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Myers AM, Wallin CM, Richardson LM, Duran J, Neole SR, Kulaglic N, Davidson C, Perrine SA, Bowen S, Brummelte S. THE EFFECTS OF BUPRENORPHINE AND MORPHINE DURING PREGNANCY: IMPACT OF EXPOSURE LENGTH ON MATERNAL BRAIN, BEHAVIOR, AND OFFSPRING NEURODEVELOPMENT. Neuropharmacology 2024:110060. [PMID: 38960134 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110060] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The escalating incidence of opioid-related issues among pregnant women in the United States underscores the critical necessity to understand the effects of opioid use and Medication for Opioid Use Disorders (MOUDs) during pregnancy. This research employed a translational rodent model to examine the impact of gestational exposure to buprenorphine (BUP) or morphine on maternal behaviors and offspring well-being. Female rats received BUP or morphine before conception, representing established use, with exposure continuing until postnatal day 2 or discontinued on gestational day 19 to mimic treatment cessation before birth. Maternal behaviors - including care, pup retrieval, and preference - as well as hunting behaviors and brain neurotransmitter levels were assessed. Offspring were evaluated for mortality, weight, length, milk bands, surface righting latency, withdrawal symptoms, and brain neurotransmitter levels. Our results reveal that regardless of exposure length (i.e., continued or discontinued), BUP resulted in reduced maternal care in contrast to morphine-exposed and control dams. Opioid exposure altered brain monoamine levels in the dams and offspring, and was associated with increased neonatal mortality, reduced offspring weight, and elevated withdrawal symptoms compared to controls. These findings underscore BUP's potential disruption of maternal care, contributing to increased pup mortality and altered neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring. This study calls for more comprehensive research into prenatal BUP exposure effects on the maternal brain and infant development with the aim to mitigate adverse outcomes in humans exposed to opioids during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Myers
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Chela M Wallin
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | | | - Jecenia Duran
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Surbhi R Neole
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Nejra Kulaglic
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Cameron Davidson
- Dept of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Shane A Perrine
- Dept of Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Scott Bowen
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Susanne Brummelte
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
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Hampsey E, Jelen L, Young AH. Aticaprant: (a κ-opioid receptor antagonist) for major depressive disorder. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38682267 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2024.2345645] [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: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Major depression is a common, disabling mental health condition associated with the highest disease burden for any neuropsychiatric disorder worldwide, according to the WHO. Due to the imperfect efficacy and tolerability profiles of existing treatments, investigational compounds in novel treatment classes are needed. Opioid-receptor antagonists are a potential new class of treatments currently under investigation. AREAS COVERED Major depressive disorder is first overviewed. Existing treatments, both their mechanisms of action and their place within the antidepressant space, are discussed herein. Then, the profile of Aticaprant and the wider context of kappa-opioid antagonism for depression are discussed in focus. EXPERT OPINION Early evidence indicates that Aticaprant may possess desirable pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. A lack of convincing efficacy data at the time of writing precludes any definitive statement on its potential as an antidepressant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Hampsey
- Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Luke Jelen
- Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Allan H Young
- Centre for Affective Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Ma Q, Wonnacott S, Bailey SJ, Bailey CP. Sex Differences in Brain Region-Specific Activation of c-Fos following Kappa Opioid Receptor Stimulation or Acute Stress in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15098. [PMID: 37894779 PMCID: PMC10606335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptors (KOPr) are involved in the response to stress. KOPr are also targets for the treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and addiction although effects of KOPr are often sex-dependent. Here we investigated c-Fos expression in a range of brain regions in male and female mice following an acute stressor, and a single injection of KOPr agonist. Using adult C57BL/6 c-Fos-GFP transgenic mice and quantitative fluorescence microscopy, we identified brain regions activated in response to a challenge with the KOPr agonist U50,488 (20 mg/kg) or an acute stress (15 min forced swim stress, FSS). In male mice, U50,488 increased expression of c-Fos in the prelimbic area of the prefrontal cortex (PFCx), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala (BLA). In contrast, in female mice U50,488 only activated the BLA but not the PFCx or the NAcc. FSS increased activation of PFCx, NAcc, and BLA in males while there was no activation of the PFCx in female mice. In both sexes, the KOPr antagonist norBNI significantly blocked U50,488-induced, but not stress-induced activation of brain regions. In separate experiments, activated cells were confirmed as non-GABAergic neurons in the PFCx and NAcc. Together these data demonstrate sex differences in activation of brain regions that are key components of the 'reward' circuitry. These differential responses may contribute to sex differences in stress-related psychiatric disorders and in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah J. Bailey
- Correspondence: (S.J.B.); (C.P.B.); Tel.: +44-(0)1225-383-935 (C.P.B.)
