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Reiner BC, Chehimi SN, Merkel R, Toikumo S, Berrettini WH, Kranzler HR, Sanchez-Roige S, Kember RL, Schmidt HD, Crist RC. A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of medium spiny neurons in the rat nucleus accumbens. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18258. [PMID: 39107568 PMCID: PMC11303397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69255-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural processing of rewarding stimuli involves several distinct regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The majority of NAc neurons are GABAergic projection neurons known as medium spiny neurons (MSNs). MSNs are broadly defined by dopamine receptor expression, but evidence suggests that a wider array of subtypes exist. To study MSN heterogeneity, we analyzed single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from the largest available rat NAc dataset. Analysis of 48,040 NAc MSN nuclei identified major populations belonging to the striosome and matrix compartments. Integration with mouse and human data indicated consistency across species and disease-relevance scoring using genome-wide association study results revealed potentially differential roles for MSN populations in substance use disorders. Additional high-resolution clustering identified 34 transcriptomically distinct subtypes of MSNs definable by a limited number of marker genes. Together, these data demonstrate the diversity of MSNs in the NAc and provide a basis for more targeted genetic manipulation of specific populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Reiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samar N Chehimi
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Riley Merkel
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sylvanus Toikumo
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Wade H Berrettini
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Henry R Kranzler
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz VAMC, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sandra Sanchez-Roige
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rachel L Kember
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Crescenz VAMC, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Heath D Schmidt
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard C Crist
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2207, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Reiner BC, Chehimi SN, Merkel R, Toikumo S, Berrettini WH, Kranzler HR, Sanchez-Roige S, Kember RL, Schmidt HD, Crist RC. A single-nucleus transcriptomic atlas of medium spiny neurons in the rat nucleus accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.26.595949. [PMID: 38826289 PMCID: PMC11142250 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.26.595949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Neural processing of rewarding stimuli involves several distinct regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The majority of NAc neurons are GABAergic projection neurons known as medium spiny neurons (MSNs). MSNs are broadly defined by dopamine receptor expression, but evidence suggests that a wider array of subtypes exist. To study MSN heterogeneity, we analyzed single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from the largest available rat NAc dataset. Analysis of 48,040 NAc MSN nuclei identified major populations belonging to the striosome and matrix compartments. Integration with mouse and human data indicated consistency across species and disease-relevance scoring using genome-wide association study results revealed potentially differential roles for MSN populations in substance use disorders. Additional high-resolution clustering identified 34 transcriptomically distinct subtypes of MSNs definable by a limited number of marker genes. Together, these data demonstrate the diversity of MSNs in the NAc and provide a basis for more targeted genetic manipulation of specific populations.
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3
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Banks ML, Sprague JE. The dopamine 3 receptor as a candidate biomarker and therapeutic for opioid use disorder. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13369. [PMID: 38380709 PMCID: PMC10883601 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13369] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Here, we present recent studies suggesting that specific DRD3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, e.g. rs324029 and rs2654754) might serve as prognostic biomarkers for opioid use disorder (OUD). Additionally, preclinical studies with novel dopamine 3 receptor (D3R) partial agonists and antagonists have been evaluated as candidate OUD therapeutics and have shown a reduced risk of cardiovascular toxicity compared with the original D3R antagonist. From these findings, we argue that DRD3 SNPs could serve as a diagnostic tool for assessing OUD risk and that more research is warranted examining the D3R as a safe and effective therapeutic target for treating OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L. Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Jon E. Sprague
- The Ohio Attorney General's Center for the Future of Forensic ScienceBowling Green State UniversityBowling GreenOhioUSA
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4
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Kaplan GB, Thompson BL. Neuroplasticity of the extended amygdala in opioid withdrawal and prolonged opioid abstinence. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1253736. [PMID: 38044942 PMCID: PMC10690374 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1253736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is characterized by excessive use of opioids, inability to control its use, a withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of opioids, and long-term likelihood of relapse. The behavioral stages of opioid addiction correspond with affective experiences that characterize the opponent process view of motivation. In this framework, active involvement is accompanied by positive affective experiences which gives rise to "reward craving," whereas the opponent process, abstinence, is associated with the negative affective experiences that produce "relief craving." Relief craving develops along with a hypersensitization to the negatively reinforcing aspects of withdrawal during abstinence from opioids. These negative affective experiences are hypothesized to stem from neuroadaptations to a network of affective processing called the "extended amygdala." This negative valence network includes the three core structures of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell), in addition to major inputs from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To better understand the major components of this system, we have reviewed their functions, inputs and outputs, along with the associated neural plasticity in animal models of opioid withdrawal. These models demonstrate the somatic, motivational, affective, and learning related models of opioid withdrawal and abstinence. Neuroadaptations in these stress and motivational systems are accompanied by negative affective and aversive experiences that commonly give rise to relapse. CeA neuroplasticity accounts for many of the aversive and fear-related effects of opioid withdrawal via glutamatergic plasticity and changes to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)-containing neurons. Neuroadaptations in BNST pre-and post-synaptic GABA-containing neurons, as well as their noradrenergic modulation, may be responsible for a variety of aversive affective experiences and maladaptive behaviors. Opioid withdrawal yields a hypodopaminergic and amotivational state and results in neuroadaptive increases in excitability of the NAc shell, both of which are associated with increased vulnerability to relapse. Finally, BLA transmission to hippocampal and cortical regions impacts the perception of conditioned aversive effects of opioid withdrawal by higher executive systems. The prevention or reversal of these varied neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala during opioid withdrawal could lead to promising new interventions for this life-threatening condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Kaplan
- Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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5
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Gayden J, Puig S, Srinivasan C, Phan BN, Abdelhady G, Buck SA, Gamble MC, Tejeda HA, Dong Y, Pfenning AR, Logan RW, Freyberg Z. Integrative multi-dimensional characterization of striatal projection neuron heterogeneity in adult brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.04.539488. [PMID: 37205475 PMCID: PMC10187292 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.04.539488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Striatal projection neurons (SPNs) are traditionally segregated into two subpopulations expressing dopamine (DA) D1-like or D2-like receptors. However, this dichotomy is challenged by recent evidence. Functional and expression studies raise important questions: do SPNs co-express different DA receptors, and do these differences reflect unique striatal spatial distributions and expression profiles? Using RNAscope in mouse striatum, we report heterogenous SPN subpopulations distributed across dorsal-ventral and rostral-caudal axes. SPN subpopulations co-express multiple DA receptors, including D1 and D2 (D1/2R) and D1 and D3. Our integrative approach using single-nuclei multi-omics analyses provides a simple consensus to describe SPNs across diverse datasets, connecting it to complementary spatial mapping. Combining RNAscope and multi-omics shows D1/2R SPNs further separate into distinct subtypes according to spatial organization and conserved marker genes. Each SPN cell type contributes uniquely to genetic risk for neuropsychiatric diseases. Our results bridge anatomy and transcriptomics to offer new understandings of striatal neuron heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenesis Gayden
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Stephanie Puig
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Chaitanya Srinivasan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - BaDoi N. Phan
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Medical-Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ghada Abdelhady
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Silas A. Buck
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Mackenzie C. Gamble
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Molecular and Translational Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Andreas R. Pfenning
- Department of Computational Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zachary Freyberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Tam RW, Keung AJ. Profiling transcriptomic responses of human stem cell-derived medium spiny neuron-like cells to exogenous phasic and tonic neurotransmitters. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 126:103876. [PMID: 37385515 PMCID: PMC10528483 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptomic responses to neurotransmitters contribute to the complex processes driving memory and addiction. Advances in both measurement methods and experimental models continue to improve our understanding of this regulatory layer. Here we focus on the experimental potential of stem cell derived neurons, currently the only ethical model that can be used in reductionist and experimentally perturbable studies of human cells. Prior work has focused on generating distinct cell types from human stem cells, and has also shown their utility in modeling development and cellular phenotypes related to neurodegeneration. Here we seek an understanding of how stem cell derived neural cultures respond to perturbations experienced during development and disease progression. This work profiles transcriptomic responses of human medium spiny neuron-like cells with three specific goals. We first characterize transcriptomic responses to dopamine and dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists presented in dosing patterns mimicking acute, chronic, and withdrawal regimens. We also assess transcriptomic responses to low and persistent tonic levels of dopamine, acetylcholine, and glutamate to better mimic the in vivo environment. Finally, we identify similar and distinct responses between hMSN-like cells derived from H9 and H1 stem cell lines, providing some context for the extent of variability these types of systems will likely pose for experimentalists. The results here suggest future optimizations of human stem cell derived neurons to increase their in vivo relevance and the biological insights that can be garnered from these models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan W Tam
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States of America
| | - Albert J Keung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, United States of America.
