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Ezechukwu HC, Ney LJ, Jarvis MA, Shrestha N, Holland OJ, Cuffe JSM, Perkins AV, Yau SY, McAinch AJ, Hryciw DH. Sex-Specific Changes to Brain Fatty Acids, Plasmalogen, and Plasma Endocannabinoids in Offspring Exposed to Maternal and Postnatal High-Linoleic-Acid Diets. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7911. [PMID: 39063152 PMCID: PMC11277558 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Linoleic acid (LA) is required for neuronal development. We have previously demonstrated sex-specific changes in cardiovascular and hepatic function in rat offspring from mothers consuming a high-LA diet, with some effects associated with reduced LA concentration in the postnatal diet. At this time, the impact of a high-maternal-LA diet on offspring brain development and the potential for the postnatal diet to alter any adverse changes are unknown. Rat offspring from mothers fed low- (LLA) or high-LA (HLA) diets during pregnancy and lactation were weaned at postnatal day 25 (PN25) and fed LLA or HLA diets until sacrifice in adulthood (PN180). In the offspring's brains, the postnatal HLA diet increased docosapentaenoate in males. The maternal HLA diet increased LA, arachidonate, docosapentaenoate, C18:0 dimethylacetal (DMA), C16:0 DMA, C16:0 DMA/C16:0, and C18:0 DMA/C18:0, but decreased eoicosenoate, nervoniate, lignocerate, and oleate in males. Maternal and postnatal HLA diets reduced oleate and vaccenate and had an interaction effect on myristate, palmitoleate, and eicosapentaenoate in males. In females, maternal HLA diet increased eicosadienoate. Postnatal HLA diet increased stearate and docosapentaenoate. Maternal and postnatal HLA diets had an interaction effect on oleate, arachidate, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/omega (n)-6 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) in females. Postnatal HLA diet decreased DHA/n-6 DPA in males and females. Postnatal HLA diet increased plasma endocannabinoids (arachidonoyl ethanolamide and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol), as well as other N-acyl ethanolamides and testosterone. HLA diet alters brain fatty acids, plasma endocannabinoids, and plasmalogen concentrations in a development-specific and sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry C. Ezechukwu
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
| | - Luke J. Ney
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia; (L.J.N.); (M.A.J.)
| | - Madeline A. Jarvis
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia; (L.J.N.); (M.A.J.)
| | - Nirajan Shrestha
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
| | - Olivia J. Holland
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
| | - James S. M. Cuffe
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Anthony V. Perkins
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia; (N.S.); (O.J.H.); (A.V.P.)
- School of Health, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
| | - Suk-Yu Yau
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong;
- Mental Health Research Center, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Andrew J. McAinch
- Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia;
- Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), Victoria University, St. Albans, VIC 3021, Australia
| | - Deanne H. Hryciw
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
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Melkumyan M, Annaswamy VM, Evans AM, Showemimo OF, McCullers ZE, Sun D, Murphy TE, Vrana KE, Arnold AC, Raup-Konsavage WM, Silberman Y. Effects of cannabidiol, with and without ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol, on anxiety-like behavior following alcohol withdrawal in mice. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1375440. [PMID: 38957186 PMCID: PMC11217543 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1375440] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is commonly associated with anxiety disorders and enhanced stress-sensitivity; symptoms that can worsen during withdrawal to perpetuate continued alcohol use. Alcohol increases neuroimmune activity in the brain. Our recent evidence indicates that alcohol directly modulates neuroimmune function in the central amygdala (CeA), a key brain region regulating anxiety and alcohol intake, to alter neurotransmitter signaling. We hypothesized that cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are thought to reduce neuroinflammation and anxiety, may have potential utility to alleviate alcohol withdrawal-induced stress-sensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors via modulation of CeA neuroimmune function. Methods We tested the effects of CBD and CBD:THC (3:1 ratio) on anxiety-like behaviors and neuroimmune function in the CeA of mice undergoing acute (4-h) and short-term (24-h) withdrawal from chronic intermittent alcohol vapor exposure (CIE). We further examined the impact of CBD and CBD:THC on alcohol withdrawal behaviors in the presence of an additional stressor. Results We found that CBD and 3:1 CBD:THC increased anxiety-like behaviors at 4-h withdrawal. At 24-h withdrawal, CBD alone reduced anxiety-like behaviors while CBD:THC had mixed effects, showing increased center time indicating reduced anxiety-like behaviors, but increased immobility time that may indicate increased anxiety-like behaviors. These mixed effects may be due to altered metabolism of CBD and THC during alcohol withdrawal. Immunohistochemical analysis showed decreased S100β and Iba1 cell counts in the CeA at 4-h withdrawal, but not at 24-h withdrawal, with CBD and CBD:THC reversing alcohol withdrawal effects.. Discussion These results suggest that the use of cannabinoids during alcohol withdrawal may lead to exacerbated anxiety depending on timing of use, which may be related to neuroimmune cell function in the CeA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Melkumyan
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Vibha M. Annaswamy
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Alexandra M. Evans
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Opeyemi F. Showemimo
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Zari E. McCullers
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Dongxiao Sun
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Terrence E. Murphy
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Kent E. Vrana
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Amy C. Arnold
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Wesley M. Raup-Konsavage
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Yuval Silberman
- The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Hershey, PA, United States
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Ahmed R, Zyla S, Hammond N, Blum K, Thanos PK. The Role of Estrogen Signaling and Exercise in Drug Abuse: A Review. Clin Pract 2024; 14:148-163. [PMID: 38248436 PMCID: PMC10801537 DOI: 10.3390/clinpract14010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discovering how sex differences impact the efficacy of exercise regimens used for treating drug addiction is becoming increasingly important. Estrogen is a hormone believed to explain a large portion of sex differences observed during drug addiction, and why certain exercise regimens are not equally effective between sexes in treatment. Addiction is currently a global hindrance to millions, many of whom are suffering under the influence of their brain's intrinsic reward system coupled with external environmental factors. Substance abuse disorders in the U.S. alone cost billions of dollars annually. REVIEW SUMMARY Studies involving the manipulation of estrogen levels in female rodents, primarily via ovariectomy, highlight its impact regarding drug addiction. More specifically, female rodents with higher estrogen levels during the estrus phase increase cocaine consumption, whereas those in the non-estrus phase (low estrogen levels) decrease cocaine consumption. If estrogen is reintroduced, self-administration increases once again. Exercise has been proven to decrease relapse tendency, but its effect on estrogen levels is not fully understood. CONCLUSIONS Such findings and results discussed in this review suggest that estrogen influences the susceptibility of females to relapse. Therefore, to improve drug-abuse-related treatment, exercise regimens for females should be generated based on key sex differences with respect to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Samuel Zyla
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Nikki Hammond
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research Education, Center for Sports, Exercise and Mental Health, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
