1
|
Esposito-Zapero C, Fernández-Rodríguez S, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Zornoza T, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Granero L. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus RMTg is not a critical site for ethanol-induced motor activation in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2071-2080. [PMID: 37474756 PMCID: PMC10506920 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06425-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Opioid drugs indirectly activate dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through a disinhibition mechanism mediated by mu opioid receptors (MORs) present both on the GABA projection neurons located in the medial tegmental nucleus/tail of the VTA (RMTg/tVTA) and on the VTA GABA interneurons. It is well demonstrated that ethanol, like opioid drugs, provokes VTA DA neuron disinhibition by interacting (through its secondary metabolite, salsolinol) with MORs present in VTA GABA interneurons, but it is not known whether ethanol could disinhibit VTA DA neurons through the MORs present in the RMTg/tVTA. OBJECTIVES The objective of the present study was to determine whether ethanol, directly microinjected into the tVTA/RMTg, is also able to induce VTA DA neurons disinhibition. METHODS Disinhibition of VTA DA neurons was indirectly assessed through the analysis of the motor activity of rats. Cannulae were placed into the tVTA/RMTg to perform microinjections of DAMGO (0.13 nmol), ethanol (150 or 300 nmol) or acetaldehyde (250 nmol) in animals pre-treated with either aCSF or the irreversible antagonist of MORs, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; 2.5 nmol). After injections, spontaneous activity was monitored for 30 min. RESULTS Neither ethanol nor acetaldehyde directly administered into the RMTg/tVTA were able to increase the locomotor activity of rats at doses that, in previous studies performed in the posterior VTA, were effective in increasing motor activities. However, microinjections of 0.13 nmol of DAMGO into the tVTA/RMTg significantly increased the locomotor activity of rats. These activating effects were reduced by local pre-treatment of rats with beta-FNA (2.5 nmol). CONCLUSIONS The tVTA/RMTg does not appear to be a key brain region for the disinhibiting action of ethanol on VTA DA neurons. The absence of dopamine in the tVTA/RMTg extracellular medium, the lack of local ethanol metabolism or both could explain the present results.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Esposito-Zapero
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Sandra Fernández-Rodríguez
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - María José Sánchez-Catalán
- Lab of Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun-UJI-UV), Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Teodoro Zornoza
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - María José Cano-Cebrián
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Luis Granero
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bassareo V, Frau R, Maccioni R, Caboni P, Manis C, Peana AT, Migheli R, Porru S, Acquas E. Ethanol-Dependent Synthesis of Salsolinol in the Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area as Key Mechanism of Ethanol's Action on Mesolimbic Dopamine. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:675061. [PMID: 34262429 PMCID: PMC8273231 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.675061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal consumption of ethanol, the ingredient responsible for alcoholic drinks' addictive liability, causes millions of deaths yearly. Ethanol's addictive potential is triggered through activation, by a still unknown mechanism, of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, part of a key motivation circuit, DA neurons in the posterior ventral tegmental area (pVTA) projecting to the ipsilateral nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh). The present in vivo brain microdialysis study, in dually-implanted rats with one probe in the pVTA and another in the ipsilateral or contralateral AcbSh, demonstrates this mechanism. As a consequence of the oral administration of a pharmacologically relevant dose of ethanol, we simultaneously detect a) in the pVTA, a substance, 1-methyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (salsolinol), untraceable under control conditions, product of condensation between DA and ethanol's first by-product, acetaldehyde; and b) in the AcbSh, a significant increase of DA release. Moreover, such newly generated salsolinol in the pVTA is responsible for increasing AcbSh DA release via μ opioid receptor (μOR) stimulation. In fact, inhibition of salsolinol's generation in the pVTA or blockade of pVTA μORs prevents ethanol-increased ipsilateral, but not contralateral, AcbSh DA release. This evidence discloses the long-sought key mechanism of ethanol's addictive potential and suggests the grounds for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies against abnormal consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Bassareo
- Center of Excellence for the Study of Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Roberto Frau
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Riccardo Maccioni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Pierluigi Caboni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Cristina Manis
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra T Peana
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Rossana Migheli
- Department of Experimental Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Simona Porru
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elio Acquas
