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Beane CR, Lewis DG, Bruns Vi N, Pikus KL, Durfee MH, Zegarelli RA, Perry TW, Sandoval O, Radke AK. Cholinergic mu-opioid receptor deletion alters reward preference and aversion-resistance. Neuropharmacology 2024; 255:110019. [PMID: 38810926 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in alcohol consumption and preference in both humans and animals. The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is expressed on multiple cells in the striatum, however little is known about the contributions of specific MOR populations to alcohol drinking behaviors. The current study used mice with a genetic deletion of MOR in cholinergic cells (ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl) to examine the role of MORs expressed in cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in home cage self-administration paradigms. Male and female ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl mice were generated and heterozygous Cre+ (knockout) and Cre- (control) mice were tested for alcohol consumption in two drinking paradigms: limited access "Drinking in the Dark" and intermittent access. Quinine was added to the drinking bottles in the DID experiment to test aversion-resistant, "compulsive" drinking. Nicotine and sucrose drinking were also assessed so comparisons could be made with other rewarding substances. Cholinergic MOR deletion did not influence consumption or preference for ethanol (EtOH) in either drinking task. Differences were observed in aversion-resistance in males with Cre + mice tolerating lower concentrations of quinine than Cre-. In contrast to EtOH, preference for nicotine was reduced following cholinergic MOR deletion while sucrose consumption and preference was increased in Cre+ (vs. Cre-) females. Locomotor activity was also greater in females following the deletion. These results suggest that cholinergic MORs participate in preference for rewarding substances. Further, while they are not required for consumption of alcohol alone, cholinergic MORs may influence the tendency to drink despite negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cambria R Beane
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Delainey G Lewis
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Nicolaus Bruns Vi
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Kat L Pikus
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Mary H Durfee
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Roman A Zegarelli
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Thomas W Perry
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Oscar Sandoval
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA.
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2
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Pirino BE, Hawks A, Carpenter BA, Candelas PG, Gargiulo AT, Curtis GR, Karkhanis AN, Barson JR. Kappa-opioid receptor stimulation in the nucleus accumbens shell and ethanol drinking: Differential effects by rostro-caudal location and level of drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1550-1558. [PMID: 38528134 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01850-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Although the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand, dynorphin, are believed to be involved in ethanol drinking, evidence on the direction of their effects has been mixed. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell densely expresses KORs, but previous studies have not found KOR activation to influence ethanol drinking. Using microinjections into the NAc shell of male and female Long-Evans rats that drank under the intermittent-access procedure, we found that the KOR agonist, U50,488, had no effect on ethanol drinking when injected into the middle NAc shell, but that it promoted intake in males and high-drinking females in the caudal NAc shell and high-drinking females in the rostral shell, and decreased intake in males and low-drinking females in the rostral shell. Conversely, injection of the KOR antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine, stimulated ethanol drinking in low-drinking females when injected into the rostral NAc shell and decreased drinking in high-drinking females when injected into the caudal NAc shell. These effects of KOR activity were substance-specific, as U50,488 did not affect sucrose intake. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we found that baseline gene expression of the KOR was higher in the rostral compared to caudal NAc shell, but that this was upregulated in the rostral shell with a history of ethanol drinking. Our findings have important clinical implications, demonstrating that KOR stimulation in the NAc shell can affect ethanol drinking, but that this depends on NAc subregion, subject sex, and ethanol intake level, and suggesting that this may be due to differences in KOR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E Pirino
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Annie Hawks
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Brody A Carpenter
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Pelagia G Candelas
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Andrew T Gargiulo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Genevieve R Curtis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - SUNY, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Jessica R Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA.
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3
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Lepreux G, Henricks AM, Wei G, Go BS, Erikson CM, Abella RM, Pham A, Walker BM. Kappa-opioid receptor antagonism in the nucleus accumbens shell distinguishes escalated alcohol consumption and negative affective-like behavior from physiological withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 243:173840. [PMID: 39096973 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disease that is deleterious at individual, familial, and societal levels. Although AUD is one of the highest preventable causes of death in the USA, therapies for the treatment of AUD are not sufficient given the heterogeneity of the disorder and the limited number of approved medications. To provide better pharmacological strategies, it is important to understand the neurological underpinnings of AUD. Evidence implicates the endogenous dynorphin (DYN)/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system recruitment in dysphoric and negative emotional states in AUD to promote maladaptive behavioral regulation. The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), mediating motivational and emotional processes that is a component of the mesolimbic dopamine system and the extended amygdala, is an important site related to alcohol's reinforcing actions (both positive and negative) and neuroadaptations in the AcbSh DYN/KOR system have been documented to induce maladaptive symptoms in AUD. We have previously shown that in other nodes of the extended amygdala, site-specific KOR antagonism can distinguish different symptoms of alcohol dependence and withdrawal. In the current study, we examined the role of the KOR signaling in the AcbSh of male Wistar rats in operant alcohol self-administration, measures of negative affective-like behavior, and physiological symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. To induce alcohol dependence, rats were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor for 14 h/day for three months, during which stable escalation of alcohol self-administration was achieved and pharmacological AcbSh KOR antagonism ensued. The results showed that AcbSh KOR antagonism significantly reduced escalated alcohol intake and negative affective-like states but did not alter somatic symptoms of withdrawal. Understanding the relative contribution of these different drivers is important to understand and inform therapeutic efficacy approaches in alcohol dependence and further emphasis the importance of the KOR/DYN system as a target for AUD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lepreux
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Angela M Henricks
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Bok Soon Go
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chloe M Erikson
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rachel M Abella
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Amy Pham
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; USF Neuroscience Institute, USF Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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4
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Beane CR, Lewis DG, Bruns NK, Pikus KL, Durfee MH, Zegarelli RA, Perry TW, Sandoval O, Radke AK. Cholinergic mu-opioid receptor deletion alters reward preference and aversion-resistance. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.13.566881. [PMID: 38014065 PMCID: PMC10680803 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.13.566881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Heavy alcohol use and binge drinking are important contributors to alcohol use disorder (AUD). The endogenous opioid system has been implicated in alcohol consumption and preference in both humans and animals. The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is expressed on multiple cells in the striatum, however little is known about the contributions of specific MOR populations to alcohol drinking behaviors. The current study used mice with a genetic deletion of MOR in cholinergic cells (ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl) to examine the role of MORs expressed in cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in home cage self-administration paradigms. Male and female ChAT-Cre/Oprm1fl/fl mice were generated and heterozygous Cre+ (knockout) and Cre- (control) mice were tested for alcohol and nicotine consumption. In Experiment 1, binge-like and quinine-resistant drinking was tested using 15% ethanol (EtOH) in a two-bottle, limited-access Drinking in the Dark paradigm. Experiment 2 involved a six-week intermittent access paradigm in which mice received 20% EtOH, nicotine, and then a combination of the two drugs. Experiment 3 assessed locomotor activity, sucrose preference, and quinine sensitivity. Deleting MORs in cholinergic cells did not alter consumption of EtOH in Experiment 1 or 2. In Experiment 1, the MOR deletion resulted in greater consumption of quinine-adulterated EtOH in male Cre+ mice (vs. Cre-). In Experiment 2, Cre+ mice demonstrated a significantly lower preference for nicotine but did not differ from Cre- mice in nicotine or nicotine + EtOH consumption. Overall fluid consumption was also heightened in the Cre+ mice. In Experiment 3, Cre+ females were found to have greater locomotor activity and preference for sucrose vs. Cre- mice. These data suggest that cholinergic MORs are not required for EtOH, drinking behaviors but may contribute to aversion resistant EtOH drinking in a sex-dependent manner.
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Green M, Veltri CA, Grundmann O. Nalmefene Hydrochloride: Potential Implications for Treating Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder. Subst Abuse Rehabil 2024; 15:43-57. [PMID: 38585160 PMCID: PMC10999209 DOI: 10.2147/sar.s431270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Nalmefene hydrochloride was first discovered as an opioid antagonist derivative of naltrexone in 1975. It is among the most potent opioid antagonists currently on the market and is differentiated from naloxone and naltrexone by its partial agonist activity at the kappa-opioid receptor which may benefit in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Oral nalmefene has been approved in the European Union for treatment of alcohol use disorder since 2013. As of 2023, nalmefene is available in the United States as an intranasal spray for reversal of opioid overdose but is not approved for alcohol or opioid use disorder as a maintenance treatment. The substantially longer half-life of nalmefene and 5-fold higher binding affinity to opioid receptors makes it a superior agent over naloxone in the reversal of high potency synthetic opioids like fentanyl and the emerging nitazenes. Nalmefene presents with a comparable side effect profile to other opioid antagonists and should be considered for further development as a maintenance treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- MeShell Green
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Charles A Veltri
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Oliver Grundmann
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
- College of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Farahbakhsh ZZ, Holleran KM, Sens JP, Fordahl SC, Mauterer MI, López AJ, Cuzon Carlson VC, Kiraly DD, Grant KA, Jones SR, Siciliano CA. Synchrony between midbrain gene transcription and dopamine terminal regulation is modulated by chronic alcohol drinking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.15.584711. [PMID: 38559169 PMCID: PMC10979957 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.15.584711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is marked by disrupted behavioral and emotional states which persist into abstinence. The enduring synaptic alterations that remain despite the absence of alcohol are of interest for interventions to prevent relapse. Here, 28 male rhesus macaques underwent over 20 months of alcohol drinking interspersed with three 30-day forced abstinence periods. After the last abstinence period, we paired direct sub-second dopamine monitoring via ex vivo voltammetry in nucleus accumbens slices with RNA-sequencing of the ventral tegmental area. We found persistent augmentation of dopamine transporter function, kappa opioid receptor sensitivity, and dynorphin release - all inhibitory regulators which act to decrease extracellular dopamine. Surprisingly, though transcript expression was not altered, the relationship between gene expression and functional readouts of these encoded proteins was highly dynamic and altered by drinking history. These results outline the long-lasting synaptic impact of alcohol use and suggest that assessment of transcript-function relationships is critical for the rational design of precision therapeutics.
