests the clinical use of β-lactam antibiotics that have weak antimicrobial properties (such as clavulanic acid) in the treatment of drug dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Ghaderi
- Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Nejat
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences, Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Alireza Ghattan
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amirreza Etemadi
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Elham Rasoulian
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arina Khezri
- Department of Anesthesia, School of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Namba MD, Xie Q, Barker JM. Advancing the preclinical study of comorbid neuroHIV and substance use disorders: Current perspectives and future directions. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:453-475. [PMID: 37567486 PMCID: PMC10528352 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.021] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a persistent public health concern throughout the world. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a common comorbidity that can worsen treatment outcomes for people living with HIV. The relationship between HIV infection and SUD outcomes is likely bidirectional, making clear interrogation of neurobehavioral outcomes challenging in clinical populations. Importantly, the mechanisms through which HIV and addictive drugs disrupt homeostatic immune and CNS function appear to be highly overlapping and synergistic within HIV-susceptible reward and motivation circuitry in the central nervous system. Decades of animal research have revealed invaluable insights into mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology SUDs and HIV, although translational studies examining comorbid SUDs and HIV are very limited due to the technical challenges of modeling HIV infection preclinically. In this review, we discuss preclinical animal models of HIV and highlight key pathophysiological characteristics of each model, with a particular emphasis on rodent models of HIV. We then review the implementation of these models in preclinical SUD research and identify key gaps in knowledge in the field. Finally, we discuss how cutting-edge behavioral neuroscience tools, which have revealed key insights into the neurobehavioral mechanisms of SUDs, can be applied to preclinical animal models of HIV to reveal potential, novel treatment avenues for comorbid HIV and SUDs. Here, we argue that future preclinical SUD research would benefit from incorporating comorbidities such as HIV into animal models and would facilitate the discovery of more refined, subpopulation-specific mechanisms and effective SUD prevention and treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Namba
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qiaowei Xie
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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5
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Mesa JR, Carter E, Padovan-Hernandez Y, Knackstedt LA. Alcohol consumption modulates prelimbic cortex response to cocaine following sequential cocaine and alcohol polysubstance use in the rat. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1132689. [PMID: 37007027 PMCID: PMC10060651 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1132689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Polysubstance use (PSU), involves the consumption of more than one drug within a period of time and is prevalent among cocaine users. Ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic, reliably attenuates reinstatement of cocaine seeking in pre-clinical models by restoring glutamate homeostasis following cocaine self-administration but fails to do so when rats consume both cocaine and alcohol (cocaine + alcohol PSU). We previously found that cocaine + alcohol PSU rats reinstate cocaine seeking similarly to cocaine-only rats, but demonstrate differences in reinstatement-induced c-Fos expression throughout the reward system, including a lack of change upon ceftriaxone treatment. Here, we used this model to determine if previous findings were caused by tolerance or sensitization to the pharmacological effects of cocaine. Male rats underwent intravenous cocaine self-administration immediately followed by 6 h of home cage access to water or unsweetened alcohol for 12 days. Rats subsequently underwent 10 daily instrumental extinction sessions, during which time they were treated with either vehicle or ceftriaxone. Rats then received a non-contingent cocaine injection and were perfused for later immunohistochemical analysis of c-Fos expression in the reward neurocircuitry. c-Fos expression in the prelimbic cortex correlated with total alcohol intake in PSU rats. There were no effects of either ceftriaxone or PSU on c-Fos expression in the infralimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens core and shell, basolateral amygdala, or ventral tegmental area. These results support the idea that PSU and ceftriaxone alter the neurobiology underlying drug-seeking behavior in the absence of pharmacological tolerance or sensitization to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier R. Mesa
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Emily Carter
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Mechanistic Effects and Use of N-acetylcysteine in Substance Use Disorders. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00250-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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7
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Hadizadeh H, Flores JM, Mayerson T, Worhunsky PD, Potenza MN, Angarita GA. Glutamatergic Agents for the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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8
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Jensen KL, Jensen SB, Madsen KL. A mechanistic overview of approaches for the treatment of psychostimulant dependence. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:854176. [PMID: 36160447 PMCID: PMC9493975 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.854176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant use disorder is a major health issue around the world with enormous individual, family-related and societal consequences, yet there are no effective pharmacological treatments available. In this review, a target-based overview of pharmacological treatments toward psychostimulant addiction will be presented. We will go through therapeutic approaches targeting different aspects of psychostimulant addiction with focus on three major areas; 1) drugs targeting signalling, and metabolism of the dopamine system, 2) drugs targeting either AMPA receptors or metabotropic glutamate receptors of the glutamate system and 3) drugs targeting the severe side-effects of quitting long-term psychostimulant use. For each of these major modes of intervention, findings from pre-clinical studies in rodents to clinical trials in humans will be listed, and future perspectives of the different treatment strategies as well as their potential side-effects will be discussed. Pharmaceuticals modulating the dopamine system, such as antipsychotics, DAT-inhibitors, and disulfiram, have shown some promising results. Cognitive enhancers have been found to increase aspects of behavioural control, and drugs targeting the glutamate system such as modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptors and AMPA receptors have provided interesting changes in relapse behaviour. Furthermore, CRF-antagonists directed toward alleviating the symptoms of the withdrawal stage have been examined with interesting resulting changes in behaviour. There are promising results investigating therapeutics for psychostimulant addiction, but further preclinical work and additional human studies with a more stratified patient selection are needed to prove sufficient evidence of efficacy and tolerability.