- Center of Excellence for the Study of Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.,Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Opitz A, Ghin F, Hubert J, Verster JC, Beste C, Stock AK. Alcohol intoxication, but not hangover, differentially impairs learning and automatization of complex motor response sequences. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12539. [PMID: 34131177 PMCID: PMC8206163 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90803-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral automatization usually makes us more efficient and less error-prone, but may also foster dysfunctional behavior like alcohol abuse. Yet, it has remained unclear whether alcohol itself causes the shift from controlled to habitual behavior commonly observed in alcohol use disorder (AUD). We thus investigated how the acute and post-acute effects of binge drinking affect the automatization of motor response sequences and the execution of automated vs. controlled motor response sequences. N = 70 healthy young men performed a newly developed automatization paradigm once sober and once after binge drinking (half of them intoxicated and half of them hungover). While we found no significant effects of alcohol hangover, acute intoxication (~ 1.2 ‰) had two dissociable effects: Firstly, it impaired the automatization of complex motor response sequence execution. Secondly, it eliminated learning effects in response selection and pre-motor planning processes. The results suggest that alcohol hangover did not affect controlled or automated processes, and disprove the assumption that alcohol intoxication generally spares or facilitates motor response sequence automatization. As these effects could be specific to the investigated explicit learning context, acute intoxication might potentially still improve the execution of pre-existing automatisms and/or the implicit acquisition of motor response sequence automatisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antje Opitz
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Filippo Ghin
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Hubert
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Joris C. Verster
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Division of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.1027.40000 0004 0409 2862Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Christian Beste
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Schubertstrasse 42, 01309 Dresden, Germany ,grid.4488.00000 0001 2111 7257Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xu JF, Lu JJ, Cao Y, Wang W, Li HH, Chen JG, Wang F, Wu PF. Sulforaphane alleviates ethanol-mediated central inhibition and reverses chronic stress-induced aggravation of acute alcoholism via targeting Nrf2-regulated catalase expression. Neuropharmacology 2020; 176:108235. [PMID: 32710977 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Acute ethanol intoxication by excessive drinking is an important cause of alcohol-induced death. Stress exposure has been identified as one risk factor for alcohol abuse. Previous reports indicated that stressors may augment inhibitory effects of alcohol, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we reported that chronic unpredictable stress increased the sensitivity to the acute ethanol intoxication in mice via impairing nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)-catalase signaling. Nrf2 activity regulates the expression of catalase, a key antioxidant enzyme that mediates ethanol oxidation in the brain. Pharmacological blockade of catalase or Nrf2 activity significantly aggravated acute ethanol intoxication. Sulforaphane, a cruciferous vegetable-derived activator of Nrf2, significantly attenuated acute ethanol intoxication. Furthermore, the stress-induced aggravation of acute alcoholism was rapidly reversed by sulforaphane. Our findings suggest that Nrf2 may function as a novel drug target for the prevention of acute alcoholism, especially in psychiatric patients, by controlling catalase-mediated ethanol oxidation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Feng Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jia-Jing Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Wen Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Hou-Hong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Jian-Guo Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China; The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China; The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Peng-Fei Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, The Institute of Brain Research, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China; Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases (HUST), Ministry of Education of China, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, China; The Key Laboratory for Drug Target Researches and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of Hubei Province, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Campos-Jurado Y, Martí-Prats L, Morón JA, Polache A, Granero L, Hipólito L. Dose-dependent induction of CPP or CPA by intra-pVTA ethanol: Role of mu opioid receptors and effects on NMDA receptors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 100:109875. [PMID: 31978422 PMCID: PMC7096259 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcohol motivational properties are still not fully understood, however, the mu-opioid receptors (MORs) have been evidenced as central elements in the manifestation of the alcohol reinforcing properties. Drug-associated environmental stimuli can trigger alcohol relapse and promote alcohol consumption whereby N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a pivotal role. Here we sought to demonstrate, for the first time, that ethanol induces conditioned place preference or aversion (CPP or CPA) when administered locally into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the associated role of MORs. We further analyzed the changes in the expression and mRNA levels of GluN1 and GluN2A subunits in designated brain areas. The expression of CPP or CPA was characterized following intra-VTA ethanol administration and we showed that either reinforcing (CPP) or aversive (CPA) properties are dependent on the dose administered (ranging here from 35 to 300 nmol). Furthermore, the critical contribution of local MORs in the acquisition of CPP was revealed by a selective antagonist, namely β-Funaltrexamine. Finally, modifications of the expression of NMDA receptor subunits in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) and Hippocampus after ethanol-induced CPP were analyzed at the proteomic and transcriptomic levels by western blot and In Situ Hybridation RNAscope techniques, respectively. Results showed that the mRNA levels of GluN2A but not GluN1 in NAc are higher after ethanol CPP. These novel results pave the way for further characterisation of the mechanisms by which ethanol motivational properties are associated with learned environmental cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Campos-Jurado
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Tech. and Parasit., University of València, Spain
| | - Lucía Martí-Prats