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7
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Differential Patterns of Synaptic Plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens Caused by Continuous and Interrupted Morphine Exposure. J Neurosci 2023; 43:308-318. [PMID: 36396404 PMCID: PMC9838694 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0595-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid exposure and withdrawal both cause adaptations in brain circuits that may contribute to abuse liability. These adaptations vary in magnitude and direction following different patterns of opioid exposure, but few studies have systematically manipulated the pattern of opioid administration while measuring neurobiological impact. In this study, we compared cellular and synaptic adaptations in the nucleus accumbens shell caused by morphine exposure that was either continuous or interrupted by daily bouts of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. At the behavioral level, continuous morphine administration caused psychomotor tolerance, which was reversed when the continuity of morphine action was interrupted by naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. Using ex vivo slice electrophysiology in female and male mice, we investigated how these patterns of morphine administration altered intrinsic excitability and synaptic plasticity of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing the D1 or D2 dopamine receptor. We found that morphine-evoked adaptations at excitatory synapses were predominately conserved between patterns of administration, but there were divergent effects on inhibitory synapses and the subsequent balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input. Overall, our data suggest that continuous morphine administration produces adaptations that dampen the output of D1-MSNs, which are canonically thought to promote reward-related behaviors. Interruption of otherwise continuous morphine exposure does not dampen D1-MSN functional output to the same extent, which may enhance behavioral responses to subsequent opioid exposure. Our findings support the hypothesis that maintaining continuity of opioid administration could be an effective therapeutic strategy to minimize the vulnerability to opioid use disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Withdrawal plays a key role in the cycle of addiction to opioids like morphine. We studied how repeated cycles of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal from otherwise continuous opioid exposure can change brain function of the nucleus accumbens, which is an important brain region for reward and addiction. Different patterns of opioid exposure caused unique changes in communication between neurons in the nucleus accumbens, and the nature of these changes depended on the type of neuron being studied. The specific changes in communication between neurons caused by repeated cycles of withdrawal may increase vulnerability to opioid use disorders. This highlights the importance of reducing or preventing the experience of withdrawal during opioid treatment.
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Morphine Resistance in Spinal Cord Injury-Related Neuropathic Pain in Rats is Associated With Alterations in Dopamine and Dopamine-Related Metabolomics. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:772-783. [PMID: 34856409 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are not universally effective for treating neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI), a finding that we previously demonstrated in a rat model of SCI. The aim of this study was to determine analgesic response of morphine-responsive and nonresponsive SCI rats to adjunct treatment with dopamine modulators and to establish if the animal groups expressed distinct metabolomic profiles. Thermal thresholds were tested in female Long Evans rats (N = 45) prior to contusion SCI, after SCI and following injection of morphine, morphine combined with dopamine modulators, or dopamine modulators alone. Spinal cord and striatum samples were processed for metabolomics and targeted mass spectrometry. Morphine provided analgesia in 1 of 3 of SCI animals. All animals showed improved analgesia with morphine + pramipexole (D3 receptor agonist). Only morphine nonresponsive animals showed improved analgesia with the addition of SCH 39166 (D1 receptor antagonist). Metabolomic analysis identified 3 distinct clusters related to the tyrosine pathway that corresponded to uninjured, SCI morphine-responsive and SCI morphine-nonresponsive groups. Mass spectrometry showed matching differences in dopamine levels in striatum and spinal cord between these groups. The data suggest an overall benefit of the D3 receptor system in improving analgesia, and an association between morphine responsiveness and metabolomic changes in the tyrosine/dopamine pathways in striatum and spinal cord. PERSPECTIVE: Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to opioid-resistant neuropathic pain that is associated with changes in dopamine metabolomics in the spinal cord and striatum of rats. We present evidence that adjuvant targeting of the dopamine system may be a novel pain treatment approach to overcome opioid desensitization and tolerance after SCI.