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Caffino L, Mottarlini F, Targa G, Verheij MMM, Homberg J, Fumagalli F. Long access to cocaine self-administration dysregulates the glutamate synapse in the nucleus accumbens core of serotonin transporter knockout rats. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:4254-4264. [PMID: 33880773 PMCID: PMC9544393 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE It is well established that the nucleus accumbens and glutamate play a critical role in the motivation to take drugs of abuse. We have previously demonstrated that rats with ablation of the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (SERT-/- rats) show increased cocaine intake reminiscent of compulsivity. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH By comparing SERT-/- to SERT+/+ rats, we set out to explore whether SERT deletion influences glutamate neurotransmission under control conditions as well as after short access (1 h/session) or long access (6 h/session) to cocaine self-administration. KEY RESULTS Rats were killed at 24 h after the final self-administration session for ex vivo molecular analyses of the glutamate system (vesicular and glial transporters, post-synaptic subunits of NMDA and AMPA receptors and their related scaffolding proteins). Such analyses were undertaken in the nucleus accumbens core. In cocaine-naïve animals, SERT deletion evoked widespread abnormalities in markers of glutamatergic neurotransmission that, overall, indicate a reduction of glutamate signalling. These results suggest that 5-HT is pivotal for the maintenance of accumbal glutamate homeostasis. We also found that SERT deletion altered glutamate homeostasis mainly after long access, but not short access, to cocaine. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings reveal that SERT deletion may sensitize the glutamatergic synapses of the nucleus accumbens core to the long access but not short access, intake of cocaine. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on New discoveries and perspectives in mental and pain disorders. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.17/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Caffino
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Francesca Mottarlini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Giorgia Targa
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
| | - Michel M. M. Verheij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Molecular Neurogenetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Judith Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Molecular Neurogenetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and BehaviourRadboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular SciencesUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanItaly
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10
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Caffino L, Mottarlini F, Targa G, Verheij MMM, Fumagalli F, Homberg JR. Responsivity of serotonin transporter knockout rats to short and long access to cocaine: modulation of the glutamate signaling in the nucleus accumbens shell. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:3727-3739. [PMID: 35174489 PMCID: PMC9310702 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose It has been well established that glutamate in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a critical role in the motivation to take drugs of abuse. We have previously demonstrated that rats with ablation of the serotonin transporter (SERT−/− rats) show increased cocaine intake reminiscent of compulsivity. Experimental Approach By comparing SERT−/− to SERT+/+ rats, we investigated whether SERT deletion influences glutamate homeostasis under control conditions as well as after short access (ShA: 1 h per session) or long access (LgA: 6 h per session) to cocaine self‐administration. Rats were killed at 24 h after the last self‐administration session for ex vivo molecular analyses of the main determinants of the glutamate system, including transporters (vesicular and glial), receptors (main post‐synaptic subunits of NMDA and AMPA receptors together with the metabotropic subunit mGLUR5), and scaffolding proteins (SAP102, SAP97, and GRIP) in the NAc shell (sNAc) Key Results In cocaine‐naive animals, SERT deletion was associated with changes indicative for a reduction in glutamate signalling. ShA and LgA exposure led to a further dysregulation of the glutamatergic synapse. Conclusion SERT deletion may render the glutamatergic synapses of the NAc shell more responsive to both ShA and LgA intake of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Caffino
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Mottarlini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgia Targa
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Michel M M Verheij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, division of Molecular Neurogenetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Judith R Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, division of Molecular Neurogenetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, the Netherlands
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Maly IV, Morales MJ, Pletnikov MV. Astrocyte Bioenergetics and Major Psychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 26:173-227. [PMID: 34888836 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77375-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing research continues to add new elements to the emerging picture of involvement of astrocyte energy metabolism in the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, and addictions. This review outlines what is known about the energy metabolism in astrocytes, the most numerous cell type in the brain, and summarizes the recent work on how specific perturbations of astrocyte bioenergetics may contribute to the neuropsychiatric conditions. The role of astrocyte energy metabolism in mental health and disease is reviewed on the organism, organ, and cell level. Data arising from genomic, metabolomic, in vitro, and neurobehavioral studies is critically analyzed to suggest future directions in research and possible metabolism-focused therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan V Maly
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Morales
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Garcia EJ, Cain ME. Isolation housing elevates amphetamine seeking independent of nucleus accumbens glutamate receptor adaptations. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6382-6396. [PMID: 34481424 PMCID: PMC9869284 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Overdose death rates caused by psychostimulants have increased by 22.3% annually from 2008 to 2017. Cue-evoked drug craving progressively increases and contributes to perpetual relapse. Preclinical models have determined that glutamate receptor plasticity within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) drives amplified cue-evoked drug seeking after prolonged abstinence (>40 days). Isolated condition (IC) rearing increases cocaine and amphetamine (AMP) self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement. We tested the hypothesis that housing in the IC will augment AMP seeking after short and prolonged abstinence from AMP self-administration when compared with rats reared in the enrichment condition (EC). EC and IC male rats acquired stable AMP or SAL self-administration and were tested in a cue-induced AMP-seeking test after 1 and 40 days of abstinence. After the seeking test, the whole NAc was extracted and prepared for western blot analysis. Results indicate that IC rats had more active lever presses during a brief extinction interval and during the cue-induced seeking test. After 40 days of abstinence, IC rats had more active lever presses than EC rats during the cue-induced seeking test. Western blots indicated that the expression ratio between GluA1:mGlur5 was reduced only in IC-AMP-trained rats and the ratio between GluA1:mGlur1 was positively correlated with AMP seeking after prolonged abstinence in IC-AMP rats. These results indicate that IC housing engenders a vulnerable phenotype prone to persistent AMP seeking. The behavioural momentum of this vulnerable phenotype is further revealed when AMP-associated cues are presented following prolonged abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J. Garcia
- Department of Psychological Sciences Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Mary E. Cain
- Department of Psychological Sciences Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas USA
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Schwendt M, Knackstedt LA. Extinction vs. Abstinence: A Review of the Molecular and Circuit Consequences of Different Post-Cocaine Experiences. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116113. [PMID: 34204090 PMCID: PMC8200945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The intravenous cocaine self-administration model is widely used to characterize the neurobiology of cocaine seeking. When studies are aimed at understanding relapse to cocaine-seeking, a post-cocaine abstinence period is imposed, followed by “relapse” tests to assess the ability of drug-related stimuli (“primes”) to evoke the resumption of the instrumental response previously made to obtain cocaine. Here, we review the literature on the impact of post-cocaine abstinence procedures on neurobiology, finding that the prelimbic and infralimbic regions of the prefrontal cortex are recruited by extinction training, and are not part of the relapse circuitry when extinction training does not occur. Pairing cocaine infusions with discrete cues recruits the involvement of the NA, which together with the dorsal striatum, is a key part of the relapse circuit regardless of abstinence procedures. Differences in molecular adaptations in the NA core include increased expression of GluN1 and glutamate receptor signaling partners after extinction training. AMPA receptors and glutamate transporters are similarly affected by abstinence and extinction. Glutamate receptor antagonists show efficacy at reducing relapse following extinction and abstinence, with a modest increase in efficacy of compounds that restore glutamate homeostasis after extinction training. Imaging studies in humans reveal cocaine-induced adaptations that are similar to those produced after extinction training. Thus, while instrumental extinction training does not have face validity, its use does not produce adaptations distinct from human cocaine users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Schwendt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-352-273-2185