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Puukila S, Siu O, Rubinstein L, Tahimic CGT, Lowe M, Tabares Ruiz S, Korostenskij I, Semel M, Iyer J, Mhatre SD, Shirazi-Fard Y, Alwood JS, Paul AM, Ronca AE. Galactic Cosmic Irradiation Alters Acute and Delayed Species-Typical Behavior in Male and Female Mice. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13051214. [PMID: 37240858 DOI: 10.3390/life13051214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to space galactic cosmic radiation is a principal consideration for deep space missions. While the effects of space irradiation on the nervous system are not fully known, studies in animal models have shown that exposure to ionizing radiation can cause neuronal damage and lead to downstream cognitive and behavioral deficits. Cognitive health implications put humans and missions at risk, and with the upcoming Artemis missions in which female crew will play a major role, advance critical analysis of the neurological and performance responses of male and female rodents to space radiation is vital. Here, we tested the hypothesis that simulated Galactic Cosmic Radiation (GCRSim) exposure disrupts species-typical behavior in mice, including burrowing, rearing, grooming, and nest-building that depend upon hippocampal and medial prefrontal cortex circuitry. Behavior comprises a remarkably well-integrated representation of the biology of the whole animal that informs overall neural and physiological status, revealing functional impairment. We conducted a systematic dose-response analysis of mature (6-month-old) male and female mice exposed to either 5, 15, or 50 cGy 5-ion GCRSim (H, Si, He, O, Fe) at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Behavioral performance was evaluated at 72 h (acute) and 91-days (delayed) postradiation exposure. Specifically, species-typical behavior patterns comprising burrowing, rearing, and grooming as well as nest building were analyzed. A Neuroscore test battery (spontaneous activity, proprioception, vibrissae touch, limb symmetry, lateral turning, forelimb outstretching, and climbing) was performed at the acute timepoint to investigate early sensorimotor deficits postirradiation exposure. Nest construction, a measure of neurological and organizational function in rodents, was evaluated using a five-stage Likert scale 'Deacon' score that ranged from 1 (a low score where the Nestlet is untouched) to 5 (a high score where the Nestlet is completely shredded and shaped into a nest). Differential acute responses were observed in females relative to males with respect to species-typical behavior following 15 cGy exposure while delayed responses were observed in female grooming following 50 cGy exposure. Significant sex differences were observed at both timepoints in nest building. No deficits in sensorimotor behavior were observed via the Neuroscore. This study revealed subtle, sexually dimorphic GCRSim exposure effects on mouse behavior. Our analysis provides a clearer understanding of GCR dose effects on species typical, sensorimotor and organizational behaviors at acute and delayed timeframes postirradiation, thereby setting the stage for the identification of underlying cellular and molecular events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Puukila
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Olivia Siu
- Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP), NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
| | - Linda Rubinstein
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Hospital, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel
| | - Candice G T Tahimic
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Moniece Lowe
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98154, USA
| | - Steffy Tabares Ruiz
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98154, USA
| | - Ivan Korostenskij
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Maya Semel
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Janani Iyer
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
- KBR, Houston, TX 77002, USA
| | - Siddhita D Mhatre
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- KBR, Houston, TX 77002, USA
| | - Yasaman Shirazi-Fard
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Joshua S Alwood
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Amber M Paul
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98154, USA
| | - April E Ronca
- NASA, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Wake Forest Medical School, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
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Ho EV, Welch A, Thompson SL, Knowles JA, Dulawa SC. Mice lacking Ptprd exhibit deficits in goal-directed behavior and female-specific impairments in sensorimotor gating. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0277446. [PMID: 37205689 PMCID: PMC10198499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase receptor type D (PTPRD) is a member of the protein tyrosine phosphatase family that mediates cell adhesion and synaptic specification. Genetic studies have linked Ptprd to several neuropsychiatric phenotypes, including Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), opioid abuse disorder, and antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of either pediatric obsessive-compulsive traits, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), have identified loci near PTPRD as genome-wide significant, or strongly suggestive for this trait. We assessed Ptprd wild-type (WT), heterozygous (HT), and knockout (KO) mice for behavioral dimensions that are altered in OCD, including anxiety and exploration (open field test, dig test), perseverative behavior (splash-induced grooming, spatial d), sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition), and home cage goal-directed behavior (nest building). No effect of genotype was observed in any measure of the open field test, dig test, or splash test. However, Ptprd KO mice of both sexes showed impairments in nest building behavior. Finally, female, but not male, Ptprd KO mice showed deficits in prepulse inhibition, an operational measure of sensorimotor gating that is reduced in female, but not male, OCD patients. Our results indicate that constitutive lack of Ptprd may contribute to the development of certain domains that are altered OCD, including goal-directed behavior, and reduced sensorimotor gating specifically in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily V. Ho
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego1, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Amanda Welch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Summer L. Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - James A. Knowles
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY, United States of America
| | - Stephanie C. Dulawa
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego1, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
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Baynard C, Prisinzano TE, Butelman ER. Rapid-Onset Anti-Stress Effects of a Kappa-Opioid Receptor Antagonist, LY2795050, Against Immobility in an Open Space Swim Paradigm in Male and Female Mice. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:775317. [PMID: 34880762 PMCID: PMC8645979 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.775317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) / dynorphin system is implicated with behavioral and neurobiological effects of stress exposure (including heavy exposure to drugs of abuse) in translational animal models. Thus some KOR-antagonists can decrease the aversive, depressant-like and anxiety-like effects caused by stress exposure. The first generation of selective KOR-antagonists have slow onsets (hours) and extremely long durations of action (days-weeks), in vivo. A new generation of KOR antagonists with rapid onset and shorter duration of action can potentially decrease the effects of stress exposure in translational models, and may be of interest for medication development. This study examined the rapid onset anti-stress effects of one of the shorter acting novel KOR-antagonists (LY2795050, (3-chloro-4-(4-(((2S)-2-pyridin-3-ylpyrrolidin-1-yl)methyl) phenoxy)benzamide)) in a single-session open space swim (OSS) stress paradigm (15 min duration), in adult male and female C57BL/6 J mice. LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg, i.p.) had rapid onset (within 15 min) and short duration (<3 h) of KOR-antagonist effects, based on its blockade of the locomotor depressant effects of the KOR-agonist U50,488 (10 mg/kg). LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg), when administered only 1 min prior to the OSS stress paradigm, decreased immobility in males, but not females. With a slightly longer pretreatment time (15 min), this dose of LY2795050 decreased immobility in both males and females. A 10-fold smaller dose of LY2795050 (0.032 mg/kg) was inactive in the OSS, showing dose-dependence of this anti-stress effect. Overall, these studies show that a novel KOR-antagonist can produce very rapid onset anti-immobility effects in this model of acute stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Baynard
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Thomas E Prisinzano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Eduardo R Butelman
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
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Beaver JN, Gilman TL. Salt as a non-caloric behavioral modifier: A review of evidence from pre-clinical studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 135:104385. [PMID: 34634356 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Though excess salt intake is well-accepted as a dietary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, relatively little has been explored about how it impacts behavior, despite the ubiquity of salt in modern diets. Given the challenges of manipulating salt intake in humans, non-human animals provide a more tractable means for evaluating behavioral sequelae of high salt. By describing what is known about the impact of elevated salt on behavior, this review highlights how underexplored salt's behavioral effects are. Increased salt consumption in adulthood does not affect spontaneous anxiety-related behaviors or locomotor activity, nor acquisition of maze or fear tasks, but does impede expression of spatial/navigational and fear memory. Nest building is reduced by heightened salt in adults, and stress responsivity is augmented. When excess salt exposure occurs during development, and/or to parents, offspring locomotion is increased, and both spatial memory expression and social investigation are attenuated. The largely consistent findings reviewed here indicate expanded study of salt's effects will likely uncover broader behavioral implications, particularly in the scarcely studied female sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin N Beaver
- Department of Psychological Sciences & Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.
| | - T Lee Gilman
- Department of Psychological Sciences & Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA.