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Baidoo N, Leri F. Extended amygdala, conditioned withdrawal and memory consolidation. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110435. [PMID: 34509531 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Opioid withdrawal can be associated to environmental cues through classical conditioning. Exposure to these cues can precipitate a state of conditioned withdrawal in abstinent subjects, and there are suggestions that conditioned withdrawal can perpetuate the addiction cycle in part by promoting the storage of memories. This review discusses evidence supporting the hypothesis that conditioned withdrawal facilitates memory consolidation by activating a neurocircuitry that involves the extended amygdala. Specifically, the central amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the nucleus accumbens shell interact functionally during withdrawal, mediate expression of conditioned responses, and are implicated in memory consolidation. From this perspective, the extended amygdala could be a neural pathway by which drug-seeking behaviour performed during a state of conditioned withdrawal is more likely to become habitual and persistent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Baidoo
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francesco Leri
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
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10
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Kearns AM, Siemsen BM, Hopkins JL, Weber RA, Scofield MD, Peters J, Reichel CM. Chemogenetic inhibition of corticostriatal circuits reduces cued reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13097. [PMID: 34431593 PMCID: PMC8809357 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (meth) causes enduring changes within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NA). Projections from the mPFC to the NA have a distinct dorsal-ventral distribution, with the prelimbic (PL) mPFC projecting to the NAcore, and the infralimbic (IL) mPFC projecting to the NAshell. Inhibition of these circuits has opposing effects on cocaine relapse. Inhibition of PL-NAcore reduces cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking and IL-NAshell inhibition reinstates cocaine seeking. Meth, however, exhibits a different profile, as pharmacological inhibition of either the PL or IL decrease cued reinstatement of meth-seeking. The potentially opposing roles of the PL-NAcore and IL-NAshell projections remain to be explored in the context of cued meth seeking. Here we used an intersectional viral vector approach that employs a retrograde delivery of Cre from the NA and Cre-dependent expression of DREADD in the mPFC, in both male and female rats to inhibit or activate these parallel pathways. Inhibition of the PL-NAcore circuit reduced cued reinstatement of meth seeking under short and long-access meth self-administration and after withdrawal with and without extinction. Inhibition of the IL-NAshell also decreased meth cued reinstatement. Activation of the parallel circuits was without an effect. These studies show that inhibition of the PL-NAcore or the IL-NAshell circuits can inhibit reinstated meth seeking. Thus, the neural circuitry mediating cued reinstatement of meth seeking is similar to cocaine in the dorsal, but not ventral, mPFC-NA circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M. Kearns
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Benjamin M. Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesiology Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Jordan L. Hopkins
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Rachel A. Weber
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
- Department of Anesthesiology Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Jamie Peters
- Department of Anesthesiology University of Colorado Denver Aurora Colorado USA
- Department of Pharmacology University of Colorado Denver Aurora Colorado USA
| | - Carmela M. Reichel
- Department of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina Charleston South Carolina USA
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A novel approach to treating opioid use disorders: Dual agonists of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors and neuropeptide Y 2 receptors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1169-1179. [PMID: 34715149 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The widespread misuse of opioids and opioid use disorder (OUD) together constitute a major public health crisis in the United States. The greatest challenge for successfully treating OUD is preventing relapse. Unfortunately, there are few FDA-approved medications to treat OUD and, while effective, these pharmacotherapies are limited by high relapse rates. Thus, there is a critical need for conceptually new approaches to developing novel medications to treat OUD. Here, we review an emerging preclinical literature that suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists could be re-purposed for treating OUD. Potential limitations of this approach are also discussed along with an alternative strategy that involves simultaneously targeting and activating GLP-1Rs and neuropeptide Y2 receptors (Y2Rs) in the brain using a novel monomeric dual agonist peptide. Recent studies indicate that this combinatorial pharmacotherapy approach attenuates voluntary fentanyl taking and seeking in rats without producing adverse effects associated with GLP-1R agonist monotherapy alone. While future studies are required to comprehensively determine the behavioral effects of GLP-1R agonists and dual agonists of GLP-1Rs and Y2Rs in rodent models of OUD, these provocative preclinical findings highlight a potential new GLP-1R-based approach to preventing relapse in humans with OUD.
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12
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Facilitating mGluR4 activity reverses the long-term deleterious consequences of chronic morphine exposure in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1373-1385. [PMID: 33349673 PMCID: PMC8136479 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00927-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of abstinence from drugs of abuse is critical to allow better recovery and ensure relapse prevention in addicted subjects. By comparing the long-term transcriptional consequences of morphine and cocaine exposure, we identified the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 4 (mGluR4) as a promising pharmacological target in morphine abstinence. We evaluated the behavioral and molecular effects of facilitating mGluR4 activity in abstinent mice. Transcriptional regulation of marker genes of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) allowed best discriminating between 4-week morphine and cocaine abstinence in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Among these markers, Grm4, encoding mGluR4, displayed down-regulated expression in the caudate putamen and NAc of morphine, but not cocaine, abstinent mice. Chronic administration of the mGluR4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0155041 (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) rescued social behavior, normalized stereotypies and anxiety and blunted locomotor sensitization in morphine abstinent mice. This treatment improved social preference but increased stereotypies in cocaine abstinent mice. Finally, the beneficial behavioral effects of VU0155041 treatment in morphine abstinent mice were correlated with restored expression of key MSN and neural activity marker genes in the NAc. This study reports that chronic administration of the mGluR4 PAM VU0155041 relieves long-term deleterious consequences of morphine exposure. It illustrates the neurobiological differences between opiate and psychostimulant abstinence and points to pharmacological repression of excessive activity of D2-MSNs in the NAc as a promising therapeutic lever in drug addiction.
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13
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Jiang X, Zhang JJ, Song S, Li Y, Sui N. The duration of withdrawal affects the muscarinic signaling in the nucleus accumbens after chronic morphine exposure in neonatal rats. J Neurophysiol 2021; 125:2228-2236. [PMID: 33978485 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00441.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The infants experience withdrawal from opiates, and time-dependent adaptations in neuronal activity of nucleus accumbens (NAc) may be crucial for this process. A key adaptation is an increased release of acetylcholine. The present study investigates muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) functions in the NAc at short-term (SWT) and long-term (LWT) withdrawal time following chronic morphine exposure in neonatal rats. The inhibitory role of presynaptic mAChRs activation in spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in medium spiny neurons was decreased at LWT but not at SWT. Whereas, the excitatory role of post/extrasynaptic mAChRs activation in membrane currents was reduced at LWT but enhanced at SWT. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of acute morphine on post/extrasynaptic mAChRs-mediated inward currents was enhanced at SWT but not at LWT. These results suggest that withdrawal from morphine leads to downregulation of presynaptic and post/extrasynaptic mAChRs functions in the NAc, which may coregulate the development of withdrawal in neonates.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated for the first time how the duration of withdrawal affects mAChRs functions in the nucleus accumbens in neonatal rats. Compared with short-term withdrawal time, rats showed downregulation of presynaptic and post/extrasynaptic mAChRs functions during long-term withdrawal time. Our finding introduces a new possible correlation between the mAChRs dysfunction in the nucleus accumbens and the development of withdrawal in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Medical Psychology, School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Jun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Sen Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonghui Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Sui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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Gantz SC, Ortiz MM, Belilos AJ, Moussawi K. Excitation of medium spiny neurons by 'inhibitory' ultrapotent chemogenetics via shifts in chloride reversal potential. eLife 2021; 10:64241. [PMID: 33822716 PMCID: PMC8024007 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrapotent chemogenetics, including the chloride-permeable inhibitory PSAM4-GlyR receptor, were recently proposed as a powerful strategy to selectively control neuronal activity in awake, behaving animals. We aimed to validate the inhibitory function of PSAM4-GlyR in dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the ventral striatum. Activation of PSAM4-GlyR with the uPSEM792 ligand enhanced rather than suppressed the activity of D1-MSNs in vivo as indicated by increased c-fos expression in D1-MSNs and in vitro as indicated by cell-attached recordings from D1-MSNs in mouse brain slices. Whole-cell recordings showed that activation of PSAM4-GlyR depolarized D1-MSNs, attenuated GABAergic inhibition, and shifted the reversal potential of PSAM4-GlyR current to more depolarized potentials, perpetuating the depolarizing effect of receptor activation. These data show that 'inhibitory' PSAM4-GlyR chemogenetics may activate certain cell types and highlight the pitfalls of utilizing chloride conductances to inhibit neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Gantz
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
| | - Maria M Ortiz
- Biological and Biomedical Neuroscience Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
| | | | - Khaled Moussawi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
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15
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Allostatic Changes in the cAMP System Drive Opioid-Induced Adaptation in Striatal Dopamine Signaling. Cell Rep 2020; 29:946-960.e2. [PMID: 31644915 PMCID: PMC6871051 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioids are powerful addictive agents that alter dopaminergic influence
on reward signaling in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens.
Repeated opioid exposure triggers adaptive changes, shifting reward valuation to
the allostatic state underlying tolerance. However, the cellular substrates and
molecular logic underlying such allostatic changes are not well understood.