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14
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Cocaine use disorder: A look at metabotropic glutamate receptors and glutamate transporters. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 221:107797. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Namba MD, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Nagy EK, Olive MF, Neisewander JL. Neuroimmune Mechanisms as Novel Treatment Targets for Substance Use Disorders and Associated Comorbidities. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:650785. [PMID: 33935636 PMCID: PMC8082184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.650785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies examining the neurobiology of substance abuse have revealed a significant role of neuroimmune signaling as a mechanism through which drugs of abuse induce aberrant changes in synaptic plasticity and contribute to substance abuse-related behaviors. Immune signaling within the brain and the periphery critically regulates homeostasis of the nervous system. Perturbations in immune signaling can induce neuroinflammation or immunosuppression, which dysregulate nervous system function including neural processes associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). In this review, we discuss the literature that demonstrates a role of neuroimmune signaling in regulating learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity, emphasizing specific cytokine signaling within the central nervous system. We then highlight recent preclinical studies, within the last 5 years when possible, that have identified immune mechanisms within the brain and the periphery associated with addiction-related behaviors. Findings thus far underscore the need for future investigations into the clinical potential of immunopharmacology as a novel approach toward treating SUDs. Considering the high prevalence rate of comorbidities among those with SUDs, we also discuss neuroimmune mechanisms of common comorbidities associated with SUDs and highlight potentially novel treatment targets for these comorbid conditions. We argue that immunopharmacology represents a novel frontier in the development of new pharmacotherapies that promote long-term abstinence from drug use and minimize the detrimental impact of SUD comorbidities on patient health and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Namba
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | | | - Erin K. Nagy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - M. Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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Angoa-Pérez M, Kuhn DM. Evidence for Modulation of Substance Use Disorders by the Gut Microbiome: Hidden in Plain Sight. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:571-596. [PMID: 33597276 PMCID: PMC7896134 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.120.000144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome modulates neurochemical function and behavior and has been implicated in numerous central nervous system (CNS) diseases, including developmental, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders. Substance use disorders (SUDs) remain a serious threat to the public well-being, yet gut microbiome involvement in drug abuse has received very little attention. Studies of the mechanisms underlying SUDs have naturally focused on CNS reward circuits. However, a significant body of research has accumulated over the past decade that has unwittingly provided strong support for gut microbiome participation in drug reward. β-Lactam antibiotics have been employed to increase glutamate transporter expression to reverse relapse-induced release of glutamate. Sodium butyrate has been used as a histone deacetylase inhibitor to prevent drug-induced epigenetic alterations. High-fat diets have been used to alter drug reward because of the extensive overlap of the circuitry mediating them. This review article casts these approaches in a different light and makes a compelling case for gut microbiome modulation of SUDs. Few factors alter the structure and composition of the gut microbiome more than antibiotics and a high-fat diet, and butyrate is an endogenous product of bacterial fermentation. Drugs such as cocaine, alcohol, opiates, and psychostimulants also modify the gut microbiome. Therefore, their effects must be viewed on a complex background of cotreatment-induced dysbiosis. Consideration of the gut microbiome in SUDs should have the beneficial effects of expanding the understanding of SUDs and aiding in the design of new therapies based on opposing the effects of abused drugs on the host's commensal bacterial community. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Proposed mechanisms underlying substance use disorders fail to acknowledge the impact of drugs of abuse on the gut microbiome. β-Lactam antibiotics, sodium butyrate, and high-fat diets are used to modify drug seeking and reward, overlooking the notable capacity of these treatments to alter the gut microbiome. This review aims to stimulate research on substance abuse-gut microbiome interactions by illustrating how drugs of abuse share with antibiotics, sodium butyrate, and fat-laden diets the ability to modify the host microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Angoa-Pérez
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Donald M Kuhn
- Research and Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
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Qin C, Hu J, Wan Y, Cai M, Wang Z, Peng Z, Liao Y, Li D, Yao P, Liu L, Rong S, Bao W, Xu G, Yang W. Narrative review on potential role of gut microbiota in certain substance addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 106:110093. [PMID: 32898589 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
As a neuropsychiatric disorder, substance addiction represents a major public health issue with high prevalence and mortality in many countries. Recently, gut microbiota has been certified to play a part in substance addiction through various mechanisms. Hence, we mainly focused on three substance including alcohol, cocaine and methamphetamine in this review, and summarized their relationships with gut microbiota, respectively. Besides, we also concluded the possible treatments for substance addiction from the perspective of applying gut microbiota. This review aims to build a bridge between substance addiction and gut microbiota according to existing evidences, so as to excavate the possible bi-directional function of microbiota-gut-brain axis in substance addiction for developing therapeutic strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyuan Qin
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Jiawei Hu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Yiming Wan
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyao Cai
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenting Wang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Zhao Peng
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Yuxiao Liao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Yao
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Liegang Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China
| | - Shuang Rong
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Medical College, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430065, China
| | - Wei Bao
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, IA 52242, USA
| | - Guifeng Xu
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, IA 52242, USA; Center for Disabilities and Development, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China; Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, 430030 Wuhan, China.
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Bechard AR, Logan CN, Mesa J, Padovan-Hernandez Y, Blount H, Hodges VL, Knackstedt LA. Role of prefrontal cortex projections to the nucleus accumbens core in mediating the effects of ceftriaxone on cue-induced cocaine seeking. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12928. [PMID: 32558119 PMCID: PMC7746580 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2020] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Ceftriaxone is an antibiotic that reliably attenuates the reinstatement of cocaine seeking after extinction while preventing the nucleus accumbens (NA) core glutamate efflux that drives reinstatement. However, when rats undergo abstinence without extinction, ceftriaxone attenuates context-primed cocaine seeking but NA core glutamate efflux still increases. Here, we sought to determine if the same would occur when cocaine seeking is prompted by both context and discrete cues (cue-induced seeking) after cocaine abstinence. Male rats self-administered intravenous cocaine accompanied by drug-associated cues (light + tone) for 2 h/day for 14 days. Rats then experienced abstinence with daily handling but no extinction training for 2 weeks. Ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg IP) or vehicle was administered during the last 6 days of abstinence. During a cue-induced cocaine seeking test, microdialysis procedures were conducted. Rats were perfused at the end of the test for later Fos analysis. A separate cohort of rats was infused with the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B in the NA core and underwent the same self-administration and relapse procedures. Ceftriaxone increased baseline glutamate and attenuated both cue-induced cocaine seeking and NA core glutamate efflux during this test. Ceftriaxone reduced Fos expression in regions sending projections to the NA core (prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, ventral tegmental area) and specifically reduced Fos in prelimbic cortex and not infralimbic cortex neurons projecting to the NA core. Thus, when cocaine seeking is induced by drug-associated cues, ceftriaxone is able to attenuate relapse by preventing NA core glutamate efflux, likely through reducing activity in prelimbic NA core-projecting neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carly N. Logan
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Javier Mesa
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | - Harrison Blount
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
| | | | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