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Tech. and Parasit., University of València, Spain
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Tech. and Parasit., University of València, Spain
| | - Luis Granero
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Tech. and Parasit., University of València, Spain
| | - Lucía Hipólito
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Tech. and Parasit., University of València, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Alcohol Hangover Differentially Modulates the Processing of Relevant and Irrelevant Information. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9030778. [PMID: 32178460 PMCID: PMC7141188 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9030778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated distractibility is one of the major contributors to alcohol hangover-induced behavioral deficits. Yet, the basic mechanisms driving increased distractibility during hangovers are still not very well understood. Aside from impairments in attention and psychomotor functions, changes in stimulus-response bindings may also increase responding to distracting information, as suggested by the theory of event coding (TEC). Yet, this has never been investigated in the context of alcohol hangover. Therefore, we investigated whether alcohol hangover has different effects on target-response bindings and distractor-response bindings using a task that allows to differentiate these two phenomena. A total of n = 35 healthy males aged 19 to 28 were tested once sober and once hungover after being intoxicated in a standardized experimental drinking setting the night before (2.64 gr of alcohol per estimated liter of body water). We found that alcohol hangover reduced distractor-response bindings, while no such impairment was found for target-response bindings, which appeared to be unaffected. Our findings imply that the processing of distracting information is most likely not increased, but in fact decreased by hangover. This suggests that increased distractibility during alcohol hangover is most likely not caused by modulations in distractor-response bindings.
Collapse
|
7
|
Opitz A, Hubert J, Beste C, Stock AK. Alcohol Hangover Slightly Impairs Response Selection but not Response Inhibition. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8091317. [PMID: 31461971 PMCID: PMC6780538 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8091317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol hangover commonly occurs after an episode of heavy drinking. It has previously been demonstrated that acute high-dose alcohol intoxication reduces cognitive control, while automatic processes remain comparatively unaffected. However, it has remained unclear whether alcohol hangover, as a consequence of binge drinking, modulates the interplay between cognitive control and automaticity in a comparable way. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of alcohol hangover on controlled versus automatic response selection and inhibition. N = 34 healthy young men completed a Simon Nogo task, once sober and once hungover. Hangover symptoms were experimentally induced by a standardized administration of alcoholic drinks (with high congener content) on the night before the hangover appointment. We found no significant hangover effects, which suggests that alcohol hangover did not produce the same functional deficits as an acute high-dose intoxication. Yet still, add-on Bayesian analyses revealed that hangover slightly impaired response selection, but not response inhibition. This pattern of effects cannot be explained with the current knowledge on how ethanol and its metabolite acetaldehyde may modulate response selection and inhibition via the dopaminergic or GABAergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antje Opitz
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jan Hubert
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Rocchitta G, Peana A, Bazzu G, Cossu A, Carta S, Arrigo P, Bacciu A, Migheli R, Farina D, Zinellu M, Acquas E, Serra P. Simultaneous wireless and high-resolution detection of nucleus accumbens shell ethanol concentrations and free motion of rats upon voluntary ethanol intake. Alcohol 2019; 78:69-78. [PMID: 31029631 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Highly sensitive detection of ethanol concentrations in discrete brain regions of rats voluntarily accessing ethanol, with high temporal resolution, would represent a source of greatly desirable data in studies devoted to understanding the kinetics of the neurobiological basis of ethanol's ability to impact behavior. In the present study, we present a series of experiments aiming to validate and apply an original high-tech implantable device, consisting of the coupling, for the first time, of an amperometric biosensor for brain ethanol detection, with a sensor for detecting the microvibrations of the animal. This device allows the real-time comparison between the ethanol intake, its cerebral concentrations, and their effect on the motion when the animal is in the condition of voluntary drinking. To this end, we assessed in vitro the efficiency of three different biosensor designs loading diverse alcohol oxidase enzymes (AOx) obtained from three different AOx-donor strains: Hansenula polymorpha, Candida boidinii, and Pichia pastoris. In vitro data disclosed that the devices loading H. polymorpha and C. boidinii were similarly efficient (respectively, linear region slope [LRS]: 1.98 ± 0.07 and 1.38 ± 0.04 nA/mM) but significantly less than the P. pastoris-loaded one (LRS: 7.57 ± 0.12 nA/mM). The in vivo results indicate that this last biosensor design detected the rise of ethanol in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) after 15 minutes of voluntary 10% ethanol solution intake. At the same time, the microvibration sensor detected a significant increase in the rat's motion signal. Notably, both the biosensor and microvibration sensor described similar and parallel time-dependent U-shaped curves, thus providing a highly sensitive and time-locked high-resolution detection of the neurochemical and behavioral kinetics upon voluntary ethanol intake. The results overall indicate that such a dual telemetry unit represents a powerful device which, implanted in different brain areas, may boost further investigations on the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie ethanol-induced motor activity and reward.