Here, we report that the plasticity of dopamine-induced cyclic AMP (cAMP)
signaling in MSNs serves as a cellular substrate for drug-induced allostatic
adjustments. By recording cAMP responses to optically evoked dopamine in brain
slices from mice subjected to various opioid exposure paradigms, we define
profound neuronal-type-specific adaptations. We find that opioid exposure pivots
the initial hyper-responsiveness of D1-MSNs toward D2-MSN dominance as
dependence escalates. Presynaptic dopamine transporters and postsynaptic
phosphodiesterases critically enable cell-specific adjustments of cAMP that
control the balance between opponent D1-MSN and D2-MSN channels. We propose a
quantitative model of opioid-induced allostatic adjustments in cAMP signal
strength that balances circuit activity. Muntean et al. examine how opioid exposure influences cyclic AMP (cAMP)
responses to dopamine in striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). They describe
allostatic adaptations in the processing of dopaminergic signals by D1-MSN and
D2-MSN populations as opioid administration progresses from acute exposure to
chronic use, and they define molecular elements contributing to the process.
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16
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Dopamine D 1 or D 3 receptor modulators prevent morphine tolerance and reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 194:172935. [PMID: 32335101 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The long-term treatment of chronic pain by opioids is limited by tolerance and risk of addiction/dependence. Previously, we have shown that combination treatment of morphine with a dopamine D1 or D3 receptor modulator restored morphine analgesia in morphine-resistant neuropathic pain and decreased morphine's reward potential in an acute setting. Here, we investigated whether such adjunct therapy with a dopamine D1 receptor preferring antagonist (SCH 39166) or a dopamine D3 receptor preferring agonist (pramipexole) could prevent morphine tolerance and reduce withdrawal symptoms. Initially, tolerance to the combination of morphine + pramipexole was assessed in mice. Mice receiving intraperitoneal injections of morphine showed reduced thermal thresholds on Day 7 whereas those receiving morphine + pramipexole maintained analgesia at Day 7. Next, tolerance and withdrawal to both combinations were tested over 14 days in rats. Rats were assigned one of four drug conditions, (1) saline, 2) morphine, 3) morphine + SCH 39166, 4) morphine + pramipexole), for chronic administration via osmotic pumps. Chronic administration of morphine over 14 days resulted in a significant reduction of morphine analgesia. However, analgesia was maintained when morphine was administered with either the dopamine D1 receptor preferring antagonist or the D3 receptor preferring agonist. Withdrawal symptoms peaked at 48 h and were decreased in rats receiving either combination compared to morphine alone. The data suggests that adjunct therapy with dopamine D1 or D3 receptor preferring modulators prevents morphine tolerance and reduces the duration of morphine withdrawal symptoms, and thus this combination has potential for long-term pain management therapy.
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Activation of GLP-1 receptors attenuates oxycodone taking and seeking without compromising the antinociceptive effects of oxycodone in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:451-461. [PMID: 31581176 PMCID: PMC6969180 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0531-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Despite the effectiveness of current medications to treat opioid use disorder, there is still a high rate of relapse following detoxification. Thus, there is critical need for innovative studies aimed at identifying novel neurobiological mechanisms that could be targeted to treat opioid use disorder. A growing body of preclinical evidence indicates that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists reduce drug reinforcement. However, the efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists in attenuating opioid-mediated behaviors has not been thoroughly investigated. Using recently established models of opioid-taking and -seeking behaviors, we showed that systemic administration of the GLP-1 receptor agonist exendin-4 reduced oxycodone self-administration and the reinstatement of oxycodone-seeking behavior in rats. We also identified behaviorally selective doses of exendin-4 that reduced opioid-taking and -seeking behaviors and did not produce adverse feeding effects in oxycodone-experienced rats. To identify a central site of action, we showed that systemic exendin-4 penetrated the brain and bound putative GLP-1 receptors on dopamine D1 receptor- and dopamine D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens shell. Consistent with our systemic studies, infusions of exendin-4 directly into the accumbens shell attenuated oxycodone self-administration and the reinstatement of oxycodone-seeking behavior without affecting ad libitum food intake. Finally, exendin-4 did not alter the analgesic effects of oxycodone, suggesting that activation of GLP-1 receptors attenuated opioid reinforcement without reducing the thermal antinociceptive effects of oxycodone. Taken together, these findings suggest that GLP-1 receptors could serve as potential molecular targets for pharmacotherapies aimed at reducing opioid use disorder.
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18
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McDevitt DS, Jonik B, Graziane NM. Morphine Differentially Alters the Synaptic and Intrinsic Properties of D1R- and D2R-Expressing Medium Spiny Neurons in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2019; 11:35. [PMID: 31920618 PMCID: PMC6932971 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2019.00035] [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: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to opioids reshapes future reward and motivated behaviors partially by altering the functional output of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens shell. Here, we investigated how morphine, a highly addictive opioid, alters synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability on dopamine D1-receptor (D1R) expressing and dopamine D2-receptor (D2R) expressing MSNs, the two main output neurons in the nucleus accumbens shell. Using whole-cell electrophysiology recordings, we show, that 24 h abstinence following repeated non-contingent administration of morphine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice reduces the miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequency and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) frequency on D2R-MSNs, with concomitant increases in D2R-MSN intrinsic membrane excitability. We did not observe any changes in synaptic or intrinsic changes on D1R-MSNs. Last, in an attempt to determine the integrated effect of the synaptic and intrinsic alterations on the overall functional output of D2R-MSNs, we measured the input-output efficacy by measuring synaptically-driven action potential firing. We found that both D1R-MSN and D2R-MSN output was unchanged following morphine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon S McDevitt
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Benjamin Jonik
- Medical Student Research Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Nicholas M Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
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Cell-Type- and Endocannabinoid-Specific Synapse Connectivity in the Adult Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2019; 40:1028-1041. [PMID: 31831522 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1100-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a mesocorticolimbic structure that integrates cognitive, emotional and motor functions. Although its role in psychiatric disorders is widely acknowledged, the understanding of its circuitry is not complete. Here, we combined optogenetic and whole-cell recordings to draw a functional portrait of excitatory disambiguated synapses onto D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the adult male mouse NAc core. Comparing synaptic properties of ventral hippocampus (vHipp), basolateral amygdala (BLA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) inputs revealed a hierarchy of synaptic inputs that depends on the identity of the postsynaptic target MSN. Thus, the BLA is the dominant excitatory pathway onto D1 MSNs (BLA > PFC = vHipp) while PFC inputs dominate D2 MSNs (PFC > vHipp > BLA). We also tested the hypothesis that endocannabinoids endow excitatory circuits with pathway- and cell-specific plasticity. Thus, whereas CB1 receptors (CB1R) uniformly depress excitatory pathways regardless of MSNs identity, TRPV1 receptors (TRPV1R) bidirectionally control inputs onto the NAc core in a pathway-specific manner. Finally, we show that the interplay of TRPV1R/CB1R shapes plasticity at BLA-NAc synapses. Together these data shed new light on synapse and circuit specificity in the adult NAc core and illustrate how endocannabinoids contribute to pathway-specific synaptic plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We examined the impact of connections from the ventral hippocampus (vHipp,) basolateral amygdala (BLA) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) onto identified medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the adult accumbens core. We found BLA inputs were strongest at D1 MSNs while PFC inputs dominate D2 MSNs. Pathway- and cell-specific circuit control was also facilitated by endocannabinoids that endow bidirectional synaptic plasticity at identified BLA-NAc synapses. These data provide mechanistic insights on synapse and circuit specificity in the adult NAc core.
