1
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Li P, Zhang Q, Zheng H, Qiao Y, Snyder GL, Martin T, Yao W, Zhang L, Davis RE. Discovery of ITI-333, a Novel Orally Bioavailable Molecule Targeting Multiple Receptors for the Treatment of Pain and Other Disorders. J Med Chem 2024; 67:9355-9373. [PMID: 38805667 PMCID: PMC11181336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00480] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Development of more efficacious medications with improved safety profiles to manage and treat multiple forms of pain is a critical element of healthcare. To this end, we have designed and synthesized a novel class of tetracyclic pyridopyrroloquinoxalinone derivatives with analgesic properties. The receptor binding profiles and analgesic properties of these tetracyclic compounds were studied. Systematic optimizations of this novel scaffold culminated in the discovery of the clinical candidate, (6bR,10aS)-8-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-6b,7,8,9,10,10a-hexahydro-1H-pyrido[3',4':4,5]pyrrolo[1,2,3-de]quinoxalin-2(3H)-one (compound 5, ITI-333), which exhibited potent binding affinity to serotonin 5-HT2A (Ki = 8.3 nM) and μ-opioid receptors (MOR, Ki = 11 nM) and moderate affinity to adrenergic α1A (Ki = 28 nM) and dopamine D1 (Ki = 50 nM) receptors. ITI-333 acts as a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, a MOR partial agonist, and an adrenergic α1A receptor antagonist. ITI-333 exhibited dose-dependent analgesic effects in rodent models of acute pain. Currently, this investigational new drug is in phase I clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Li
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Hailin Zheng
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Yupu Qiao
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Gretchen L. Snyder
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Terry Martin
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Wei Yao
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Lei Zhang
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Robert E. Davis
- Intra-Cellular Therapies,
Inc., 430 East 29th Street, Suite 900, New York, New York 10016, United States
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2
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Barbosa-Méndez S, Salazar-Juárez A. Evaluation of multitarget drugs on the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in male rats: A comparative study. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29979. [PMID: 38726128 PMCID: PMC11079035 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29979] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose - Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a complex disease. Several studies have shown the efficacy of multitarget drugs used to treat CUD. Here we compare the efficacy of mirtazapine (MIR), pindolol (PIN), fluoxetine (FLX), risperidone (RIS), trazodone (TRZ), ziprasidone (ZPR), ondansetron (OND), yohimbine (YOH), or prazosin (PRZ), to reduce long-term cocaine-induced locomotor activity and the expression of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in rats. Methods - The study consists of four experiments, which were divided into four experimental phases. Induction (10 days), cocaine withdrawal (30 days), expression (10 days), and post-expression phase (10 days). Male Wistar rats were daily dosed with cocaine (10 mg/kg; i.p.) during the induction and post-expression phases. During drug withdrawal, the MIR, PIN, FLX, RIS, TRZ, ZPR, OND, YOH, or PRZ were administered 30 min before saline. In the expression, the multitarget drugs were administered 30 min before cocaine. After each administration, locomotor activity for each animal was recorded for 30 min.During the agonism phase, in experiment four, 8-OH-DPAT, DOI, CP-809-101, SR-57227A, or clonidine (CLO) was administered 30 min before MIR and 60 min before cocaine. After each administration, locomotor activity for each animal was recorded for 30 min. Results -MIR, FLX, RIS, ZPR, OND, or PRZ attenuated the cocaine-induced locomotor activity and cocaine locomotor sensitization. PIN, TRZ, and YOH failed to decrease cocaine locomotor sensitization. At the optimal doses used, PIN, FLX, RIS, TRZ, ZPR, OND, YOH, or PRZ failed to attenuate long-term cocaine locomotor activation. MIR generated a decrease in cocaine-induced locomotor activity of greater magnitude and duration than the other multitarget drugs evaluated. Conclusion - At the optimal doses of multitarget drugs evaluated, MIR was the multitarget drug that showed the greatest long-term cocaine-induced behavior effects compared to other multitarget drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Barbosa-Méndez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas. Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental. Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría. Ciudad de México, 14370, Mexico
| | - Alberto Salazar-Juárez
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas. Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental. Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría. Ciudad de México, 14370, Mexico
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3
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Donlon J, Kumari P, Varghese SP, Bai M, Florentin OD, Frost ED, Banks J, Vadlapatla N, Kam O, Shad MU, Rahman S, Abulseoud OA, Stone TW, Koola MM. Integrative Pharmacology in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders. J Dual Diagn 2024; 20:132-177. [PMID: 38117676 DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2023.2293854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
The detrimental physical, mental, and socioeconomic effects of substance use disorders (SUDs) have been apparent to the medical community for decades. However, it has become increasingly urgent in recent years to develop novel pharmacotherapies to treat SUDs. Currently, practitioners typically rely on monotherapy. Monotherapy has been shown to be superior to no treatment at all for most substance classes. However, many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have revealed that monotherapy leads to poorer outcomes when compared with combination treatment in all specialties of medicine. The results of RCTs suggest that monotherapy frequently fails since multiple dysregulated pathways, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and receptors are involved in the pathophysiology of SUDs. As such, research is urgently needed to determine how various neurobiological mechanisms can be targeted by novel combination treatments to create increasingly specific yet exceedingly comprehensive approaches to SUD treatment. This article aims to review the neurobiology that integrates many pathophysiologic mechanisms and discuss integrative pharmacology developments that may ultimately improve clinical outcomes for patients with SUDs. Many neurobiological mechanisms are known to be involved in SUDs including dopaminergic, nicotinic, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and kynurenic acid (KYNA) mechanisms. Emerging evidence indicates that KYNA, a tryptophan metabolite, modulates all these major pathophysiologic mechanisms. Therefore, achieving KYNA homeostasis by harmonizing integrative pathophysiology and pharmacology could prove to be a better therapeutic approach for SUDs. We propose KYNA-NMDA-α7nAChRcentric pathophysiology, the "conductor of the orchestra," as a novel approach to treat many SUDs concurrently. KYNA-NMDA-α7nAChR pathophysiology may be the "command center" of neuropsychiatry. To date, extant RCTs have shown equivocal findings across comparison conditions, possibly because investigators targeted single pathophysiologic mechanisms, hit wrong targets in underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms, and tested inadequate monotherapy treatment. We provide examples of potential combination treatments that simultaneously target multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms in addition to KYNA. Kynurenine pathway metabolism demonstrates the greatest potential as a target for neuropsychiatric diseases. The investigational medications with the most evidence include memantine, galantamine, and N-acetylcysteine. Future RCTs are warranted with novel combination treatments for SUDs. Multicenter RCTs with integrative pharmacology offer a promising, potentially fruitful avenue to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of SUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Donlon
- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Pooja Kumari
- Community Living Trent Highlands, Peterborough, Canada
| | - Sajoy P Varghese
- Addiction Recovery Treatment Services, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, USA
| | - Michael Bai
- Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ori David Florentin
- Department of Psychiatry, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Emma D Frost
- Department of Neurology, Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - John Banks
- Talkiatry Mental Health Clinic, New York, New York, USA
| | - Niyathi Vadlapatla
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
| | - Olivia Kam
- Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Mujeeb U Shad
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Shafiqur Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
| | - Osama A Abulseoud
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Alix School of Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Trevor W Stone
- Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maju Mathew Koola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
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Tu W, Zhang T, Li C, Jia W, Yao Z, Yi S, Chen H, Liu Y, Zhou D, Wang C, Zhang R, Shi Z, Yuan T, Zhao B, Wei L. The α 1 adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin potentiates morphine induced conditioned place preference in rats. Brain Res 2023; 1821:148614. [PMID: 37783262 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148614] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The norepinephrine (NE) system is involved in pathways that regulate morphine addiction. Here, we investigated the role of α1 adrenoceptor in the ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO) of rats with repeated morphine treatment and underlying molecular mechanisms. The rewarding properties of morphine were assessed by the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. Prazosin, an α1 adrenoceptor antagonist, was microinjected into the VLO. The expression of α1 adrenoceptor, p-CaMKII/CaMKII, CRTC1, BDNF and PSD95 in the VLO were determined by immunohistochemistry or western blotting. Neurotransmitter NE in the VLO and inflammatory factors in serum were detected separately through high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our experimental results showed that repeated morphine administration induced stable CPP and prazosin promoted the morphine-induced CPP. Microinjection of prazosin in the VLO not only blocked the activity of α1 adrenoceptor, decreased CaMKII phosphorylation and CRTC1, which eventually resulted in a regression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, but also was accompanied by significantly decreasing of NE in the VLO and increasing of inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood. These findings suggested that prazosin potentiates the addictive effects of morphine. The effect of increased CPP through reducing α1 adrenoceptor and NE was associated with the CaMKII-CRTC1 pathway and synaptic plasticity-related proteins in the VLO and inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood. The NE system may therefore be an underlying therapeutic target in morphine addiction. Additionally, we believe that the clinical use of prazosin in hypertensive patients with morphine abuse may be a potential risk because of its reinforcing effect on addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyu Tu
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Tengteng Zhang
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Chenchen Li
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Wenge Jia
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Zhijun Yao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Shanyong Yi
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Hongyun Chen
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Danya Zhou
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Chuansheng Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, the Second affiliated hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Ruiling Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, the Second affiliated hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China
| | - Zhe Shi
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and Department of Psychaitry, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Tifei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, the Second affiliated hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China.
| | - Lai Wei
- Xinxiang Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, the Second affiliated hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan, China.
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5
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Patel K, Waldron D, Graziane N. Re-Purposing FDA-Approved Drugs for Opioid Use Disorder. Subst Use Misuse 2023; 58:1751-1760. [PMID: 37584436 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2247071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate FDA-approved drugs prescribed for unrelated diseases or conditions that promote remission in subjects diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD). METHODS This was a retrospective observational study utilizing the TriNetX electronic medical record data. Subjects between 18 and 65 years old were included in this study. First, a drug screen was employed to identify medications used for chronic illness that are associated with OUD remission. Based on Fisher's exact test for significance, 28 of 101 medications were selected for further analysis. Positive (buprenorphine/methadone) and negative controls (benazepril) were included in the analysis. Medications were analyzed in the absence and presence of buprenorphine or methadone, two medications used to treat OUD, to identify the likelihood of OUD remission up to one year following the index event. RESULTS We identify 8 medications (prazosin, propranolol, lithium carbonate, olanzapine, quetiapine, bupropion, citalopram, and escitalopram) that may be useful for increasing remission in OUD in the absence of buprenorphine or methadone. Additionally, our results identify psychiatric medications that when taken alongside buprenorphine and methadone improve remission rates. CONCLUSION These results provide medication options that may be useful in treating OUD as well as integrated therapies to treat comorbid mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Patel
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Waldron
- Doctor of Medicine Program, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Nicholas Graziane
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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Monroe SC, Radke AK. Opioid withdrawal: role in addiction and neural mechanisms. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1417-1433. [PMID: 37162529 PMCID: PMC11166123 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06370-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Withdrawal from opioids involves a negative affective state that promotes maintenance of drug-seeking behavior and relapse. As such, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying withdrawal from opioid drugs is critical as scientists and clinicians seek to develop new treatments and therapies. In this review, we focus on the neural systems known to mediate the affective and somatic signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal, including the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, basolateral amygdala, extended amygdala, and brain and hormonal stress systems. Evidence from preclinical studies suggests that these systems are altered following opioid exposure and that these changes mediate behavioral signs of negative affect such as aversion and anxiety during withdrawal. Adaptations in these systems also parallel the behavioral and psychological features of opioid use disorder (OUD), highlighting the important role of withdrawal in the development of addictive behavior. Implications for relapse and treatment are discussed as well as promising avenues for future research, with the hope of promoting continued progress toward characterizing neural contributors to opioid withdrawal and compulsive opioid use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Monroe
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, 90 N Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Anna K Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, 90 N Patterson Ave, Oxford, OH, USA.