Collapse
|
9
|
Zink N, Bensmann W, Beste C, Stock AK. Alcohol Hangover Increases Conflict Load via Faster Processing of Subliminal Information. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:316. [PMID: 30186125 PMCID: PMC6113573 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The detrimental effects of acute alcohol intoxication and long-term alcohol (ab)use on cognition are well-known. Yet, only little is known about the cognitive effects of an acute alcohol hangover, even though it might affect executive functions associated with workplace performance or driving skills. Given that alcohol hangover may increase the speed of information accumulation, we assessed the behavioral effects of conflict load (induced by a subliminal prime) on cognitive control, as assessed via the Flanker effect. We employed a counter-balanced within-subject design, where n = 25 healthy young males were tested once after a sober night and once after a night of experimentally induced heavy drinking of cheap brandy/red wine (2.6375 g alcohol per estimated liter of body water within 2–3 h). Alcohol hangover neither increased the cognitive conflicts induced by consciously processed distractors alone (i.e., the Flanker effect), nor modulated conflict adaptation (i.e., the Gratton effect). Instead, hangover potentiated the detrimental effects of conflicting subliminal primes on top-down cognitive conflicts. This effect was likely due to an increase in the speed of information accumulation from visual stimuli and the resulting increase in subliminal conflict load induced by incompatible primes. We further found the size of this effect to be positively correlated with age and subjective sleepiness during the hangover state, but the hangover effect remained significant even after correcting for those covariates. We further found no correlation of the behavioral effect with the subjective overall rating of hangover symptoms or the maximal breath alcohol concentration reached during prior intoxication. Taken together, our findings suggest that alcohol hangover may affect cognitive performance due to an increase in non-conscious processing of visual distractors. While the size of this effect might increase with age and sleepiness, it is not entirely dependent on those covariates and not necessarily related to subjective ratings of general hangover symptoms/impairment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Zink
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Wiebke Bensmann
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Wolff N, Gussek P, Stock AK, Beste C. Effects of high-dose ethanol intoxication and hangover on cognitive flexibility. Addict Biol 2018; 23:503-514. [PMID: 27790802 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The effects of high-dose ethanol intoxication on cognitive flexibility processes are not well understood, and processes related to hangover after intoxication have remained even more elusive. Similarly, it is unknown in how far the complexity of cognitive flexibility processes is affected by intoxication and hangover effects. We performed a neurophysiological study applying high density electroencephalography (EEG) recording to analyze event-related potentials (ERPs) and perform source localization in a task switching paradigm which varied the complexity of task switching by means of memory demands. The results show that high-dose ethanol intoxication only affects task switching (i.e. cognitive flexibility processes) when memory processes are required to control task switching mechanisms, suggesting that even high doses of ethanol compromise cognitive processes when they are highly demanding. The EEG and source localization data show that these effects unfold by modulating response selection processes in the anterior cingulate cortex. Perceptual and attentional selection processes as well as working memory processes were only unspecifically modulated. In all subprocesses examined, there were no differences between the sober and hangover states, thus suggesting a fast recovery of cognitive flexibility after high-dose ethanol intoxication. We assume that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) system accounts for the observed effects, while they can hardly be explained by the dopaminergic system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Wolff
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine; Germany
| | - Philipp Gussek
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine; Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine; Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Carl Gustav Carus Faculty of Medicine; Germany
- Experimental Neurobiology; National Institute of Mental Health; Czech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Stock AK, Hoffmann S, Beste C. Effects of binge drinking and hangover on response selection sub-processes-a study using EEG and drift diffusion modeling. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1355-1365. [PMID: 27238886 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Effects of binge drinking on cognitive control and response selection are increasingly recognized in research on alcohol (ethanol) effects. Yet, little is known about how those processes are modulated by hangover effects. Given that acute intoxication and hangover seem to be characterized by partly divergent effects and mechanisms, further research on this topic is needed. In the current study, we hence investigated this with a special focus on potentially differential effects of alcohol intoxication and subsequent hangover on sub-processes involved in the decision to select a response. We do so combining drift diffusion modeling of behavioral data with neurophysiological (EEG) data. Opposed to common sense, the results do not show an impairment of all assessed measures. Instead, they show specific effects of high dose alcohol intoxication and hangover on selective drift diffusion model and EEG parameters (as compared to a sober state). While the acute intoxication induced by binge-drinking decreased the drift rate, it was increased by the subsequent hangover, indicating more efficient information accumulation during hangover. Further, the non-decisional processes of information encoding decreased with intoxication, but not during hangover. These effects were reflected in modulations of the N2, P1 and N1 event-related potentials, which reflect conflict monitoring, perceptual gating and attentional selection processes, respectively. As regards the functional neuroanatomical architecture, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as well as occipital networks seem to be modulated. Even though alcohol is known to have broad neurobiological effects, its effects on cognitive processes are rather specific.