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7
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Söderpalm B, Ericson M. Alcohol and the dopamine system. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 175:21-73. [PMID: 38555117 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine pathway plays a major role in drug reinforcement and is likely involved also in the development of drug addiction. Ethanol, like most addictive drugs, acutely activates the mesolimbic dopamine system and releases dopamine, and ethanol-associated stimuli also appear to trigger dopamine release. In addition, chronic exposure to ethanol reduces the baseline function of the mesolimbic dopamine system. The molecular mechanisms underlying ethanol´s interaction with this system remain, however, to be unveiled. Here research on the actions of ethanol in the mesolimbic dopamine system, focusing on the involvement of cystein-loop ligand-gated ion channels, opiate receptors, gastric peptides and acetaldehyde is briefly reviewed. In summary, a great complexity as regards ethanol´s mechanism(s) of action along the mesolimbic dopamine system has been revealed. Consequently, several new targets and possibilities for pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder have emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Söderpalm
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Addiction and Dependency, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Mia Ericson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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8
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Green EW, Byers IS, Deutsch-Link S. Closing the Care Gap: Management of Alcohol Use Disorder in Patients with Alcohol-associated Liver Disease. Clin Ther 2023; 45:1189-1200. [PMID: 38052695 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD)-related morbidity and mortality are rising in the United States. Although effective medications and behavioral interventions are available for the treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), patients with ALD are profoundly undertreated for AUD. This article reviews the management of AUD in patients with ALD, with a focus on appropriate screening and diagnosis, management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, pharmacotherapy for AUD, alcohol biomarkers, and behavioral interventions. Expanding access to AUD treatment is imperative for improving health outcomes in patients with ALD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen W Green
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Isabelle S Byers
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sasha Deutsch-Link
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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9
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Koob GF, Vendruscolo L. Theoretical Frameworks and Mechanistic Aspects of Alcohol Addiction: Alcohol Addiction as a Reward Deficit/Stress Surfeit Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 37421551 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be defined by a compulsion to seek and take alcohol, the loss of control in limiting intake, and the emergence of a negative emotional state when access to alcohol is prevented. Alcohol use disorder impacts multiple motivational mechanisms and can be conceptualized as a disorder that includes a progression from impulsivity (positive reinforcement) to compulsivity (negative reinforcement). Compulsive drug seeking that is associated with AUD can be derived from multiple neuroadaptations, but the thesis argued herein is that a key component involves the construct of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is defined as drug taking that alleviates a negative emotional state. The negative emotional state that drives such negative reinforcement is hypothesized to derive from the dysregulation of specific neurochemical elements that are involved in reward and stress within basal forebrain structures that involve the ventral striatum and extended amygdala, respectively. Specific neurochemical elements in these structures include decreases in reward neurotransmission (e.g., decreases in dopamine and opioid peptide function in the ventral striatum) and the recruitment of brain stress systems (e.g., corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) in the extended amygdala, which contributes to hyperkatifeia and greater alcohol intake that is associated with dependence. Glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids may play a role in sensitizing the extended amygdala CRF system. Other components of brain stress systems in the extended amygdala that may contribute to the negative motivational state of withdrawal include norepinephrine in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, dynorphin in the nucleus accumbens, hypocretin and vasopressin in the central nucleus of the amygdala, and neuroimmune modulation. Decreases in the activity of neuropeptide Y, nociception, endocannabinoids, and oxytocin in the extended amygdala may also contribute to hyperkatifeia that is associated with alcohol withdrawal. Such dysregulation of emotional processing may also significantly contribute to pain that is associated with alcohol withdrawal and negative urgency (i.e., impulsivity that is associated with hyperkatifeia during hyperkatifeia). Thus, an overactive brain stress response system is hypothesized to be activated by acute excessive drug intake, to be sensitized during repeated withdrawal, to persist into protracted abstinence, and to contribute to the compulsivity of AUD. The combination of the loss of reward function and recruitment of brain stress systems provides a powerful neurochemical basis for a negative emotional state that is responsible for the negative reinforcement that at least partially drives the compulsivity of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Koob
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Leandro Vendruscolo
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Pirino BE, Kelley AM, Karkhanis AN, Barson JR. A critical review of effects on ethanol intake of the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system in the extended amygdala: From inhibition to stimulation. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1027-1038. [PMID: 37042026 PMCID: PMC10289127 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has increasingly been investigated as a possible pharmacotherapeutic target for alcohol use disorder, but findings on the direction of its effects have been mixed. Activation of KORs by DYN has been shown to elicit dysphoric effects, and the DYN/KOR system has canonically been considered particularly important in driving alcohol intake through negative reinforcement in dependent states. However, this review also highlights its activity in opposing the positive reinforcement that drives alcohol intake at earlier stages. Both DYN and KORs are concentrated in the extended amygdala, a set of interconnected regions that includes the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central nucleus of the amygdala, and nucleus accumbens shell. This review focuses on the role of the DYN/KOR system in the extended amygdala in ethanol use. It begins by examining the effects of ethanol on the expression of DYN/KOR in the extended amygdala, expression of DYN/KOR in alcohol-preferring and alcohol-avoiding animals, and the effects of knocking out DYN/KOR genes on ethanol intake. Then, it examines the effects on ethanol use in both dependent and nondependent states from systemic pharmacological manipulations of DYN/KOR and from specific manipulation of this system in regions of the extended amygdala. We propose that greater expression and binding of DYN/KOR, by reducing the positive reinforcement that drives early stages of intake, initially acts to prevent the escalation of ethanol drinking. However, prolonged, binge-like, or intermittent ethanol intake enhances levels of DYN/KOR in the extended amygdala such that the system ultimately facilitates the negative reinforcement that drives later stages of ethanol drinking. This review highlights the potential of the DYN/KOR system as a target that can affect different outcomes across different stages of ethanol drinking and the development of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E. Pirino
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, P.A. 19129
| | - Abigail M. Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University – SUNY, Binghamton, N.Y. 13902
| | | | - Jessica R. Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, P.A. 19129
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Özkan-Kotiloğlu S, Kaya-Akyüzlü D, Yurdakul R, Yıldırım MA, Özgür-İlhan İ. Effect of PDYN and OPRK1 polymorphisms on the risk of alcohol use disorder and the intensity of depressive symptoms. Alcohol Alcohol 2023:7161013. [PMID: 37177778 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The dynorphin (DYN)/Kappa Opioid Receptor (KOR) system has been suggested to be involved in both negative affective states and the action of alcohol. The present study was undertaken to explore whether the DYN/KOR system genes, PDYN and OPRK1, influence on individual differences in the intensity of depressive symptoms at admission as well as the risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD) risk in a sample of 101 individuals with AUD and 100 controls. METHODS PDYN (rs2281285, rs2225749 and rs910080) and OPRK1 (rs6473797, rs963549 and rs997917) polymorphisms were analyzed by PCR-RFLP. The intensity of depressive and anxiety symptoms and craving were measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Penn Alcohol Craving Scale, respectively. RESULTS A significant association between the risk of AUD and OPRK1 rs6473797 (P < 0.05) at the gene level. OPRK1 rs6473797 CC genotype was found to lead to a 3.11 times greater alcohol dependence risk. In addition, the BDI-II score of the OPRK1 rs963549 CC genotype was found to be significantly lower (20.9 ± 11.2, min: 1.0, max: 48.0) than that of the CT + TT genotypes (27.04 ± 12.7, min: 0.0, max: 49.0) (t: -2.332, P = 0.022). None of the PDYN polymorphisms were associated with BDI-II score. CONCLUSION Variations in the KOR are associated with the risk of AUD and the intensity of depressive symptoms at admission at the gene level in Turkish males. On the other hand, PDYN gene seemed not to be associated with AUD, depression, anxiety, and craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Özkan-Kotiloğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science and Art, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir, 40100, Turkey
| | - Dilek Kaya-Akyüzlü
- Department of Forensic Biology, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, 06590, Turkey
| | - Rabia Yurdakul
- Department of Forensic Biology, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, 06590, Turkey
- Department of Interdisciplinary Forensic Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, 06110, Turkey
| | - Mukaddes Asena Yıldırım
- Department of Forensic Biology, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, 06590, Turkey
- Department of Interdisciplinary Forensic Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, 06110, Turkey
| | - İnci Özgür-İlhan
- Department of Mental Health and Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, 06590, Turkey
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12
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Farahbakhsh ZZ, Song K, Branthwaite HE, Erickson KR, Mukerjee S, Nolan SO, Siciliano CA. Systemic kappa opioid receptor antagonism accelerates reinforcement learning via augmentation of novelty processing in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:857-868. [PMID: 36804487 PMCID: PMC10156709 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01547-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Selective inhibition of kappa opioid receptors (KORs) is highly anticipated as a pharmacotherapeutic intervention for substance use disorders and depression. The accepted explanation for KOR antagonist-induced amelioration of aberrant behaviors posits that KORs globally function as a negative valence system; antagonism thereby blunts the behavioral influence of negative internal states such as anhedonia and negative affect. While effects of systemic KOR manipulations have been widely reproduced, explicit evaluation of negative valence as an explanatory construct is lacking. Here, we tested a series of falsifiable hypotheses generated a priori based on the negative valence model by pairing reinforcement learning tasks with systemic pharmacological KOR blockade in male C57BL/6J mice. The negative valence model failed to predict multiple experimental outcomes: KOR blockade accelerated contingency learning during both positive and negative reinforcement without altering innate responses to appetitive or aversive stimuli. We next proposed novelty processing, which influences learning independent of valence, as an alternative explanatory construct. Hypotheses based on novelty processing predicted subsequent observations: KOR blockade increased exploration of a novel, but not habituated, environment and augmented the reinforcing efficacy of novel visual stimuli in a sensory reinforcement task. Together, these results revise and extend long-standing theories of KOR system function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Z Farahbakhsh
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Keaton Song