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7
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Downs AM, McElligott ZA. Noradrenergic circuits and signaling in substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2022; 208:108997. [PMID: 35176286 PMCID: PMC9498225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The central noradrenergic system innervates almost all regions of the brain and, as such, is well positioned to modulate many neural circuits implicated in behaviors and physiology underlying substance use disorders. Ample pharmacological evidence demonstrates that α1, α2, and β adrenergic receptors may serve as therapeutic targets to reduce drug -seeking behavior and drug withdrawal symptoms. Further, norepinephrine is a key modulator of the stress response, and stress has been heavily implicated in reinstatement of drug taking. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of noradrenergic circuitry and noradrenergic receptor signaling in the context of opioid, alcohol, and psychostimulant use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Downs
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Zoe A McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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8
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Wu R, Liu J, Vu J, Huang Y, Dietz DM, Li JX. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) in the nucleus accumbens regulates opioid-seeking behavior in male rats. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:37-48. [PMID: 34958862 PMCID: PMC8885906 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid addiction remains a severe health problem. While substantial insights underlying opioid addiction have been yielded from neuron-centric studies, the contribution of non-neuronal mechanisms to opioid-related behavioral adaptations has begun to be recognized. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a pattern recognition receptor, has been widely suggested in opioid-related behaviors. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a kinase essential for TLR4 responses, However, the potential role of IRAK4 in opioid-related responses has not been examined. Here, we explored the role of IRAK4 in cue-induced opioid-seeking behavior in male rats. We found that morphine self-administration increased the phosphorylation level of IRAK4 in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in rats; the IRAK4 signaling remained activated after morphine extinction and cue-induced reinstatement test. Both systemic and local inhibition of IRAK4 in the NAc core attenuated cue-induced morphine-seeking behavior without affecting the locomotor activity and cue-induced sucrose-seeking. In addition, inhibition of IRAK4 also reduced the cue-induced reinstatement of fentanyl-seeking. Our findings suggest an important role of IRAK4 in opioid relapse-like behaviors and provide novel evidence in the association between innate immunity and drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyan Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY,Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Jimmy Vu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Yufei Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - David M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Jun-Xu Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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Root-Bernstein R. Biased, Bitopic, Opioid-Adrenergic Tethered Compounds May Improve Specificity, Lower Dosage and Enhance Agonist or Antagonist Function with Reduced Risk of Tolerance and Addiction. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:214. [PMID: 35215326 PMCID: PMC8876737 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper proposes the design of combination opioid-adrenergic tethered compounds to enhance efficacy and specificity, lower dosage, increase duration of activity, decrease side effects, and reduce risk of developing tolerance and/or addiction. Combinations of adrenergic and opioid drugs are sometimes used to improve analgesia, decrease opioid doses required to achieve analgesia, and to prolong the duration of analgesia. Recent mechanistic research suggests that these enhanced functions result from an allosteric adrenergic binding site on opioid receptors and, conversely, an allosteric opioid binding site on adrenergic receptors. Dual occupancy of the receptors maintains the receptors in their high affinity, most active states; drops the concentration of ligand required for full activity; and prevents downregulation and internalization of the receptors, thus inhibiting tolerance to the drugs. Activation of both opioid and adrenergic receptors also enhances heterodimerization of the receptors, additionally improving each drug's efficacy. Tethering adrenergic drugs to opioids could produce new drug candidates with highly desirable features. Constraints-such as the locations of the opioid binding sites on adrenergic receptors and adrenergic binding sites on opioid receptors, length of tethers that must govern the design of such novel compounds, and types of tethers-are described and examples of possible structures provided.
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10
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Jones JA, Zuhlsdorff K, Dalley JW. Neurochemical substrates linked to impulsive and compulsive phenotypes in addiction: A preclinical perspective. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1525-1546. [PMID: 33931861 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug compulsion manifests in some but not all individuals and implicates multifaceted processes including failures in top-down cognitive control as drivers for the hazardous pursuit of drug use in some individuals. As a closely related construct, impulsivity encompasses rash or risky behaviour without foresight and underlies most forms of drug taking behaviour, including drug use during adverse emotional states (i.e., negative urgency). While impulsive behavioural dimensions emerge from drug-induced brain plasticity, burgeoning evidence suggests that impulsivity also predates the emergence of compulsive drug use. Although the neural substrates underlying the apparently causal relationship between trait impulsivity and drug compulsion are poorly understood, significant advances have come from the interrogation of defined limbic cortico-striatal circuits involved in motivated behaviour and response inhibition, together with chemical neuromodulatory influences from the ascending neurotransmitter systems. We review what is presently known about the neurochemical mediation of impulsivity, in its various forms, and ask whether commonalities exist in the neurochemistry of compulsive drug-motivated behaviours that might explain individual risk for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon A Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, Hershel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Vanderkam P, Solinas M, Ingrand I, Doux N, Ebrahimighavam S, Jaafari N, Lafay-Chebassier C. Effectiveness of drugs acting on adrenergic receptors in the treatment for tobacco or alcohol use disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction 2021; 116:1011-1020. [PMID: 32959918 DOI: 10.1111/add.15265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the efficacy of drugs directly acting on alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors in the treatment of patients suffering from tobacco or alcohol use disorder. METHODS Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, studies were identified through PUBMED, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinicaltrial.gov. We selected only randomized controlled trials with adult patients with tobacco or alcohol use disorders according to DSM-5 criteria. Interventions included any molecule having a direct pharmacological action on alpha- or beta-adrenergic receptors (agonist or antagonist). Comparators were placebo or other validated pharmacotherapies. The duration of the intervention was a minimum of 1 month, with 3 months of follow-up. Measurements included smoking cessation for tobacco; for alcohol, we selected abstinence, alcohol consumption (drinks per day or week) and heavy drinking days (HDD). Ten studies with tobacco and six with alcohol use disorder were included in the qualitative synthesis and fifteen studies in the quantitative analysis. RESULTS We found that clonidine, an alpha-2 agonist, significantly increased smoking abstinence [relative risk = 1.39 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04, 1.84]. Beta-blockers had no significant effect on smoking abstinence. The alpha-1 antagonists prazosin and doxazosin decreased alcohol consumption [SMD = -0.32 (-0.56, -0.07)] but had no effect on abstinence or HDD. CONCLUSIONS The noradrenaline system may represent a promising mechanism to target in tobacco and alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Vanderkam
- INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Unité de recherche clinique intersectorielle en psychiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit, Poitiers, France
| | - Marcello Solinas
- INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Unité de recherche clinique intersectorielle en psychiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit, Poitiers, France
| | - Isabelle Ingrand
- Service de Pharmacologie Clinique et Vigilances, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Unité d'Epidémiologie et Biostatistique, Registre Général des Cancers Poitou-Charentes, INSERM CIC 1402, Université, CHU de Poitiers, France
| | - Nicolas Doux
- Service Commun de Documentation, Bibliothèque universitaire de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Soghra Ebrahimighavam
- Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Allameh Tabatabai University, Iran
| | - Nematollah Jaafari
- Unité de recherche clinique intersectorielle en psychiatrie, Centre Hospitalier Henri Laborit, Poitiers, France