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden; University of Dresden; Germany
| | | | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden; University of Dresden; Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Peana AT, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Hipólito L, Rosas M, Porru S, Bennardini F, Romualdi P, Caputi FF, Candeletti S, Polache A, Granero L, Acquas E. Mystic Acetaldehyde: The Never-Ending Story on Alcoholism. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:81. [PMID: 28553209 PMCID: PMC5425597 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
After decades of uncertainties and drawbacks, the study on the role and significance of acetaldehyde in the effects of ethanol seemed to have found its main paths. Accordingly, the effects of acetaldehyde, after its systemic or central administration and as obtained following ethanol metabolism, looked as they were extensively characterized. However, almost 5 years after this research appeared at its highest momentum, the investigations on this topic have been revitalized on at least three main directions: (1) the role and the behavioral significance of acetaldehyde in different phases of ethanol self-administration and in voluntary ethanol consumption; (2) the distinction, in the central effects of ethanol, between those arising from its non-metabolized fraction and those attributable to ethanol-derived acetaldehyde; and (3) the role of the acetaldehyde-dopamine condensation product, salsolinol. The present review article aims at presenting and discussing prospectively the most recent data accumulated following these three research pathways on this never-ending story in order to offer the most up-to-date synoptic critical view on such still unresolved and exciting topic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - María J. Sánchez-Catalán
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Lucia Hipólito
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Michela Rosas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | - Simona Porru
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| | | | - Patrizia Romualdi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Francesca F. Caputi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Sanzio Candeletti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of BolognaBologna, Italy
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Luis Granero
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of ValenciaValència, Spain
| | - Elio Acquas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
- Centre of Excellence on Neurobiology of Addiction, University of CagliariCagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Orrico A, Martí-Prats L, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Granero L, Polache A, Zornoza T. Pre-Clinical Studies with D-Penicillamine as a Novel Pharmacological Strategy to Treat Alcoholism: Updated Evidences. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:37. [PMID: 28326026 PMCID: PMC5339308 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ethanol, as other drugs of abuse, is able to activate the ventral tegmental area dopamine (VTA-DA) neurons leading to positively motivational alcohol-seeking behavior and use, and, ultimately to ethanol addiction. In the last decades, the involvement of brain-derived acetaldehyde (ACD) in the ethanol actions in the mesolimbic pathway has been widely demonstrated. Consistent published results have provided a mechanistic support to the use of ACD inactivating agents to block the motivational and reinforcing properties of ethanol. Hence, in the last years, several pre-clinical studies have been performed in order to analyze the effects of the sequestering ACD agents in the prevention of ethanol relapse-like drinking behavior as well as in chronic alcohol consumption. In this sense, one of the most explored interventions has been the administration of D-Penicillamine (DP). These pre-clinical studies, that we critically summarize in this article, are considered a critical step for the potential development of a novel pharmacotherapeutic strategy for alcohol addiction treatment that could improve the outcomes of current ones. Thus, on one hand, several experimental findings provide the rationale for using DP as a novel therapeutic intervention alone and/or in combination to prevent relapse into alcohol seeking and consumption. On the other hand, its effectiveness in reducing voluntary ethanol consumption in long-term experienced animals still remains unclear. Finally, this drug offers the additional advantage that has already been approved for use in humans, hence it could be easily implemented as a new therapeutic intervention for relapse prevention in alcoholism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Orrico
- Área de Investigación en Vacunas, Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunidad Valenciana (FISABIO) Valencia, Spain
| | | | - María J Cano-Cebrián
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Granero
