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D'Souza MS. Brain and Cognition for Addiction Medicine: From Prevention to Recovery Neural Substrates for Treatment of Psychostimulant-Induced Cognitive Deficits. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:509. [PMID: 31396113 PMCID: PMC6667748 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Addiction to psychostimulants like cocaine, methamphetamine, and nicotine poses a continuing medical and social challenge both in the United States and all over the world. Despite a desire to quit drug use, return to drug use after a period of abstinence is a common problem among individuals dependent on psychostimulants. Recovery for psychostimulant drug-dependent individuals is particularly challenging because psychostimulant drugs induce significant changes in brain regions associated with cognitive functions leading to cognitive deficits. These cognitive deficits include impairments in learning/memory, poor decision making, and impaired control of behavioral output. Importantly, these drug-induced cognitive deficits often impact adherence to addiction treatment programs and predispose abstinent addicts to drug use relapse. Additionally, these cognitive deficits impact effective social and professional rehabilitation of abstinent addicts. The goal of this paper is to review neural substrates based on animal studies that could be pharmacologically targeted to reverse psychostimulant-induced cognitive deficits such as impulsivity and impairment in learning and memory. Further, the review will discuss neural substrates that could be used to facilitate extinction learning and thus reduce emotional and behavioral responses to drug-associated cues. Moreover, the review will discuss some non-pharmacological approaches that could be used either alone or in combination with pharmacological compounds to treat the above-mentioned cognitive deficits. Psychostimulant addiction treatment, which includes treatment for cognitive deficits, will help promote abstinence and allow for better rehabilitation and integration of abstinent individuals into society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoranjan S D'Souza
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH, United States
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Zhou Y, Kreek MJ. Involvement of Activated Brain Stress Responsive Systems in Excessive and "Relapse" Alcohol Drinking in Rodent Models: Implications for Therapeutics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2018; 366:9-20. [PMID: 29669731 PMCID: PMC5988024 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.245621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Addictive diseases, including addiction to alcohol, pose massive public health costs. Addiction is a chronic relapsing disease caused by both the direct effects induced by drugs and persistent neuroadaptations at the molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels. These drug-type specific neuroadaptations are brought on largely by the reinforcing effects of drugs on the central nervous system and environmental stressors. Results from animal experiments have demonstrated important interactions between alcohol and stress-responsive systems. Addiction to specific drugs such as alcohol, psychostimulants, and opioids shares some common direct or downstream effects on the brain's stress-responsive systems, including arginine vasopressin and its V1b receptors, dynorphin and the κ-opioid receptors, pro-opiomelanocortin/β-endorphin and the μ-opioid receptors, and the endocannabinoids. Further study of these systems through laboratory-based and translational research could lead to the discovery of novel treatment targets and the early optimization of interventions (for example, combination) for the pharmacologic therapy of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Laboratory of Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, New York
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Godino A, Renard GM. Effects of alcohol and psychostimulants on the vasopressin system: behavioral implications. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12611. [PMID: 29802803 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic brain disease characterized by a compulsion to seek drugs, a loss of control with respect to drug consumption, and negative emotional states, including increased anxiety and irritability during withdrawal. Central vasopressin (AVP) and its receptors are involved in controlling social behavior, anxiety and reward, all of which are altered by drugs of abuse. Hypothalamic AVP neurons influence the stress response by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The extrahypothalamic AVP system, however, is commonly associated with social recognition, motivational and anxiety responses. The specific relationship between AVP and drugs of abuse has been rarely reviewed. Here, we provide an overview of the interaction between the brain AVP system and psychostimulants and alcohol. We focus on the effects of alcohol and psychostimulants on AVP regulation of the HPA axis, their effect on the brain AVP system and their behavioral implications, the influence of the AVP system on addictive behaviors, AVP's organizational effects on the brain and consequently on behavior, and we highlight clinical studies on the relation between the AVP system and drug addiction. Finally, we discuss the data to address areas that need further research to support clinical trials and prevent drug-related disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Godino
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Casilla de Correo 389-5000, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de CórdobaCórdoba, Argentina
| | - Georgina M Renard
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Nelson BS, Sequeira MK, Schank JR. Bidirectional relationship between alcohol intake and sensitivity to social defeat: association with Tacr1 and Avp expression. Addict Biol 2018; 23:142-153. [PMID: 28150369 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
While epidemiological studies show that alcohol abuse is often co-morbid with affective disorders, the causal direction of this association is unclear. We examined this relationship using mouse models including social defeat stress (SDS), social interaction (SI) and voluntary alcohol consumption. C57BL6/J mice exposed to SDS segregate into two subpopulations, those that express depressive-like phenotypes ('susceptible') and those that do not ('resilient'). First, we stratified SDS-exposed mice and measured their voluntary alcohol consumption. Next, we determined whether SI behavior in alcohol-naïve mice could predict alcohol intake. Finally, we assessed the effect of binge-like alcohol exposure on sensitivity to SDS. We quantified Tacr1 (neurokinin-1 receptor gene) and Avp (vasopressin peptide gene) mRNA in brain regions involved in depression, addiction and social behavior. We found that susceptible mice consumed more alcohol compared with resilient mice, suggesting that depression-like phenotypes associate with increased alcohol intake. Interestingly, we observed a negative correlation between SI and alcohol intake in stress- and alcohol-naïve mice, suggesting that individual differences in SI associate with alcohol preference. Finally, alcohol pre-treatment increased sensitivity to SDS, indicating that alcohol exposure alters sensitivity to social stress. Quantification of mRNA revealed that increased expression of Tacr1 and Avp generally associated with decreased SI and increased alcohol intake. C57BL6/J mice are an inbred strain; thus, it is likely that individual differences in behavior and gene expression are driven by epigenetic factors. Collectively, these results support a bidirectional relationship between alcohol exposure and susceptibility to stress that is associated with variations in neuropeptide expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britta S. Nelson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Georgia; GA USA
| | - Michelle K. Sequeira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Georgia; GA USA
| | - Jesse R. Schank
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Georgia; GA USA