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Vozella V, Cruz B, Feldman HC, Bullard R, Bianchi PC, Natividad LA, Cravatt BF, Zorrilla EP, Ciccocioppo R, Roberto M. Sexually dimorphic effects of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor MJN110 on stress-related behaviour and drinking in Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:3130-3145. [PMID: 37488777 PMCID: PMC10805956 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16197] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The endocannabinoid (eCB) system plays an important homeostatic role in the regulation of stress circuits and has emerged as a therapeutic target to treat stress disorders and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Extensive research has elucidated a role for the eCB anandamide (AEA), but less is known about 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) mediated signalling. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We pharmacologically enhanced eCB signalling by inhibiting the 2-AG metabolizing enzyme, monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), in male and female Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats, a model of innate alcohol preference and stress hypersensitivity, and in control Wistar rats. We tested the acute effect of the selective MAGL inhibitor MJN110 in alleviating symptoms of alcohol drinking, anxiety, irritability and fear. KEY RESULTS A single systemic administration of MJN110 increased 2-AG levels in the central amygdala, prelimbic and infralimbic cortex but did not acutely alter alcohol drinking. MAGL inhibition reduced aggressive behaviours in female msPs, and increased defensive behaviours in male msPs, during the irritability test. Moreover, in the novelty-induced hypophagia test, MJN110 selectively enhanced palatable food consumption in females, mitigating stress-induced food suppression. Lastly, msP rats showed increased conditioned fear behaviour compared with Wistar rats, and MJN110 reduced context-associated conditioned fear responses, but not cue-probed fear expression, in male msPs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Acute inhibition of MAGL attenuated some stress-related responses in msP rats but not voluntary alcohol drinking. Our results provide new insights into the sex dimorphism documented in stress-induced responses. Sex-specific eCB-based approaches should be considered in the clinical development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vozella
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bryan Cruz
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Hannah C. Feldman
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ryan Bullard
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Paula C. Bianchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Luis A. Natividad
- College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, 107 W. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Benjamin F. Cravatt
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, Camerino, 62032 Italy
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Frasier RM, De Oliveira Sergio T, Starski PA, Grippo AJ, Hopf FW. Heart rate variability measures indicating sex differences in autonomic regulation during anxiety-like behavior in rats. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1244389. [PMID: 38025424 PMCID: PMC10644002 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1244389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mental health conditions remain a substantial and costly challenge to society, especially in women since they have nearly twice the prevalence of anxiety disorders. However, critical mechanisms underlying sex differences remain incompletely understood. Measures of cardiac function, including heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV), reflect balance between sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) systems and are potential biomarkers for pathological states. Methods To better understand sex differences in anxiety-related autonomic mechanisms, we examined HR/HRV telemetry in food-restricted adult rats during novelty suppression of feeding (NSF), with conflict between food under bright light in the arena center. To assess HRV, we calculated the SDNN (reflective of both SNS and PNS contribution) and rMSSD (reflective of PNS contribution) and compared these metrics to behaviors within the anxiety task. Results Females had greater HR and lower SNS indicators at baseline, as in humans. Further, females (but not males) with higher basal HR carried this state into NSF, delaying first approach to center. In contrast, males with lower SNS measures approached and spent more time in the brightly-lit center. Further, females with lower SNS indicators consumed significantly more food. In males, a high-SNS subpopulation consumed no food. Among consumers, males with greater SNS ate more food. Discussion Together, these are congruent with human findings suggesting women engage PNS more, and men SNS more. Our previous behavior-only work also observed female differences from males during initial movement and food intake. Thus, high basal SNS in females reduced behavior early in NSF, while subsequent reduced SNS allowed greater food intake. In males, lower SNS increased engagement with arena center, but greater SNS predicted higher consumption. Our findings show novel and likely clinically relevant sex differences in HRV-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raizel M. Frasier
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | | | - Phillip A. Starski
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Angela J. Grippo
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, United States
| | - F. Woodward Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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Role of alpha-2 adrenergic and kappa opioid receptors in the effects of alcohol gavage-induced dependence on alcohol seeking. Behav Brain Res 2022; 434:114032. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Munier JJ, Marty VN, Spigelman I. Sex differences in α-adrenergic receptor function contribute to impaired hypothalamic metaplasticity following chronic intermittent ethanol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1384-1396. [PMID: 35791038 PMCID: PMC9612407 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) exhibit maladaptive responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to stress, which has been linked to high rates of relapse to drinking among abstinent individuals. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) parvocellular neuroendocrine cells (PNCs) within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) are critical to stress-induced HPA axis activation. Here, we investigate sex differences in synaptic transmission and plasticity in PNCs following the application of the stress-associated neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) in a rat model of AUD. METHODS Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 40 days of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor and 30 to 108 days of protracted withdrawal. We measured changes in holding current, evoked synaptic currents, and short-term glutamatergic plasticity (STP) in putative PNCs following the application of NE (10 μM) with and without the selective α1 adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonist prazosin (10 μM) or the α2AR antagonist atipamezole (10 μM). The experiments were performed using whole-cell patch clamp recordings in slices from CIE rats and air-exposed controls. RESULTS NE application caused two distinct effects: a depolarizing, inward, postsynaptic current and a reduction in amplitude of an evoked glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic current (eEPSC). Both effects were sex- and CIE-specific. Prazosin blocked the postsynaptic inward current, while atipamezole blocked the NE-mediated suppression of eEPSCs. Additionally, STP formation was facilitated following NE application only in stress-naïve males and this response was lost in stressed animals exposed to a 30-min restraint stress following CIE exposure. Furthermore, NE + prazosin restored STP formation in stressed CIE males. CONCLUSIONS NE exerts excitatory and inhibitory effects on CRF PVN PNCs, and both effects are influenced by sex and CIE. Behavioral and hormonal responses to stress are influenced by STP formation within the PVN, which is lost following CIE and restored with the preapplication of prazosin. The selective blockade of α1AR may, therefore, ameliorate CIE-induced deficits in HPA responses to stress in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Munier
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA,Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Vincent N. Marty
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Igor Spigelman