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| | - Teodoro Zornoza
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Brancato A, Lavanco G, Cavallaro A, Plescia F, Cannizzaro C. Acetaldehyde, Motivation and Stress: Behavioral Evidence of an Addictive ménage à trois. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:23. [PMID: 28232795 PMCID: PMC5299001 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetaldehyde (ACD) contributes to alcohol's psychoactive effects through its own rewarding properties. Recent studies shed light on the behavioral correlates of ACD administration and the possible interactions with key neurotransmitters for motivation, reward and stress-related response, such as dopamine and endocannabinoids. This mini review article critically examines ACD psychoactive properties, focusing on behavioral investigations able to unveil ACD motivational effects and their pharmacological modulation in vivo. Similarly to alcohol, rats spontaneously drink ACD, whose presence is detected in the brain following chronic self-administration paradigm. ACD motivational properties are demonstrated by operant paradigms tailored to model several drug-related behaviors, such as induction and maintenance of operant self-administration, extinction, relapse and punishment resistance. ACD-related addictive-like behaviors are sensitive to pharmacological manipulations of dopamine and endocannabinoid signaling. Interestingly, the ACD-dopamine-endocannabinoids relationship also contributes to neuroplastic alterations of the NPYergic system, a stress-related peptide critically involved in alcohol abuse. The understanding of the ménage-a-trois among ACD, reward- and stress-related circuits holds promising potential for the development of novel pharmacological approaches aimed at reducing alcohol abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Brancato
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Lavanco
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Angela Cavallaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Fulvio Plescia
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| | - Carla Cannizzaro
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mattalloni MS, Deza-Ponzio R, Albrecht PA, Cancela LM, Virgolini MB. Developmental lead exposure induces opposite effects on ethanol intake and locomotion in response to central vs. systemic cyanamide administration. Alcohol 2017; 58:1-11. [PMID: 28109342 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a developmental neurotoxicant that elicits differential responses to drugs of abuse. Particularly, ethanol consumption has been demonstrated to be increased as a consequence of environmental Pb exposure, with catalase (CAT) and brain acetaldehyde (ACD, the first metabolite of ethanol) playing a role. The present study sought to interfere with ethanol metabolism by inhibiting ALDH2 (mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase) activity in both liver and brain from control and Pb-exposed rats as a strategy to accumulate ACD, a substance that plays a major role in the drug's reinforcing and/or aversive effects. To evaluate the impact on a 2-h chronic voluntary ethanol intake test, developmentally Pb-exposed and control rats were administered with cyanamide (CY, an ALDH inhibitor) either systemically or intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) on the last 4 sessions of the experiment. Furthermore, on the last session and after locomotor activity was assessed, all animals were sacrificed to obtain brain and liver samples for ALDH2 and CAT activity determination. Systemic CY administration reduced the elevated ethanol intake already reported in the Pb-exposed animals (but not in the controls) accompanied by liver (but not brain) ALDH2 inactivation. On the other hand, a 0.3 mg i.c.v. CY administration enhanced both ethanol intake and locomotor activity accompanied by brain ALDH2 inactivation in control animals, while an increase in ethanol consumption was also observed in the Pb-exposed group, although in the absence of brain ALDH2 blockade. No changes were observed in CAT activity as a consequence of CY administration. These results support the participation of liver and brain ACD in ethanol intake and locomotor activity, responses that are modulated by developmental Pb exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara Soledad Mattalloni
- IFEC - CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Romina Deza-Ponzio
- IFEC - CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Alejandra Albrecht
- IFEC - CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Liliana Marina Cancela
- IFEC - CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Miriam Beatriz Virgolini
- IFEC - CONICET, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre y Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Peana AT, Rosas M, Porru S, Acquas E. From Ethanol to Salsolinol: Role of Ethanol Metabolites in the Effects of Ethanol. J Exp Neurosci 2016; 10:137-146. [PMID: 27891052 PMCID: PMC5117487 DOI: 10.4137/jen.s25099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of the global reputation of ethanol as the psychopharmacologically active ingredient of alcoholic drinks, the neurobiological basis of the central effects of ethanol still presents some dark sides due to a number of unanswered questions related to both its precise mechanism of action and its metabolism. Accordingly, ethanol represents the interesting example of a compound whose actions cannot be explained as simply due to the involvement of a single receptor/neurotransmitter, a scenario further complicated by the robust evidence that two main metabolites, acetaldehyde and salsolinol, exert many effects similar to those of their parent compound. The present review recapitulates, in a perspective manner, the major and most recent advances that in the last decades boosted a significant growth in the understanding on the role of ethanol metabolism, in particular, in the neurobiological basis of its central effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra T Peana