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Smaga I, Gawlińska K, Frankowska M, Wydra K, Sadakierska-Chudy A, Suder A, Piechota M, Filip M. Extinction Training after Cocaine Self-Administration Influences the Epigenetic and Genetic Machinery Responsible for Glutamatergic Transporter Gene Expression in Male Rat Brain. Neuroscience 2020; 451:99-110. [PMID: 33065231 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Glutamate is a key excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The balance of glutamatergic transporter proteins allows long-term maintenance of glutamate homeostasis in the brain, which is impaired during cocaine use disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the gene expression of SLC1A2 (encoding GLT-1), and SLC7A11 (encoding xCT), in rat brain structures after short-term (3 days) and long-term (10 days) extinction training using microarray analysis and quantitative real-time PCR. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression of genes encoding transcription factors, i.e., NFKB1 and NFKB2 (encoding NF-κB), PAX6, (encoding Pax6), and NFE2L2 (encoding Nrf2), to verify the correlation between changes in glutamatergic transporters and changes in their transcriptional factors and microRNAs (miRNAs; miR-124a, miR-543-3p and miR-342-3p) and confirm the epigenetic mechanism. We found reduced GLT-1 transcript and mRNA level in the prefrontal cortex (PFCTX) and dorsal striatum (DSTR) in rats that had previously self-administered cocaine after 3 days of extinction training, which was associated with downregulation of PAX6 (transcript and mRNA) and NFKB2 (mRNA) level in the PFCTX and with upregulation of miR-543-3p and miR-342-3p in the DSTR. The xCT mRNA level was reduced in the PFCTX and DSTR, and NFE2L2 transcript level in the PFCTX was decreased on the 3rd day of extinction training. In conclusion, 3-day drug-free period modulates GLT-1 and xCT gene expression through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, and such changes in expression seem to be potential molecular targets for developing a treatment for cocaine-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Smaga
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Kinga Gawlińska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Frankowska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Sadakierska-Chudy
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Suder
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Piechota
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Smętna 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL 31-343 Kraków, Poland
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20
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Stennett BA, Knackstedt LA. A Rat Model of Cocaine-Alcohol Polysubstance Use Reveals Altered Cocaine Seeking and Glutamate Levels in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:877. [PMID: 32982672 PMCID: PMC7488193 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical models of cocaine use disorder are widely utilized to identify neuroadaptations underlying cocaine seeking and to screen medications to reduce seeking. However, while the majority of cocaine users engage in poly-substance use (PSU), a minority of preclinical studies employ PSU models. We previously reported that when rats consume alcohol after daily intravenous cocaine self-administration, nucleus accumbens (NA) core basal glutamate levels are reduced below those of rats that consumed only cocaine, and do not increase during cue + cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Here we used the same model of sequential cocaine and alcohol self-administration to test the hypothesis that a similar pattern of glutamate changes would be observed in the NA core prior to and during a cocaine-primed reinstatement test. Rats underwent intravenous cocaine self-administration followed by access to unsweetened alcohol in the home cage for 12 days. Rats underwent a minimum of 12 daily extinction sessions prior to a cocaine-primed reinstatement test conducted during microdialysis procedures. Contrary to our previous work using the same model, here we found that access to alcohol increased cocaine intake and increased responding during early extinction training. We found that as in our previous work, cocaine + alcohol-consuming rats displayed basal glutamate levels below those of rats that self-administered only cocaine. During the cocaine-primed reinstatement test, rats that consumed only cocaine displayed increased glutamate efflux in the NA core while those that consumed cocaine + alcohol did not. These results indicate that preclinical models of PSU should be utilized to develop experimental therapeutics for the reduction of cocaine seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany A. Stennett
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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21
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Abstract
The pervasive and devastating nature of substance use disorders underlies the need for the continued development of novel pharmacotherapies. We now know that glia play a much greater role in neuronal processes than once believed. The various types of glial cells (e.g., astrocytes, microglial, oligodendrocytes) participate in numerous functions that are crucial to healthy central nervous system function. Drugs of abuse have been shown to interact with glia in ways that directly contribute to the pharmacodynamic effects responsible for their abuse potential. Through their effect upon glia, drugs of abuse also alter brain function resulting in behavioral changes associated with substance use disorders. Therefore, drug-induced changes in glia and inflammation within the central nervous system (neuroinflammation) have been investigated to treat various aspects of drug abuse and dependence. This article presents a brief overview of the effects of each of the major classes of addictive drugs on glia. Next, the paper reviews the pre-clinical and clinical studies assessing the effects that glial modulators have on abuse-related behavioral effects, such as pleasure, withdrawal, and motivation. There is a strong body of pre-clinical literature demonstrating the general effectiveness of several glia-modulating drugs in models of reward and relapse. Clinical studies have also yielded promising results, though not as robust. There is still much to disentangle regarding the integration between addictive drugs and glial cells. Improved understanding of the relationship between glia and the pathophysiology of drug abuse should allow for more precise exploration in the development and testing of glial-directed treatments for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jermaine D. Jones
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Smaga I, Fierro D, Mesa J, Filip M, Knackstedt LA. Molecular changes evoked by the beta-lactam antibiotic ceftriaxone across rodent models of substance use disorder and neurological disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:116-130. [PMID: 32485268 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ceftriaxone is a beta-lactam antibiotic that increases the expression of the major glutamate transporter, GLT-1. As such, ceftriaxone ameliorates symptoms across multiple rodent models of neurological diseases and substance use disorders. However, the mechanism behind GLT-1 upregulation is unknown. The present review synthesizes this literature in order to identify commonalities in molecular changes. We find that ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg for at least two days) consistently restores GLT-1 expression in multiple rodent models of neurological disease, especially when GLT-1 is decreased in the disease model. The same dose given to healthy/drug-naive rodents does not reliably upregulate GLT-1 in any brain region except the hippocampus. Increased GLT-1 expression does not consistently arise from transcriptional regulation, and is likely to be due to trafficking changes. In addition to altered transporter expression, ceftriaxone ameliorates neuropathologies (e.g. tau, amyloid beta, cell death) and aberrant protein expression associated with a number of neurological disease models. Taken together, these results indicate that ceftriaxone remains a strong candidate for treatment of multiple disorders in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Smaga
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Daniel Fierro
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Javier Mesa
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Malgorzata Filip
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna 12, PL, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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Stennett BA, Padovan-Hernandez Y, Knackstedt LA. Sequential cocaine-alcohol self-administration produces adaptations in rat nucleus accumbens core glutamate homeostasis that are distinct from those produced by cocaine self-administration alone. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:441-450. [PMID: 31266052 PMCID: PMC6969168 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0452-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There are currently no FDA-approved medications to reduce cocaine relapse. The majority of preclinical studies aimed at identifying the neurobiology underlying relapse involve the self-administration of cocaine alone, whereas many, if not a majority, of cocaine users engage in polysubstance use. Here we developed a rat model of sequential cocaine and alcohol self-administration to test the hypothesis that this combination produces distinct neuroadaptations relative to those produced by cocaine alone. Male rats underwent intravenous cocaine self-administration (2 h/day) followed by 6 h access to unsweetened alcohol (20% v/v) for 12 days. After extinction training, we assessed surface expression of the glutamate transporter GLT-1 and glutamate efflux in the nucleus accumbens (NA) core during the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. We also tested the ability of ceftriaxone to attenuate the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and assessed reinstatement-induced Fos expression in several regions critical for reinstatement. Alcohol consumption did not alter cocaine intake, nor did access to cocaine alter alcohol consumption. However, we noted significant changes in glutamate homeostasis in the NA core of cocaine + alcohol rats relative to rats consuming cocaine alone, such as increased surface GLT-1 expression and a lack of increase in glutamate efflux during reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. A history of cocaine + alcohol also altered patterns of reinstatement-induced Fos expression. These changes likely account for the inability of ceftriaxone to attenuate cocaine relapse in cocaine + alcohol rats, while it does so in rats consuming only cocaine. As such glutamate neuroadaptations are targeted by medications to reduce cocaine relapse, preclinical models should consider polysubstance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany A Stennett