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Hannah E Branthwaite
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Kirsty R Erickson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Snigdha Mukerjee
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Suzanne O Nolan
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Cody A Siciliano
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
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Lepreux G, Shinn GE, Wei G, Suko A, Concepcion G, Sirohi S, Soon Go B, Bruchas MR, Walker BM. Recapitulating phenotypes of alcohol dependence via overexpression of Oprk1 in the ventral tegmental area of non-dependent TH::Cre rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109457. [PMID: 36764577 PMCID: PMC10034863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system is involved in dysphoria and negative emotional states. Dysregulation of KOR function promotes maladaptive behavioral regulation during withdrawal associated with alcohol dependence. Mesolimbic dopaminergic (DA) projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) innervate the extended amygdala circuitry and presynaptic KORs attenuate DA in these regions leading to an excessive alcohol consumption and negative affective-like behavior, whereas mesocortical KOR-regulated DA projections have been implicated in executive function and decision-making. Thus, the neuroadaptations occurring in DYN/KOR systems are important aspects to consider for the development of personalized therapeutic solutions. Herein, we study the contribution of the VTA DA neuron Oprk1 (KOR gene) in excessive alcohol consumption, negative emotional state, and executive function. To do so, Oprk1 mRNA expression and KOR function were characterized to confirm alcohol dependence-induced dysregulation in the VTA. Then, a transgenic Cre-Lox rat model (male and female TH::Cre rats) was used to allow for conditional and inducible overexpression of Oprk1 in VTA DA neurons. The effect of this overexpression was evaluated on operant alcohol self-administration, negative emotional states, and executive function. We found that VTA Oprk1 overexpression recapitulates some phenotypes of alcohol dependence including escalated alcohol self-administration and depressive-like behavior. However, working memory performance was not impacted following VTA Oprk1 overexpression in TH::Cre rats. This supports the hypothesis that dysregulated KOR signaling within the mesolimbic DA system is an important contributor to symptoms of alcohol dependence and shows that understanding Oprk1-mediated contributions to alcohol use disorder (AUD) should be an important future goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lepreux
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Grace E Shinn
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Azra Suko
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - George Concepcion
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sunil Sirohi
- Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Bok Soon Go
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; USF Health Neuroscience Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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14
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de Guglielmo G, Simpson S, Kimbrough A, Conlisk D, Baker R, Cantor M, Kallupi M, George O. Voluntary and forced exposure to ethanol vapor produces similar escalation of alcohol drinking but differential recruitment of brain regions related to stress, habit, and reward in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109309. [PMID: 36334765 PMCID: PMC10022477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation of the most widely used current animal models of alcohol dependence is that they use forced exposure to ethanol including ethanol-containing liquid diet and chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor to produce clinically relevant blood alcohol levels (BAL) and addiction-like behaviors. We recently developed a novel animal model of voluntary induction of alcohol dependence using ethanol vapor self-administration (EVSA). However, it is unknown whether EVSA leads to an escalation of alcohol drinking per se, and whether such escalation is associated with neuroadaptations in brain regions related to stress, reward, and habit. To address these issues, we compared the levels of alcohol drinking during withdrawal between rats passively exposed to alcohol (CIE) or voluntarily exposed to EVSA and measured the number of Fos+ neurons during acute withdrawal (16 h) in key brain regions important for stress, reward, and habit-related processes. CIE and EVSA rats exhibited similar BAL and similar escalation of alcohol drinking and motivation for alcohol during withdrawal. Acute withdrawal from EVSA and CIE recruited a similar number of Fos+ neurons in the Central Amygdala (CeA), however, acute withdrawal from EVSA recruited a higher number of Fos+ neurons in every other brain region analyzed compared to acute withdrawal from CIE. In summary, while the behavioral measures of alcohol dependence between the voluntary (EVSA) and passive (CIE) model were similar, the recruitment of neuronal ensembles during acute withdrawal was very different. The EVSA model may be particularly useful to unveil the neuronal networks and pharmacology responsible for the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence and may improve translational studies by providing preclinical researchers with an animal model that highlights the volitional aspects of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sierra Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam Kimbrough
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Dana Conlisk
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocenter Magendie, Psychobiology of Drug Addiction Group, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Robert Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell Cantor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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15
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Borrego MB, Chan AE, Ozburn AR. Regulation of alcohol drinking by ventral striatum and extended amygdala circuitry. Neuropharmacology 2022; 212:109074. [PMID: 35487273 PMCID: PMC9677601 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a complex psychiatric disorder that can be modeled in rodents using a number of drinking paradigms. Drinking-in-the-dark (DID) is widely used to model the binge/intoxication stage of addiction, and chronic intermittent ethanol vapor procedures (CIE) are used to induce dependence and model withdrawal/negative affect induced escalation of drinking. We discuss experiments showing the ventral striatum (vStr) and extended amygdala (EA) are engaged in response to ethanol in rodents through c-Fos/Fos immunoreactivity studies. We also discuss experiments in rodents that span a wide variety of techniques where the function of vStr and EA structures are changed following DID or CIE, and the role of neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems studies in these ethanol-related outcomes. We note where signaling systems converge across regions and paradigms and where there are still gaps in the literature. Dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) signaling, as well as corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)/CRF receptor signaling were found to be important regulators of drinking behaviors across brain regions and drinking paradigms. Future research will require that females and a variety of rodent strains are used in preclinical experiments in order to strengthen the generalizability of findings and improve the likelihood of success for testing potential therapeutics in human laboratory studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa B Borrego
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Amy E Chan
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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16
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Haun HL, Lebonville CL, Solomon MG, Griffin WC, Lopez MF, Becker HC. Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor Activity Within the Extended Amygdala Contributes to Stress-Enhanced Alcohol Drinking in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:1019-1028. [PMID: 35190188 PMCID: PMC9167153 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While there is high comorbidity of stress-related disorders and alcohol use disorder, few effective treatments are available and elucidating underlying neurobiological mechanisms has been hampered by a general lack of reliable animal models. Here, we use a novel mouse model demonstrating robust and reproducible stress-enhanced alcohol drinking to examine the role of dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOR) activity within the extended amygdala in mediating this stress-alcohol interaction. METHODS Mice received repeated weekly cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure alternating with weekly drinking sessions ± forced swim stress exposure. Pdyn messenger RNA expression was measured in the central amygdala (CeA), and DYN-expressing CeA neurons were then targeted for chemogenetic inhibition. Finally, a KOR antagonist was microinjected into the CeA or bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to examine the role of KOR signaling in promoting stress-enhanced drinking. RESULTS Stress (forced swim stress) selectively increased alcohol drinking in mice with a history of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure, and this was accompanied by elevated Pdyn messenger RNA levels in the CeA. Targeted chemogenetic silencing of DYN-expressing CeA neurons blocked stress-enhanced drinking, and KOR antagonism in the CeA or bed nucleus of the stria terminalis significantly reduced stress-induced elevated alcohol consumption without altering moderate intake in control mice. CONCLUSIONS Using a novel and robust model of stress-enhanced alcohol drinking, a significant role for DYN/KOR activity within extended amygdala circuitry in mediating this effect was demonstrated, thereby providing further evidence that the DYN/KOR system may be a valuable target in the development of more effective treatments for individuals presenting with comorbidity of stress-related disorders and alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harold L Haun
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Christina L Lebonville
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Matthew G Solomon
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - William C Griffin
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina; Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina.
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17
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Hashimoto N, Habu H, Takao S, Sakamoto S, Okahisa Y, Matsuo K, Takaki M, Kishi Y, Yamada N. Clinical moderators of response to nalmefene in a randomized-controlled trial for alcohol dependence: An exploratory analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 233:109365. [PMID: 35228081 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nalmefene is the only medication marketed to reduce the consumption of alcohol in patients with alcohol dependence, but it remains unclear which patients could most benefit from it. This study aimed to identify clinical moderators that affect treatment response to nalmefene in patients with alcohol dependence. METHODS In a multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, phase 3 study of nalmefene on Japanese patients with alcohol dependence, the relationship between the reduction of heavy drinking days (HDD) and total alcohol consumption (TAC) at 12 and 24 weeks of treatment and baseline variables of the participants were analyzed in a linear regression and multiple adjusted analysis. RESULTS Age < 65, no family history of problem drinking, age at onset of problem drinking ≥ 25, and not currently smoking were possible positive moderators. Nalmefene showed a significant HDD reduction in patients with age < 65 or no family history of problem drinking, and a significant TAC reduction in patients with age at onset of problem drinking ≥ 25 or who were not currently smoking. After multiple adjusted analyses, age < 65 (p = .028), no family history of problem drinking (p = .047), and age at onset of problem drinking ≥ 25 (p = .030) were statistically significant. Not currently smoking (p = .071) was marginally significant. In combination, these moderators indicated synergistic effects. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol-dependent patients with favorable prognostic factors such as non-smoking status, no family history of problem drinking, and a late-onset of problem drinking selectively benefit from nalmefene. Further research is needed to validate these exploratory results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nozomu Hashimoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan; Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Habu
- Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan
| | - Soshi Takao
- Department of Epidemiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan
| | - Shinji Sakamoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan
| | - Yuko Okahisa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan
| | - Keitaro Matsuo
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Japan
| | - Manabu Takaki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan.