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20
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Avey D, Sankararaman S, Yim AKY, Barve R, Milbrandt J, Mitra RD. Single-Cell RNA-Seq Uncovers a Robust Transcriptional Response to Morphine by Glia. Cell Rep 2019; 24:3619-3629.e4. [PMID: 30257220 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.08.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and behavioral responses to opioids are thought to be primarily mediated by neurons, although there is accumulating evidence that other cell types play a prominent role in drug addiction. To investigate cell-type-specific opioid responses, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of the nucleus accumbens of mice following acute morphine treatment. Differential expression analysis uncovered unique morphine-dependent transcriptional responses by oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. We examined the expression of selected genes, including Cdkn1a and Sgk1, by FISH, confirming their induction by morphine in oligodendrocytes. Further analysis using RNA-seq of FACS-purified oligodendrocytes revealed a large cohort of morphine-regulated genes. The affected genes are enriched for roles in cellular pathways intimately linked to oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, including the unfolded protein response. Altogether, our data illuminate the morphine-dependent transcriptional response by oligodendrocytes and offer mechanistic insights into myelination defects associated with opioid abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Avey
- Department of Genetics, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Sumithra Sankararaman
- Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aldrin K Y Yim
- Department of Genetics, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ruteja Barve
- Genome Technology Access Center, Department of Genetics. Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jeffrey Milbrandt
- Department of Genetics, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Robi D Mitra
- Department of Genetics, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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21
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Dopamine D1 and D3 receptor modulators restore morphine analgesia and prevent opioid preference in a model of neuropathic pain. Neuroscience 2019; 406:376-388. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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22
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Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment Does Not Reduce Abuse-Related Effects of Opioid Drugs. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NRS-0443-18. [PMID: 31058214 PMCID: PMC6498420 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0443-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Dependence on opioids and the number of opioid overdose deaths are serious and escalating public health problems, but medication-assisted treatments for opioid addiction remain inadequate for many patients. Glucagon-like pepide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone and neuropeptide with actions in peripheral tissues and in the brain, including regulation of blood glucose and food intake. GLP-1 analogs, which are approved diabetes medications, can reduce the reinforcing and rewarding effects of alcohol, cocaine, amphetamine, and nicotine in rodents. Investigations on effects of GLP-1 analogs on opioid reward and reinforcement have not been reported. We assessed the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 (Ex4) on opioid-related behaviors in male mice, i.e., morphine-conditioned place preference (CPP), intravenous self-administration (IVSA) of the short-acting synthetic opioid remifentanil, naltrexone-precipitated morphine withdrawal, morphine analgesia (male and female mice), and locomotor activity. Ex4 treatment had no effect on morphine-induced CPP, withdrawal, or hyperlocomotion. Ex4 failed to decrease remifentanil self-administration, if anything reinforcing effects of remifentanil appeared increased in Ex4-treated mice relative to saline. Ex4 did not significantly affect analgesia. In contrast, Ex4 dose dependently decreased oral alcohol self-administration, and suppressed spontaneous locomotor activity. Taken together, Ex4 did not attenuate the addiction-related behavioral effects of opioids, indicating that GLP-1 analogs would not be useful medications in the treatment of opioid addiction. This difference between opioids and other drug classes investigated to date may shed light on the mechanism of action of GLP-1 receptor treatment in the addictive effects of alcohol, central stimulants, and nicotine.
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23
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Electrophysiological Properties of Medium Spiny Neuron Subtypes in the Caudate-Putamen of Prepubertal Male and Female Drd1a-tdTomato Line 6 BAC Transgenic Mice. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-CFN-0016-19. [PMID: 30899778 PMCID: PMC6426437 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0016-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The caudate-putamen is a striatal brain region essential for sensorimotor behaviors, habit learning, and other cognitive and premotor functions. The output and predominant neuron of the caudate-putamen is the medium spiny neuron (MSN). MSNs present discrete cellular subtypes that show differences in neurochemistry, dopamine receptor expression, efferent targets, gene expression, functional roles, and most importantly for this study, electrophysiological properties. MSN subtypes include the striatonigral and the striatopallidal groups. Most studies identify the striatopallidal MSN subtype as being more excitable than the striatonigral MSN subtype. However, there is some divergence between studies regarding the exact differences in electrophysiological properties. Furthermore, MSN subtype electrophysiological properties have not been reported disaggregated by biological sex. We addressed these questions using prepubertal male and female Drd1a-tdTomato line 6 BAC transgenic mice, an important transgenic line that has not yet received extensive electrophysiological analysis. We made acute caudate-putamen brain slices and assessed a robust battery of 16 relevant electrophysiological properties using whole-cell patch-clamp recording, including intrinsic membrane, action potential, and miniature EPSC (mEPSC) properties. We found that: (1) MSN subtypes exhibited multiple differential electrophysiological properties in both sexes, including rheobase, action potential threshold and width, input resistance in both the linear and rectified ranges, and mEPSC amplitude; (2) select electrophysiological properties showed interactions between MSN subtype and sex. These findings provide a comprehensive evaluation of mouse caudate-putamen MSN subtype electrophysiological properties across females and males, both confirming and extending previous studies.
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24
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Cao J, Dorris DM, Meitzen J. Electrophysiological properties of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core of prepubertal male and female Drd1a-tdTomato line 6 BAC transgenic mice. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:1712-1727. [PMID: 29975170 PMCID: PMC6230806 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00257.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens core (AcbC) is a striatal brain region essential for integrating motivated behavior and reward processing with premotor function. In humans and rodents, research has identified sex differences and sex steroid hormone sensitivity in AcbC-mediated behaviors, in disorders, and in rats in the electrophysiological properties of the AcbC output neuron type, the medium spiny neuron (MSN). It is unknown whether the sex differences detected in MSN electrophysiological properties extend to mice. Furthermore, MSNs come in distinct subtypes with subtle differences in electrophysiological properties, and it is unknown whether MSN subtype-specific electrophysiology varies by sex. To address these questions, we used male and female Drd1a-tdTomato line 6 bacterial artificial chromosome transgenic mice. We made acute brain slices of the AcbC, and performed whole cell patch-clamp recordings across MSN subtypes to comprehensively assess AcbC MSN subtype electrophysiological properties. We found that ( 1 mice MSNs did not exhibit the sex differences detected in rat MSNs, and 2) electrophysiological properties differed between MSN subtypes in both sexes, including rheobase, resting membrane potential, action potential properties, intrinsic excitability, input resistance in both the linear and rectified ranges, and miniature excitatory postsynaptic current properties. These findings significantly extend previous studies of MSN subtypes performed in males or animals of undetermined sex and indicate that the influence of sex upon AcbC MSN properties varies between rodent species. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This research provides the most comprehensive assessment of medium spiny neuron subtype electrophysiological properties to date in a critical brain region, the nucleus accumbens core. It additionally represents the first evaluation of whether mouse medium spiny neuron subtype electrophysiological properties differ by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Cao
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - David M Dorris
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - John Meitzen
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
- W. M. Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
- Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina
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26
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HIV-1 proteins dysregulate motivational processes and dopamine circuitry. Sci Rep 2018; 8:7869. [PMID: 29777165 PMCID: PMC5959859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25109-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivational alterations, such as apathy, in HIV-1+ individuals are associated with decreased performance on tasks involving frontal-subcortical circuitry. We used the HIV-1 transgenic (Tg) rat to assess effect of long-term HIV-1 protein exposure on motivated behavior using sucrose (1–30%, w/v) and cocaine (0.01–1.0 mg/kg/infusion) maintained responding with fixed-ratio (FR) and progressive-ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. For sucrose-reinforced responding, HIV-1 Tg rats displayed no change in EC50 relative to controls, suggesting no change in sucrose reinforcement but had a downward shifted concentration-response curves, suggesting a decrease in response vigor. Cocaine-maintained responding was attenuated in HIV-1 Tg rats (FR1 0.33 mg/kg/infusion and PR 1.0 mg/kg/infusion). Dose-response tests (PR) revealed that HIV-1 Tg animals responded significantly less than F344 control rats and failed to earn significantly more infusions of cocaine as the unit dose increased. When choosing between cocaine and sucrose, control rats initially chose sucrose but with time shifted to a cocaine preference. In contrast, HIV-1 disrupted choice behaviors. DAT function was altered in the striatum of HIV-1 Tg rats; however, prior cocaine self-administration produced a unique effect on dopamine homeostasis in the HIV-1 Tg striatum. These findings of altered goal directed behaviors may determine neurobiological mechanisms of apathy in HIV-1+ patients.