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Collins D, Randesi M, da Rosa JC, Zhang Y, Kreek MJ. Oprm1 A112G, a single nucleotide polymorphism, alters expression of stress-responsive genes in multiple brain regions in male and female mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2703-2711. [PMID: 30027498 PMCID: PMC6132675 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND OPRM1 A118G, a functional human mu-opioid receptor (MOR) polymorphism, is associated with drug dependence and altered stress responsivity in humans as well as altered MOR signaling. MOR signaling can regulate many cellular processes, including gene expression, and many of the long-term, stable effects of drugs and stress may stem from changes in gene expression in diverse brain regions. A mouse model bearing an equivalent polymorphism (Oprm1 A112G) was previously generated and studied. Mice homozygous for the G112 allele show differences in opioid- and stress-related phenotypes. APPROACH The current study examines the expression of 24 genes related to drug and stress responsivity in the caudoputamen, nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala of drug-naïve, stress-minimized, male and female mice homozygous for either the G112 variant allele or the wild-type A112 allele. RESULTS We detected nominal genotype-dependent changes in gene expression of multiple genes. We also detected nominal sex-dependent as well as sex-by-genotype interaction effects on gene expression. Of these, four genotype-dependent differences survived correction for multiple testing: Avp and Gal in the hypothalamus and Oprl1 and Cnr1 in the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Changes in the regulation of these genes by mu-opioid receptors encoded by the G112 allele may be involved in some of the behavioral and molecular consequences of this polymorphism observed in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Collins
- The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Matthew Randesi
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Joel Correa da Rosa
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8Laboratory of Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA
| | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- 0000 0001 2166 1519grid.134907.8The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 USA
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Etiological theories of addiction: A comprehensive update on neurobiological, genetic and behavioural vulnerability. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2016; 148:59-68. [PMID: 27306332 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Currently, about 246 million people around the world have used an illicit drug. The reasons for this use are multiple: e.g. to augment the sensation of pleasure or to reduce the withdrawal and other aversive effects of a given substance. This raises the problem of addiction, which remains a disease of modern society. This review offers a comprehensive update of the different theories about the etiology of addictive behaviors with emphasis on the neurobiological, environmental, psychopathological, behavioural and genetic aspects of addictions, discussed from an evolutionary perspective. The main conclusion of this review is that vulnerability to drug addiction suggests an interaction between many brain systems (including the reward, decision-making, serotonergic, oxytocin, interoceptive insula, CRF, norepinephrine, dynorphin/KOR, orexin and vasopressin systems), genetic predisposition, sociocultural context, impulsivity and drugs types. Further advances in biological and psychological science are needed to address the problems of addiction at its roots.
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Zhou Y, Leri F. Neuroscience of opiates for addiction medicine. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 223:237-51. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Alves CJ, Magalhães A, Melo P, de Sousa L, Tavares MA, Monteiro PRR, Summavielle T. Long-term effects of chronic cocaine exposure throughout adolescence on anxiety and stress responsivity in a Wistar rat model. Neuroscience 2014; 277:343-55. [PMID: 25047999 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents display increased vulnerability to engage in drug experimentation. This is often considered a risk factor for later drug abuse. In this scenario, the permanent effects of cocaine exposure during adolescence on anxiety levels and stress responsivity, which may result in behavioral phenotypes prone to addiction, are now starting to be unveiled. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the long-lasting effects of chronic cocaine administration during adolescence, on anxiety-like behavior and on stress response. Adolescent male Wistar rats were daily administered 45-mg cocaine/kg of body weight in three equal intraperitoneal doses with 1-h interval, from postnatal day (PND) 35 to 50. The effects of cocaine administration on anxiety levels, assessed in the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), and on social stress response, assessed in the resident-intruder paradigm (R/I), were evaluated 10 days after withdrawal, when rats were reaching the adulthood. The underlying dopaminergic activity, and the corticosterone and testosterone levels were determined. Our results showed that cocaine induced long-lasting alterations in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenals (HPA) axis function and in testosterone levels. Such alterations resulted in significant and enduring changes in behavioral responses to environmental challenges, such as the EPM and R/I, including the evaluation of potential threats that may lead to high-risk behavior and low-benefit choices. This was further supported by an altered dopaminergic function in the amygdala and hippocampus. The present findings provide new insights into how the use of cocaine during adolescent development may modulate emotional behavior later in life. Compromised ability to recognize and deal with potential threats is an important risk factor to perpetuate compulsive drug seeking and relapse susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Alves
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
| | - A Magalhães
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade de Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - P Melo
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; ESTSP - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Valente Perfeito, 322, 4400-330 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - L de Sousa
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade de Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - M A Tavares
- FMUP - Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - P R R Monteiro
- ESTSP - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Valente Perfeito, 322, 4400-330 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
| | - T Summavielle
- IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal; ESTSP - Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Rua Valente Perfeito, 322, 4400-330 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
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Abstract
Although data from both animals and humans suggests that adult cocaine use can have long term effects on behavior, it is unknown if prior cocaine use affects future maternal behavior in nulliparous females. In the current study, cocaine or saline was administered to adult female rats for 10 days, the animals were withdrawn from cocaine for 7 days, and the females were then exposed to donor pups to induce the expression of maternal behavior. Nulliparous females sensitized to cocaine were more likely to retrieve pups, spent more time caring for the pups, and were more likely to express full maternal behavior on day 8 of pup exposure. The fMRI data revealed significant effects of pup exposure in the hippocampal CA1 region, and effects of cocaine in the anterior thalamus and periaqueductal gray. Prior adult cocaine use may have lasting effects on offspring care, and this effect is not dependent on pup mediated effects or the endocrine changes of gestation and lactation. The present findings provide support for the hypothesis that maternal motivation to exhibit maternal behavior is enhanced by prior cocaine sensitization, possibly due to cross sensitization between cocaine and the natural reward of maternal behavior.