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology, Section of Biosystems and Function, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Neira S, Hassanein LA, Stanhope CM, Buccini MC, D’Ambrosio SL, Flanigan ME, Haun HL, Boyt KM, Bains JS, Kash TL. Chronic alcohol consumption alters home-cage behaviors and responses to ethologically relevant predator tasks in mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1616-1629. [PMID: 35797227 PMCID: PMC9906815 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol withdrawal is a key component of severe alcohol use disorder. Animal models of alcohol withdrawal tend to focus on traditional anxiety/stress tests. While these have been essential to advancing our understanding of the biology of alcohol withdrawal, abrupt cessation of drinking following heavy alcohol consumption can also trigger withdrawal-related affective states that impact responses to a variety of life events and stressors. To this end, we show that behaviors in a variety of tasks that differ in task demand and intensity are altered during withdrawal in male and female mice after voluntary alcohol access. METHODS Male and female miceunderwent six weeks of intermittent two-bottle choice alcohol exposure followed by behavioral tests. The tests included-Home cage: low-stress baseline environment to measure spontaneous natural behaviors; Open field: anxiety-inducing bright novel environment; Looming disc: arena with a protective hut where mice are exposed to a series of discs that mimic an overhead advancing predator, and Robogator-simulated predator task: forced foraging behavioral choice in the presence of an advancing robot predator that "attacks" when mice are near a food pellet in a large open arena. RESULTS A history of alcohol exposure impacted behaviors in these tasks in a sex-dependent manner. In the home cage, alcohol induced reductions in digging and heightened stress coping through an increase in grooming time. In males, increased rearing yielded greater vigilance/exploration in a familiar environment. The open-field test revealed an anxiety phenotype in both male and female mice exposed to alcohol. Male mice showed no behavioral alterations to the looming disc task, while females exposed to alcohol showed greater escape responses than water controls, indicative of active stress-response behaviors. In males, the Robogator task revealed a hesitant/avoidant phenotype in alcohol-exposed mice under greater task demands. CONCLUSIONS Few drugs show robust evidence of efficacy in clinical trials for alcohol withdrawal. Understanding how withdrawal alters a variety of behaviors in both males and females that are linked to stress coping can increase our understanding of alcohol misuse and aid in developing better medications for treating individuals with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Neira
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, Curriculum in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Leslie A. Hassanein
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christina M. Stanhope
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michelle C. Buccini
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shannon L. D’Ambrosio
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Meghan E. Flanigan
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Harold L. Haun
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kristen M. Boyt
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jaideep S. Bains
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Thomas L. Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, Curriculum in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Navarrete F, García-Gutiérrez MS, Gasparyan A, Navarro D, López-Picón F, Morcuende Á, Femenía T, Manzanares J. Biomarkers of the Endocannabinoid System in Substance Use Disorders. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030396. [PMID: 35327588 PMCID: PMC8946268 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite substance use disorders (SUD) being one of the leading causes of disability and mortality globally, available therapeutic approaches remain ineffective. The difficulty in accurately characterizing the neurobiological mechanisms involved with a purely qualitative diagnosis is an obstacle to improving the classification and treatment of SUD. In this regard, identifying central and peripheral biomarkers is essential to diagnosing the severity of drug dependence, monitoring therapeutic efficacy, predicting treatment response, and enhancing the development of safer and more effective pharmacological tools. In recent years, the crucial role that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays in regulating the reinforcing and motivational properties of drugs of abuse has been described. This has led to studies characterizing ECS alterations after exposure to various substances to identify biomarkers with potential diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic utility. This review aims to compile the primary evidence available from rodent and clinical studies on how the ECS components are modified in the context of different substance-related disorders, gathering data from genetic, molecular, functional, and neuroimaging experimental approaches. Finally, this report concludes that additional translational research is needed to further characterize the modifications of the ECS in the context of SUD, and their potential usefulness in the necessary search for biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Navarrete
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María S. García-Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ani Gasparyan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Navarro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco López-Picón
- PET Preclinical Imaging Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Álvaro Morcuende
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
| | - Teresa Femenía
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Manzanares
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, Avda. de Ramón y Cajal s/n, San Juan de Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain; (F.N.); (M.S.G.-G.); (A.G.); (D.N.); (Á.M.); (T.F.)
- Departamento de Medicina Clínica, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientada a Resultados en Salud (RICORS), Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, MICINN and FEDER, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-919-248
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10
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Almeida MM, Dias-Rocha CP, Calviño C, Trevenzoli IH. Lipid endocannabinoids in energy metabolism, stress and developmental programming. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2022; 542:111522. [PMID: 34843899 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) regulates brain development and function, energy metabolism and stress in a sex-, age- and tissue-dependent manner. The ECS comprises mainly the bioactive lipid ligands anandamide (AEA) and 2-aracdonoylglycerol (2-AG), cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), and several metabolizing enzymes. The endocannabinoid tonus is increased in obesity, stimulating food intake and a preference for fat, reward, and lipid accumulation in peripheral tissues, as well as favoring a positive energy balance. Energy balance and stress responses share adaptive mechanisms regulated by the ECS that seem to underlie the complex relationship between feeding and emotional behavior. The ECS is also a key regulator of development. Environmental insults (diet, toxicants, and stress) in critical periods of developmental plasticity, such as gestation, lactation and adolescence, alter the ECS and may predispose individuals to the development of chronic diseases and behavioral changes in the long term. This review is focused on the ECS and the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Macedo Almeida
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Camila Calviño
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Isis Hara Trevenzoli
- Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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11
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Price ME, McCool BA. Structural, functional, and behavioral significance of sex and gonadal hormones in the basolateral amygdala: A review of preclinical literature. Alcohol 2022; 98:25-41. [PMID: 34371120 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is intimately involved in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety and alcohol use disorder (AUD). These disorders have clear sex biases, with women more likely to develop an anxiety disorder and men more likely to develop AUD. Preclinical models have largely confirmed these sex-specific vulnerabilities and emphasize the effects of sex hormones on behaviors influenced by the BLA. This review will discuss sex differences in BLA-related behaviors and highlight potential mechanisms mediated by altered BLA structure and function, including the composition of GABAergic interneuron subpopulations, glutamatergic pyramidal neuron morphology, glutamate/GABA neurotransmission, and neuromodulators. Further, sex hormones differentially organize dimorphic circuits during sensitive developmental periods (organizational effects) and initiate more transient effects throughout adulthood (activational effects). Current literature indicates that estradiol and allopregnanolone, a neuroactive progestogen, generally reduce BLA-related behaviors through a variety of mechanisms, including activation of estrogen receptors or facilitation of GABAA-mediated inhibition, respectively. This enhanced GABAergic inhibition may protect BLA pyramidal neurons from the excitability associated with anxiety and alcohol withdrawal. Understanding sex differences and the effects of sex hormones on BLA structure and function may help explain sex-specific vulnerabilities in BLA-related behaviors and ultimately improve treatments for anxiety and AUD.