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27
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Luo YJ, Li YD, Wang L, Yang SR, Yuan XS, Wang J, Cherasse Y, Lazarus M, Chen JF, Qu WM, Huang ZL. Nucleus accumbens controls wakefulness by a subpopulation of neurons expressing dopamine D 1 receptors. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1576. [PMID: 29679009 PMCID: PMC5910424 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03889-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleus accumbens (NAc) is involved in behaviors that depend on heightened wakefulness, but its impact on arousal remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that NAc dopamine D1 receptor (D1R)-expressing neurons are essential for behavioral arousal. Using in vivo fiber photometry in mice, we find arousal-dependent increases in population activity of NAc D1R neurons. Optogenetic activation of NAc D1R neurons induces immediate transitions from non-rapid eye movement sleep to wakefulness, and chemogenetic stimulation prolongs arousal, with decreased food intake. Patch-clamp, tracing, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy reveal that NAc D1R neurons project to the midbrain and lateral hypothalamus, and might disinhibit midbrain dopamine neurons and lateral hypothalamus orexin neurons. Photoactivation of terminals in the midbrain and lateral hypothalamus is sufficient to induce wakefulness. Silencing of NAc D1R neurons suppresses arousal, with increased nest-building behaviors. Collectively, our data indicate that NAc D1R neuron circuits are essential for the induction and maintenance of wakefulness. The nucleus accumbens regulates many behaviours that depend on arousal. Here the authors show that dopamine D1 receptor neurons in the nucleus accumbens can directly regulate wakefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Jia Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute for Basic Research on Aging and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 201108, China
| | - Ya-Dong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute for Basic Research on Aging and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Su-Rong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Institute for Basic Research on Aging and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiang-Shan Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yoan Cherasse
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Michael Lazarus
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan
| | - Jiang-Fan Chen
- The Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325027, China
| | - Wei-Min Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Institute for Basic Research on Aging and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Zhi-Li Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences; Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Institute for Basic Research on Aging and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine,, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Opioid Self-Administration is Attenuated by Early-Life Experience and Gene Therapy for Anti-Inflammatory IL-10 in the Nucleus Accumbens of Male Rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2128-2140. [PMID: 28436446 PMCID: PMC5603817 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Early-life conditions can contribute to the propensity for developing neuropsychiatric disease, including substance abuse disorders. However, the long-lasting mechanisms that shape risk or resilience for drug addiction remain unclear. Previous work has shown that a neonatal handling procedure in rats (which promotes enriched maternal care) attenuates morphine conditioning, reduces morphine-induced glial activation, and increases microglial expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10). We thus hypothesized that anti-inflammatory signaling may underlie the effects of early-life experience on later-life opioid drug-taking. Here we demonstrate that neonatal handling attenuates intravenous self-administration of the opioid remifentanil in a drug-concentration-dependent manner. Transcriptional profiling of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) from handled rats following repeated exposure to remifentanil reveals a suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine gene expression, consistent with an anti-inflammatory phenotype. To determine if anti-inflammatory signaling alters drug-taking behavior, we administered intracranial injections of plasmid DNA encoding IL-10 (pDNA-IL-10) into the NAc of non-handled rats. We discovered that pDNA-IL-10 treatment reduces remifentanil self-administration in a drug-concentration-dependent manner, similar to the effect of handling. In contrast, neither handling nor pDNA-IL-10 treatment alters self-administration of food or sucrose rewards. These collective observations suggest that neuroimmune signaling mechanisms in the NAc are shaped by early-life experience and may modify motivated behaviors for opioid drugs. Moreover, manipulation of the IL-10 signaling pathway represents a novel approach for influencing opioid reinforcement.
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Becker JA, Kieffer BL, Le Merrer J. Differential behavioral and molecular alterations upon protracted abstinence from cocaine versus morphine, nicotine, THC and alcohol. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1205-1217. [PMID: 27126842 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Unified theories of addiction are challenged by differing drug-seeking behaviors and neurobiological adaptations across drug classes, particularly for narcotics and psychostimulants. We previously showed that protracted abstinence to opiates leads to despair behavior and social withdrawal in mice, and we identified a transcriptional signature in the extended amygdala that was also present in animals abstinent from nicotine, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and alcohol. Here we examined whether protracted abstinence to these four drugs would also share common behavioral features, and eventually differ from abstinence to the prototypic psychostimulant cocaine. We found similar reduced social recognition, increased motor stereotypies and increased anxiety with relevant c-fos response alterations in morphine, nicotine, THC and alcohol abstinent mice. Protracted abstinence to cocaine, however, led to strikingly distinct, mostly opposing adaptations at all levels, including behavioral responses, neuronal activation and gene expression. Together, these data further document the existence of common hallmarks for protracted abstinence to opiates, nicotine, THC and alcohol that develop within motivation/emotion brain circuits. In our model, however, these do not apply to cocaine, supporting the notion of unique mechanisms in psychostimulant abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme A.J. Becker
- Médecine Translationelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104; Université de Strasbourg; France
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA UMR-0085, CNRS UMR-7247; Université de Tours Rabelais; France
| | - Brigitte L. Kieffer
- Médecine Translationelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104; Université de Strasbourg; France
- Douglas Hospital Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine; McGill University; Canada
| | - Julie Le Merrer
- Médecine Translationelle et Neurogénétique, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U-964, CNRS UMR-7104; Université de Strasbourg; France
- Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA UMR-0085, CNRS UMR-7247; Université de Tours Rabelais; France
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Hakimian J, Minasyan A, Zhe-Ying L, Loureiro M, Beltrand A, Johnston C, Vorperian A, Romaneschi N, Atallah W, Gomez-Pinilla F, Walwyn W. Specific behavioral and cellular adaptations induced by chronic morphine are reduced by dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175090. [PMID: 28380057 PMCID: PMC5381919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Opiates, one of the oldest known drugs, are the benchmark for treating pain. Regular opioid exposure also induces euphoria making these compounds addictive and often misused, as shown by the current epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose mortalities. In addition to the effect of opioids on their cognate receptors and signaling cascades, these compounds also induce multiple adaptations at cellular and behavioral levels. As omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) play a ubiquitous role in behavioral and cellular processes, we proposed that supplemental n-3 PUFAs, enriched in docosahexanoic acid (DHA), could offset these adaptations following chronic opioid exposure. We used an 8 week regimen of n-3 PUFA supplementation followed by 8 days of morphine in the presence of this diet. We first assessed the effect of morphine in different behavioral measures and found that morphine increased anxiety and reduced wheel-running behavior. These effects were reduced by dietary n-3 PUFAs without affecting morphine-induced analgesia or hyperlocomotion, known effects of this opiate acting at mu opioid receptors. At the cellular level we found that morphine reduced striatal DHA content and that this was reversed by supplemental n-3 PUFAs. Chronic morphine also increased glutamatergic plasticity and the proportion of Grin2B-NMDARs in striatal projection neurons. This effect was similarly reversed by supplemental n-3 PUFAs. Gene analysis showed that supplemental PUFAs offset the effect of morphine on genes found in neurons of the dopamine receptor 2 (D2)-enriched indirect pathway but not of genes found in dopamine receptor 1(D1)-enriched direct-pathway neurons. Analysis of the D2 striatal connectome by a retrogradely transported pseudorabies virus showed that n-3 PUFA supplementation reversed the effect of chronic morphine on the innervation of D2 neurons by the dorsomedial prefontal and piriform cortices. Together these changes outline specific behavioral and cellular effects of morphine that can be reduced or reversed by dietary n-3 PUFAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hakimian