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Zhou Y, Kreek MJ. Alcohol: a stimulant activating brain stress responsive systems with persistent neuroadaptation. Neuropharmacology 2014; 87:51-8. [PMID: 24929109 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Addictive diseases, including addiction to alcohol, opiates or cocaine, pose massive public health costs. Addictions are chronic relapsing brain diseases, caused by drug-induced direct effects and persistent neuroadaptations at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels. These drug-type specific neuroadapations are mainly contributed by three factors: environment, including stress, the direct reinforcing effects of the drug on the CNS, and genetics. Results from animal models and basic clinical research (including human genetic study) have shown important interactions between the stress responsive systems and alcohol abuse. In this review we will discuss the involvement of the dysregulation of the stress responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in alcohol addiction (Section I). Addictions to specific drugs such as alcohol, psychostimulants and opiates (e.g., heroin) have some common direct or downstream effects on several brain stress-responsive systems, including vasopressin and its receptor system (Section II), POMC and mu opioid receptor system (Section III) and dynorphin and kappa opioid receptor systems (Section IV). Further understanding of these systems, through laboratory-based and translational studies, have the potential to optimize early interventions and to discover new treatment targets for the therapy of alcoholism. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'CNS Stimulants'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Wang J, Tai F, Lai X. Cocaine withdrawal influences paternal behavior and associated central expression of vasopressin, oxytocin and tyrosine hydroxylase in mandarin voles. Neuropeptides 2014; 48:29-35. [PMID: 24238615 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2013] [Revised: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 10/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Although the disruptive effects of cocaine on the maternal care are well known, little is known about paternal care in the context of cocaine abuse. Vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT) and dopamine (DA) have been found to regulate paternal behavior and are also involved in cocaine abuse. Mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) are socially monogamous and display high levels of paternal care. Here, we investigated whether paternal behavior and associated central levels of AVP, OT and DA were altered following 24 h of withdrawal from 4 day administration of 20 mg/kg/day cocaine. Our data shows that vole fathers did not experience altered levels of locomotion during an open field test. However, compared to controls, cocaine attenuated licking/grooming and contact behavior and shortened the latency to crouching, contact and pup retrieval. Last, fewer AVP and OT immunoreactive neurons in the paraventricular nucleus and more tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the ventral tegmental area were observed in cocaine-treated fathers. These results indicate that cocaine withdrawal disturbs the expression of partial paternal behavior by altering central levels of AVP, OT and DA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Wang
- College of Biology Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
| | - Fadao Tai
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Xiangjun Lai
- College of Biology Sciences and Engineering, Beifang University of Nationalities, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, Shaanxi 710062, China
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Enhanced upregulation of CRH mRNA expression in the nucleus accumbens of male rats after a second injection of methamphetamine given thirty days later. PLoS One 2014; 9:e84665. [PMID: 24475032 PMCID: PMC3903495 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused amphetamine analog. Few studies have investigated the molecular effects of METH exposure in adult animals. Herein, we determined the consequences of an injection of METH (10 mg/kg) on transcriptional effects of a second METH (2.5 mg/kg) injection given one month later. We thus measured gene expression by microarray analyses in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of 4 groups of rats euthanized 2 hours after the second injection: saline-pretreated followed by saline-challenged (SS) or METH-challenged (SM); and METH-pretreated followed by saline-challenged (MS) or METH-challenged (MM). Microarray analyses revealed that METH (2.5 mg/kg) produced acute changes (1.8-fold; P<0.01) in the expression of 412 (352 upregulated, 60 down-regulated) transcripts including cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript, corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh), oxytocin (Oxt), and vasopressin (Avp) that were upregulated. Injection of METH (10 mg/kg) altered the expression of 503 (338 upregulated, 165 down-regulated) transcripts measured one month later (MS group). These genes also included Cart and Crh. The MM group showed altered expression of 766 (565 upregulated, 201 down-regulated) transcripts including Avp, Cart, and Crh. The METH-induced increased Crh expression was enhanced in the MM group in comparison to SM and MS groups. Quantitative PCR confirmed the METH-induced changes in mRNA levels. Therefore, a single injection of METH produced long-lasting changes in gene expression in the rodent NAc. The long-term increases in Crh, Cart, and Avp mRNA expression suggest that METH exposure produced prolonged activation of the endogenous stress system. The METH-induced changes in oxytocin expression also suggest the possibility that this neuropeptide might play a significant role in the neuroplastic and affiliative effects of this drug.