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Butelman ER, Baynard C, McElroy BD, Prisinzano TE, Kreek MJ. Profile of a short-acting κ-antagonist, LY2795050, on self-grooming behaviors, forced swim test and locomotor activity: sex comparison in mice. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:579-590. [PMID: 33769112 DOI: 10.1177/0269881121996883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel short-acting κ(kappa)-opioid receptor selective antagonists are translational tools to examine the impact of the κ-receptor/dynorphin system in assays related to central nervous system dysfunction (e.g., substance use disorders, anhedonia and depression). The effects of such compounds have been compared in males and females under very limited conditions. AIMS The goal of this study was to examine potential sex differences in the effects of a κ-agonist and a short-acting κ-antagonist in an ethologically relevant test of anhedonia, the "splash test" of self-grooming, and also in the forced swim test and in locomotor activity. METHODS We examined the dose-dependence of grooming deficits caused by the κ-agonist U50,488 (0.1-3.2 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)) in gonadally intact adult male and female C57BL/6J mice. We then compared the effects of the short-acting κ-antagonist LY2795050 ((3-chloro-4-(4-(((2S)-2-pyridin-3-ylpyrrolidin-1-yl)methyl) phenoxy)benzamide)); 0.032-0.1 mg/kg i.p.) in blocking grooming deficits caused by U50,488 (3.2 mg/kg). The effects of LY2795050 were also studied in the forced swim test (FST). The effects of LY2795050 in blocking the locomotor depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg) were also studied. RESULTS U50,488 produced dose-dependent grooming deficits in male and female mice, and LY2795050 prevented these effects. In contrast, LY2795050 decreased immobility in the FST in males at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg, but not in females, up to a dose of 0.32 mg/kg. Also, LY2795050 (0.32 mg/kg) prevented and also reversed the locomotor-depressant effects of U50,488 (10 mg/kg), in males and females. CONCLUSIONS This study further implicates the κ-receptor system in ethologically relevant aspects of anhedonia, and confirms sexual dimorphism in some behavioral effects of novel κ-antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo R Butelman
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Caroline Baynard
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | - Bryan D McElroy
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | | | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
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The kappa opioid receptor antagonist aticaprant reverses behavioral effects from unpredictable chronic mild stress in male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:3715-3728. [PMID: 32894343 PMCID: PMC7686052 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05649-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Major depressive disorder is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is likely precipitated by chronic stress. Although many antidepressants are currently available, these drugs require weeks to months of daily administration before reduction of symptoms occurs and many patients remain treatment-resistant despite several courses of treatment. There is a pressing need for new treatments for stress-related disorders. Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) are a promising new therapeutic target for major depressive disorder and anhedonia because acute KOR blockade prevents many effects of stress in rodents. OBJECTIVES The following study assessed whether repeated treatment with the selective KOR antagonist aticaprant (also known as JNJ-67953964, and previously LY-2456302 and CERC-501) was effective in reversing behaviors in rodents following exposure to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). METHODS Adult male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to 4 weeks of UCMS. After 3 weeks of stress, aticaprant (10 mg/kg) was administered daily for 11 treatments. Behavioral assessments included the sucrose preference test, nesting, forced swim test, hot plate test, light-dark test, and social interaction test. RESULTS Aticaprant significantly reversed stress-induced deficits produced by UCMS on the SPT, nesting, FST, and hot plate test. The effects of aticaprant persisted through a stress and treatment recovery period. Aticaprant was not effective at reversing behavioral effects caused by stress in the light-dark and social interaction tests. CONCLUSIONS The results support further study of the role of KORs in regulating circuits related to reward, self-care, and cognition when they are disrupted by chronic stress. They are also consistent with the clinical development of aticaprant as a therapeutic for stress-related disorders targeted at anhedonia, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
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