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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24
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Niedzielska-Andres E, Mizera J, Sadakierska-Chudy A, Pomierny-Chamioło L, Filip M. Changes in the glutamate biomarker expression in rats vulnerable or resistant to the rewarding effects of cocaine and their reversal by ceftriaxone. Behav Brain Res 2019; 370:111945. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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25
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Mucke HA. Drug Repurposing Patent Applications January–March 2019. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2019; 17:255-260. [DOI: 10.1089/adt.2019.938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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26
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Bechard AR, Knackstedt LA. The effects of Pavlovian cue extinction and ceftriaxone on cocaine relapse after abstinence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 197:83-86. [PMID: 30784953 PMCID: PMC6440847 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health problem and currently no medications are FDA-approved to reduce cocaine relapse. Drug-associated cues are reported to elicit craving and cocaine-seeking in humans. Repeated, non-reinforced presentations of drug-associated cues (cue extinction) have been proposed to reduce the ability of such cues to prompt drug-seeking. In rodent models of cocaine relapse, cue extinction reduces cocaine relapse when such extinction occurs in the same context as cocaine self-administration, which is not akin to the manner in which treatment would occur in humans. Here we sought to determine whether cue extinction outside of the cocaine self-administration context would reduce relapse in the drug context. We also hypothesized that ceftriaxone, an antibiotic consistently shown to attenuate cocaine relapse in rats, would enhance the relapse-preventing effects of cue extinction. METHODS Rats self-administered intravenous cocaine for 12 days followed by 20-21 days of abstinence. Immediately preceding the relapse test, rats either underwent 6 single daily cue extinction sessions (1 h/day) outside the self-administration context or no extinction with daily handling. Rats also received vehicle or ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg IP) on those six days. RESULTS Ceftriaxone attenuated cued relapse relative to vehicle-treated rats, but there was no additive effect of cue extinction on cocaine-seeking. Cue extinction alone did not attenuate relapse. CONCLUSIONS Thus, in agreement with work in humans, when cue extinction is conducted outside the drug-associated context it does not reduce the risk of relapse alone. Ceftriaxone remains a strong possibility for medication to reduce cocaine relapse in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R. Bechard
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603 USA
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32603 USA
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27
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Garcia EJ, Arndt DL, Cain ME. Dynamic interactions of ceftriaxone and environmental variables suppress amphetamine seeking. Brain Res 2019; 1712:63-72. [PMID: 30716289 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Extrasynaptic glutamate within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a driver of relapse. Cocaine, ethanol, and methamphetamine reduce the expression of cystine-glutamate antiporter (xCT) and primary glial glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) leading to increased extrasynaptic glutamate. Ceftriaxone (CTX) restores xCT and GLT1 expression and effectively suppresses cocaine and ethanol reinstatement, however, the effects of CTX on amphetamine (AMP) reinstatement are not determined. Rodents were reared in an enriched condition (EC), isolated (IC), or standard condition (SC) and trained in AMP self-administration (0.1 mg/kg/infusion). EC, IC, and SC rats received injections of SAL or CTX (200 mg/kg) after daily extinction sessions. Then rats were tested in cue- and AMP-induced reinstatement tests. We hypothesized that EC rearing would reduce reinstatement by altering GLT1 or xCT expression in the NAc and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). In Experiment 2, pair-housed rats received once-daily AMP (1.0 mg/kg i.p.) or SAL for eight days followed by once-daily CTX (200 mg/kg i.p.) or SAL injections for 10 days. CTX treatment reduced cue-induced drug seeking in EC rats but not IC or SC rats. In an AMP-induced reinstatement test, CTX reduced AMP-induced drug seeking in EC and SC rats, but not IC rats. Western blot analyses revealed that AMP self-administration and non-contingent repeated AMP exposure did not downregulate GLT1 or xCT in the NAc or mPFC. Therefore, the ability for EC housing to reduce amphetamine seeking may work through other mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Garcia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States.
| | - David L Arndt
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States
| | - Mary E Cain
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University, 492 Bluemont Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-5302, United States
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Kim R, Healey KL, Sepulveda-Orengo MT, Reissner KJ. Astroglial correlates of neuropsychiatric disease: From astrocytopathy to astrogliosis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:126-146. [PMID: 28989099 PMCID: PMC5889368 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 09/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Complex roles for astrocytes in health and disease continue to emerge, highlighting this class of cells as integral to function and dysfunction of the nervous system. In particular, escalating evidence strongly implicates a range of changes in astrocyte structure and function associated with neuropsychiatric diseases including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. These changes can range from astrocytopathy, degeneration, and loss of function, to astrogliosis and hypertrophy, and can be either adaptive or maladaptive. Evidence from the literature indicates a myriad of changes observed in astrocytes from both human postmortem studies as well as preclinical animal models, including changes in expression of glial fibrillary protein, as well as changes in astrocyte morphology and astrocyte-mediated regulation of synaptic function. In this review, we seek to provide a comprehensive assessment of these findings and consequently evidence for common themes regarding adaptations in astrocytes associated with neuropsychiatric disease. While results are mixed across conditions and models, general findings indicate decreased astrocyte cellular features and gene expression in depression, chronic stress and anxiety, but increased inflammation in schizophrenia. Changes also vary widely in response to different drugs of abuse, with evidence reflective of features of astrocytopathy to astrogliosis, varying across drug classes, route of administration and length of withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Kim
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CB 3270, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Kati L Healey
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CB 3270, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Marian T Sepulveda-Orengo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CB 3270, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Kathryn J Reissner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, CB 3270, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States..
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Bechard AR, LaCrosse A, Namba MD, Jackson B, Knackstedt LA. Impairments in reversal learning following short access to cocaine self-administration. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 192:239-244. [PMID: 30278419 PMCID: PMC6200584 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use disorder is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking that persists long into abstinence. Work using rodent models of cocaine addiction has found evidence for reversal learning deficits 21 days after non-contingent cocaine administration and 60 days after self-administration. Here we sought to determine if a deficit in reversal learning is present 3-4 weeks after cessation of cocaine self-administration, when relapse to cocaine-seeking is robust. Conversely, we hypothesized that reversal learning training would protect against relapse, similar to other forms of environmental enrichment. METHODS Male rats underwent short access (ShA, 2 h/10d) or long access (LgA, 1 h/7d then 6 h/10d) cocaine self-administration, followed by 21-29 days of abstinence. During abstinence, a subset of rats underwent training in a plus-maze that required an egocentric strategy to earn a sucrose reward. Following response acquisition and retention, the ability to reverse the spatial navigation strategy was tested. RESULTS Total trials to criteria and total errors made did not differ between the groups during response acquisition, retention, or reversal. On the first reversal test, ShA rats performed better than LgA and control rats. ShA rats' performance worsened over time. There were no effects of cognitive training or length of cocaine access on context-primed relapse of cocaine-seeking. CONCLUSIONS The present data indicate that perhaps LgA cocaine self-administration does not produce adaptations to regions mediating context-primed relapse as it does for cocaine and cocaine-associated cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking. A time-dependent deficit in reversal learning was found only in ShA rats. Reversal learning training did not protect against cocaine relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Bechard
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States.