| | - Claire Lafay-Chebassier
- INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Service de Pharmacologie Clinique et Vigilances, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
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12
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Marusich JA, Gay EA, Watson SL, Blough BE. Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone and mephedrone self-administration produce differential neurochemical changes following short- or long-access conditions in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 897:173935. [PMID: 33577836 PMCID: PMC7965342 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.173935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Stimulant-induced neurochemical changes may occur at different times for different brain regions or neurotransmitter systems. This study sought to examine the behavioral and neurochemical effects of extended access to α-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (α-PVP) and 4-methylmethcathinone (4MMC). Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to self-administer α-PVP (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) or 4MMC (0.5 mg/kg/infusion) through autoshaping, and then self-administered for 21 days during 1 h (short access; ShA) or 6 h (long access; LgA) sessions. Separate rats were assigned to a naïve control group. Amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum, and thalamus were extracted, and tissue was analyzed with electrochemical detection and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Rats acquired self-administration of α-PVP and 4MMC, and LgA rats showed more escalation of self-administration than ShA rats. Synthetic cathinone administration produced several effects on neurotransmitters. LgA self-administration of α-PVP increased 5-HIAA levels in all brain regions, compared to control. In contrast, both LgA and ShA 4MMC self-administration decreased 5-HT and 5-HIAA levels in most brain regions. LgA exposure to both synthetic cathinones increased DOPAC levels in hypothalamus and striatum, and increased HVA levels in striatum compared to control. LgA self-administration of either synthetic cathinone produced region-specific increases in NE levels, whereas ShA self-administration lowered NE levels in select locations compared to control. These alterations in neurotransmitter levels indicate that synthetic cathinone use may produce differential neurochemical changes during the transition from use to abuse, and that 21 days of self-administration only models the beginning stages of dysregulated drug intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Marusich
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Elaine A Gay
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Scott L Watson
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Bruce E Blough
- Center for Drug Discovery, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Rd, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
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13
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Koob GF. Drug Addiction: Hyperkatifeia/Negative Reinforcement as a Framework for Medications Development. Pharmacol Rev 2021; 73:163-201. [PMID: 33318153 PMCID: PMC7770492 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.120.000083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsive drug seeking that is associated with addiction is hypothesized to follow a heuristic framework that involves three stages (binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation) and three domains of dysfunction (incentive salience/pathologic habits, negative emotional states, and executive function, respectively) via changes in the basal ganglia, extended amygdala/habenula, and frontal cortex, respectively. This review focuses on neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations that contribute to hyperkatifeia, defined as a greater intensity of negative emotional/motivational signs and symptoms during withdrawal from drugs of abuse in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the addiction cycle. Hyperkatifeia provides an additional source of motivation for compulsive drug seeking via negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement reflects an increase in the probability of a response to remove an aversive stimulus or drug seeking to remove hyperkatifeia that is augmented by genetic/epigenetic vulnerability, environmental trauma, and psychiatric comorbidity. Neurobiological targets for hyperkatifeia in addiction involve neurocircuitry of the extended amygdala and its connections via within-system neuroadaptations in dopamine, enkephalin/endorphin opioid peptide, and γ-aminobutyric acid/glutamate systems and between-system neuroadaptations in prostress corticotropin-releasing factor, norepinephrine, glucocorticoid, dynorphin, hypocretin, and neuroimmune systems and antistress neuropeptide Y, nociceptin, endocannabinoid, and oxytocin systems. Such neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations are hypothesized to mediate a negative hedonic set point that gradually gains allostatic load and shifts from a homeostatic hedonic state to an allostatic hedonic state. Based on preclinical studies and translational studies to date, medications and behavioral therapies that reset brain stress, antistress, and emotional pain systems and return them to homeostasis would be promising new targets for medication development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The focus of this review is on neurochemical/neurocircuitry dysregulations that contribute to hyperkatifeia, defined as a greater intensity of negative emotional/motivational signs and symptoms during withdrawal from drugs of abuse in the withdrawal/negative affect stage of the drug addiction cycle and a driving force for negative reinforcement in addiction. Medications and behavioral therapies that reverse hyperkatifeia by resetting brain stress, antistress, and emotional pain systems and returning them to homeostasis would be promising new targets for medication development.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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14
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Perez DM. α 1-Adrenergic Receptors in Neurotransmission, Synaptic Plasticity, and Cognition. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:581098. [PMID: 33117176 PMCID: PMC7553051 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.581098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
α1-adrenergic receptors are G-Protein Coupled Receptors that are involved in neurotransmission and regulate the sympathetic nervous system through binding and activating the neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, and the neurohormone, epinephrine. There are three α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes (α1A, α1B, α1D) that are known to play various roles in neurotransmission and cognition. They are related to two other adrenergic receptor families that also bind norepinephrine and epinephrine, the β- and α2-, each with three subtypes (β1, β2, β3, α2A, α2B, α2C). Previous studies assessing the roles of α1-adrenergic receptors in neurotransmission and cognition have been inconsistent. This was due to the use of poorly-selective ligands and many of these studies were published before the characterization of the cloned receptor subtypes and the subsequent development of animal models. With the availability of more-selective ligands and the development of animal models, a clearer picture of their role in cognition and neurotransmission can be assessed. In this review, we highlight the significant role that the α1-adrenergic receptor plays in regulating synaptic efficacy, both short and long-term synaptic plasticity, and its regulation of different types of memory. We will also present evidence that the α1-adrenergic receptors, and particularly the α1A-adrenergic receptor subtype, are a potentially good target to treat a wide variety of neurological conditions with diminished cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianne M Perez
- The Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, United States
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15
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Hicks C, Sabino V, Cottone P. The Alpha-1 Adrenergic Receptor Antagonist Prazosin Reduces Binge-Like Eating in Rats. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12061569. [PMID: 32481494 PMCID: PMC7352795 DOI: 10.3390/nu12061569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Binge-eating disorder is a pervasive addiction-like disorder that is defined by excessive and uncontrollable consumption of food within brief periods of time. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of the brain noradrenergic system in binge-like eating through the use of the alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin. Methods: For this purpose, we employed a limited access model whereby male Wistar rats were allowed to nosepoke for either chow (Chow rats) or a sugary, highly palatable food (Palatable rats) for 1 h/day. The effects of prazosin (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg, i.p.) were tested in a fixed ratio 1 (FR1) and progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement. Results: The results show that prazosin preferentially reduced the responses for palatable food in a FR1 reinforcement schedule; when tested in a PR schedule of reinforcement, prazosin increased breakpoint in both Chow and Palatable rats, but more potently and more efficaciously in the latter. Our results suggest that prazosin treatment preferentially increased the motivational properties of the palatable diet. Conclusions: The current findings provide the characterization of the effects of prazosin on binge-like eating and offer support to the existing literature showing the important role of the noradrenergic system in addiction-like behavior.