| | | | - Norihito Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan
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18
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Wei G, Sirohi S, Walker BM. Dysregulated kappa-opioid receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex contribute to working memory deficits in alcohol dependence. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13138. [PMID: 35138672 PMCID: PMC8829053 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Impaired working memory is one symptom contributing to compromised executive function in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Dysregulation of cortical dynorphin (DYN) and κ-opioid receptors (KORs) has been implicated in alcohol dependence-induced impairment in executive function. The present experiments test the hypothesis that dysregulated medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) KORs contribute to impaired working memory in alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence was induced in male Wistar rats via 4 months of intermittent ethanol vapor exposure prior to training/testing in an mPFC-dependent working memory task (delayed nonmatching-to-sample task; DNMST). mPFC KOR function in alcohol-naïve rats was compared with that of alcohol-dependent and nondependent rats using a DYN A-stimulated [35S ]GTPγS coupling assay. A functional role for mPFC KORs in the regulation of working memory was assessed via intra-mPFC infusions of a KOR agonist prior to assessment in the DNMST, and the contribution of mPFC KORs to compromised working memory in dependence was assessed via mPFC infusions of the KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (nor-BNI). In alcohol-dependent rats, impaired performance in the DNMST confirmed compromised working memory. Furthermore, DYN A-stimulated mPFC KOR function was pathologically increased in alcohol-dependent rats compared with nondependent and alcohol-naïve rats. Additionally, mPFC KOR involvement in working memory was functionally confirmed by intra-mPFC KOR agonist-induced deficits in DNMST performance. Importantly, alcohol dependence-induced impairment in the DNMST was ameliorated by intra-mPFC KOR antagonism. Regulation of working memory by mPFC KORs and alcohol dependence-induced dysregulation of mPFC KOR function identify a novel therapeutic target to treat AUD-related symptoms of working memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengze Wei
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Sunil Sirohi
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.,Correspondence: Brendan M. Walker, Ph.D., Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher, Tampa, FL 33613, 813-974-3715 (office),
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Stress decreases serotonin tone in the nucleus accumbens in male mice to promote aversion and potentiate cocaine preference via decreased stimulation of 5-HT 1B receptors. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:891-901. [PMID: 34564712 PMCID: PMC8882182 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01178-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress-induced release of dynorphins (Dyn) activates kappa opioid receptors (KOR) in serotonergic neurons to produce dysphoria and potentiate drug reward; however, the circuit mechanisms responsible for this effect are not known. In male mice, we found that conditional deletion of KOR from Slc6a4 (SERT)-expressing neurons blocked stress-induced potentiation of cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). Within the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), two overlapping populations of KOR-expressing neurons: Slc17a8 (VGluT3) and SERT, were distinguished functionally and anatomically. Optogenetic inhibition of these SERT+ neurons potentiated subsequent cocaine CPP, whereas optical inhibition of the VGluT3+ neurons blocked subsequent cocaine CPP. SERT+/VGluT3- expressing neurons were concentrated in the lateral aspect of the DRN. SERT projections from the DRN were observed in the medial nucleus accumbens (mNAc), but VGluT3 projections were not. Optical inhibition of SERT+ neurons produced place aversion, whereas optical stimulation of SERT+ terminals in the mNAc attenuated stress-induced increases in forced swim immobility and subsequent cocaine CPP. KOR neurons projecting to mNAc were confined to the lateral aspect of the DRN, and the principal source of dynorphinergic (Pdyn) afferents in the mNAc was from local neurons. Excision of Pdyn from the mNAc blocked stress-potentiation of cocaine CPP. Prior studies suggested that stress-induced dynorphin release within the mNAc activates KOR to potentiate cocaine preference by a reduction in 5-HT tone. Consistent with this hypothesis, a transient pharmacological blockade of mNAc 5-HT1B receptors potentiated subsequent cocaine CPP. 5-HT1B is known to be expressed on 5-HT terminals in NAc, and 5-HT1B transcript was also detected in Pdyn+, Adora2a+ and ChAT+ (markers for direct pathway, indirect pathway, and cholinergic interneurons, respectively). Following stress exposure, 5-HT1B transcript was selectively elevated in Pdyn+ cells of the mNAc. These findings suggest that Dyn/KOR regulates serotonin activation of 5HT1B receptors within the mNAc and dynamically controls stress response, affect, and drug reward.
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Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly prevalent but severely under-treated disorder, with only three widely-approved pharmacotherapies. Given that AUD is a very heterogeneous disorder, it is unlikely that one single medication will be effective for all individuals with an AUD. As such, there is a need to develop new, more effective, and diverse pharmacological treatment options for AUD with the hopes of increasing utilization and improving care. In this qualitative literature review, we discuss the efficacy, mechanism of action, and tolerability of approved, repurposed, and novel pharmacotherapies for the treatment of AUD with a clinical perspective. Pharmacotherapies discussed include: disulfiram, acamprosate, naltrexone, nalmefene, topiramate, gabapentin, varenicline, baclofen, sodium oxybate, aripiprazole, ondansetron, mifepristone, ibudilast, suvorexant, prazosin, doxazosin, N-acetylcysteine, GET73, ASP8062, ABT-436, PF-5190457, and cannabidiol. Overall, many repurposed and novel agents discussed in this review demonstrate clinical effectiveness and promise for the future of AUD treatment. Importantly, these medications also offer potential improvements towards the advancement of precision medicine and personalized treatment for the heterogeneous AUD population. However, there remains a great need to improve access to treatment, increase the menu of approved pharmacological treatments, and de-stigmatize and increase treatment-seeking for AUD.
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Anderson EM, Lopez MF, Kastner A, Mulholland PJ, Becker HC, Cowan CW. The histone methyltransferase G9a mediates stress-regulated alcohol drinking. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13060. [PMID: 34013595 PMCID: PMC8602448 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The epigenetic enzyme G9a is a histone methyltransferase that dimethylates lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9me2), and in the adult nucleus accumbens (NAc), G9a regulates multiple behaviors associated with substance use disorder. We show here that chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure in male mice reduced both G9a and H3K9me2 levels in the adult NAc, but not dorsal striatum. Viral-mediated reduction of G9a in the NAc had no effects on baseline volitional ethanol drinking or escalated alcohol drinking produced by CIE exposure; however, NAc G9a was required for stress-regulated changes in ethanol drinking, including potentiated alcohol drinking produced by activation of the kappa-opioid receptor. In addition, we observed that chronic systemic administration of a G9a inhibitor, UNC0642, also blocked stress-potentiated alcohol drinking. Together, our findings suggest that chronic alcohol use, similar to other abused substances, produces a NAc-selective reduction in G9a levels that serves to limit stress-regulated alcohol drinking. Moreover, our findings suggest that pharmacological inhibition of G9a might provide a novel therapeutic approach to treat stress-induced alcohol drinking, which is a major trigger of relapse in individuals suffering from AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan M. Anderson
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Marcelo F. Lopez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Abigail Kastner
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Patrick J. Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Howard C. Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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22
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Cameron CM, Nieto S, Bosler L, Wong M, Bishop I, Mooney L, Cahill CM. Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Suicidal Treatment Potential of Buprenorphine. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2021; 1. [PMID: 35265942 PMCID: PMC8903193 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2021.10009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Death by suicide is a global epidemic with over 800 K suicidal deaths worlwide in 2012. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans and more than 44 K people died by suicide in 2019 in the United States. Patients with chronic pain, including, but not limited to, those with substance use disorders, are particularly vulnerable. Chronic pain patients have twice the risk of death by suicide compared to those without pain, and 50% of chronic pain patients report that they have considered suicide at some point due to their pain. The kappa opioid system is implicated in negative mood states including dysphoria, depression, and anxiety, and recent evidence shows that chronic pain increases the function of this system in limbic brain regions important for affect and motivation. Additionally, dynorphin, the endogenous ligand that activates the kappa opioid receptor is increased in the caudate putamen of human suicide victims. A potential treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine, a partial mu opioid agonist with kappa opioid antagonist properties, reduced suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients with and without an opioid use disorder. This review will highlight the clinical and preclinical evidence to support the use of buprenorphine in mitigating pain-induced negative affective states and suicidal thoughts, where these effects are at least partially mediated via its kappa antagonist properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M. Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Steven Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucienne Bosler
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Megan Wong
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Isabel Bishop
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Larissa Mooney
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Catherine M. Cahill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Correspondence: Catherine M. Cahill,
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Obesity and dietary fat influence dopamine neurotransmission: exploring the convergence of metabolic state, physiological stress, and inflammation on dopaminergic control of food intake. Nutr Res Rev 2021; 35:236-251. [PMID: 34184629 DOI: 10.1017/s0954422421000196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this review is to explore how metabolic changes induced by diets high in saturated fat (HFD) affect nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine neurotransmission and food intake, and to explore how stress and inflammation influence this process. Recent evidence linked diet-induced obesity and HFD with reduced dopamine release and reuptake. Altered dopamine neurotransmission could disrupt satiety circuits between NAc dopamine terminals and projections to the hypothalamus. The NAc directs learning and motivated behaviours based on homeostatic needs and psychological states. Therefore, impaired dopaminergic responses to palatable food could contribute to weight gain by disrupting responses to food cues or stress, which impacts type and quantity of food consumed. Specifically, saturated fat promotes neuronal resistance to anorectic hormones and activation of immune cells that release proinflammatory cytokines. Insulin has been shown to regulate dopamine neurotransmission by enhancing satiety, but less is known about effects of diet-induced stress. Therefore, changes to dopamine signalling due to HFD warrant further examination to characterise crosstalk of cytokines with endocrine and neurotransmitter signals. A HFD promotes a proinflammatory environment that may disrupt neuronal endocrine function and dopamine signalling that could be exacerbated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and κ-opioid receptor stress systems. Together, these adaptive changes may dysregulate eating by changing NAc dopamine during hedonic versus homeostatic food intake. This could drive palatable food cravings during energy restriction and hinder weight loss. Understanding links between HFD and dopamine neurotransmission will inform treatment strategies for diet-induced obesity and identify molecular candidates for targeted therapeutics.