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Saboory E, Ghazizadeh V, Heshmatian B, Khademansari MH. Desmopressin accelerates the rate of urinary morphine excretion and attenuates withdrawal symptoms in rats. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2012; 66:594-601. [PMID: 23252926 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2012.02406.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2011] [Revised: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 05/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study was to examine the effects of desmopressin on morphine withdrawal symptoms and vasopressin level in morphine-dependent subjects. METHODS Wistar male rats were injected s.c. with morphine once per day for 5 consecutive days to induce morphine dependence. After morphine use ceased on day 5, an equal number of rats were assigned to one of four groups for either saline or desmopressin by either intraperitoneal (i.p.) or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection. From days 5 to 10, urine was collected daily and tested for the presence of morphine, and withdrawal symptoms were monitored to assess the effects of desmopressin. RESULTS Significant weight loss occurred among all morphine-addicted rats during the withdrawal period. With both methods (i.p. and i.c.v.), the period of urinary morphine excretion was shorter for the two groups that were given desmopressin (experimental groups) than the two groups that were not given desmopressin (control groups), and no significant difference in urinary morphine excretion was found between the two experimental groups. During the early stage of withdrawal, the severity of the withdrawal symptoms in the experimental groups was significantly lower than that in the control groups. CONCLUSION Desmopressin decreases the extent of morphine withdrawal symptoms, indicating that this agent might be appropriate for treating morphine addiction. Desmopressin appears to reduce withdrawal symptoms not by exerting an anti-diuretic effect but rather by exerting an effect on the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Saboory
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Yoo JH, Kitchen I, Bailey A. The endogenous opioid system in cocaine addiction: what lessons have opioid peptide and receptor knockout mice taught us? Br J Pharmacol 2012; 166:1993-2014. [PMID: 22428846 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01952.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine addiction has become a major concern in the UK as Britain tops the European 'league table' for cocaine abuse. Despite its devastating health and socio-economic consequences, no effective pharmacotherapy for treating cocaine addiction is available. Identifying neurochemical changes induced by repeated drug exposure is critical not only for understanding the transition from recreational drug use towards compulsive drug abuse but also for the development of novel targets for the treatment of the disease and especially for relapse prevention. This article focuses on the effects of chronic cocaine exposure and withdrawal on each of the endogenous opioid peptides and receptors in rodent models. In addition, we review the studies that utilized opioid peptide or receptor knockout mice in order to identify and/or clarify the role of different components of the opioid system in cocaine-addictive behaviours and in cocaine-induced alterations of brain neurochemistry. The review of these studies indicates a region-specific activation of the µ-opioid receptor system following chronic cocaine exposure, which may contribute towards the rewarding effect of the drug and possibly towards cocaine craving during withdrawal followed by relapse. Cocaine also causes a region-specific activation of the κ-opioid receptor/dynorphin system, which may antagonize the rewarding effect of the drug, and at the same time, contribute to the stress-inducing properties of the drug and the triggering of relapse. These conclusions have important implications for the development of effective pharmacotherapy for the treatment of cocaine addiction and the prevention of relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hoon Yoo
- Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK
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Kreek MJ, Levran O, Reed B, Schlussman SD, Zhou Y, Butelman ER. Opiate addiction and cocaine addiction: underlying molecular neurobiology and genetics. J Clin Invest 2012; 122:3387-93. [PMID: 23023708 DOI: 10.1172/jci60390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Addictive diseases, including addiction to heroin, prescription opioids, or cocaine, pose massive personal and public health costs. Addictions are chronic relapsing diseases of the brain caused by drug-induced direct effects and persisting neuroadaptations at the epigenetic, mRNA, neuropeptide, neurotransmitter, or protein levels. These neuroadaptations, which can be specific to drug type, and their resultant behaviors are modified by various internal and external environmental factors, including stress responsivity, addict mindset, and social setting. Specific gene variants, including variants encoding pharmacological target proteins or genes mediating neuroadaptations, also modify vulnerability at particular stages of addiction. Greater understanding of these interacting factors through laboratory-based and translational studies have the potential to optimize early interventions for the therapy of chronic addictive diseases and to reduce the burden of relapse. Here, we review the molecular neurobiology and genetics of opiate addiction, including heroin and prescription opioids, and cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
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Nephew BC, Febo M. Effects of cocaine on maternal behavior and neurochemistry. Curr Neuropharmacol 2012; 10:53-63. [PMID: 22942878 PMCID: PMC3286847 DOI: 10.2174/157015912799362760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2010] [Revised: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic relapsing disorder that involves drug seeking and abuse despite the negative social and health consequences. While the potential effects of cocaine on child development have been extensively studied over the last 30 years, few researchers have focused on the effects of cocaine on maternal behavior, which includes offspring care and maternal aggression towards an unfamiliar individual. In humans, maternal cocaine use can lead to child neglect, abuse, and disrupt the mother-child bond. While it has been argued the developmental effects of maternal cocaine use on children were initially overstated, it is clear that disruptions of typical maternal behavior (i.e. postpartum depression, anxiety disorders) are detrimental to the physical and emotional health of offspring. Cocaine use in mothers is commonly associated with psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety, and it is postulated that many of the negative effects of maternal cocaine use on offspring are mediated through changes in maternal behavior. This review will summarize research on cocaine and maternal behavior in animal and human studies, discuss potential mechanisms, and suggest therapeutic strategies for treating cocaine-affected maternal behavior which may improve the physical and behavioral health of both mother and child. The primary objective is to stimulate future communication, cooperation, and collaboration between researchers who use animals and humans to study cocaine and maternal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Nephew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA, USA
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Zhou Y, Colombo G, Carai MAM, Ho A, Gessa GL, Kreek MJ. Involvement of arginine vasopressin and V1b receptor in alcohol drinking in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 35:1876-83. [PMID: 21575018 PMCID: PMC3182300 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01532.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent animal studies have shown that the level of stress-responsive arginine vasopressin (AVP) gene expression in the amygdala is increased during early withdrawal from long-term heroin or cocaine administration. The selective AVP V1b receptor antagonist SSR149415 (capable of exerting antidepressant-like and anxiolytic effects in animal models) also blocked stress-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of alcohol and to determine whether (i) there are genetically determined differences in basal AVP mRNA levels in the medial/central amygdala (Me/CeA) and medial hypothalamus (MH) between selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats; (ii) the AVP mRNA levels are altered by long-term alcohol drinking in sP rats; and (iii) the V1b receptor antagonist SSR149415 alters alcohol drinking in sP rats. METHODS In Experiment 1, AVP mRNA levels were measured in the Me/CeA and MH of alcohol-naïve sP and sNP rats, and sP rats exposed to the standard, homecage 2-bottle "alcohol versus water" choice regimen 24 h/d for 17 days. In Experiment 2, SSR149415 (0, 3, 10, or 30 mg/kg; intraperitoneal) was acutely administered 30 minutes before lights off to alcohol-experienced sP rats. Alcohol, water, and food intake were monitored 6 and 24 hours later. RESULTS We found higher basal AVP mRNA levels in both Me/CeA and MH of alcohol-naïve sP than sNP rats; alcohol consumption decreased AVP mRNA levels in both brain regions of sP rats, suggesting genetically determined differences between the 2 rat lines and in the effects of alcohol drinking in sP rats. Acute treatment with SSR149415 significantly reduced alcohol intake of sP rats. CONCLUSION The stress-responsive AVP/V1b receptor system is 1 component of the neural circuitry underlying high alcohol drinking in sP rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10065, USA.