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María-Ríos CE, Morrow JD. Mechanisms of Shared Vulnerability to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:6. [PMID: 32082127 PMCID: PMC7006033 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychoactive substance use is a nearly universal human behavior, but a significant minority of people who use addictive substances will go on to develop an addictive disorder. Similarly, though ~90% of people experience traumatic events in their lifetime, only ~10% ever develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Substance use disorders (SUD) and PTSD are highly comorbid, occurring in the same individual far more often than would be predicted by chance given the respective prevalence of each disorder. Some possible reasons that have been proposed for the relationship between PTSD and SUD are self-medication of anxiety with drugs or alcohol, increased exposure to traumatic events due to activities involved in acquiring illegal substances, or addictive substances altering the brain's stress response systems to make users more vulnerable to PTSD. Yet another possibility is that some people have an intrinsic vulnerability that predisposes them to both PTSD and SUD. In this review, we integrate clinical and animal data to explore these possible etiological links between SUD and PTSD, with an emphasis on interactions between dopaminergic, adrenocorticotropic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurobehavioral mechanisms that underlie different emotional learning styles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan D. Morrow
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Velasquez-Martinez MC, Santos-Vera B, Velez-Hernandez ME, Vazquez-Torres R, Jimenez-Rivera CA. Alpha-1 Adrenergic Receptors Modulate Glutamate and GABA Neurotransmission onto Ventral Tegmental Dopamine Neurons during Cocaine Sensitization. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E790. [PMID: 31991781 PMCID: PMC7036981 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21030790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in the reward and motivational processes that facilitate the development of drug addiction. Presynaptic α1-AR activation modulates glutamate and Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release. This work elucidates the role of VTA presynaptic α1-ARs and their modulation on glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission during cocaine sensitization. Excitatory and inhibitory currents (EPSCs and IPSCs) measured by a whole cell voltage clamp show that α1-ARs activation increases EPSCs amplitude after 1 day of cocaine treatment but not after 5 days of cocaine injections. The absence of a pharmacological response to an α1-ARs agonist highlights the desensitization of the receptor after repeated cocaine administration. The desensitization of α1-ARs persists after a 7-day withdrawal period. In contrast, the modulation of α1-ARs on GABA neurotransmission, shown by decreases in IPSCs' amplitude, is not affected by acute or chronic cocaine injections. Taken together, these data suggest that α1-ARs may enhance DA neuronal excitability after repeated cocaine administration through the reduction of GABA inhibition onto VTA dopamine (DA) neurons even in the absence of α1-ARs' function on glutamate release and protein kinase C (PKC) activation. α1-AR modulatory changes in cocaine sensitization increase our knowledge of the role of the noradrenergic system in cocaine addiction and may provide possible avenues for therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina Velasquez-Martinez
- Grupo de Neurociencias y Comportamiento, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga 680006, Colombia;
| | - Bermary Santos-Vera
- Department of Biology, Cayey Campus, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey, PR 00737, USA;
| | - Maria E. Velez-Hernandez
- Department of Biological and Health Sciences, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX 78363, USA;
| | - Rafael Vazquez-Torres
- Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00925, USA;
| | - Carlos A. Jimenez-Rivera
- Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR 00925, USA;
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Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder that, whilst initially driven by activation of brain reward neurocircuits, increasingly engages anti-reward neurocircuits that drive adverse emotional states and relapse. However, successful recovery is possible with appropriate treatment, although with a persisting propensity to relapse. The individual and public health burdens of OUD are immense; 26.8 million people were estimated to be living with OUD globally in 2016, with >100,000 opioid overdose deaths annually, including >47,000 in the USA in 2017. Well-conducted trials have demonstrated that long-term opioid agonist therapy with methadone and buprenorphine have great efficacy for OUD treatment and can save lives. New forms of the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone are also being studied. Some frequently used approaches have less scientifically robust evidence but are nevertheless considered important, including community preventive strategies, harm reduction interventions to reduce adverse sequelae from ongoing use and mutual aid groups. Other commonly used approaches, such as detoxification alone, lack scientific evidence. Delivery of effective prevention and treatment responses is often complicated by coexisting comorbidities and inadequate support, as well as by conflicting public and political opinions. Science has a crucial role to play in informing public attitudes and developing fuller evidence to understand OUD and its associated harms, as well as in obtaining the evidence today that will improve the prevention and treatment interventions of tomorrow.