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12
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Abstract
PURPOSE A growing body of evidence has implicated the endocannabinoid (eCB) system in the acute, chronic, and withdrawal effects of alcohol/ethanol on synaptic function. These eCB-mediated synaptic effects may contribute to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcohol exposure causes neurobiological alterations similar to those elicited by chronic cannabinoid (CB) exposure. Like alcohol, cannabinoids alter many central processes, such as cognition, locomotion, synaptic transmission, and neurotransmitter release. There is a strong need to elucidate the effects of ethanol on the eCB system in different brain regions to understand the role of eCB signaling in AUD. SEARCH METHODS For the scope of this review, preclinical studies were identified through queries of the PubMed database. SEARCH RESULTS This search yielded 459 articles. Clinical studies and papers irrelevant to the topic of this review were excluded. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The endocannabinoid system includes, but is not limited to, cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1), among the most abundantly expressed neuronal receptors in the brain; cannabinoid receptors 2 (CB2); and endogenously formed CB1 ligands, including arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA; anandamide), and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). The development of specific CB1 agonists, such as WIN 55,212-2 (WIN), and antagonists, such as SR 141716A (rimonabant), provide powerful pharmacological tools for eCB research. Alcohol exposure has brain region-specific effects on the eCB system, including altering the synthesis of endocannabinoids (e.g., AEA, 2-AG), the synthesis of their precursors, and the density and coupling efficacy of CB1. These alcohol-induced alterations of the eCB system have subsequent effects on synaptic function including neuronal excitability and postsynaptic conductance. This review will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the current literature on the synaptic interactions of alcohol exposure and eCB signaling systems, with an emphasis on molecular and physiological synaptic effects of alcohol on the eCB system. A limited volume of studies has focused on the underlying interactions of alcohol and the eCB system at the synaptic level in the brain. Thus, the data on synaptic interactions are sparse, and future research addressing these interactions is much needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Wolfe
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Valentina Vozella
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
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13
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Sexually Dimorphic Expression of Fear-conditioned Analgesia in Rats and Associated Alterations in the Endocannabinoid System in the Periaqueductal Grey. Neuroscience 2021; 480:117-130. [PMID: 34774710 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system within the periaqueductal grey (PAG) has been implicated in fear-conditioned analgesia (FCA), the profound suppression of pain upon re-exposure to a context previously paired with an aversive stimulus. Since the endocannabinoid and nociceptive systems exhibit sexual dimorphism, the aim of the present study was to assess possible sex differences in the expression of FCA, fear in the presence of nociceptive tone, and associated sex-dependent alterations in the endocannabinoid system within the PAG. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats received footshock (10 × 1s; 0.4 mA; every 60 s) or no-footshock in a conditioning arena and 23.5 h later received intraplantar injection of formalin (2.5%) under brief isoflourane anaesthetic into the right hind paw. Nociceptive and fear-related behaviours were assessed 30 min later. Levels of endocannabinoids, N-acylethanolamines and neurotransmitters in the PAG were assessed by LC-MS/MS and expression of endocannabinoid system-related proteins by Western immunoblotting. Male, but not female, rats exhibited robust FCA and greater expression of fear-related behaviours than females. Fear-conditioned formalin-treated males, but not females, had higher levels of N-oleoylethanolamine (OEA) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the PAG, compared with non-fear-conditioned controls. There was no effect of fear conditioning on the levels of FAAH or CB1 receptor expression (CB1R) in the PAG of male or female formalin-treated rats. Non-fear-conditioned females had higher levels of CB1R and PPARγ expression than non-fear-conditioned male counterparts. In summary, our results provide evidence of sexual dimorphism in the expression of FCA and fear-related behaviours, and associated alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system and GABA within the PAG.
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De Oliveira Sergio T, Wetherill L, Kwok C, Khoyloo F, Hopf FW. Sex differences in specific aspects of two animal tests of anxiety-like behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2775-2787. [PMID: 34120205 PMCID: PMC11071636 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05893-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Anxiety, a negative state of high arousal and vigilance, is especially prevalent in women, making identification of underlying mechanisms critical for developing effective therapies. With the challenge of disentangling biological and social factors in humans, animal tests can provide valuable insights, although such tests, developed in males, have unclear validity for females. OBJECTIVE To better understand patterns of sex differences across multiple measures within two classical rodent anxiety tests. METHODS We examined female and male adult Wistar rats (n = 15-18/group) that were single-housed in the novelty suppression of feeding test (NSFT) that involves food under a bright light in food-restricted animals, and light-dark test (LDT), which reflects innate aversion to bright light. To further validate these tests in females, we also examined the impact of 1 mg/kg diazepam. RESULTS NSFT measures of the most direct interaction with food, latency to grab food and food consumed, indicated increased anxiety-like behavior in females versus males, with diazepam altering these behaviors in females but not males. Most other measures showed more similar effects of diazepam across the sexes, with some evidence of reduced anxiety-like behavior in LDT for females. Principal component analyses indicated limited relationships across behavioral factors, underscoring previous suggestions of the importance of assessing multiple measures to maximize information and ethological relevance. CONCLUSIONS Combining our findings and previous studies, we speculate that increased anxiety-like behavior in females manifests especially when there is a specific, life-relevant condition (e.g., food in the NSFT). Our findings also validate NSFT and LDT use in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thatiane De Oliveira Sergio
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 W. 15th Street, NB 300E, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Leah Wetherill
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Claudina Kwok
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Farrah Khoyloo
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Frederic W Hopf
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 320 W. 15th Street, NB 300E, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California At San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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15
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Song JH, Jia HY, Shao TP, Liu ZB, Zhao YP. Hydrogen gas post-conditioning alleviates cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behavior in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1121. [PMID: 34504575 PMCID: PMC8383778 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10555] [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: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) results in high rates of mortality and lasting disability. Hydrogen gas (H2) is an antioxidant with demonstrated neuroprotective efficacy. The present study examined the therapeutic efficacy of H2 inhalation on early brain injury following experimental SAH in rats and the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. The rats were randomly separated into three groups (n=36 per group): Sham, SAH and SAH + H2. Endovascular perforation of the right internal carotid artery was used to establish SAH. After perforation, rats in the SAH + H2 group inhaled 2.9% H2 with regular oxygen for 2 h. Then, 24 h post-SAH, TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptotic neurons, and both immunostaining and western blotting were conducted to examine changes in p38 MAPK activity and the expression levels of apoptotic regulators (Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3) in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Then, 30 day post-SAH, Nissl staining was performed to detect neuronal injury, brain MRI was conducted to detect gross changes in brain structure and metabolism, the open field test was used to assess anxiety and the novel object recognition test was performed to assess memory. H2 inhalation following experimental SAH stabilized brain metabolites, improved recognition memory and reduced anxiety-like behavior, the neuronal apoptosis rate, phosphorylated p38 MAPK expression, cleaved caspase-3 expression and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Collectively, the present results suggested that H2 inhalation can alleviate SAH-induced cognitive impairment, behavioral abnormalities and neuronal apoptosis in rats, possibly via inhibition of the p38 MAPK signal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Hua Song
- Department of Radioactive Intervention, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Yan Jia
- Department of Radioactive Intervention, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, P.R. China
| | - Tian-Peng Shao
- Department of Radioactive Intervention, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Bao Liu
- Department of Radioactive Intervention, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, P.R. China
| | - Yuan-Ping Zhao
- Department of Radioactive Intervention, Cangzhou Central Hospital, Cangzhou, Hebei 061000, P.R. China
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16