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Nosova O, Bazov I, Karpyak V, Hallberg M, Bakalkin G. Epigenetic and Transcriptional Control of the Opioid Prodynorphine Gene: In-Depth Analysis in the Human Brain. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26113458. [PMID: 34200173 PMCID: PMC8201134 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26113458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides serve as neurohormones and local paracrine regulators that control neural networks regulating behavior, endocrine system and sensorimotor functions. Their expression is characterized by exceptionally restricted profiles. Circuit-specific and adaptive expression of neuropeptide genes may be defined by transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms controlled by cell type and subtype sequence-specific transcription factors, insulators and silencers. The opioid peptide dynorphins play a critical role in neurological and psychiatric disorders, pain processing and stress, while their mutations cause profound neurodegeneration in the human brain. In this review, we focus on the prodynorphin gene as a model for the in-depth epigenetic and transcriptional analysis of expression of the neuropeptide genes. Prodynorphin studies may provide a framework for analysis of mechanisms relevant for regulation of neuropeptide genes in normal and pathological human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Nosova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden; (I.B.); (M.H.)
- Correspondence: (O.N.); (G.B.)
| | - Igor Bazov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden; (I.B.); (M.H.)
| | | | - Mathias Hallberg
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden; (I.B.); (M.H.)
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden; (I.B.); (M.H.)
- Correspondence: (O.N.); (G.B.)
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25
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Koob GF. Drug Addiction: Hyperkatifeia/Negative Reinforcement as a Framework for Medications Development. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:163-201. [PMID: 33318153 PMCID: PMC7770492 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.120.000083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsive drug seeking that is associated with addiction is hypothesized to follow a heuristic framework that involves three stages (binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation) and three domains of dysfunction (incentive salience/pathologic habits, negative emotional states, and executive function, respectively) via changes in the basal ganglia, extended amygdala/habenula, and frontal cortex, respectively. This review focuses on neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations that contribute to hyperkatifeia, defined as a greater intensity of negative emotional/motivational signs and symptoms during withdrawal from drugs of abuse in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the addiction cycle. Hyperkatifeia provides an additional source of motivation for compulsive drug seeking via negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement reflects an increase in the probability of a response to remove an aversive stimulus or drug seeking to remove hyperkatifeia that is augmented by genetic/epigenetic vulnerability, environmental trauma, and psychiatric comorbidity. Neurobiological targets for hyperkatifeia in addiction involve neurocircuitry of the extended amygdala and its connections via within-system neuroadaptations in dopamine, enkephalin/endorphin opioid peptide, and γ-aminobutyric acid/glutamate systems and between-system neuroadaptations in prostress corticotropin-releasing factor, norepinephrine, glucocorticoid, dynorphin, hypocretin, and neuroimmune systems and antistress neuropeptide Y, nociceptin, endocannabinoid, and oxytocin systems. Such neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations are hypothesized to mediate a negative hedonic set point that gradually gains allostatic load and shifts from a homeostatic hedonic state to an allostatic hedonic state. Based on preclinical studies and translational studies to date, medications and behavioral therapies that reset brain stress, antistress, and emotional pain systems and return them to homeostasis would be promising new targets for medication development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The focus of this review is on neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations that contribute to hyperkatifeia, defined as a greater intensity of negative emotional/motivational signs and symptoms during withdrawal from drugs of abuse in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the drug addiction cycle and a driving force for negative reinforcement in addiction. Medications and behavioral therapies that reverse hyperkatifeia by resetting brain stress, antistress, and emotional pain systems and returning them to homeostasis would be promising new targets for medication development.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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26
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Alcohol. Alcohol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816793-9.00001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Ohgi Y. [Alcohol dependence and opioid receptor -Pharmacological profile of nalmefene]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2020; 155:145-148. [PMID: 32378631 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.19139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is one of the psychiatric disorders affecting over 1 million people in Japan. Mesolimbic dopamine neuron projecting from ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens (Reward system) plays important roles in alcohol dependence including other dependence. Accumulating evidence indicates that the endogenous opioid system regulate this reward system. That is, alcohol stimulates the release of endogenous opioid peptides such as β-endorphin and dynorphin in the brain. β-endorphin activates μ-opioid receptor leading to euphoric mood and positive reinforcement, while dynorphin activates κ-opioid receptor leading to dysphoric mood and negative reinforcement. These euphoric/dysphoric mood and reinforcement effects via endogenous opioid systems are suggested to be implicated in repeated alcohol intake in patients with alcohol dependence. Nalmefene acts as an antagonist at μ- and δ-opioid receptor and a partial agonist at κ-opioid receptor. Preclinical studies have shown that nalmefene reduced the alcohol intake in alcohol preference rats. In clinical trials, as-needed use of nalmefene with psychosocial support reduced the number of heavy-drinking days and total alcohol consumption. These results suggest that nalmefene modulates the alcohol-induced euphoric/dysphoric mood via opioid system and thereby contribute to reduction in alcohol consumption in patients with alcohol dependence. Here, we summarize the implications of opioid system in alcohol dependence and pharmacological profiles of nalmefene in preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Ohgi
- Department of CNS Research, New Drug Research Division, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
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Go BS, Sirohi S, Walker BM. The role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in negative reinforcement learning and plasticity in alcohol dependence. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12715. [PMID: 30648329 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A role for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in plasticity-dependent learning has been established. MMPs degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) when synaptic reorganization is warranted. Previously, we showed that escalation of alcohol self-administration is a learned plasticity-dependent process that requires an intact MMP system. To identify the MMP subtypes within specific brain regions that are associated with plasticity underlying the negative reinforcing effects of alcohol (as measured by escalated alcohol self-administration) during acute withdrawal in alcohol dependence, male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer alcohol in an operant paradigm, subjected to one month of intermittent alcohol vapor exposure to induce alcohol dependence and then allowed to self-administer alcohol during repeated acute withdrawal self-administration sessions. Subsequently, rat brains were extracted after initial or stable escalated alcohol self-administration phases of acute withdrawal and analyzed by immunoblot to detect MMP-2, -3, and -9 levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, central amygdala (CeA), hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens (NAc). The results showed that MMP-9 expression in the CeA and NAc of alcohol-dependent rats was increased, however, MMP-9 expression in the ACC was decreased during negative reinforcement learning. Subsequently, the importance of plasticity mediated by MMP-9 in escalated alcohol self-administration during acute withdrawal was functionally assessed through site-specific intra-CeA MMP-9 inhibition during repeated acute withdrawal self-administration sessions. MMP-9 inhibition prevented acute withdrawal-induced escalation of alcohol self-administration in a manner that was not confounded by locomotor effects or a permanent inability to learn about the negative reinforcing effects of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bok Soon Go
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addictions Research CenterWashington State University Pullman Washington USA
| | - Sunil Sirohi
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addictions Research CenterWashington State University Pullman Washington USA
| | - Brendan M. Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addictions Research CenterWashington State University Pullman Washington USA
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The selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist JDTic attenuates the alcohol deprivation effect in rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1386-1396. [PMID: 31679889 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms behind relapse to ethanol intake in recovering alcoholics are still unclear. The negative reinforcing effects contributing to ethanol addiction, including relapse, are considered to be partly driven by the κ-opioidergic system. As the κ-opioidergic system interacts with the mesolimbic reward pathway, the aim of the study was to clarify the role of nucleus accumbens shell κ-opioidergic mechanisms in relapse to ethanol intake by using the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) paradigm. The ADE is defined as a transient increase in voluntary ethanol intake after a forced period of abstinence. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to voluntarily consume 10% (v/v) ethanol solution. Ethanol access and deprivation cycles were initiated after stable ethanol intake baselines had been reached and bilateral guide cannulas had been implanted above the nucleus accumbens shell. One cycle consisted of 10 days of 90 min access to ethanol followed by 6 days of ethanol deprivation. The ADE was measured in the beginning of a new cycle. Rats received JDTic, a selective κ-antagonist, either subcutaneously (10 mg/kg) or intra-accumbally (15 µg/site) or, as a reference substance, systemic naltrexone (0.3 mg/kg) before ethanol re-access, and the effects on the ADE were evaluated. Systemic and intra-accumbal JDTic significantly attenuated the ADE on the first day of ethanol re-access, as did systemic naltrexone. Additionally, naltrexone decreased ethanol intake levels. These results suggest that nucleus accumbens shell κ-opioidergic mechanisms may have a role in mediating relapse to ethanol intake. Additionally, κ-antagonism could be a valuable adjunct in ethanol relapse prevention.