| | - Amber LaCrosse
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
| | - Mark D Namba
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
| | - Brooke Jackson
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 945 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
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Logan CN, LaCrosse AL, Knackstedt LA. Nucleus accumbens GLT-1a overexpression reduces glutamate efflux during reinstatement of cocaine-seeking but is not sufficient to attenuate reinstatement. Neuropharmacology 2018; 135:297-307. [PMID: 29567092 PMCID: PMC6383073 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder is a chronically relapsing disease without FDA-approved treatments. Using a rodent model of cocaine relapse, we and others have previously demonstrated that the beta-lactam antibiotic ceftriaxone attenuates cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Ceftriaxone restores cocaine-induced deficits in both system xc- and GLT-1 expression and function in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). We recently demonstrated that restoration of GLT-1 expression in the NAc is necessary for ceftriaxone to attenuate reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Here we used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to overexpress GLT-1a in the NAc to investigate whether such restoration is sufficient to attenuate cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement. Rats self-administered cocaine for two weeks and received injections of either AAV-GFAP-GLT-1a or AAV-GFAP-eGFP in the NAc following the last day of self-administration. Rats then underwent three weeks of extinction training (during which time transduction and expression occurred) before undergoing a cue- or cocaine-primed reinstatement test. Microdialysis for the quantification of glutamate efflux in the NAc was conducted during the cocaine-primed test. Rats that received AAV-GFAP-GLT-1a reinstated cue-primed cocaine-seeking in a similar manner as rats that received the control AAV-GFAP-eGFP. Upregulation of GLT-1a attenuated glutamate efflux during a cocaine-primed reinstatement test, but was not sufficient to attenuate reinstatement. We confirmed that GLT-1a upregulation resulted in functional upregulation of glutamate transport and expression, without affecting sodium-independent glutamate uptake, indicating system xc-was not altered. These results indicate that upregulation of NAc GLT-1 transporters alone is not sufficient to prevent the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and implicate additional mechanisms in regulating glutamate efflux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly N Logan
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - Amber L LaCrosse
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Padovan-Hernandez Y, Knackstedt LA. Dose-dependent reduction in cocaine-induced locomotion by Clozapine-N-Oxide in rats with a history of cocaine self-administration. Neurosci Lett 2018; 674:132-135. [PMID: 29571824 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are novel tools for the dissection of circuitry mediating behavior and neural function. Designer receptors based on the muscarinic M3 and M4 subtypes were designed to be activated by clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), a ligand previously shown to be an inert metabolite of clozapine. However, recent work in rats has shown that CNO is reverse metabolized to its parent compound. Furthermore, CNO administration (5 mg/kg IP) attenuates amphetamine-induced locomotion and the evoked dopamine response that accompanies it. As these systems are routinely used to probe the neurocircuitry underlying cocaine-seeking behavior, here we sought to determine whether CNO would have similar effects on cocaine-induced locomotion in rats with a history of cocaine self-administration. In order for muscarinic-based DREADDs to be utilized for the dissection of circuitry underlying behavioral responses to cocaine, the doses of CNO administered to induce DREADD signaling must themselves have no effect on cocaine-induced behavior. Male Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered cocaine (0.35 mg/infusion) for 12 days, followed by 14-21 days of instrumental extinction training. Rats then underwent locomotor testing. CNO (0, 3, or 5 mg/kg) was injected (utilizing a within-subjects design), followed 20 min later by cocaine (10 mg/kg IP). Locomotion was monitored for the following 120 min. We found that the 5, but not the 3 mg/kg, dose of CNO reduced cocaine-induced locomotion. Thus, studies utilizing DREAADs to probe cocaine-induced behavior should consider these findings when choosing a dose of CNO and include non-DREADD CNO controls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611, United States; Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States.
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Bechard AR, Hamor PU, Schwendt M, Knackstedt LA. The effects of ceftriaxone on cue-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in male and female rats: estrous cycle effects on behavior and protein expression in the nucleus accumbens. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:837-848. [PMID: 29197981 PMCID: PMC5893281 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4802-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Effective pharmacological treatments to prevent cocaine relapse remain elusive. In male rats, ceftriaxone attenuates the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking while increasing glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and xCT expression in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). Despite reported sex differences in cocaine relapse, these effects have not yet been confirmed in female rats. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effects of ceftriaxone on cue-primed reinstatement and cocaine-induced alterations in glutamatergic proteins in the NAc of female rats. Potential interactions between estrous phase and treatment were also assessed. METHOD Male and female rats self-administered cocaine in the presence of discrete cues for 12 days, followed by 2-3 weeks of extinction. Ceftriaxone or vehicle was administered daily for a minimum of 6 days immediately preceding a cue-primed reinstatement test. RESULTS Total cocaine intake was greater in females than in males, but reinstatement behavior was similar. Ceftriaxone attenuated reinstatement in both sexes and was accompanied by increased expression of GLT-1a and xCT in the NAc. However, ceftriaxone attenuated reinstatement only when females were tested during met-, di-, and proestrus phases and not during estrus. A significant increase in AMPA receptor subunit GluA1 surface expression was also observed during estrus, potentially influencing reinstatement. CONCLUSION These findings extend the beneficial effects of ceftriaxone on persistent cocaine-seeking from males to females, increasing its potential as a pharmacological treatment for preventing relapse. The effects of estrus on GluA1 expression and reinstatement observed here indicate that females may need additional interventions during some phases of the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R. Bechard
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Peter U. Hamor
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA
| | - Marek Schwendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, 945 Center Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611-2250, USA,Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Effects of muscarinic M 1 and M 4 acetylcholine receptor stimulation on extinction and reinstatement of cocaine seeking in male mice, independent of extinction learning. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:815-827. [PMID: 29250738 PMCID: PMC6472894 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4797-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stimulating muscarinic M1/M4 receptors can blunt reinforcing and other effects of cocaine. A hallmark of addiction is continued drug seeking/craving after abstinence and relapse. OBJECTIVES We tested whether stimulating M1 and/or M4 receptors could facilitate extinction of cocaine seeking, and whether this was mediated via memory consolidation. METHODS Experimentally naïve C57BL/6J mice were allowed to acquire self-administration of intravenous cocaine (1 mg/kg/infusion) under a fixed-ratio 1 schedule of reinforcement. Then, saline was substituted for cocaine until responding extinguished to ≤30% of cocaine-reinforced responding. Immediately after each extinction session, mice received saline, the M1/M4 receptor-preferring agonist xanomeline, the M1 receptor-selective allosteric agonist VU0357017, the M4 receptor-selective positive allosteric modulator VU0152100, or VU0357017 + VU0152100. In additional experiments, xanomeline was administered delayed after the session or in the home cage before extinction training began. In the latter group, reinstatement of responding by a 10-mg/kg cocaine injection was also tested. RESULTS Stimulating M1 + M4 receptors significantly expedited extinction from 17.2 sessions to 8.3 using xanomeline or 7.8 using VU0357017 + VU0152100. VU0357017 alone and VU0152100 alone did not significantly modify rates of extinction (12.6 and 14.6 sessions). The effect of xanomeline was fully preserved when administered delayed after or unpaired from extinction sessions (7.5 and 6.4 sessions). Xanomeline-treated mice showed no cocaine-induced reinstatement. CONCLUSIONS These findings show that M1/M4 receptor stimulation can decrease cocaine seeking in mice. The effect lasted beyond treatment duration and was not dependent upon extinction learning. This suggests that M1/M4 receptor stimulation modulated or reversed some neurochemical effects of cocaine exposure.