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ani Minasyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Lily Zhe-Ying
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- UCLA Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mariana Loureiro
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Austin Beltrand
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Camille Johnston
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alexander Vorperian
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Nicole Romaneschi
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Waleed Atallah
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Fernando Gomez-Pinilla
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- UCLA Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wendy Walwyn
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Cahill CM, Walwyn W, Taylor AMW, Pradhan AAA, Evans CJ. Allostatic Mechanisms of Opioid Tolerance Beyond Desensitization and Downregulation. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2016; 37:963-976. [PMID: 27670390 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Mechanisms of opioid tolerance have focused on adaptive modifications within cells containing opioid receptors, defined here as cellular allostasis, emphasizing regulation of the opioid receptor signalosome. We review additional regulatory and opponent processes involved in behavioral tolerance, and include mechanistic differences both between agonists (agonist bias), and between μ- and δ-opioid receptors. In a process we will refer to as pass-forward allostasis, cells modified directly by opioid drugs impute allostatic changes to downstream circuitry. Because of the broad distribution of opioid systems, every brain cell may be touched by pass-forward allostasis in the opioid-dependent/tolerant state. We will implicate neurons and microglia as interactive contributors to the cumulative allostatic processes creating analgesic and hedonic tolerance to opioid drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Cahill
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Wendy Walwyn
- Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Anna M W Taylor
- Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Amynah A A Pradhan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Christopher J Evans
- Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Role of basolateral amygdala dopamine D2 receptors in impulsive choice in acute cocaine-treated rats. Behav Brain Res 2015; 287:187-95. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Roscoe RF, Mactutus CF, Booze RM. HIV-1 transgenic female rat: synaptodendritic alterations of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2014; 9:642-53. [PMID: 25037595 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-014-9555-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
HIV-1 associated neurocognitive deficits are increasing in prevalence, although the neuronal basis for these deficits is unclear. HIV-1 Tg rats constitutively express 7 of 9 HIV-associated proteins, and may be useful for studying the neuropathological substrates of HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). In this study, adult female HIV-1 Tg rats and F344 control rats had similar growth rates, estrous cyclicity and startle reflex inhibition to a visual prepulse stimulus. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) were ballistically-labeled utilizing the indocarbocyanine dye DiI. The branching complexity of MSNs in the NAcc was significantly decreased in HIV-1 Tg rats, relative to controls; moreover, the shorter length and decreased volume of dendritic spines, but unchanged head diameter, in HIV-1 Tg rats suggested a reduction of longer spines and an increase in shorter, less projected spines, indicating a population shift to a more immature spine phenotype. Collectively, these results from HIV-1 Tg female rats indicated significant synaptodendritic alterations of MSNs in the NAcc occur as a consequence of chronic, low-level, exposure to HIV-1 associated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Roscoe
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA
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Ye J, Yang Z, Li C, Cai M, Zhou D, Zhang Q, Wei Y, Wang T, Liu Y. NF-κB signaling and vesicle transport are correlated with the reactivation of the memory trace of morphine dependence. Diagn Pathol 2014; 9:142. [PMID: 25012590 PMCID: PMC4227096 DOI: 10.1186/1746-1596-9-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Morphine has been widely used as a clinical anesthetic and analgesic. However, abuse of morphine might result in psychological and physiological dependence. Previous studies have indicated that memory mechanisms play critical roles in morphine dependence. METHODS Morphine dependence was established in mice utilizing place preference conditioning (CPP). We observed changes in the methylome and transcriptome of the nucleus accumbens during the reactivation of the memory trace. We also monitored for changes in the methylome and transcriptome of mice that were acutely exposed to morphine. RESULTS We detected 165 and 18 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 6 and 24 significant methyl-sensitive cut counting (MSCC) windows in the acute morphine treatment and the CPP model, respectively. The changes in the methylome and transcriptome during the acute treatment were mainly caused by a response to the morphine stimulus; most of the DEGs were correlated with hormone or transcription factor activity regulation. The expression levels of Lcn2 and Hspb1, which participate in the activation of NF-κB, were significantly decreased in the CPP morphine treatment model. Besides, the alternative splicing of the curtailed isoform of Caps1 was significantly increased in the CPP morphine-treated group, and the methylation levels of Arf4, Vapa, and Gga3 were decreased. These genes play critical roles in the regulation of the Golgi network. CONCLUSIONS The current study indicates that NF-κB signaling and vesicular transport are correlated with the reactivation of the memory trace in morphine-dependent mice. The results obtained in our study agree with previous observations and identify additional candidate genes for further research. VIRTUAL SLIDES The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1196707364133126.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Yun Liu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
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Brewer KL, Baran CA, Whitfield BR, Jensen AM, Clemens S. Dopamine D3 receptor dysfunction prevents anti-nociceptive effects of morphine in the spinal cord. Front Neural Circuits 2014; 8:62. [PMID: 24966815 PMCID: PMC4052813 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2014.00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) modulates spinal reflexes, including nociceptive reflexes, in part via the D3 receptor subtype. We have previously shown that mice lacking the functional D3 receptor (D3KO) exhibit decreased paw withdrawal latencies from painful thermal stimuli. Altering the DA system in the CNS, including D1 and D3 receptor systems, reduces the ability of opioids to provide analgesia. Here, we tested if the increased pain sensitivity in D3KO might result from a modified μ-opioid receptor (MOR) function at the spinal cord level. As D1 and D3 receptor subtypes have competing cellular effects and can form heterodimers, we tested if the changes in MOR function may be mediated in D3KO through the functionally intact D1 receptor system. We assessed thermal paw withdrawal latencies in D3KO and wild type (WT) mice before and after systemic treatment with morphine, determined MOR and phosphorylated MOR (p-MOR) protein expression levels in lumbar spinal cords, and tested the functional effects of DA and MOR receptor agonists in the isolated spinal cord. In vivo, a single morphine administration (2 mg/kg) increased withdrawal latencies in WT but not D3KO, and these differential effects were mimicked in vitro, where morphine modulated spinal reflex amplitudes (SRAs) in WT but not D3KO. Total MOR protein expression levels were similar between WT and D3KO, but the ratio of pMOR/total MOR was higher in D3KO. Blocking D3 receptors in the isolated WT cord precluded morphine's inhibitory effects observed under control conditions. Lastly, we observed an increase in D1 receptor protein expression in the lumbar spinal cord of D3KO. Our data suggest that the D3 receptor modulates the MOR system in the spinal cord, and that a dysfunction of the D3 receptor can induce a morphine-resistant state. We propose that the D3KO mouse may serve as a model to study the onset of morphine resistance at the spinal cord level, the primary processing site of the nociceptive pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kori L Brewer