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Michela Rosas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Simona Porru
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elio Acquas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.; Centre of Excellence on Neurobiology of Addiction, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Role of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde in operant oral self-administration of ethanol in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:4269-76. [PMID: 26292801 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4049-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The role of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde has not been examined yet on performance in a model of operant oral self-administration. However, previous studies reported that an acetaldehyde-sequestering agent, D-penicillamine (DP) and an inhibitor of catalase-mediated acetaldehyde production, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT) reduce voluntary ethanol consumption. OBJECTIVES The aim of our investigation was to evaluate the effects of DP and 3-AT on acquisition and maintenance of oral operant ethanol self-administration. METHODS Using operant chambers, rats learned to nose poke in order to receive ethanol solution (5-10 % v/v) under an FR1 schedule of reinforcement in which discrete light and tone cues were presented during ethanol delivery. RESULTS DP and 3-AT impair the acquisition of ethanol self-administration, whereas its maintenance is not affected neither by drug given alone for both 10 or 5 % ethanol nor by drugs association for 5 % ethanol. Moreover, when the concentration of ethanol was diminished from 10 to 5 %, rats increased the rate of self-administration behaviour. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that brain acetaldehyde plays a critical role during acquisition of operant self-administration in ethanol-naïve rats. In contrast, during the maintenance phase, acetaldehyde could contribute to ethanol self-administration by a combined mechanism: On one hand, its lack (by DP or 3-AT) might result in further ethanol-seeking and taking and, on the other, inhibition of ethanol metabolism (by 3-AT) might release an action of the un-metabolised fraction of ethanol that does not overall result in compromising maintenance of ethanol self-administration.
Collapse
|
18
|
Martí-Prats L, Orrico A, Polache A, Granero L. Dual motor responses elicited by ethanol in the posterior VTA: Consequences of the blockade of μ-opioid receptors. J Psychopharmacol 2015. [PMID: 26216379 DOI: 10.1177/0269881115598337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A recent hypothesis, based on electrophysiological and behavioural findings, suggests that ethanol simultaneously exerts opposed effects on the activity of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through two parallel mechanisms, one promoting and the other reducing the GABA release onto VTA DA neurons. In this sense, the activating effects are mediated by salsolinol, a metabolite of ethanol, acting on the μ-opioid receptors (MORs) located in VTA GABA neurons. The inhibitory effects are, however, triggered by the non-metabolized fraction of ethanol which would cause the GABAA receptors-mediated inhibition of VTA DA neurons. Since both trends tend to offset each other, only the use of appropriate pharmacological tools allows analysis of this phenomenon in depth. Herein, we present new behavioural findings supporting this hypothesis. Motor activity was evaluated in rats after intra-VTA administration of ethanol 35 nmol, an apparently ineffective dose, 24 h after the irreversible blockade of MORs in the VTA with β-FNA. Our results showed that this pre-treatment turned the initially ineffective ethanol dose into a depressant one, confirming that the activating effect of ethanol can be selectively suppressed without affecting the depressant effects mediated by the non-biotransformed fraction of ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Martí-Prats
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Alejandro Orrico
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Ana Polache
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Luis Granero
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Sanchez-Catalan MJ, Kaufling J, Georges F, Veinante P, Barrot M. The antero-posterior heterogeneity of the ventral tegmental area. Neuroscience 2014; 282:198-216. [PMID: 25241061 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a brain region processing salient sensory and emotional information, controlling motivated behaviors, natural or drug-related reward, reward-related learning, mood, and participating in their associated psychopathologies. Mostly studied for its dopamine neurons, the VTA also includes functionally important GABA and glutamate cell populations. Behavioral evidence supports the presence of functional differences between the anterior VTA (aVTA) and the posterior VTA (pVTA), which is the topic of this review. This antero-posterior heterogeneity concerns locomotor activity, conditioned place preference and intracranial self-administration, and can be seen in response to ethanol, acetaldehyde, salsolinol, opioids including morphine, cholinergic agonists including nicotine, cocaine, cannabinoids and after local manipulation of GABA and serotonin receptors. It has also been observed after viral-mediated manipulation of GluR1, phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) expression, with impact on reward and aversion-related responses, on anxiety and depression-related behaviors and on pain sensitivity. In this review, the substrates potentially underlying these aVTA/pVTA differences are discussed, including the VTA sub-nuclei and the heterogeneity in connectivity, cell types and molecular characteristics. We also review the role of the tail of the VTA (tVTA), or rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), which may also participate to the observed antero-posterior heterogeneity of the VTA. This region, partly located within the pVTA, is an inhibitory control center for dopamine activity. It controls VTA and substantia nigra dopamine cells, thus exerting a major influence on basal ganglia functions. This review highlights the need for a more comprehensive analysis of VTA heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J Sanchez-Catalan