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Albrechet-Souza L, Nastase AS, Hill MN, Gilpin NW. Amygdalar endocannabinoids are affected by predator odor stress in a sex-specific manner and modulate acoustic startle reactivity in female rats. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100387. [PMID: 34522703 PMCID: PMC8426281 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding sex differences in behavioral and molecular effects of stress has important implications for understanding the vulnerability to chronic psychiatric disorders associated with stress response circuitry. The amygdala is critical for emotional learning and generating behavioral responses to stressful stimuli, and preclinical studies indicate that amygdalar endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling regulates emotional states. This study measured eCB contents in the basolateral (BLA) and central (CeA) amygdala of male and female rats exposed to predator odor stress (bobcat urine) and tested for contextual avoidance 24 h later. Stressed females had lower levels of 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) in the BLA and higher levels of anandamide (AEA) in the CeA, while exposure to bobcat urine did not affect amygdalar eCB contents in males. We previously reported that female rats exposed to bobcat urine exhibit blunted acoustic startle reactivity (ASR) 48 h after predator odor stress. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that intra-BLA injection of a diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL) inhibitor (which would be expected to reduce 2-AG levels in BLA) and intra-CeA injection of a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor (which would be expected to increase AEA levels in CeA) would mimic previously observed predator odor stress-induced reductions in ASR. Contrary to our hypothesis, microinjections of either the DAGL inhibitor DO34 into the BLA or the FAAH inhibitor URB597 into the CeA significantly increased ASR in females compared to vehicle-treated rats. These findings describe sex-specific effects of predator odor stress on amygdalar eCBs, and new roles for amygdalar eCBs in regulating behavior in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Albrechet-Souza
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System (SLVHCS), New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Andrei S Nastase
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Alcohol & Drug Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.,Southeast Louisiana VA Healthcare System (SLVHCS), New Orleans, LA, USA.,Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
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17
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Marsland P, Parrella A, Vore AS, Barney TM, Varlinskaya EI, Deak T. Male, but not female, Sprague Dawley rats display enhanced fear learning following acute ethanol withdrawal (hangover). Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 208:173229. [PMID: 34246729 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The present studies investigated the effects of withdrawal from a single binge-like dose of ethanol (hangover) on fear conditioning in male and female Sprague Dawley rats. In Experiment 1, males and females were given 0 or 3.5 g/kg ethanol intraperitoneally (i.p.) and then conditioned to contextual fear 24 h post injection. Withdrawal from acute ethanol enhanced expression of the conditioned freezing response in males, but not in females. Experiment 2 demonstrated that in males, withdrawal from acute ethanol administered 24 h prior to conditioning enhanced contextual fear conditioning, but not auditory-cued fear conditioning. In Experiment 3, male and female rats were given 3.5 g/kg ethanol, and blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) were assessed at various time points for determination of ethanol clearance. Female rats cleared ethanol at a higher rate than males, with 10 h required for females and 14 for males to eliminate ethanol from their systems. Because females cleared ethanol faster than males, in Experiment 4, females were conditioned 18 h after ethanol administration to keep the interval between ethanol clearance and fear conditioning similar to that of males. Withdrawal from acute ethanol given 18 h prior to conditioning did not affect both contextual and auditory-cued fear conditioning in females. In summary, these results highlight sex differences in the impact of withdrawal from acute ethanol (hangover) on fear learning; suggesting that males are more sensitive to hangover-associated enhancement of negative affect than females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Marsland
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Allissa Parrella
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Andrew S Vore
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Thaddeus M Barney
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States
| | - Terrence Deak
- Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, United States.
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18
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Bach EC, Morgan JW, Ewin SE, Barth SH, Raab-Graham KF, Weiner JL. Chronic Ethanol Exposures Leads to a Negative Affective State in Female Rats That Is Accompanied by a Paradoxical Decrease in Ventral Hippocampus Excitability. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:669075. [PMID: 33994940 PMCID: PMC8119765 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.669075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) differentially impacts men and women and a growing body of evidence points to sex-dependent adaptations in a number of brain regions. In a prior study, we explored the effect of a chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) model of AUD on neuronal and molecular adaptations in the dorsal and ventral domains of the hippocampus (dHC and vHC, respectively) in male rats. We found the vHC to be particularly sensitive to CIE, showing an increase in neuronal excitability and synaptic proteins associated with augmented excitation. These findings were accompanied by a CIE-dependent increase in anxiety-like behaviors. To explore sex-dependent adaptations in the hippocampus, we conducted a similar study in female rats. CIE-treated female rats showed a relatively modest increase in anxiety-like behaviors along with a robust increase in depressive-like measures. Despite both sexes showing clear evidence of a negative affective state following CIE, the vHC of females showed a decrease, rather than an increase, in neuronal excitability. In line with the reduced sensitivity to neural adaptations in the dHC of male rats, we were unable to identify any functional changes in the dHC of females. The functional changes of the vHC in female rats could not be explained by altered expression levels of a number of proteins typically associated with changes in neuronal excitability. Taken together, these findings point to sex as a major factor in CIE-dependent hippocampal adaptations that should be explored further to better understand possible gender differences in the etiology and treatment of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Bach
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - James W Morgan
- Department of Anesthesia, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Sarah E Ewin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Samuel H Barth
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Kimberly F Raab-Graham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jeffrey L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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19
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Piggott VM, Lloyd SC, Matchynski JI, Perrine SA, Conti AC. Traumatic Stress, Chronic Ethanol Exposure, or the Combination, Alter Cannabinoid System Components in Reward and Limbic Regions of the Mouse Brain. Molecules 2021; 26:2086. [PMID: 33917316 PMCID: PMC8038692 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26072086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The cannabinoid system is independently affected by stress and chronic ethanol exposure. However, the extent to which co-occurrence of traumatic stress and chronic ethanol exposure modulates the cannabinoid system remains unclear. We examined levels of cannabinoid system components, anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, fatty acid amide hydrolase, and monoacylglycerol lipase after mouse single-prolonged stress (mSPS) or non-mSPS (Control) exposure, with chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor or without CIE vapor (Air) across several brain regions using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry or immunoblotting. Compared to mSPS-Air mice, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol levels in the anterior striatum were increased in mSPS-CIE mice. In the dorsal hippocampus, anandamide content was increased in Control-CIE mice compared to Control-Air, mSPS-Air, or mSPS-CIE mice. Finally, amygdalar anandamide content was increased in Control-CIE mice compared to Control-Air, or mSPS-CIE mice, but the anandamide content was decreased in mSPS-CIE compared to mSPS-Air mice. Based on these data we conclude that the effects of combined traumatic stress and chronic ethanol exposure on the cannabinoid system in reward pathway regions are driven by CIE exposure and that traumatic stress affects the cannabinoid components in limbic regions, warranting future investigation of neurotherapeutic treatment to attenuate these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M. Piggott
- Research & Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (V.M.P.); (S.C.L.); (J.I.M.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Scott C. Lloyd
- Research & Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (V.M.P.); (S.C.L.); (J.I.M.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - James I. Matchynski
- Research & Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (V.M.P.); (S.C.L.); (J.I.M.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Shane A. Perrine
- Research & Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (V.M.P.); (S.C.L.); (J.I.M.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Alana C. Conti
- Research & Development Service, John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48201, USA; (V.M.P.); (S.C.L.); (J.I.M.); (S.A.P.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
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20
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Rossetti MG, Patalay P, Mackey S, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Hutchison K, Li CSR, Martin-Santos R, Momenan R, Sinha R, Schmaal L, Sjoerds Z, Solowij N, Suo C, van Holst RJ, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Garavan H, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Gender-related neuroanatomical differences in alcohol dependence: findings from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102636. [PMID: 33857771 PMCID: PMC8065340 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We tested gender differences in brain volumes of alcohol dependent vs control groups. Group differences in brain volumes emerged as gross and widespread. Group-by-gender effects emerged in selected brain regions (cerebellum, amygdala) In dependent users, greater alcohol use predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volume. Our results highlight the need to account for gender differences in MRI studies of alcohol dependence.