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30
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Hansson AC, Gründer G, Hirth N, Noori HR, Spanagel R, Sommer WH. Dopamine and opioid systems adaptation in alcoholism revisited: Convergent evidence from positron emission tomography and postmortem studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:141-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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31
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Addiction and stress: An allostatic view. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:245-262. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Abstract
Substance and alcohol use disorders impose large health and economic burdens on individuals, families, communities, and society. Neither prevention nor treatment efforts are effective in all individuals. Results are often modest. Advances in neuroscience and addiction research have helped to describe the neurobiological changes that occur when a person transitions from recreational substance use to a substance use disorder or addiction. Understanding both the drivers and consequences of substance use in vulnerable populations, including those whose brains are still maturing, has revealed behavioral and biological characteristics that can increase risks of addiction. These findings are particularly timely, as law- and policymakers are tasked to reverse the ongoing opioid epidemic, as more states legalize marijuana, as new products including electronic cigarettes and newly designed abused substances enter the legal and illegal markets, and as "deaths of despair" from alcohol and drug misuse continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R. Uhl
- New Mexico VA Healthcare SystemAlbuquerqueNew Mexico
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33
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Foo JC, Vengeliene V, Noori HR, Yamaguchi I, Morita K, Nakamura T, Yamamoto Y, Spanagel R. Drinking Levels and Profiles of Alcohol Addicted Rats Predict Response to Nalmefene. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:471. [PMID: 31133855 PMCID: PMC6513880 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Pharmacotherapeutic options supporting the treatment of alcohol dependence are recommended and available but underutilized, partly due to questions about efficacy. Nalmefene, a μ-opioid receptor antagonist and partial kappa receptor agonist, is recommended for reduction of alcohol consumption, but evidence about its effectiveness has been equivocal; identifying factors which predict response will help optimize treatment. Methods: The alcohol deprivation effect paradigm is a tightly controlled procedure comprising repeated deprivation and reintroduction phases, leading to increased preference for alcohol; reintroduction approximates relapse. Using a digital drinkometer system measuring high-resolution drinking behavior, we examined the effects of nalmefene on relapse drinking behavior in alcohol addicted rats. We also tested whether drinking behavior in the relapse phase prior to nalmefene administration predicted treatment response. We further examined whether longitudinal drinking behavior and locomotor activity predicted treatment response. Results: Our results showed that nalmefene (0.3 mg/kg) reduced relapse-like consumption significantly (∼20%) compared to vehicle on the first 2 days of alcohol reintroduction. Examining the first 6 h of a preceded treatment-free relapse episode revealed drinking patterns clustering the rats into responders (reduction of >40%, n = 17) and non-responders (reduction of <40%, n = 7) to subsequent nalmefene treatment. During the first 6 h of the preceding relapse phase, responders consumed more alcohol than non-responders; the amount of alcohol consumed during each drinking approach was larger but frequency of drinking did not differ. Longitudinal drinking behavior and locomotor activity did not significantly predict response. Conclusion: Our results suggest that nalmefene reduces alcohol intake during a relapse-like situation but effectiveness can differ greatly at the individual level. However, who responds may be informed by examining drinking profiles and rats that show high drinking levels prior to treatment are more likely to respond to nalmefene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Clifford Foo
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Valentina Vengeliene
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Hamid Reza Noori
- Neuronal Convergence Group, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ikuhiro Yamaguchi
- Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Morita
- Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toru Nakamura
- Biomedical Engineering and Health Informatics Laboratory, Center for Industry-University Collaboration, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshiharu Yamamoto
- Department of Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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34
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Funk D, Coen K, Tamadon S, Lê AD. Effect of chronic alcohol vapor exposure on reinstatement of alcohol seeking induced by U50,488. Neuropharmacology 2019; 148:210-219. [PMID: 30659838 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence and stress are associated with relapse to alcohol during abstinence, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Kappa opioid receptors (KOR) are involved in alcohol reward and in the effects of stress. Previously, in non-dependent rats, we showed that KOR in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) mediate reinstatement of alcohol seeking induced by the selective KOR agonist U50,488. Here, we determine the effects of chronic, intermittent exposure to alcohol vapor on U50,488-induced reinstatement of alcohol seeking. We also study brain mechanisms involved using the neuronal activity marker Fos and phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38), an intracellular messenger implicated in the effects of KOR stimulation. We trained male Long-Evans rats to self-administer alcohol (12% w/v) and exposed them to alcohol vapor (14 h vapor/10 h air) daily for 24 d or to the control condition, extinguished alcohol-reinforced responding and determined the dose response for U50,488-induced reinstatement. We then determined the effects of vapor exposure on U50,488-induced Fos and p-p38 expression. Vapor-exposed rats were more sensitive to U50,488-induced reinstatement. U50,488 increased Fos expression in brain areas involved in stress-induced relapse, and Fos activation in the ventral BNST was greater in vapor exposed rats. Vapor exposed rats had increased basal p-p38 expression in the dorsal BNST, LC and NTS. Our findings suggest that changes in the neuronal responses to KOR stimulation in the ventral BNST may be involved in the increased sensitivity to U50,488 accompanying dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Funk
- Neurobiology of Alcohol Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Kathleen Coen
- Neurobiology of Alcohol Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sahar Tamadon
- Neurobiology of Alcohol Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - A D Lê
- Neurobiology of Alcohol Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada
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Tobin SJ, Wakefield DL, Terenius L, Vukojević V, Jovanović-Talisman T. Ethanol and Naltrexone Have Distinct Effects on the Lateral Nano-organization of Mu and Kappa Opioid Receptors in the Plasma Membrane. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:667-676. [PMID: 30418735 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex spatiotemporal organization of proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane is an important determinant of receptor function. Certain substances, such as ethanol, can penetrate into the hydrophobic regions of the plasma membrane. By altering protein-lipid and protein-protein interactions, these substances can modify the dynamic lateral organization and the function of plasma membrane receptors. To assess changes in plasma membrane receptor organization, we used photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM). This single molecule localization microscopy technique was employed to quantitatively characterize the effects of pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol and naltrexone (an opioid receptor antagonist and medication used to treat alcohol use disorders) on the lateral nano-organization of mu and kappa opioid receptors (MOR and KOR, respectively). Ethanol affected the lateral organization of MOR and KOR similarly: It reduced the size and occupancy of opioid receptor nanodomains and increased the fraction of opioid receptors residing outside of nanodomains. In contrast, naltrexone affected MOR and KOR lateral organization differently. It significantly increased KOR surface density, nanodomain size, and the occupancy of KOR nanodomains. However, naltrexone marginally affected these parameters for MOR. Pretreatment with naltrexone largely protected against ethanol-induced changes in MOR and KOR lateral organization. Based on these data, we propose a putative mechanism of naltrexone action that operates in addition to its canonical antagonistic effect on MOR- and KOR-mediated signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J. Tobin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California 91010, United States
| | - Devin L. Wakefield
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California 91010, United States
| | - Lars Terenius
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17176, Sweden
| | - Vladana Vukojević
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17176, Sweden
| | - Tijana Jovanović-Talisman
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California 91010, United States
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Hamida SB, Boulos LJ, McNicholas M, Charbogne P, Kieffer BL. Mu opioid receptors in GABAergic neurons of the forebrain promote alcohol reward and drinking. Addict Biol 2019; 24:28-39. [PMID: 29094432 PMCID: PMC5932272 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Mu opioid receptors (MORs) are widely distributed throughout brain reward circuits and their role in drug and social reward is well established. Substantial evidence has implicated MOR and the endogenous opioid system in alcohol reward, but circuit mechanisms of MOR-mediated alcohol reward and intake behavior remain elusive, and have not been investigated by genetic approaches. We recently created conditional knockout (KO) mice targeting the Oprm1 gene in GABAergic forebrain neurons. These mice (Dlx-MOR KO) show a major MOR deletion in the striatum, whereas receptors in midbrain (including the Ventral Tegmental Area or VTA) and hindbrain are intact. Here, we compared alcohol-drinking behavior and rewarding effects in total (MOR KO) and conditional KO mice. Concordant with our previous work, MOR KO mice drank less alcohol in continuous and intermittent two-bottle choice protocols. Remarkably, Dlx-MOR KO mice showed reduced drinking similar to MOR KO mice, demonstrating that MOR in the forebrain is responsible for the observed phenotype. Further, alcohol-induced conditioned place preference was detected in control but not MOR KO mice, indicating that MOR is essential for alcohol reward and again, Dlx-MOR KO recapitulated the MOR KO phenotype. Taste preference and blood alcohol levels were otherwise unchanged in mutant lines. Together, our data demonstrate that MOR expressed in forebrain GABAergic neurons is essential for alcohol reward-driven behaviors, including drinking and place conditioning. Challenging the prevailing VTA-centric hypothesis, this study reveals another mechanism of MOR-mediated alcohol reward and consumption, which does not necessarily require local VTA MORs but rather engages striatal MOR-dependent mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Ben Hamida
- Département de Médecine Translationnelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Laura-Joy Boulos
- Département de Médecine Translationnelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Michael McNicholas
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Pauline Charbogne
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Brigitte Lina Kieffer
- Département de Médecine Translationnelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104, Université de Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, H4H 1R3, Canada
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Age as a factor in stress and alcohol interactions: A critical role for the kappa opioid system. Alcohol 2018; 72:9-18. [PMID: 30322483 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The endogenous kappa opioid system has primarily been shown to be involved with a state of dysphoria and aversion. Stress and exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly alcohol, can produce similar states of unease and anxiety, implicating the kappa opioid system as a target of stress and alcohol. Numerous behavioral studies have demonstrated reduced sensitivity to manipulations of the kappa opioid system in early life relative to adulthood, and recent reports have shown that the kappa opioid system is functionally different across ontogeny. Given the global rise in early-life stress and alcohol consumption, understanding how the kappa opioid system responds and adapts to stress and/or alcohol exposure differently in early life and adulthood is imperative. Therefore, the objective of this review is to highlight and discuss studies examining the impact of early-life stress and/or alcohol on the kappa opioid system, with focus on the documented neuroadaptations that may contribute to future vulnerability to stress and/or increase the risk of relapse. We first provide a brief summary of the importance of studying the effects of stress and alcohol during early life (prenatal, neonatal/juvenile, and adolescence). We then discuss the literature on the effects of stress or alcohol during early life and adulthood on the kappa opioid system. Finally, we discuss the few studies that have shown interactions between stress and alcohol on the kappa opioid system and provide some discussion about the need for studies investigating the development of the kappa opioid system.