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Persistent increase in hypothalamic arginine vasopressin gene expression during protracted withdrawal from chronic escalating-dose cocaine in rodents. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:2062-75. [PMID: 21677651 PMCID: PMC3158323 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus has important roles in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and stress-related behaviors during chronic stress. It is unknown, however, whether AVP in the PVN is involved in the modulation of HPA activity after chronic cocaine exposure. Here, we examined the gene expression alterations of AVP in the hypothalamus, and V1b receptor and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) in the anterior pituitary, as well as HPA hormonal changes, in Fischer rats after chronic cocaine and withdrawal, using two different chronic (14-day) 'binge' pattern administration regimens: steady-dose cocaine (SDC, 45 mg/kg/day) and escalating-dose cocaine (EDC, 45 up to 90 mg/kg/day). There was a significant (7-fold) plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) elevation after chronic EDC (but not SDC), coupled with increased V1b and POMC mRNA levels in the anterior pituitary. From acute (1-day) to protracted (14-day) withdrawal from chronic EDC (but not from SDC), we found persistent elevations of both plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels and AVP mRNA levels in the PVN. Selective V1b antagonist SSR149415 (5 mg/kg) attenuated acute withdrawal-induced HPA activation after EDC. To study potential roles of endogenous opioids in modulating the AVP gene, we administered naloxone (1 mg/kg); we found that opioid receptor antagonism increased AVP mRNA levels in cocaine-naive rats, but not in cocaine-withdrawn rats, suggesting less tonic opioid inhibition of PVN AVP neurons after chronic EDC. To assess the effects of cocaine withdrawal on sub-populations of PVN AVP neurons, we utilized AVP-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) promoter transgenic mice and found that acute withdrawal following chronic EDC increased the number of AVP-EGFP neurons in the parvocellular PVN (pPVN). These results suggest that during protracted withdrawal, enhanced pPVN AVP gene expression is associated with persistent elevations of basal HPA activity; a hyposensitivity of PVN AVP gene expression to naloxone is indicative of reduced opioidergic tone. Our studies indicate that the AVP and its V1b receptor system may be a potential therapeutic target for treating anxiety and depressive symptoms associated with cocaine addiction.
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Lu XF, Li YY, Wang CG, Wei JQ, Ye Y, Zhang LC, Cao JL. Substance P in the cerebrospinal fluid-contacting nucleus contributes to morphine physical dependence in rats. Neurosci Lett 2011; 488:188-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2010] [Revised: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Rodríguez-Borrero E, Rivera-Escalera F, Candelas F, Montalvo J, Muñoz-Miranda W, Walker J, Maldonado-Vlaar C. Arginine vasopressin gene expression changes within the nucleus accumbens during environment elicited cocaine-conditioned response in rats. Neuropharmacology 2010; 58:88-101. [PMID: 19596360 PMCID: PMC2783825 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2009.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2009] [Revised: 06/26/2009] [Accepted: 06/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
It is known that changes in gene expression within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) occur during cocaine dependence development. However, identification of specific genes involved in cocaine conditioning awaits further investigation. We conducted a high throughput gene expression profile analysis of the NAc, during different stages of the environment-elicited cocaine conditioning. Rats were assigned to two different environmental conditions. Cocaine conditioned group received a cocaine injection (10mg/kg, i.p.) prior to being placed in the activity chambers. Control rats received saline injections before being exposed to their environment. Both groups received a saline injection in their home cage. Conditioning training lasted for 10 days. Animals were then re-exposed to their previously paired environments only on day 12 (test session). We found that the gene for arginine vasopressin (AVP) was differentially expressed on experimental subjects during all stages of environment-elicited cocaine conditioning. To further validate our molecular results, biochemical and immunolocalization experiments were conducted. We found the presence of AVP within accumbal fibers and changes in AVP protein levels following cocaine conditioning. Moreover, we tested the effects of accumbal microinfusions of either AVP receptor V(1A) agonist [pGlu(4), Cyt6, Arg(8)] AVP 4-9 1.0 ng/0.5 microl, or V(1A) antagonist (CH2) 5[Tyr (Me) 2] AVP, 1.0 ng/0.5 microl or vehicle solution (0.9% saline solution) during different stages of the cocaine conditioning. Blockade of V(1A) receptors within the NAc during acquisition interrupted the expression of the conditioned response, while activation leads to an increase in this response. Our findings propose a new role for AVP in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Rodríguez-Borrero
- University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931
| | - F. Rivera-Escalera
- University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931
| | - F. Candelas
- University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931
| | - J. Montalvo
- University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931
| | - W.J. Muñoz-Miranda
- University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931
| | - J.R. Walker
- Novartis Genome Institute, San Diego California
| | - C.S. Maldonado-Vlaar
- Corresponding Author: University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 23360, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931; phone: 787-764-0000, FAX 787-764- 3875;