Gender-related differences in the susceptibility, progression and clinical outcomes of alcohol dependence are well-known. However, the neurobiological substrates underlying such differences remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gender differences in the neuroanatomy (i.e. regional brain volumes) of alcohol dependence. We examined the volume of a priori regions of interest (i.e., orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, pallidum, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum) and global brain measures (i.e., total grey matter (GM), total white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid). Volumes were compared between 660 people with alcohol dependence (228 women) and 326 controls (99 women) recruited from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group, accounting for intracranial volume, age and education years. Compared to controls, individuals with alcohol dependence on average had (3–9%) smaller volumes of the hippocampus (bilateral), putamen (left), pallidum (left), thalamus (right), corpus callosum, total GM and WM, and cerebellar GM (bilateral), the latter more prominently in women (right). Alcohol-dependent men showed smaller amygdala volume than control men, but this effect was unclear among women. In people with alcohol dependence, more monthly standard drinks predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volumes. The neuroanatomical differences associated with alcohol dependence emerged as gross and widespread, while those associated with a specific gender may be confined to selected brain regions. These findings warrant future neuroscience research to account for gender differences in alcohol dependence to further understand the neurobiological effects of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gloria Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, IOE and Population Health Sciences, UCL, United Kingdom
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural & Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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21
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Effects of inflammatory pain on CB1 receptor in the midbrain periaqueductal gray. Pain Rep 2021; 6:e897. [PMID: 33693301 PMCID: PMC7939232 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Western blot and GTPγS analyses reveal inflammatory pain–induced adaptations in the midbrain periaqueductal gray, which is critically involved in descending pain modulation. Pain upregulates the expression of the CB1 receptor and increases G-protein coupling in the periaqueductal gray. Introduction: The periaqueductal gray (PAG) mediates the antinociceptive properties of analgesics, including opioids and cannabinoids. Administration of either opioids or cannabinoids into the PAG induces antinociception. However, most studies characterizing the antinociceptive properties of cannabinoids in the PAG have been conducted in naive animals. Few studies have reported on the role of CB1 receptors in the PAG during conditions which would prompt the administration of analgesics, namely, during pain states. Objectives: To examine inflammatory pain-induced changes in CB1 receptor expression and function in the midbrain periaqueductal gray. Methods: In this study, we used the Complete Freund Adjuvant model to characterize CB1 receptor expression and G-protein coupling during persistent inflammatory pain. Results: Inflammatory pain induced an upregulation in the expression of synaptic CB1 receptors in the PAG. Despite this pain-induced change in CB1 expression, there was no corresponding upregulation of CB1 mRNA after the induction of inflammatory pain, suggesting a pain-induced recruitment of CB1 receptors to the synaptic sites within PAG neurons or increased coupling efficiency between the receptor and effector systems. Inflammatory pain also enhanced ventrolateral PAG CB1 receptor activity, as there was an increase in CP55,940-stimulated G-protein activation compared with pain-naïve control animals. Conclusion: These findings complement a growing body of evidence which demonstrate pain-induced changes in brain regions that are responsible for both the analgesic and rewarding properties of analgesic pharmacotherapies. Because much of our understanding of the pharmacology of cannabinoids is based on studies which use largely pain-naïve male animals, this work fills in important gaps in the knowledge base by incorporating pain-induced adaptations and cannabinoid pharmacology in females.
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22
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Doncheck EM, Liddiard GT, Konrath CD, Liu X, Yu L, Urbanik LA, Herbst MR, DeBaker MC, Raddatz N, Van Newenhizen EC, Mathy J, Gilmartin MR, Liu QS, Hillard CJ, Mantsch JR. Sex, stress, and prefrontal cortex: influence of biological sex on stress-promoted cocaine seeking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1974-1985. [PMID: 32303052 PMCID: PMC7547655 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0674-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Clinical reports suggest that females diagnosed with substance use disorder experience enhanced relapse vulnerability compared with males, particularly during stress. We previously demonstrated that a stressor (footshock) can potentiate cocaine seeking in male rats via glucocorticoid-dependent cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R)-mediated actions in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PrL-PFC). Here, we investigated the influence of biological sex on stress-potentiated cocaine seeking. Despite comparable self-administration and extinction, females displayed a lower threshold for cocaine-primed reinstatement than males. Unlike males, footshock, tested across a range of intensities, failed to potentiate cocaine-primed reinstatement in females. However, restraint potentiated reinstatement in both sexes. While sex differences in stressor-induced plasma corticosterone (CORT) elevations and defensive behaviors were not observed, differences were evident in footshock-elicited ultrasonic vocalizations. CORT administration, at a dose which recapitulates stressor-induced plasma levels, reproduced stress-potentiated cocaine-primed reinstatement in both sexes. In females, CORT effects varied across the estrous cycle; CORT-potentiated reinstatement was only observed during diestrus and proestrus. As in males, CORT-potentiated cocaine seeking in females was localized to the PrL-PFC and both CORT- and restraint-potentiated cocaine seeking required PrL-PFC CB1R activation. In addition, ex vivo whole-cell electrophysiological recordings from female layer V PrL-PFC pyramidal neurons revealed CB1R-dependent CORT-induced suppression of inhibitory synaptic activity, as previously observed in males. These findings demonstrate that, while stress potentiates cocaine seeking via PrL-PFC CB1R in both sexes, sensitivity to cocaine priming injections is greater in females, CORT-potentiating effects vary with the estrous cycle, and whether reactivity to specific stressors may manifest as drug seeking depends on biological sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Gage T Liddiard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Chaz D Konrath
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Laikang Yu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Luke A Urbanik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Matthew R Herbst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Margot C DeBaker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Nicholas Raddatz
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | | | - Jacob Mathy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Marieke R Gilmartin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA.