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Namba MD, Tomek SE, Olive MF, Beckmann JS, Gipson CD. The Winding Road to Relapse: Forging a New Understanding of Cue-Induced Reinstatement Models and Their Associated Neural Mechanisms. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:17. [PMID: 29479311 PMCID: PMC5811475 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In drug addiction, cues previously associated with drug use can produce craving and frequently trigger the resumption of drug taking in individuals vulnerable to relapse. Environmental stimuli associated with drugs or natural reinforcers can become reliably conditioned to increase behavior that was previously reinforced. In preclinical models of addiction, these cues enhance both drug self-administration and reinstatement of drug seeking. In this review, we will dissociate the roles of conditioned stimuli as reinforcers from their modulatory or discriminative functions in producing drug-seeking behavior. As well, we will examine possible differences in neurobiological encoding underlying these functional differences. Specifically, we will discuss how models of drug addiction and relapse should more systematically evaluate these different types of stimuli to better understand the neurobiology underlying craving and relapse. In this way, behavioral and pharmacotherapeutic interventions may be better tailored to promote drug use cessation outcomes and long-term abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Namba
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Seven E. Tomek
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - M. Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Joshua S. Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Cassandra D. Gipson
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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Hearing M, Graziane N, Dong Y, Thomas MJ. Opioid and Psychostimulant Plasticity: Targeting Overlap in Nucleus Accumbens Glutamate Signaling. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2018; 39:276-294. [PMID: 29338873 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2017.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Commonalities in addictive behavior, such as craving, stimuli-driven drug seeking, and a high propensity for relapse following abstinence, have pushed for a unified theory of addiction that encompasses most abused substances. This unitary theory has recently been challenged - citing distinctions in structural neural plasticity, biochemical signaling, and neural circuitry to argue that addiction to opioids and psychostimulants is behaviorally and neurobiologically distinct. Recent more selective examination of drug-induced plasticity has highlighted that these two drug classes promote an overall reward circuitry signaling overlap through modifying excitatory synapses in the nucleus accumbens - a key constituent of the reward system. We discuss adaptations in presynaptic/postsynaptic and extrasynaptic glutamate signaling produced by opioids and psychostimulants, and their relevance to circuit remodeling and addiction-related behavior - arguing that these core neural adaptations are important targets for developing pharmacotherapies to treat addiction to multiple drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Hearing
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA.
| | - Nicholas Graziane
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Yan Dong
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Kim R, Sepulveda-Orengo MT, Healey KL, Williams EA, Reissner KJ. Regulation of glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) gene expression by cocaine self-administration and withdrawal. Neuropharmacology 2018; 128:1-10. [PMID: 28919080 PMCID: PMC5714670 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Downregulation of the astroglial glutamate transporter GLT-1 is observed in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) following administration of multiple drugs of abuse. The decrease in GLT-1 protein expression following cocaine self-administration is dependent on both the amount of cocaine self-administered and the length of withdrawal, with longer access to cocaine and longer withdrawal periods leading to greater decreases in GLT-1 protein. However, the mechanism(s) by which cocaine downregulates GLT-1 protein remains unknown. We used qRT-PCR to examine gene expression of GLT-1 splice isoforms (GLT-1A, GLT-1B) in the NAc, prelimbic cortex (PL) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) of rats, following two widely used models of cocaine self-administration: short-access (ShA) self-administration, and the long-access (LgA) self-administration/incubation model. While downregulation of GLT-1 protein is observed following ShA cocaine self-administration and extinction, this model did not lead to a change in GLT-1A or GLT-1B gene expression in any brain region examined. Forced abstinence following ShA cocaine self-administration also was without effect. In contrast, LgA cocaine self-administration and prolonged abstinence significantly decreased GLT-1A gene expression in the NAc and BLA, and significantly decreased GLT-1B gene expression in the PL. No change was observed in NAc GLT-1A gene expression one day after LgA cocaine self-administration, indicating withdrawal-induced decreases in GLT-1A mRNA. In addition, LgA cocaine self-administration and withdrawal induced hypermethylation of the GLT-1 gene in the NAc. These results indicate that a decrease in NAc GLT-1 mRNA is only observed after extended access to cocaine combined with protracted abstinence, and that epigenetic mechanisms likely contribute to this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald Kim
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Marian T Sepulveda-Orengo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kati L Healey
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Emily A Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn J Reissner
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Dienel GA, Behar KL, Rothman DL. Cellular Origin of [ 18F]FDG-PET Imaging Signals During Ceftriaxone-Stimulated Glutamate Uptake: Astrocytes and Neurons. Neuroscientist 2017; 24:316-328. [PMID: 29276856 DOI: 10.1177/1073858417749375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Ceftriaxone stimulates astrocytic uptake of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and it is used to treat glutamatergic excitotoxicity that becomes manifest during many brain diseases. Ceftriaxone-stimulated glutamate transport was reported to drive signals underlying [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomographic ([18F]FDG-PET) metabolic images of brain glucose utilization and interpreted as supportive of the notion of lactate shuttling from astrocytes to neurons. This study draws attention to critical roles of astrocytes in the energetics and imaging of brain activity, but the results are provocative because (1) the method does not have cellular resolution or provide information about downstream pathways of glucose metabolism, (2) neuronal and astrocytic [18F]FDG uptake were not separately measured, and (3) strong evidence against lactate shuttling was not discussed. Evaluation of potential metabolic responses to ceftriaxone suggests lack of astrocytic specificity and significant contributions by pre- and postsynaptic neuronal compartments. Indeed, astrocytic glycolysis may not make a strong contribution to the [18F]FDG-PET signal because partial or complete oxidation of one glutamate molecule on its uptake generates enough ATP to fuel uptake of 3 to 10 more glutamate molecules, diminishing reliance on glycolysis. The influence of ceftriaxone on energetics of glutamate-glutamine cycling must be determined in astrocytes and neurons to elucidate its roles in excitotoxicity treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald A Dienel
- 1 Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.,2 Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kevin L Behar
- 3 Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Douglas L Rothman
- 4 Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Kang S, Li J, Bekker A, Ye JH. Rescue of glutamate transport in the lateral habenula alleviates depression- and anxiety-like behaviors in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Neuropharmacology 2017; 129:47-56. [PMID: 29128307 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism and psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety are often comorbid. Although the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity are unclear, emerging evidence suggests that maladaptation of the glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 may play a role. Findings from animal and human studies have linked aversive states, including those related to drugs of abuse and depression, to aberrant activity in the lateral habenula (LHb). The relationship between GLT-1 maladaptation, LHb activity, and abnormal behaviors related to alcohol withdrawal, however, remains unknown. Here we show that dihydrokainic acid (DHK), a GLT-1 blocker, potentiated glutamatergic transmission to LHb neurons in slices from ethanol naïve rats; this potentiation, though, was not observed in slices from rats withdrawn from repeated in vivo ethanol administration, suggesting reduced GLT-1 function. Furthermore, GLT-1 protein expression was reduced in the LHb of withdrawn rats. This reduction was restored by systemic administration of ceftriaxone, a β-lactam antibiotic known to increase GLT-1 expression. Systemic ceftriaxone treatment also normalized the hyperactivity of LHb neurons in slices from withdrawn rats, which was reversed by bath-applied DHK. Finally, systemic administration of ceftriaxone alleviated depression- and anxiety-like behaviors, which was fully blocked by intra-LHb administrations of DHK, suggesting that GLT-1's function in the LHb is critical. These findings highlight the significant role of LHb astrocytic GLT-1 in the hyperactivity of LHb neurons, and in depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors during ethanol withdrawal. Thus, GLT-1 in the LHb could serve as a therapeutic target for psychiatric disorders comorbid with ethanol withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwoo Kang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Alex Bekker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