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D'Souza MS, Markou A. Neural substrates of psychostimulant withdrawal-induced anhedonia. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2010; 3:119-178. [PMID: 21161752 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2009_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Psychostimulant drugs have powerful reinforcing and hedonic properties and are frequently abused. Cessation of psychostimulant administration results in a withdrawal syndrome characterized by anhedonia (i.e., an inability to experience pleasure). In humans, psychostimulant withdrawal-induced anhedonia can be debilitating and has been hypothesized to play an important role in relapse to drug use. Hence, understanding the neural substrates involved in psychostimulant withdrawal-induced anhedonia is essential. In this review, we first summarize the theoretical perspectives of psychostimulant withdrawal-induced anhedonia. Experimental procedures and measures used to assess anhedonia in experimental animals are also discussed. The review then focuses on neural substrates hypothesized to play an important role in anhedonia experienced after termination of psychostimulant administration, such as with cocaine, amphetamine-like drugs, and nicotine. Both neural substrates that have been extensively investigated and some that need further evaluation with respect to psychostimulant withdrawal-induced anhedonia are reviewed. In the context of reviewing the various neurosubstrates of psychostimulant withdrawal, we also discuss pharmacological medications that have been used to treat psychostimulant withdrawal in humans. This literature review indicates that great progress has been made in understanding the neural substrates of anhedonia associated with psychostimulant withdrawal. These advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of anhedonia may also shed light on the neurobiology of nondrug-induced anhedonia, such as that seen as a core symptom of depression and a negative symptom of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoranjan S D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Le Merrer J, Becker JAJ, Befort K, Kieffer BL. Reward processing by the opioid system in the brain. Physiol Rev 2009; 89:1379-412. [PMID: 19789384 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00005.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 658] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid system consists of three receptors, mu, delta, and kappa, which are activated by endogenous opioid peptides processed from three protein precursors, proopiomelanocortin, proenkephalin, and prodynorphin. Opioid receptors are recruited in response to natural rewarding stimuli and drugs of abuse, and both endogenous opioids and their receptors are modified as addiction develops. Mechanisms whereby aberrant activation and modifications of the opioid system contribute to drug craving and relapse remain to be clarified. This review summarizes our present knowledge on brain sites where the endogenous opioid system controls hedonic responses and is modified in response to drugs of abuse in the rodent brain. We review 1) the latest data on the anatomy of the opioid system, 2) the consequences of local intracerebral pharmacological manipulation of the opioid system on reinforced behaviors, 3) the consequences of gene knockout on reinforced behaviors and drug dependence, and 4) the consequences of chronic exposure to drugs of abuse on expression levels of opioid system genes. Future studies will establish key molecular actors of the system and neural sites where opioid peptides and receptors contribute to the onset of addictive disorders. Combined with data from human and nonhuman primate (not reviewed here), research in this extremely active field has implications both for our understanding of the biology of addiction and for therapeutic interventions to treat the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Le Merrer
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Département Neurobiologie et Génétique, Illkirch, France
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Drug-induced and genetic alterations in stress-responsive systems: Implications for specific addictive diseases. Brain Res 2009; 1314:235-52. [PMID: 19914222 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2009] [Revised: 11/03/2009] [Accepted: 11/06/2009] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
From the earliest work in our laboratory, we hypothesized, and with studies conducted in both clinical research and animal models, we have shown that drugs of abuse, administered or self-administered, on a chronic basis, profoundly alter stress-responsive systems. Alterations of expression of specific genes involved in stress responsivity, with increases or decreases in mRNA levels, receptor, and neuropeptide levels, and resultant changes in hormone levels, have been documented to occur after chronic intermittent exposure to heroin, morphine, other opiates, cocaine, other stimulants, and alcohol in animal models and in human molecular genetics. The best studied of the stress-responsive systems in humans and mammalian species in general is undoubtedly the HPA axis. In addition, there are stress-responsive systems in other parts in the brain itself, and some of these include components of the HPA axis, such as CRF and CRF receptors, along with POMC gene and gene products. Several other stress-responsive systems are known to influence the HPA axis, such as the vasopressin-vasopressin receptor system. Orexin-hypocretin, acting at its receptors, may effect changes which suggest that it should be properly categorized as a stress-responsive system. However, less is known about the interactions and connectivity of some of these different neuropeptide and receptor systems, and in particular, about the possible connectivity of fast-acting (e.g., glutamate and GABA) and slow-acting (including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine) neurotransmitters with each of these stress-responsive components and the resultant impact, especially in the setting of chronic exposure to drugs of abuse. Several of these stress-responsive systems and components, primarily based on our laboratory-based and human molecular genetics research of addictive diseases, will be briefly discussed in this review.