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23
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Perry CJ, Campbell EJ, Drummond KD, Lum JS, Kim JH. Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: Impact of early life stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:963-981. [PMID: 33025572 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic events during early life have been linked with later life psychopathology. To understand this risk factor, researchers have studied the effects of prenatal and postnatal early life stress on neurochemical changes. Here we review the rodent literature on sex differences and sex-specific impact of early life stress on frontal cortex neurochemistry. This region is implicated in regulating motivation and emotion, which are often disrupted in psychological disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in particular is one of the last brain regions to develop, and there are sex differences in the rate of this development. To draw direct comparisons between sexes, our review of the literature was restricted to studies where the effects of prenatal or postnatal stress had been described in male and female littermates. This literature included research describing glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), corticosteroids, monoamines, and cannabinoids. We found that sex-dependent effects of stress are mediated by the age at which stress is experienced, age at test, and type of stress endured. More research is required, particularly into the effects of adolescent stress on male and female littermates. We hope that a greater understanding of sex-specific susceptibilities in response to stress across development will help to uncover risk factors for psychological disorders in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Jeremy S Lum
- Neuropharmacology and Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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24
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Abstract
Sex differences may play a critical role in modulating how chronic or heavy alcohol use impacts the brain to cause the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD is a multifaceted and complex disorder driven by changes in key neurobiological structures that regulate executive function, memory, and stress. A three-stage framework of addiction (binge/intoxication; withdrawal/negative affect; preoccupation/anticipation) has been useful for conceptualizing the complexities of AUD and other addictions. Initially, alcohol drinking causes short-term effects that involve signaling mediated by several neurotransmitter systems such as dopamine, corticotropin releasing factor, and glutamate. With continued intoxication, alcohol leads to dysfunctional behaviors that are thought to be due in part to alterations of these and other neurotransmitter systems, along with alterations in neural pathways connecting prefrontal and limbic structures. Using the three-stage framework, this review highlights examples of research examining sex differences in drinking and differential modulation of neural systems contributing to the development of AUD. New insights addressing the role of sex differences in AUD are advancing the field forward by uncovering the complex interactions that mediate vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather N Richardson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
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25
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Vaporized Cannabis Extracts Have Reinforcing Properties and Support Conditioned Drug-Seeking Behavior in Rats. J Neurosci 2020; 40:1897-1908. [PMID: 31953372 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2416-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent trends in cannabis legalization have increased the necessity to better understand the effects of cannabis use. Animal models involving traditional cannabinoid self-administration approaches have been notoriously difficult to establish and differences in the drug used and its route of administration have limited the translational value of preclinical studies. To address this challenge in the field, we have developed a novel method of cannabis self-administration using response-contingent delivery of vaporized Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-rich (CANTHC) or cannabidiol-rich (CANCBD) whole-plant cannabis extracts. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to nose-poke for discrete puffs of CANTHC, CANCBD, or vehicle (VEH) in daily 1 h sessions. Cannabis vapor reinforcement resulted in strong discrimination between active and inactive operanda. CANTHC maintained higher response rates under fixed ratio schedules and higher break points under progressive ratio schedules compared with CANCBD or VEH, and the number of vapor deliveries positively correlated with plasma THC concentrations. Moreover, metabolic phenotyping studies revealed alterations in locomotor activity, energy expenditure, and daily food intake that are consistent with effects in human cannabis users. Furthermore, both cannabis regimens produced ecologically relevant brain concentrations of THC and CBD and CANTHC administration decreased hippocampal CB1 receptor binding. Removal of CANTHC reinforcement (but not CANCBD) resulted in a robust extinction burst and an increase in cue-induced cannabis-seeking behavior relative to VEH. These data indicate that volitional exposure to THC-rich cannabis vapor has bona fide reinforcing properties and collectively support the utility of the vapor self-administration model for the preclinical assessment of volitional cannabis intake and cannabis-seeking behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The evolving legal landscape concerning recreational cannabis use has increased urgency to better understand its effects on the brain and behavior. Animal models are advantageous in this respect; however, current approaches typically used forced injections of synthetic cannabinoids or isolated cannabis constituents that may not capture the complex effects of volitional cannabis consumption. We have developed a novel model of cannabis self-administration using response-contingent delivery of vaporized cannabis extracts containing high concentrations of Δ9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol. Our data indicate that THC-rich cannabis vapor has reinforcing properties that support stable rates of responding and conditioned drug-seeking behavior. This approach will be valuable for interrogating effects of cannabis and delineating neural mechanisms that give rise to aberrant cannabis-seeking behavior.
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26
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Basavarajappa BS, Joshi V, Shivakumar M, Subbanna S. Distinct functions of endogenous cannabinoid system in alcohol abuse disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:3085-3109. [PMID: 31265740 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinol, the principal active component in Cannabis sativa extracts such as marijuana, participates in cell signalling by binding to cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors on the cell surface. The CB1 receptors are present in both inhibitory and excitatory presynaptic terminals and the CB2 receptors are found in neuronal subpopulations in addition to microglial cells and astrocytes and are present in both presynaptic and postsynaptic terminals. Subsequent to the discovery of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, studies have suggested that alcohol alters the eCB system and that this system plays a major role in the motivation to abuse alcohol. Preclinical studies have provided evidence that chronic alcohol consumption modulates eCBs and expression of CB1 receptors in brain addiction circuits. In addition, studies have further established the distinct function of the eCB system in the development of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This review provides a recent and comprehensive assessment of the literature related to the function of the eCB system in alcohol abuse disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balapal S Basavarajappa
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vikram Joshi
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Madhu Shivakumar
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Shivakumar Subbanna
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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27
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Endocannabinoid System and Alcohol Abuse Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1162:89-127. [PMID: 31332736 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21737-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the primary active component in Cannabis sativa preparations such as hashish and marijuana, signals by binding to cell surface receptors. Two types of receptors have been cloned and characterized as cannabinoid (CB) receptors. CB1 receptors (CB1R) are ubiquitously present in the central nervous system (CNS) and are present in both inhibitory interneurons and excitatory neurons at the presynaptic terminal. CB2 receptors (CB2R) are demonstrated in microglial cells, astrocytes, and several neuron subpopulations and are present in both pre- and postsynaptic terminals. The majority of studies on these receptors have been conducted in the past two and half decades after the identification of the molecular constituents of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system that started with the characterization of CB1R. Subsequently, the seminal discovery was made, which suggested that alcohol (ethanol) alters the eCB system, thus establishing the contribution of the eCB system in the motivation to consume ethanol. Several preclinical studies have provided evidence that CB1R significantly contributes to the motivational and reinforcing properties of ethanol and that the chronic consumption of ethanol alters eCB transmitters and CB1R expression in the brain nuclei associated with addiction pathways. Additionally, recent seminal studies have further established the role of the eCB system in the development of ethanol-induced developmental disorders, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These results are augmented by in vitro and ex vivo studies, showing that acute and chronic treatment with ethanol produces physiologically relevant alterations in the function of the eCB system during development and in the adult stage. This chapter provides a current and comprehensive review of the literature concerning the role of the eCB system in alcohol abuse disorders (AUD).