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - J Kaufling
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - F Georges
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France; Université de Bordeaux, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - P Veinante
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - M Barrot
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France; Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Orrico A, Martí-Prats L, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Polache A, Zornoza T, Granero L. Disposition of d-penicillamine, a promising drug for preventing alcohol-relapse. Influence of dose, chronic alcohol consumption and age: studies in rats. Biopharm Drug Dispos 2014; 35:284-95. [PMID: 24619946 DOI: 10.1002/bdd.1896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Pharmacokinetic studies concerning d-penicillamine (an acetaldehyde sequestering agent) are scarce and have not evaluated the influence of chronic ethanol consumption and age on its disposition. Since recent preclinical studies propose d-penicillamine as a promising treatment for alcohol relapse, the main aim of the present work was to evaluate the influence of these two factors on d-penicillamine disposition in order to guide future clinical studies on the anti-relapse efficacy of this drug in alcoholism. Additionally, the effect of the administered dose was also evaluated. To this end, three studies were carried out. Study 1 assessed the influence of dose on d-penicillamine disposition, whereas studies 2 and 3 evaluated, respectively, the influence of chronic alcohol consumption and age. Rapid intravenous administrations of 2, 10 and 30 mg/kg of d-penicillamine were performed using young or adult ethanol-naïve rats or adult ethanol-experienced (subjected to a long-term ethanol self-administration protocol) rats. Pharmacokinetic parameters were derived from the biexponential model. Statistical analysis of CL, normalized AUC0 (∞) , V1 and k10 revealed that disposition, in the range plasma concentrations assayed, is non-linear both in young ethanol-naïve and in adult ethanol-experienced rats. Notably, no significant changes in t1/2 were detected. Chronic ethanol consumption significantly reduced CL values by 35% without affecting t1/2 . d-Penicillamine disposition was equivalent in young and adult animals. In conclusion, although DP pharmacokinetics is non-linear, the lack of significant alterations of the t1/2 would potentially simplify the clinical use of this drug. Chronic consumption of ethanol also alters d-penicillamine disposition but, again, does not modify t1/2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Orrico
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Universitat de València, Avda Vicente Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Orrico A, Martí-Prats L, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Granero L, Polache A, Zornoza T. Improved effect of the combination naltrexone/D-penicillamine in the prevention of alcohol relapse-like drinking in rats. J Psychopharmacol 2014; 28:76-81. [PMID: 24306132 DOI: 10.1177/0269881113515063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Opioid antagonists are licensed drugs for treating alcohol use disorders; nonetheless, clinical studies have evidenced their limited effectiveness. Preclinical findings indicate that opioid receptor (OR) antagonists, such as naltrexone (NTX), reduce the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE). However, a detailed analysis of published data shows the existence of a delayed increase in ethanol consumption after continuous OR blockade, a phenomenon originally called as 'delayed ADE'. We have recently reported that D-penicillamine (DP) is able to prevent ADE through a mechanism dependent on the inactivation of acetaldehyde, the main metabolite of ethanol. Hypothetically, OR activation would be triggered by acetaldehyde after ethanol consumption. Hence, we conjecture that the combination of NTX and DP, due to their distinct but complementary mechanisms to impede OR activation, may be more efficacious in the prevention of the ADE and, specifically, the 'delayed ADE'. Herein, we compare the effects of the combination NTX/DP (NTX: 2×5 mg/kg SC injection daily/DP: SC infusion (0.25 mg/h)) versus NTX on the ADE in long-term ethanol-experienced rats. As expected, NTX-treated animals displayed a delayed ADE. However, NTX/DP treatment prevented this delayed effect. Our present data indicate that this combination therapy shows an adequate anti-relapse preclinical efficacy being able to overcome the preclinical limitations of NTX alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Orrico
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Polache A, Granero L. Salsolinol and ethanol-derived excitation of dopamine mesolimbic neurons: new insights. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:74. [PMID: 23805085 PMCID: PMC3691577 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Polache
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnología Farmacéutica, Universitat de València Burjassot, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|