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Jarman SK, Haney AM, Valdez GR. Kappa opioid regulation of depressive-like behavior during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence from ethanol. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205016. [PMID: 30265734 PMCID: PMC6161915 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOR) system appears to be a key mediator of the behavioral effects of chronic exposure to alcohol. Although KOR opioid receptor antagonists have been shown to decrease stress-related behaviors in animal models during acute ethanol withdrawal, the role of the DYN/KOR system in regulating long-term behavioral changes following protracted abstinence from ethanol is not well understood. The objective of the current study was to further explore the role of the DYN/KOR system in regulating stress-related behavioral changes associated with acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence from ethanol. More specifically, the present experiments sought to examine the ability of the KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (nor-BNI) to reverse depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test in rats exposed to chronic ethanol. In the first experiment, rats were fed an ethanol or control liquid diet for 28-30 days, and then 24 hours after removal of the diet, were exposed to inescapable swim stress. Immediately following this procedure, rats were injected with nor-BNI (20 mg/kg) or saline and then tested 24 hours later in the forced swim test. A second experiment used a similar procedure to examine the effects of nor-BNI on behavioral changes during protracted abstinence in rats tested in the forced swim test 3 weeks after exposure to the ethanol liquid diet procedure. Ethanol-dependent rats showed increased immobility, which is thought to indicate a depressive-like state, when examined during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence compared to controls, an effect attenuated by nor-BNI. These results suggest that the DYN/KOR system plays role in mediating both short- and long-term behavioral changes associated with depression following chronic alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorscha K. Jarman
- Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, United States of America
| | - Alison M. Haney
- Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, United States of America
| | - Glenn R. Valdez
- Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Erikson CM, Wei G, Walker BM. Maladaptive behavioral regulation in alcohol dependence: Role of kappa-opioid receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Neuropharmacology 2018; 140:162-173. [PMID: 30075159 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
There is an important emerging role for the endogenous opioid dynorphin (DYN) and the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Evidence suggests that the DYN/KOR system in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) contributes to maladaptive behavioral regulation during withdrawal in alcohol dependence. The current experiments were designed to assess dysregulation of the BNST DYN/KOR system by evaluating alcohol dependence-induced changes in DYN/KOR gene expression (Pdyn and Oprk1, respectively), and the sensitivity of alcohol self-administration, negative affective-like behavior and physiological withdrawal to intra-BNST KOR antagonism during acute withdrawal. Wistar rats trained to self-administer alcohol, or not trained, were subjected to an alcohol dependence induction procedure (14 h alcohol vapor/10 h air) or air-exposure. BNST micropunches from air- and vapor-exposed animals were analyzed using RT-qPCR to quantify dependence-induced changes in Pdyn and Oprk1 mRNA expression. In addition, vapor- and air-exposed groups received an intra-BNST infusion of a KOR antagonist or vehicle prior to measurement of alcohol self-administration. A separate cohort of vapor-exposed rats was assessed for physiological withdrawal and negative affective-like behavior signs following intra-BNST KOR antagonism. During acute withdrawal, following alcohol dependence induction, there was an upregulation in Oprk1 mRNA expression in alcohol self-administering animals, but not non-alcohol self-administering animals, that confirmed dysregulation of the KOR/DYN system within the BNST. Furthermore, intra-BNST KOR antagonism attenuated escalated alcohol self-administration and negative affective-like behavior during acute withdrawal without reliably impacting physiological symptoms of withdrawal. The results confirm KOR system dysregulation in the BNST in alcohol dependence, illustrating the therapeutic potential of targeting the KOR to treat alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe M Erikson
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addiction Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addiction Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Program, Translational Addiction Research Center, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA.
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40
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Zhou Y, Kreek MJ. Involvement of Activated Brain Stress Responsive Systems in Excessive and "Relapse" Alcohol Drinking in Rodent Models: Implications for Therapeutics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2018; 366:9-20. [PMID: 29669731 PMCID: PMC5988024 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.245621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Addictive diseases, including addiction to alcohol, pose massive public health costs. Addiction is a chronic relapsing disease caused by both the direct effects induced by drugs and persistent neuroadaptations at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels. These drug-type specific neuroadaptations are brought on largely by the reinforcing effects of drugs on the central nervous system and environmental stressors. Results from animal experiments have demonstrated important interactions between alcohol and stress-responsive systems. Addiction to specific drugs such as alcohol, psychostimulants, and opioids shares some common direct or downstream effects on the brain's stress-responsive systems, including arginine vasopressin and its V1b receptors, dynorphin and the κ-opioid receptors, pro-opiomelanocortin/β-endorphin and the μ-opioid receptors, and the endocannabinoids. Further study of these systems through laboratory-based and translational research could lead to the discovery of novel treatment targets and the early optimization of interventions (for example, combination) for the pharmacologic therapy of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Laboratory of Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, New York
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Bazov I, Sarkisyan D, Kononenko O, Watanabe H, Karpyak VM, Yakovleva T, Bakalkin G. Downregulation of the neuronal opioid gene expression concomitantly with neuronal decline in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of human alcoholics. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:122. [PMID: 29925858 PMCID: PMC6010434 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-017-0075-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular changes in cortical areas of addicted brain may underlie cognitive impairment and loss of control over intake of addictive substances and alcohol. Prodynorphin (PDYN) gives rise to dynorphin (DYNs) opioid peptides which target kappa-opioid receptor (KOR). DYNs mediate alcohol-induced impairment of learning and memory, while KOR antagonists block excessive, compulsive-like drug and alcohol self-administration in animal models. In human brain, the DYN/KOR system may undergo adaptive changes, which along with neuronal loss, may contribute to alcohol-associated cognitive deficit. We addressed this hypothesis by comparing the expression levels and co-expression (transcriptionally coordinated) patterns of PDYN and KOR (OPRK1) genes in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) between human alcoholics and controls. Postmortem brain specimens of 53 alcoholics and 55 controls were analyzed. PDYN was found to be downregulated in dlPFC of alcoholics, while OPRK1 transcription was not altered. PDYN downregulation was confined to subgroup of subjects carrying C, a high-risk allele of PDYN promoter SNP rs1997794 associated with alcoholism. Changes in PDYN expression did not depend on the decline in neuronal proportion in alcoholics, and thereby may be attributed to transcriptional adaptations in alcoholic brain. Absolute expression levels of PDYN were lower compared to those of OPRK1, suggesting that PDYN expression is a limiting factor in the DYN/KOR signaling, and that the PDYN downregulation diminishes efficacy of DYN/KOR signaling in dlPFC of human alcoholics. The overall outcome of the DYN/KOR downregulation may be disinhibition of neurotransmission, which when overactivated could contribute to formation of alcohol-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Bazov
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDivision of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kononenko
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDivision of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDivision of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Victor M. Karpyak
- 0000 0004 0459 167Xgrid.66875.3aDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905 USA
| | - Tatiana Yakovleva
- 0000 0004 1936 9457grid.8993.bDivision of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 24, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Uhari-Väänänen J, Raasmaja A, Bäckström P, Oinio V, Carroll FI, Airavaara M, Kiianmaa K, Piepponen P. The κ-opioid receptor antagonist JDTic decreases ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring AA rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1581-1591. [PMID: 29492614 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4868-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Studies suggest that the κ-opioidergic system becomes overactivated as ethanol use disorders develop. Nalmefene, a currently approved treatment for ethanol use disorders, may also elicit some of its main effects via the κ-opioidergic system. However, the exact role of κ-opioid receptors on regulating ethanol intake and contribution to the development of ethanol addiction remains to be elucidated. OBJECTIVES The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of accumbal κ-opioid receptors in controlling ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring Alko Alcohol (AA) rats. METHODS Microinfusions of the long-acting and selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist JDTic (1-15 μg/site) were administered bilaterally into the nucleus accumbens shell of AA rats voluntarily consuming 10% ethanol solution in the intermittent, time-restricted two-bottle choice access paradigm. JDTic (10 mg/kg) was also administered subcutaneously. Both the acute and long-term effects of the treatment on ethanol intake were examined. As a reference, nor-BNI (3 μg/site) was administered intra-accumbally. RESULTS Systemically administered JDTic decreased ethanol intake significantly 2 days and showed a similar trend 4 days after administration. Furthermore, intra-accumbally administered JDTic showed a weak decreasing effect on ethanol intake long-term but had no acute effects. Intra-accumbal administration of nor-BNI tended to decrease ethanol intake. CONCLUSIONS The results provide further evidence that κ-opioid receptors play a role in controlling ethanol intake and that accumbal κ-opioid receptors participate in the modulation of the reinforcing effects of ethanol. Furthermore, the results suggest that κ-opioid receptor antagonists may be a valuable adjunct in the pharmacotherapy of ethanol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Uhari-Väänänen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Atso Raasmaja
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pia Bäckström
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ville Oinio
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - F Ivy Carroll
- RTI International, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalervo Kiianmaa
- Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, 00271, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petteri Piepponen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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de Guglielmo G, Conlisk DE, Barkley-Levenson AM, Palmer AA, George O. Inhibition of Glyoxalase 1 reduces alcohol self-administration in dependent and nondependent rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 167:36-41. [PMID: 29505808 PMCID: PMC5866249 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies showed that the glyoxalase 1 (Glo1) gene modulates anxiety-like behavior, seizure susceptibility, depression-like behavior, and alcohol drinking in the drinking-in-the-dark paradigm in nondependent mice. Administration of the small-molecule GLO1 inhibitor S-bromobenzylglutathione cyclopentyl diester (pBBG) decreased alcohol drinking in nondependent mice, suggesting a possible therapeutic strategy. However, the preclinical therapeutic efficacy of pBBG in animal models of alcohol dependence remains to be demonstrated. We tested the effect of pBBG (7.5 and 25 mg/kg) on operant alcohol self-administration in alcohol-dependent and nondependent rats. Wistar rats were trained to self-administer 10% alcohol (v/v) and made dependent by chronic intermittent passive exposure to alcohol vapor for 5 weeks. Pretreatment with pBBG dose-dependently reduced alcohol self-administration in both nondependent and dependent animals, without affecting water self-administration. pBBG treatment was more effective in dependent rats than in nondependent rats. These data extend previous findings that implicated Glo1 in alcohol drinking in nondependent mice by showing even more profound effects in alcohol-dependent rats. These results suggest that the pharmacological inhibition of GLO1 is a relevant therapeutic target for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Dana E Conlisk
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - Abraham A Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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44