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Devidze N, Zhou Y, Ho A, Zhang Q, Pfaff DW, Kreek MJ. Steady-state methadone effect on generalized arousal in male and female mice. Behav Neurosci 2009; 122:1248-56. [PMID: 19045944 DOI: 10.1037/a0013276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Methadone is widely used in treatment of short-acting opiate addiction. The on-off effects of opioids have been documented to have profound differences from steady-state opioids. The authors hypothesize that opioids play important roles in either generalized arousal (GA) or aversive state of arousal during opioid withdrawal. Both male and female C57BL6 mice received steady-state methadone (SSM) through osmotic pumps at 10 or 20 mg/kg/day, and GA was measured in voluntary motor activity, sensory responsivity, and contextual fear conditioning. SSM did not have any effect on those GA behaviors in either sex. Females had higher activity and less fear conditioning than males. The effects of SSM on stress-responsive orexin gene expression in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and medial hypothalamus (MH, including perifornical and dorsomedial areas) were measured after the behavioral tests. Females showed significantly lower basal LH (but not MH) orexin mRNA levels than males. A panel of GA stressors increased LH orexin mRNA levels in females only; these increases were blunted by SSM at 20 mg/kg. In summary, SSM had no effect on GA behaviors. In females, SSM blunted the GA stress-induced LH orexin gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Devidze
- Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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25
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Opiate and cocaine addiction: from bench to clinic and back to the bench. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2009; 9:74-80. [PMID: 19155191 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2008.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2008] [Revised: 12/23/2008] [Accepted: 12/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This review primarily focuses on our recent findings in bidirectional translational research on opiate and cocaine addictions. First, we present neurobiological and molecular studies on endogenous opioid systems (e.g. proopiomelanocortin, mu opioid receptor, dynorphin, and kappa opioid receptor), brain stress-responsive systems (e.g. orexin, arginine vasopressin, V1b receptor, and corticotropin-releasing factor), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and neurotransmitters (especially dopamine), in response to both chronic cocaine or opiate exposure and to drug withdrawal, using several newly developed animal models and molecular approaches. The second aspect is human molecular genetic association investigations including hypothesis-driven studies and genome-wide array studies, to define particular systems involved in vulnerability to develop specific addictions, and response to pharmacotherapy.
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Kreek MJ, Schlussman SD, Reed B, Zhang Y, Nielsen DA, Levran O, Zhou Y, Butelman ER. Bidirectional translational research: Progress in understanding addictive diseases. Neuropharmacology 2008; 56 Suppl 1:32-43. [PMID: 18725235 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2008.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2008] [Revised: 07/29/2008] [Accepted: 07/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The focus of this review is primarily on recent developments in bidirectional translational research on the addictions, within the Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases at The Rockefeller University. This review is subdivided into major interacting aspects, including (a) Investigation of neurobiological and molecular adaptations (e.g., in genes for the opioid receptors or endogenous neuropeptides) in response to cocaine or opiates, administered under laboratory conditions modeling chronic patterns of human self-exposure (e.g., chronic escalating "binge"). (b) The impact of such drug exposure on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and interacting neuropeptidergic systems (e.g., opioid, orexin and vasopressin). (c) Molecular genetic association studies using candidate gene and whole genome approaches, to define particular systems involved in vulnerability to develop specific addictions, and response to pharmacotherapy. (d) Neuroendocrine challenge studies in normal volunteers and current addictive disease patients along with former addicts in treatment, to investigate differential pharmacodynamics and responsiveness of molecular targets, in particular those also investigated in the experimental and molecular genetic approaches as described above.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Kreek
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Abstract
The articulated goals of Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience are to serve as "an interface between clinical neuropsychiatry and the neurosciences by providing state-of-the-art information and original insights into relevant clinical, biological, and therapeutic aspects." My laboratory the Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases at The Rockefeller University, has for years been focused on "bidirectional translational research," that is, learning by careful observations and study in patient populations with the disorders under study, in this case primarily specific addictive diseases, and then using that knowledge to create improved animal models or other laboratory-based research paradigms, while, at the same time, taking research findings made at the bench into the clinic as promptly as that is appropriate and feasible. In this invited review, therefore, the focus will be on perspectives of our Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases and related National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse research Center, including laboratory-based molecular neurobiological research, research using several animal models designed to mimic human patterns of drug abuse and addiction, as well as basic clinical research, intertwined with treatment-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jeanne Kreek
- Laboratory of Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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Nicotine self-administration differentially regulates hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasopressin mRNAs and facilitates stress-induced neuronal activation. J Neurosci 2008; 28:2773-82. [PMID: 18337407 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3837-07.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute nicotine is a potent stimulus for activation of the stress-responsive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, while chronic nicotine self-administration (SA) desensitizes the ACTH response to self-administered nicotine but cross-sensitizes to mild footshock stress (mFSS). To identify underlying mechanisms, we investigated (1) the effects of chronic nicotine SA on the coexpression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNAs, the primary hypothalamic neuropeptides regulating ACTH release, in the parvocellular division of paraventricular nucleus (pcPVN), and (2) mFSS-induced activation of these neurons during nicotine SA. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were given 23 h/d unlimited access to self-administer nicotine (0.03 mg/kg per injection, i.v.) for 19 d. Brains were double labeled with fluorescence in situ hybridization of CRF and AVP mRNAs and triple labeled after mFSS exposure for CRF and AVP mRNAs and c-Fos protein. Chronic nicotine SA significantly increased AVP mRNA signal and the number of pcPVN AVP-positive (AVP(+)) neurons (twofold to threefold), reduced the number of CRF-positive (CRF(+)) neurons by approximately 60%, but increased pcPVN CRF(+)/AVP(+) neuronal number fivefold. Significantly, although chronic nicotine SA did not affect total c-Fos expression induced by mFSS in pcPVN CRF(+) neurons, the majority of the new CRF(+)/AVP(+) population was activated by this heterotypic stressor. These phenotypic neuronal alterations may provide the pivotal mechanism underlying the capacity of chronically self-administered nicotine to cross-sensitize the HPA response to specific stressors, suggesting that nicotine may augment HPA responsiveness to specific stressors in human smokers.