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Christine A Baran
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Brian R Whitfield
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
| | - A Marley Jensen
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Stefan Clemens
- Department of Physiology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University Greenville, NC, USA
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ΔFosB induction in striatal medium spiny neuron subtypes in response to chronic pharmacological, emotional, and optogenetic stimuli. J Neurosci 2014; 33:18381-95. [PMID: 24259563 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1875-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor, ΔFosB, is robustly and persistently induced in striatum by several chronic stimuli, such as drugs of abuse, antipsychotic drugs, natural rewards, and stress. However, very few studies have examined the degree of ΔFosB induction in the two striatal medium spiny neuron (MSN) subtypes. We make use of fluorescent reporter BAC transgenic mice to evaluate induction of ΔFosB in dopamine receptor 1 (D1) enriched and dopamine receptor 2 (D2) enriched MSNs in ventral striatum, nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and core, and in dorsal striatum (dStr) after chronic exposure to several drugs of abuse including cocaine, ethanol, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, and opiates; the antipsychotic drug, haloperidol; juvenile enrichment; sucrose drinking; calorie restriction; the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor antidepressant, fluoxetine; and social defeat stress. Our findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to many stimuli induces ΔFosB in an MSN-subtype selective pattern across all three striatal regions. To explore the circuit-mediated induction of ΔFosB in striatum, we use optogenetics to enhance activity in limbic brain regions that send synaptic inputs to NAc; these regions include the ventral tegmental area and several glutamatergic afferent regions: medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and ventral hippocampus. These optogenetic conditions lead to highly distinct patterns of ΔFosB induction in MSN subtypes in NAc core and shell. Together, these findings establish selective patterns of ΔFosB induction in striatal MSN subtypes in response to chronic stimuli and provide novel insight into the circuit-level mechanisms of ΔFosB induction in striatum.
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Abstract
This paper is the thirty-fifth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2012 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, United States.
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James AS, Chen JY, Cepeda C, Mittal N, Jentsch JD, Levine MS, Evans CJ, Walwyn W. Opioid self-administration results in cell-type specific adaptations of striatal medium spiny neurons. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:279-83. [PMID: 23968589 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Revised: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs), the predominant neuronal population of the striatum, are an integral component of the many cortical and limbic pathways associated with reward-related behaviors. A differential role of the D1 receptor-enriched (D1) MSNs of the striatonigral direct pathway, as compared with the D2 receptor-enriched (D2) MSNs of the striatopallidal indirect pathway, in mediating the addictive behaviors associated with cocaine is beginning to emerge. However, whether opioids, well-known analgesics with euphoric properties, similarly induce dissociable signaling adaptations in these neurons remains unclear. Transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled D1 or D2 neurons were implanted with intravenous jugular catheters. Mice learned to self-administer 0.1mg/kg/infusion of the opioid remifentanil during 2h sessions over 13 contiguous days. Thereafter, the electrophysiological properties of D1- and D2-MSNs in the shell region of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) were assessed. We found that prior opioid exposure did not alter the basic membrane properties nor the kinetics or amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs). However, when challenged with the mu opioid receptor (μOR) agonist DAMGO, the characteristic inhibitory profile of this receptor was altered. DAMGO inhibited the frequency of mEPSCs in D1-MSNs from control mice receiving saline and in D2-MSNs from mice exposed to remifentanil or saline, but this inhibitory profile was reduced in D1-MSNs from mice receiving remifentanil. Remifentanil exposure also altered the probability of glutamate release onto D1-, but not D2-MSNs. Together these results suggest a D1-pathway specific effect associated with the acquisition of opioid-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex S James
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Morphine withdrawal enhances constitutive μ-opioid receptor activity in the ventral tegmental area. J Neurosci 2013; 32:16120-8. [PMID: 23152596 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1572-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
μ-Opioid receptors (MORs) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are pivotally involved in addictive behavior. While MORs are typically activated by opioids, they can also become constitutively active in the absence of any agonist. In the current study, we present evidence that MOR constitutive activity is highly relevant in the mouse VTA, as it regulates GABAergic input to dopamine neurons. Specifically, suppression of MOR constitutive activity with the inverse agonist KC-2-009 enhanced GABAergic neurotransmission onto VTA dopamine neurons. This inverse agonistic effect was fully blocked by the specific MOR neutral antagonist CTOP, which had no effect on GABAergic transmission itself. We next show that withdrawal from chronic morphine further increases the magnitude of inverse agonistic effects at the MOR, suggesting enhanced MOR constitutive activity. We demonstrate that this increase can be an adaptive response to the detrimental elevation in cAMP levels known to occur during morphine withdrawal. These findings offer important insights in the physiological occurrence and function of MOR constitutive activity, and have important implications for therapeutic strategies aimed at normalizing MOR signaling during addiction and opioid overdose.
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40
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Ciccarelli A, Calza A, Santoru F, Grasso F, Concas A, Sassoè-Pognetto M, Giustetto M. Morphine withdrawal produces ERK-dependent and ERK-independent epigenetic marks in neurons of the nucleus accumbens and lateral septum. Neuropharmacology 2013; 70:168-79. [PMID: 23347952 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic changes such as covalent modifications of histone proteins represent complex molecular signatures that provide a cellular memory of previously experienced stimuli without irreversible changes of the genetic code. In this study we show that new gene expression induced in vivo by morphine withdrawal occurs with concomitant epigenetic modifications in brain regions critically involved in drug-dependent behaviors. We found that naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, but not chronic morphine administration, caused a strong induction of phospho-histone H3 immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell/core and in the lateral septum (LS), a change that was accompanied by augmented H3 acetylation (lys14) in neurons of the NAc shell. Morphine withdrawal induced the phosphorylation of the epigenetic factor methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in Ser421 both in the LS and the NAc shell. These epigenetic changes were accompanied by the activation of members of the ERK pathway as well as increased expression of the immediate early genes (IEG) c-fos and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1). Using a pharmacological approach, we found that H3 phosphorylation and IEG expression were partially dependent on ERK activation, while MeCP2 phosphorylation was fully ERK-independent. These findings provide new important information on the role of the ERK pathway in the regulation of epigenetic marks and gene expression that may concur to regulate in vivo the cellular changes underlying the onset of the opioid withdrawal syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Ciccarelli
- University of Turin, Department of Neuroscience, C.so M. D'Azeglio 52, 10126 Turin, Italy
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