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Bazov I, Sarkisyan D, Kononenko O, Watanabe H, Yakovleva T, Hansson AC, Sommer WH, Spanagel R, Bakalkin G. Dynorphin and κ-Opioid Receptor Dysregulation in the Dopaminergic Reward System of Human Alcoholics. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:7049-7061. [PMID: 29383684 PMCID: PMC6061161 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0844-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Molecular changes induced by excessive alcohol consumption may underlie formation of dysphoric state during acute and protracted alcohol withdrawal which leads to craving and relapse. A main molecular addiction hypothesis is that the upregulation of the dynorphin (DYN)/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of alcohol-dependent individuals causes the imbalance in activity of D1- and D2 dopamine receptor (DR) expressing neural circuits that results in dysphoria. We here analyzed post-mortem NAc samples of human alcoholics to assess changes in prodynorphin (PDYN) and KOR (OPRK1) gene expression and co-expression (transcriptionally coordinated) patterns. To address alterations in D1- and D2-receptor circuits, we studied the regulatory interactions between these pathways and the DYN/KOR system. No significant differences in PDYN and OPRK1 gene expression levels between alcoholics and controls were evident. However, PDYN and OPRK1 showed transcriptionally coordinated pattern that was significantly different between alcoholics and controls. A downregulation of DRD1 but not DRD2 expression was seen in alcoholics. Expression of DRD1 and DRD2 strongly correlated with that of PDYN and OPRK1 suggesting high levels of transcriptional coordination between these gene clusters. The differences in expression and co-expression patterns were not due to the decline in neuronal proportion in alcoholic brain and thereby represent transcriptional phenomena. Dysregulation of DYN/KOR system and dopamine signaling through both alterations in co-expression patterns of opioid genes and decreased DRD1 gene expression may contribute to imbalance in the activity of D1- and D2-containing pathways which may lead to the negative affective state in human alcoholics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Bazov
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Daniil Sarkisyan
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hiroyuki Watanabe
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tatiana Yakovleva
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, Box 591, BMC Husargatan 3, SE-75124, Uppsala, Sweden
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Siciliano CA, Karkhanis AN, Holleran KM, Melchior JR, Jones SR. Cross-Species Alterations in Synaptic Dopamine Regulation After Chronic Alcohol Exposure. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018; 248:213-238. [PMID: 29675581 PMCID: PMC6195853 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_106] [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] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders are a leading public health concern, engendering enormous costs in terms of both economic loss and human suffering. These disorders are characterized by compulsive and excessive alcohol use, as well as negative affect and alcohol craving during abstinence. Extensive research has implicated the dopamine system in both the acute pharmacological effects of alcohol and the symptomology of alcohol use disorders that develop after extended alcohol use. Preclinical research has shed light on many mechanisms by which chronic alcohol exposure dysregulates the dopamine system. However, many of the findings are inconsistent across experimental parameters such as alcohol exposure length, route of administration, and model organism. We propose that the dopaminergic alterations driving the core symptomology of alcohol use disorders are likely to be relatively stable across experimental settings. Recent work has been aimed at using multiple model organisms (mouse, rat, monkey) across various alcohol exposure procedures to search for commonalities. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the effects of chronic alcohol use on the dopamine system by highlighting findings that are consistent across experimental setting and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A Siciliano
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - James R Melchior
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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Anderson RI, Moorman DE, Becker HC. Contribution of Dynorphin and Orexin Neuropeptide Systems to the Motivational Effects of Alcohol. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2018. [PMID: 29526023 DOI: 10.1007/164_2018_100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neural systems that drive alcohol motivation and are disrupted in alcohol use disorders is of critical importance in developing novel treatments. The dynorphin and orexin/hypocretin neuropeptide systems are particularly relevant with respect to alcohol use and misuse. Both systems are strongly associated with alcohol-seeking behaviors, particularly in cases of high levels of alcohol use as seen in dependence. Furthermore, both systems also play a role in stress and anxiety, indicating that disruption of these systems may underlie long-term homeostatic dysregulation seen in alcohol use disorders. These systems are also closely interrelated with one another - dynorphin/kappa opioid receptors and orexin/hypocretin receptors are found in similar regions and hypocretin/orexin neurons also express dynorphin - suggesting that these two systems may work together in the regulation of alcohol seeking and may be mutually disrupted in alcohol use disorders. This chapter reviews studies demonstrating a role for each of these systems in motivated behavior, with a focus on their roles in regulating alcohol-seeking and self-administration behaviors. Consideration is also given to evidence indicating that these neuropeptide systems may be viable targets for the development of potential treatments for alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Science and Technology Policy Fellowships, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David E Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Howard C Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA. .,Department of Veterans Affairs, Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
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47
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Becker HC. Influence of stress associated with chronic alcohol exposure on drinking. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:115-126. [PMID: 28431971 PMCID: PMC5497303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stress is commonly regarded as an important trigger for relapse and a significant factor that promotes increased motivation to drink in some individuals. However, the relationship between stress and alcohol is complex, likely changing in form during the transition from early moderated alcohol use to more heavy uncontrolled alcohol intake. A growing body of evidence indicates that prolonged excessive alcohol consumption serves as a potent stressor, producing persistent dysregulation of brain reward and stress systems beyond normal homeostatic limits. This progressive dysfunctional (allostatic) state is characterized by changes in neuroendocrine and brain stress pathways that underlie expression of withdrawal symptoms that reflect a negative affective state (dysphoria, anxiety), as well as increased motivation to self-administer alcohol. This review highlights literature supportive of this theoretical framework for alcohol addiction. In particular, evidence for stress-related neural, physiological, and behavioral changes associated with chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal experience is presented. Additionally, this review focuses on the effects of chronic alcohol-induced changes in several pro-stress neuropeptides (corticotropin-releasing factor, dynorphin) and anti-stress neuropeptide systems (nocicepton, neuropeptide Y, oxytocin) in contributing to the stress, negative emotional, and motivational consequences of chronic alcohol exposure. Studies involving use of animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the dynamic stress-related physiological mechanisms and psychological underpinnings of alcohol addiction. This, in turn, is crucial for developing new and more effective therapeutics for treating excessive, harmful drinking, particularly stress-enhanced alcohol consumption. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs, Charleston, SC 29464, USA.
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48
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Mason BJ. Emerging pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorder. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:244-253. [PMID: 28454983 PMCID: PMC5643030 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The identification of different stages within the alcohol use disorder (AUD) cycle that are linked to neurocircuitry changes in pathophysiology associated with the negative emotional states of abstinence has provided a view of medication development for AUD that emphasizes changes in the brain reward and stress systems. Alcohol use disorder can be defined as a chronic relapsing disorder that involves compulsive alcohol seeking and taking, loss of control over alcohol intake, and emergence of a negative emotional state during abstinence. The focus of early medications development was to block the motivation to seek alcohol in the binge/intoxication stage. More recent work has focused on reversing the motivational dysregulations associated with the withdrawal/negative affect and preoccupation/anticipation stages during protracted abstinence. Advances in our understanding of the neurocircuitry and neuropharmacological mechanisms that are involved in the development and maintenance of the withdrawal/negative affect stage using validated animal models have provided viable targets for future medications. Another major advance has been proof-of-concept testing of potential therapeutics and clinical validation of relevant pharmacological targets using human laboratory models of protracted abstinence. This review focuses on future targets for medication development associated with reversal of the loss of reward function and gain in brain stress function that drive negative reinforcement in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of addiction. Basic research has identified novel neurobiological targets associated with the withdrawal/negative affect stage and preoccupation/anticipation stage, with a focus on neuroadaptive changes within the extended amygdala that account for the transition to dependence and vulnerability to relapse. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Mason
- The Pearson Center on Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, TPC-5 La Jolla, CA 92037 USA.
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49
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Montesinos J, Gil A, Guerri C. Nalmefene Prevents Alcohol-Induced Neuroinflammation and Alcohol Drinking Preference in Adolescent Female Mice: Role of TLR4. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1257-1270. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Montesinos
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
| | - Anabel Gil
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
| | - Consuelo Guerri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol; Príncipe Felipe Research Center; Valencia Spain
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Anderson RI, Becker HC. Role of the Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor System in the Motivational Effects of Ethanol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1402-1418. [PMID: 28425121 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Evidence has demonstrated that dynorphin (DYN) and the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system contribute to various psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression, and addiction. More recently, this endogenous opioid system has received increased attention as a potential therapeutic target for treating alcohol use disorders. In this review, we provide an overview and synthesis of preclinical studies examining the influence of alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) exposure on DYN/KOR expression and function, as well as studies examining the effects of DYN/KOR manipulation on EtOH's rewarding and aversive properties. We then describe work that has characterized effects of KOR activation and blockade on EtOH self-administration and EtOH dependence/withdrawal-related behaviors. Finally, we address how the DYN/KOR system may contribute to stress-EtOH interactions. Despite an apparent role for the DYN/KOR system in motivational effects of EtOH, support comes from relatively few studies. Nevertheless, review of this literature reveals several common themes: (i) rodent strains genetically predisposed to consume more EtOH generally appear to have reduced DYN/KOR tone in brain reward circuitry; (ii) acute and chronic EtOH exposure typically up-regulate the DYN/KOR system; (iii) KOR antagonists reduce behavioral indices of negative affect associated with stress and chronic EtOH exposure/withdrawal; and (iv) KOR antagonists are effective in reducing EtOH consumption, but are often more efficacious under conditions that engender high levels of consumption, such as dependence or stress exposure. These results support the contention that the DYN/KOR system plays a significant role in contributing to dependence- and stress-induced elevation in EtOH consumption. Overall, more comprehensive analyses (on both behavioral and mechanistic levels) are needed to provide additional insight into how the DYN/KOR system is engaged and adapts to influence the motivation effects of EtOH. This information will be critical for the development of new pharmacological agents targeting KORs as promising novel therapeutics for alcohol use disorders and comorbid affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel I Anderson
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.,Department of Neuroscience , Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.,RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center , Charleston, South Carolina
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