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Zhou Y, Cui CL, Schlussman SD, Choi JC, Ho A, Han JS, Kreek MJ. Effects of cocaine place conditioning, chronic escalating-dose "binge" pattern cocaine administration and acute withdrawal on orexin/hypocretin and preprodynorphin gene expressions in lateral hypothalamus of Fischer and Sprague-Dawley rats. Neuroscience 2008; 153:1225-34. [PMID: 18436386 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2007] [Revised: 02/02/2008] [Accepted: 03/12/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests an important role for hypothalamic orexins/hypocretins in modulation of drug reward and addiction-like behaviors in rodents. Our recent study has shown that the aversive state of arousal during acute morphine withdrawal is associated with increased orexin gene expression in lateral hypothalamus (LH) of Fischer 344 (F344) inbred rats, with no change in the expression of preprodynorphin (ppDyn), a gene co-expressed with LH orexin. Therefore, we determined whether orexin and ppDyn mRNA levels in LH or medial hypothalamus (including perifornical and dorsomedial areas) of F344 or Sprague-Dawley (SD) outbred rats, are altered following: 1) cocaine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) conditioned place preference (CPP); 2) chronic (14 days) cocaine exposure using both "binge" pattern administration in steady-dose (45 mg/kg/day) and escalating-dose (45-90 mg/kg/day) regimens; and 3) acute (1 day) and chronic (14 days) withdrawal from cocaine with opioid receptor antagonist naloxone treatment (1 mg/kg). We found that orexin mRNA levels were decreased after cocaine place conditioning in the LH of SD rats. A decreased LH orexin mRNA level was also observed after chronic escalating-dose cocaine (but not CPP pattern regimen without conditioning, or steady-dose regimen) in both strains. In F344 rats only, acute withdrawal from chronic escalating-dose cocaine administration resulted in increases in both LH orexin and ppDyn mRNA levels, which were unaltered by naloxone or after chronic withdrawal. Our results suggest that (1) alteration of LH orexin gene expression is region-specific after cocaine place conditioning in SD rats and dose-dependent after chronic exposure in both strains; and (2) increased LH orexin and ppDyn gene expressions in F344 rats may contribute to negative affective states in cocaine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Zhou
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Zhou Y, Leri F, Cummins E, Hoeschele M, Kreek MJ. Involvement of arginine vasopressin and V1b receptor in heroin withdrawal and heroin seeking precipitated by stress and by heroin. Neuropsychopharmacology 2008; 33:226-36. [PMID: 17443128 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1301419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A previous study has shown that the stress responsive neurohormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) is activated in the amygdala during early withdrawal from cocaine. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether (1) AVP mRNA levels in the amygdala or hypothalamus, as well as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity, would be altered during chronic intermittent escalating heroin administration (10 days; 7.5-60 mg/kg/day) or during early (12 h) and late (10 days) spontaneous withdrawal; (2) foot shock stress would alter AVP mRNA levels in the amygdala or hypothalamus in rats withdrawn from heroin self-administration (7 days, 3 h/day, 0.05 mg/kg/infusion); and (3) the selective V1b receptor antagonist SSR149415 (1 and 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) would alter heroin seeking during tests of reinstatement induced by foot shock stress and by heroin primes (0.25 mg/kg), as well as HPA hormonal responses to foot shock. We found that AVP mRNA levels were increased during early spontaneous withdrawal in the amygdala only. This amygdalar AVP mRNA increase was no longer observed at the later stage of heroin withdrawal. Foot shock stress increased AVP mRNA levels in the amygdala of rats withdrawn from heroin self-administration, but not in heroin naïve rats. Behaviorally, SSR149415 dose-dependently attenuated foot shock-induced reinstatement and blocked heroin-induced reinstatement. Finally, SSR149415 blunted the HPA activation by foot shock. Together, these data in rats suggest that stress responsive AVP/V1b receptor systems (including the amygdala) may be critical components of the neural circuitry underlying the aversive emotional consequences of drug withdrawal, as well as the effect of negative emotional states on drug-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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Bailey A, Gianotti R, Ho A, Kreek MJ. Downregulation of κ-opioid receptors in basolateral amygdala and septum of rats withdrawn for 14 days from an escalating dose “binge” cocaine administration paradigm. Synapse 2007; 61:820-6. [PMID: 17621646 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence showing that the opioid systems play an important role in cocaine addiction; fewer studies have examined their roles in cocaine withdrawal. This study was conducted to determine whether cocaine or chronic withdrawal from cocaine alters the receptor component of the kappa-opioid system. Male Fischer rats were injected with saline or cocaine (3x15 mg/kg/day for 4 days, 3x20 mg/kg/day for 4 days, 3x25 mg/kg/day for 4 days, and 3x30 mg/kg/day for 2 days), three times daily at 1-h intervals in an escalating dose paradigm for 14 days. Identically treated rats were withdrawn from cocaine or saline for 14 days. We performed quantitative autoradiographic mapping of kappa-opioid receptors (KOP-r) in the brains of rats treated with this escalating dose "binge" cocaine administration paradigm and of rats withdrawn from cocaine for 14 days. A significant condition (chronic/withdrawal) effect was shown across all regions analyzed. A significant increase in [3H]CI-977 binding to KOP-r was detected in the septum of rats treated with an escalating dose binge cocaine administration paradigm and killed 30 min after the last cocaine injection. In contrast, there was a decrease in KOP-r binding in the septum and the basolateral amygdala of rats withdrawn for 14 days from chronic escalating dose binge cocaine administration, compared to rats at the end of 14 days chronic escalating dose cocaine administration. These results reconfirm and extend that KOP-r undergoes upregulation in response to chronic binge cocaine administration here, with an escalating dose. The observed lowering in KOP-r binding, which was shown in two brain regions of cocaine withdrawn animals, might contribute to the persistent dysphoria reported a long time after the discontinuation of the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Bailey
- The Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
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Abstract
This paper is the 28th consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, now spanning over a quarter-century of research. It summarizes papers published during 2005 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity, neurophysiology and transmitter release (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA.
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