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19
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Koob GF. Neurobiology of Opioid Addiction: Opponent Process, Hyperkatifeia, and Negative Reinforcement. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:44-53. [PMID: 31400808 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are powerful drugs that usurp and overpower the reward function of endogenous opioids and engage dramatic tolerance and withdrawal via molecular and neurocircuitry neuroadaptations within the same reward system. However, they also engage the brain systems for stress and pain (somatic and emotional) while producing hyperalgesia and hyperkatifeia, which drive pronounced drug-seeking behavior via processes of negative reinforcement. Hyperkatifeia (derived from the Greek "katifeia" for dejection or negative emotional state) is defined as an increase in intensity of the constellation of negative emotional or motivational signs and symptoms of withdrawal from drugs of abuse. In animal models, repeated extended access to drugs or opioids results in negative emotion-like states, reflected by the elevation of reward thresholds, lower pain thresholds, anxiety-like behavior, and dysphoric-like responses. Such negative emotional states that drive negative reinforcement are hypothesized to derive from the within-system dysregulation of key neurochemical circuits that mediate incentive-salience and/or reward systems (dopamine, opioid peptides) in the ventral striatum and from the between-system recruitment of brain stress systems (corticotropin-releasing factor, dynorphin, norepinephrine, hypocretin, vasopressin, glucocorticoids, and neuroimmune factors) in the extended amygdala. Hyperkatifeia can extend into protracted abstinence and interact with learning processes in the form of conditioned withdrawal to facilitate relapse to compulsive-like drug seeking. Compelling evidence indicates that plasticity in the brain pain emotional systems is triggered by acute excessive drug intake and becomes sensitized during the development of compulsive drug taking with repeated withdrawal. It then persists into protracted abstinence and contributes to the development and persistence of compulsive opioid-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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20
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Solecki WB, Kus N, Gralec K, Klasa A, Pradel K, Przewłocki R. Noradrenergic and corticosteroid receptors regulate somatic and motivational symptoms of morphine withdrawal. Behav Brain Res 2019; 360:146-157. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.11.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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21
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Simpson TL, Saxon AJ, Stappenbeck C, Malte CA, Lyons R, Tell D, Millard SP, Raskind M. Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial of Prazosin for Alcohol Use Disorder. Am J Psychiatry 2018; 175:1216-1224. [PMID: 30153753 PMCID: PMC6395537 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17080913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Current medications for alcohol use disorder do not target brain noradrenergic pathways. Theoretical and preclinical evidence suggests that noradrenergic circuits may be involved in alcohol reinforcement and relapse. After a positive pilot study, the authors tested the α-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin to treat alcohol use disorder in a larger sample. METHOD Ninety-two participants with alcohol use disorder but without posttraumatic stress disorder were randomly assigned to receive prazosin or placebo in a 12-week double-blind study. Medication was titrated to a target dosing schedule of 4 mg in the morning, 4 mg in the afternoon, and 8 mg at bedtime by the end of week 2. The behavioral platform was medical management. Participants provided daily data on alcohol consumption. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the impact of prazosin compared with placebo on number of drinks per week, number of drinking days per week, and number of heavy drinking days per week. RESULTS Eighty participants completed the titration period and were included in the primary analyses. There was a significant interaction between condition and week for both number of drinks and number of heavy drinking days, such that the rate of drinking and the probability of heavy drinking showed a greater decrease over time for participants in the prazosin condition compared with those in the placebo condition. Participants in the prazosin condition were more likely to report drowsiness and edema than participants in the placebo condition. CONCLUSIONS Prazosin holds promise as a harm-reduction pharmacologic treatment for alcohol use disorder and deserves further evaluation by independent research groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L. Simpson
- Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle WA, Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Andrew J. Saxon
- Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle WA, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Cynthia Stappenbeck
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Carol A. Malte
- Center of Excellence in Substance Abuse Treatment and Education, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle WA
| | - Robert Lyons
- Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research, Seattle, WA
| | - Dana Tell
- Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research, Seattle, WA
| | - Steven P. Millard
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, Seattle Institute for Biomedical and Clinical Research, Seattle, WA
| | - Murray Raskind
- Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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22
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Kreisler AD, Mattock M, Zorrilla EP. The duration of intermittent access to preferred sucrose-rich food affects binge-like intake, fat accumulation, and fasting glucose in male rats. Appetite 2018; 130:59-69. [PMID: 30063959 PMCID: PMC6168430 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.07.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Many people restrict their palatable food intake. In animal models, time-limiting access to palatable foods increases their intake while decreasing intake of less preferred alternatives; negative emotional withdrawal-like behavior is sometimes reported. In drug addiction models, intermittent extended access drives greater changes in use than brief access. When it comes to palatable food, the impact of briefer vs. longer access durations within intermittent access conditions remains unclear. Here, we provided male rats with chow or with weekday access to a preferred, sucrose-rich diet (PREF) (2, 4, or 8 h daily) with chow otherwise available. Despite normal energy intake, all restricted access conditions increased weight gain by 6 weeks and shifted diet acceptance within 1 week. They increased daily and 2-h intake of PREF with individual vulnerability and decreased chow intake. Rats with the briefest access had the greatest binge-like (2-h) intake, did not lose weight on weekends despite undereating chow, and were fattier by 12 weeks. Extended access rats (8 h) showed the greatest daily intake of preferred food and corresponding undereating of chow, slower weight gain when PREF was unavailable, and more variable daily energy intake from week to week. Increased fasting glucose was seen in 2-h and 8-h access rats. During acute withdrawal from PREF to chow diet, restricted access rats showed increased locomotor activity. Thus, intermittent access broadly promoted weight gain, fasting hyperglycemia and psychomotor arousal during early withdrawal. More restricted access promoted greater binge-like intake and fat accumulation, whereas longer access promoted evidence of greater food reward tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Kreisler
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - M Mattock
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - E P Zorrilla
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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23
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Di Ciano P, Le Foll B. The Rat Gambling Task as a model for the preclinical development of treatments for gambling disorder. INTERNATIONAL GAMBLING STUDIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2018.1448428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Di Ciano
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) , Toronto, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Addiction Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) , Toronto, Canada
- Departments of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Psychiatry, Family and Community Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto , Toronto, Canada
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Effects of disulfiram on choice behavior in a rodent gambling task: association with catecholamine levels. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:23-35. [PMID: 29085979 PMCID: PMC5750121 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4744-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Gambling disorder is a growing societal concern, as recognized by its recent classification as an addictive disorder in the DSM-5. Case reports have shown that disulfiram reduces gambling-related behavior in humans. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present study was to determine whether disulfiram affects performance on a rat gambling task, a rodent version of the Iowa gambling task in humans, and whether any changes were associated with alterations in dopamine and/or norepinephrine levels. METHODS Rats were administered disulfiram prior to testing on the rat gambling task or prior to analysis of dopamine or norepinephrine levels in brain homogenates. Rats in the behavioral task were divided into two subgroups (optimal vs suboptimal) based on their baseline levels of performance in the rat gambling task. Rats in the optimal group chose the advantageous strategy more, and rats in the suboptimal group (a parallel to problem gambling) chose the disadvantageous strategy more. Rats were not divided into optimal or suboptimal groups prior to neurochemical analysis. RESULTS Disulfiram administered 2 h, but not 30 min, before the task dose-dependently improved choice behavior in the rats with an initial disadvantageous "gambling-like" strategy, while having no effect on the rats employing an advantageous strategy. The behavioral effects of disulfiram were associated with increased striatal dopamine and decreased striatal norepinephrine. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that combined actions on dopamine and norepinephrine may be a useful treatment for gambling disorders.