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Contrasting the Role of xCT and GLT-1 Upregulation in the Ability of Ceftriaxone to Attenuate the Cue-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking and Normalize AMPA Receptor Subunit Expression. J Neurosci 2017; 37:5809-5821. [PMID: 28495973 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3717-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term treatment with ceftriaxone attenuates the reinstatement of cocaine seeking while increasing the function of the glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) and system xC- (Sxc) in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc). Sxc contributes the majority of nonsynaptic extracellular glutamate in the NAc, while GLT-1 is responsible for the majority of glutamate uptake. Here we used antisense to decrease the expression of GLT-1 and xCT (a catalytic subunit of Sxc) to determine the relative importance of both proteins in mediating the ability of ceftriaxone to prevent cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking and normalize glutamatergic proteins in the NAc of rats. Intra-NAc xCT knockdown prevented ceftriaxone from attenuating reinstatement and from upregulating GLT-1 and resulted in increased surface expression of AMPA receptor subunits GluA1 and GluA2. Intra-NAc GLT-1 knockdown also prevented ceftriaxone from attenuating reinstatement and from upregulating xCT expression, without affecting GluA1 and GluA2 expression. In the absence of cocaine or ceftriaxone treatment, xCT knockdown in the NAc increased the expression of both GluA1 and GluA2 without affecting GLT-1 expression while GLT-1 knockdown had no effect. PCR and immunoprecipitation of GLT-1 revealed that ceftriaxone does not upregulate GLT-1 and xCT through a transcriptional mechanism, and their coregulation by ceftriaxone is not mediated by physical interaction. These data support important and distinct roles for xCT and GLT-1 in the actions of ceftriaxone and add to a body of literature finding evidence for coregulation of these transporters. Our results also point to xCT expression and subsequent basal glutamate levels as being a key mediator of AMPA receptor expression in the NAc.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ceftriaxone attenuates the reinstatement of cocaine, alcohol, and heroin seeking. The mechanism of action of this behavioral effect has been attributed to glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) and xCT (a catalytic subunit of Sxc)/Sxc upregulation in the nucleus accumbens core. Here we used an antisense strategy to knock down GLT-1 or xCT in the nucleus accumbens core and examined the behavioral and molecular consequences. While upregulation of both xCT and GLT-1 are essential to the ability of ceftriaxone to attenuate cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking, each protein uniquely affects the expression of other glutamate receptor and transporter proteins. We also report that reducing basal glutamate levels through the manipulation of xCT expression increases the surface expression of AMPA receptor subunits, providing insight to the mechanism by which cocaine alters AMPA surface expression.
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Vassoler FM, Oliver DJ, Wyse C, Blau A, Shtutman M, Turner JR, Byrnes EM. Transgenerational attenuation of opioid self-administration as a consequence of adolescent morphine exposure. Neuropharmacology 2017; 113:271-280. [PMID: 27729240 PMCID: PMC5248554 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The United States is in the midst of an opiate epidemic, with abuse of prescription and illegal opioids increasing steadily over the past decade. While it is clear that there is a genetic component to opioid addiction, there is a significant portion of heritability that cannot be explained by genetics alone. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that maternal exposure to opioids prior to pregnancy alters abuse liability in subsequent generations. Female adolescent Sprague Dawley rats were administered morphine at increasing doses (5-25 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 10 days (P30-39). During adulthood, animals were bred with drug-naïve colony males. Male and female adult offspring (F1 animals) were tested for morphine self-administration acquisition, progressive ratio, extinction, and reinstatement at three doses of morphine (0.25, 0.75, 1.25 mg/kg/infusion). Grandoffspring (F2 animals, from the maternal line) were also examined. Additionally, gene expression changes within the nucleus accumbens were examined with RNA deep sequencing (PacBio) and qPCR. There were dose- and sex-dependent effects on all phases of the self-administration paradigm that indicate decreased morphine reinforcement and attenuated relapse-like behavior. Additionally, genes related to synaptic plasticity, as well as myelin basic protein (MBP), were dysregulated. Some, but not all, effects persisted into the subsequent (F2) generation. The results demonstrate that even limited opioid exposure during adolescence can have lasting effects across multiple generations, which has implications for mechanisms of the transmission of drug abuse liability in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fair M Vassoler
- Cummings School at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
| | - David J Oliver
- University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, 773 Sumter St, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Cristina Wyse
- Cummings School at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Ashley Blau
- Cummings School at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - Michael Shtutman
- University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, 773 Sumter St, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jill R Turner
- University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy, 773 Sumter St, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Byrnes
- Cummings School at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
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Cuesta S, Batuecas J, Severin MJ, Funes A, Rosso SB, Pacchioni AM. Role of Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the nucleus accumbens in long-term cocaine-induced neuroplasticity: a possible novel target for addiction treatment. J Neurochem 2016; 140:114-125. [PMID: 27718509 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by the loss of control over drug-seeking and taking, and continued drug use regardless of adverse consequences. Despite years of research, effective treatments for psycho-stimulant addiction have not been identified. Persistent vulnerability to relapse arises from a number of long-lasting adaptations in the reward circuitry that mediate the enduring response to the drug. Recently, we reported that the activity of the canonical or Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is very important in the early stages of cocaine-induced neuroadaptations. In the present work, our main goal was to elucidate the relevance of this pathway in cocaine-induced long-term neuroadaptations that may underlie relapse. We found that a cocaine challenge, after a period of abstinence, induced an increase in the activity of the pathway which is revealed as an increase in the total and nuclear levels of β-catenin (final effector of the pathway) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), together with a decrease in the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). Moreover, we found that the pharmacological modulation of the activity of the pathway has long-term effects on the cocaine-induced neuroplasticity at behavioral and molecular levels. All the results imply that changes in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway effectors are long-term neuroadaptations necessary for the behavioral response to cocaine. Even though more research is needed, the present results introduce the Wnt canonical pathway as a possible target to manage cocaine long-term neuroadaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Cuesta
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina.,Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Jorgelina Batuecas
- Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Maria J Severin
- Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Alejandrina Funes
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina.,Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Silvana B Rosso
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina.,Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Alejandra M Pacchioni
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Rosario, Argentina.,Área Toxicología, Departamento de Ciencias de los Alimentos y del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
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