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28
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Modulation of the endocannabinoid system by sex hormones: Implications for posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 94:302-320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Stolf AR, Cupertino RB, Müller D, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Roman T, Vitola ES, Grevet EH, von Diemen L, Kessler FHP, Grassi-Oliveira R, Bau CHD, Rovaris DL, Pechansky F, Schuch JB. Effects of DRD2 splicing-regulatory polymorphism and DRD4 48 bp VNTR on crack cocaine addiction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 126:193-199. [PMID: 30367264 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that dopamine receptors D2 (DRD2) and D4 (DRD4) polymorphisms may influence substance use disorders (SUD) susceptibility both individually and through their influence in the formation of DRD2-DRD4 heteromers. The dopaminergic role on the vulnerability to addiction appears to be influenced by sex. A cross-sectional study with 307 crack cocaine addicts and 770 controls was conducted. The influence of DRD2 rs2283265 and DRD4 48 bp VNTR in exon 3 variants, as well as their interaction on crack cocaine addiction susceptibility and severity were evaluated in women and men separately. An association between the DRD2 T allele and crack cocaine addiction was found in women. In this same group, interaction analysis demonstrated that the presence of DRD2-T allele and concomitant absence of DRD4-7R allele were associated with risk for crack cocaine addiction. No influence of DRD2 and DRD4 variants was observed in men regarding addiction severity. This study reinforces the role of dopaminergic genes in externalizing behaviors, especially the influence of DRD2-DRD4 interaction on SUD. This is the fourth sample that independently associated the DRD2-DRD4 interaction with SUD itself or related disorders. In addition, our findings point out to a potential difference of dopaminergic neurotransmission across sex influencing addiction susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson R Stolf
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Renata B Cupertino
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diana Müller
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Breno Sanvicente-Vieira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Roman
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Vitola
- ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eugenio H Grevet
- ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lisia von Diemen
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felix H P Kessler
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claiton H D Bau
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diego L Rovaris
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Flavio Pechansky
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B Schuch
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 81, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.
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Berger AL, Henricks AM, Lugo JM, Wright HR, Warrick CR, Sticht MA, Morena M, Bonilla I, Laredo SA, Craft RM, Parsons LH, Grandes PR, Hillard CJ, Hill MN, McLaughlin RJ. The Lateral Habenula Directs Coping Styles Under Conditions of Stress via Recruitment of the Endocannabinoid System. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:611-623. [PMID: 29887035 PMCID: PMC6162143 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to effectively cope with stress is a critical determinant of disease susceptibility. The lateral habenula (LHb) and the endocannabinoid (ECB) system have independently been shown to be involved in the selection of stress coping strategies, yet the role of ECB signaling in the LHb remains unknown. METHODS Using a battery of complementary techniques in rats, we examined the localization of type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) and assessed the behavioral and neuroendocrine effects of intra-LHb CB1R manipulations. We further tested the extent to which the ECB system in the LHb is impacted following chronic unpredictable stress or social defeat stress, and whether manipulation of LHb CB1Rs can bias coping strategies in rats with a history of chronic stress. RESULTS Electron microscopy studies revealed CB1R expression on presynaptic axon terminals, postsynaptic membranes, mitochondria, and glial processes in the rat LHb. In vivo microdialysis experiments indicated that acute stress increased the amount of 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the LHb, while intra-LHb CB1R blockade increased basal corticosterone, augmented proactive coping strategies, and reduced anxiety-like behavior. Basal LHb 2-arachidonoylglycerol content was similarly elevated in rats that were subjected to chronic unpredictable stress or social defeat stress and positively correlated with adrenal weight. Finally, intra-LHb CB1R blockade increased proactive behaviors in response to a novel conspecific, increasing approach behaviors irrespective of stress history and decreasing the latency to be attacked during an agonistic encounter. CONCLUSIONS Alterations in LHb ECB signaling may be relevant for development of stress-related pathologies in which LHb dysfunction and stress-coping impairments are hallmark symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L Berger
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Angela M Henricks
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Janelle M Lugo
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Hayden R Wright
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Collin R Warrick
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Martin A Sticht
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Maria Morena
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Itziar Bonilla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain; Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain
| | - Sarah A Laredo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Rebecca M Craft
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
| | - Loren H Parsons
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - Pedro R Grandes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain; Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Leioa, Spain; Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Cecilia J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Matthew N Hill
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ryan J McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.
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Deficient endocannabinoid signaling in the central amygdala contributes to alcohol dependence-related anxiety-like behavior and excessive alcohol intake. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1840-1850. [PMID: 29748627 PMCID: PMC6046053 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0055-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Negative emotional states that are associated with excessive alcohol intake, particularly anxiety-like states, have been linked to opponent processes in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), affecting stress-related transmitters and monoamines. This study extends these observations to include endocannabinoid signaling in alcohol-dependent animals. Rats and mice were exposed to chronic intermittent alcohol with vapor inhalation or liquid diet to induce dependence. In vivo microdialysis was used to estimate interstitial concentrations of endocannabinoids [N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)] and amino acids (glutamate and GABA) in rat CeA. Additionally, we evaluated the inhibition of endocannabinoids clearance enzymes [monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase] on anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent rats and mice. Results revealed that alcohol dependence produced decreases in baseline 2-AG dialysate levels and increases in baseline levels of glutamate and GABA. Acute alcohol abstinence induced an enhancement of these dependence-induced effects and the levels of 2-AG and GABA were restored upon alcohol re-exposure. Additional studies showed that the increased CeA 2-AG levels induced by restraint stress and alcohol self-administration were blunted in alcohol-dependent rats. Pharmacological studies in rats and mice showed that anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption were increased in alcohol-dependent animals, and these behavioral effects were attenuated mainly by MAGL inhibitors [MJN110 (10 and 20 mg/kg) in rats and JZL184 (1 and 3 mg/kg) in mice]. The present results suggest a key role for endocannabinoid signaling in motivational neuroadaptations during alcohol dependence, in which a deficiency in CeA 2-AG signaling in alcohol-dependent animals is linked to stress and excessive alcohol consumption.
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Blockade of alcohol escalation and "relapse" drinking by pharmacological FAAH inhibition in male and female C57BL/6J mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2955-2970. [PMID: 28730283 PMCID: PMC5693682 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4691-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anandamide (AEA)-dependent signaling is regulated by the catabolic enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Several lines of evidence have demonstrated that FAAH and AEA are involved in the behavioral effects of alcohol. Therefore, we investigated whether a selective FAAH inhibitor, URB597 (cyclohexylcarbamic acid 3'-[aminocarbonyl]-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl ester), altered alcohol intake in mice in a voluntary alcohol drinking model. METHODS Mice, subjected to 3 weeks of chronic intermittent access (IA) in a two-bottle choice paradigm with 24-h access every other day, developed rapid escalation of alcohol intake and high preference. We evaluated the pharmacological effects of URB597 after both acute (1-day) withdrawal from chronic IA and 1-week withdrawal using the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) model. AEA and N-acyl ethanolamide (NAE) abundances were determined after chronic IA, acute (1-day), or long-term (1 and 2 weeks) withdrawal in four brain regions. RESULTS Acute pretreatment with URB597 reduced alcohol intake and preference after acute withdrawal. This effect was blocked by pretreatment with a selective type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1) antagonist, suggesting a CB1-mediated mechanism. Both single- and multiple-dosing regimens with an effective dose of URB597 prevented the ADE, with no tolerance development after the multi-dosing regimen. AEA and NAE levels were transiently increased in all brain regions measured after acute withdrawal, indicating that the endocannabinoid system is involved in acute alcohol withdrawal stress response. CONCLUSION FAAH inhibitors reduce alcohol escalation and "relapse" drinking in mice.
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A new dawn in cannabinoid neurobiology: The road from molecules to therapeutic discoveries. Neuropharmacology 2017; 124:1-2. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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