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25
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Synergistic interactions between mirtazapine and prazosin prevent the induction and expression of behavioral sensitization to cocaine in rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 180:137-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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26
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Verplaetse TL, Weinberger AH, Oberleitner LM, Smith KM, Pittman BP, Shi JM, Tetrault JM, Lavery ME, Picciotto MR, McKee SA. Effect of doxazosin on stress reactivity and the ability to resist smoking. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:830-840. [PMID: 28440105 PMCID: PMC5823502 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117699603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical findings support a role for α1-adrenergic antagonists in reducing nicotine-motivated behaviors, but these findings have yet to be translated to humans. The current study evaluated whether doxazosin would attenuate stress-precipitated smoking in the human laboratory. Using a well-validated laboratory analogue of smoking-lapse behavior, this pilot study evaluated whether doxazosin (4 and 8 mg/day) versus placebo attenuated the effect of stress (vs neutral imagery) on tobacco craving, the ability to resist smoking and subsequent ad-libitum smoking in nicotine-deprived smokers ( n=35). Cortisol, adrenocorticotropin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and physiologic reactivity were assessed. Doxazosin (4 and 8 mg/day vs placebo) decreased cigarettes per day during the 21-day titration period. Following titration, doxazosin (4 and 8 mg/day vs placebo) decreased tobacco craving. During the laboratory session, doxazosin (8 mg/day vs placebo) further decreased tobacco craving following stress versus neutral imagery. Doxazosin increased the latency to start smoking following stress, and reduced the number of cigarettes smoked. Dosage of 8 mg/day doxazosin increased or normalized cortisol levels following stress imagery and decreased cortisol levels following neutral imagery. These preliminary findings support a role for the noradrenergic system in stress-precipitated smoking behavior, and support further development of doxazosin as a novel pharmacotherapeutic treatment strategy for smoking cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea H. Weinberger
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | | | - Kathryn M.Z. Smith
- Division on Substance Abuse, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
| | - Brian P. Pittman
- Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Julia M. Shi
- Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | | | - Meaghan E. Lavery
- Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Marina R. Picciotto
- Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Sherry A. McKee
- Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
- Correspondence to: Sherry A. McKee, PhD, 2 Church St South, Suite 109, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519; Tele: 203.737-3529 Fax: 203.737-4243
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Shelkar GP, Kumar S, Singru PS, Subhedar NK, Kokare DM. Noradrenergic inputs from locus coeruleus to posterior ventral tegmental area are essential to support ethanol reinforcement. Addict Biol 2017; 22:291-302. [PMID: 26549324 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Although dysregulation of the dopaminergic mesolimbic system is generally considered central to addiction, the involvement of other circuits is increasingly being appreciated. An interaction between locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenergic neurons and the posterior ventral tegmental area (pVTA) dopaminergic system, in the processing of drug-triggered reward, has been suggested, but not demonstrated in behaving animals. Herein, we try to tease out the precise role of noradrenergic neurons in the LC-VTA circuit in mediating reward and reinforcement behavior associated with ethanol. In the standard two-lever (active/inactive) operant paradigm, the rats were trained to self-administer ethanol in pVTA and subjected to pharmacological intervention. Intra-pVTA administration of phenylephrine (alpha-1 adrenoceptor agonist) increased ethanol self-administration, while prazosin and disulfiram (agents that reduce noradrenergic tone) produced opposite effects. While degeneration [N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride, DSP-4, intraperitoneal route] or silencing (lidocaine or muscimol, both via intra-LC route) of the LC noradrenergic neurons decreased, phenylephrine via the intra-LC route reinstated ethanol self-administration. Furthermore, lidocaine reduced ethanol self-administration, but the effect was fully attenuated by noradrenaline given directly in the pVTA. This suggests that the feedback signals from LC to pVTA are necessary to sustain the ethanol self-infusion activity. Ethanol self-administration significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in pVTA and LC; the response was blocked by DSP-4 pre-treatment. While dopamine D1 , but not D2 , receptors were localized on noradrenergic LC neurons, pre-treatment with SCH-23390 (intra-LC) dampened the lever press activity. We suggest that two-way communications between VTA and LC regions is essential for ethanol-triggered reinforcement behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajanan P. Shelkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University; India
| | - Santosh Kumar
- School of Biological Sciences; National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER); Institute of Physics Campus; Sachivalaya Marg, PO Sainik School, Bhubaneswar; India
| | - Praful S. Singru
- School of Biological Sciences; National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER); Institute of Physics Campus; Sachivalaya Marg, PO Sainik School, Bhubaneswar; India
| | | | - Dadasaheb M. Kokare
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University; India
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Verplaetse TL, Czachowski CL. Low-dose prazosin alone and in combination with propranolol or naltrexone: effects on ethanol and sucrose seeking and self-administration in the P rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2647-57. [PMID: 25743758 PMCID: PMC4504773 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3896-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Evidence suggests that the noradrenergic system mediates ethanol reinforcement. However, preclinical studies suggest that noradrenergic antagonists block other oral reinforcers indicating possible unwanted secondary medication effects. METHODS This study examined combinations of low-dose prazosin with propranolol or naltrexone using a behavioral paradigm that separately assesses reinforcer seeking and self-administration. Male alcohol-preferring (P) rats (n = 20/experiment) were trained to complete a response requirement (RR) resulting in access to 1 % sucrose (n = 10) or 10 % ethanol (n = 10) for 20 min. Rats received vehicle, prazosin alone (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP)), or prazosin in combination with propranolol (5 mg/kg (IP); Exp. 1) or in combination with naltrexone (0.03 mg/kg, subcutaneously (SC); Exp. 2). RESULTS For Exp. 1, prazosin alone effectively decreased sucrose seeking more than ethanol seeking, but decreased ethanol self-administration only. Propranolol alone effectively decreased ethanol seeking more than sucrose seeking and decreased ethanol intake only. At some dose combinations, there was a greater attenuation of ethanol and sucrose intake relative to either drug alone. For Exp. 2, prazosin alone and naltrexone alone were effective in decreasing ethanol seeking and intake only. Combination treatment was more effective than either drug alone at decreasing ethanol seeking and consumption and sucrose intake, but not sucrose seeking. CONCLUSIONS Propranolol and naltrexone alone were specific to ethanol indicating that low doses of either medication may be beneficial in treating alcohol use disorders. Prazosin in combination with propranolol or naltrexone was more effective than either drug alone and also reduced sucrose-reinforced behaviors. These data suggest that the noradrenergic system is a viable target for developing treatment approaches for problem drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terril L Verplaetse
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,
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Schmeichel BE, Barbier E, Misra KK, Contet C, Schlosburg JE, Grigoriadis D, Williams JP, Karlsson C, Pitcairn C, Heilig M, Koob GF, Vendruscolo LF. Hypocretin receptor 2 antagonism dose-dependently reduces escalated heroin self-administration in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:1123-9. [PMID: 25367502 PMCID: PMC4367454 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) system has been associated with both positive and negative drug reinforcement, implicating HCRT receptor 1 (HCRT-R1) signaling in drug-related behaviors for all major drug classes, including opioids. However, to date there are limited studies investigating the role of HCRT receptor 2 (HCRT-R2) signaling in compulsive-like drug seeking. Escalation of drug intake with extended access has been suggested to model the transition from controlled drug use to compulsive-like drug seeking/taking. The current study examined the effects of a HCRT-R2 antagonist, NBI-80713, on heroin self-administration in rats allowed short- (1 h; ShA) or long- (12 h; LgA) access to intravenous heroin self-administration. Results indicate that systemically administered NBI-80713 dose-dependently decreased heroin self-administration in LgA, but not in ShA, animals. Quantitative PCR analyses showed an increase in Hcrtr2 mRNA levels in the central amygdala, a stress-related brain region, of LgA rats. These observations suggest a functional role for HCRT-R2 signaling in compulsive-like heroin self-administration associated with extended access and indicate HCRT-R2 antagonism as a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of heroin dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Schmeichel
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Laboratories of Neurogenetics and Clinical and Translational Studies, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kaushik K Misra
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Candice Contet
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Joel E Schlosburg
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Camilla Karlsson
- Laboratories of Neurogenetics and Clinical and Translational Studies, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caleb Pitcairn
- Laboratories of Neurogenetics and Clinical and Translational Studies, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Heilig
- Laboratories of Neurogenetics and Clinical and Translational Studies, Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Leandro F Vendruscolo
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Velásquez-Martínez MC, Vázquez-Torres R, Rojas LV, Sanabria P, Jiménez-Rivera CA. Alpha-1 adrenoreceptors modulate GABA release onto ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Neuropharmacology 2014; 88:110-21. [PMID: 25261018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Revised: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in reward and motivational processes involved in drug addiction. Previous studies have shown that alpha1-adrenoreceptors (α1-AR) are primarily found pre-synaptically at this area. We hypothesized that GABA released onto VTA-dopamine (DA) cells is modulated by pre-synaptic α1-AR. Recordings were obtained from putative VTA-DA cells of male Sprague-Dawley rats (28-50 days postnatal) using whole-cell voltage clamp technique. Phenylephrine (10 μM; α1-AR agonist) decreased the amplitude of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) evoked by electrical stimulation of afferent fibers (n = 7; p < 0.05). Prazosin (1 μM, α1-AR antagonist), blocked this effect. Paired-pulse ratios were increased by phenylephrine application (n = 13; p < 0.05) indicating a presynaptic site of action. Spontaneous IPSCs frequency but not amplitude, were decreased in the presence of phenylephrine (n = 7; p < 0.05). However, frequency or amplitude of miniature IPSCs were not changed (n = 9; p > 0.05). Phenylephrine in low Ca(2+) (1 mM) medium decreased IPSC amplitude (n = 7; p < 0.05). Chelerythrine (a protein kinase C inhibitor) blocked the α1-AR action on IPSC amplitude (n = 6; p < 0.05). Phenylephrine failed to decrease IPSCs amplitude in the presence of paxilline, a BK channel blocker (n = 7; p < 0.05). Taken together, these results demonstrate that α1-ARs at presynaptic terminals can modulate GABA release onto VTA-DA cells. Drug-induced changes in α1-AR could contribute to the modifications occurring in the VTA during the addiction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Velásquez-Martínez
- Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA; Laboratorio de Neurociencias y Comportamiento, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Rafael Vázquez-Torres
- Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA
| | - Legier V Rojas
- Department of Physiology, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, PR, USA
| | - Priscila Sanabria
- Department of Physiology, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, PR, USA
| | - Carlos A Jiménez-Rivera
- Department of Physiology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
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Forray A, Sofuoglu M. Future pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2014; 77:382-400. [PMID: 23039267 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04474.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders represent a serious public health and social issue worldwide. Recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of the addictive processes have led to the development of a growing number of pharmacological agents to treat addictions. Despite this progress, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis addiction. Moving treatment development to the next stage will require novel ways of approaching substance use disorders. One such novel approach is to target individual vulnerabilities, such as cognitive function, sex differences and psychiatric comorbidities. This review provides a summary of promising pharmacotherapies for alcohol, opiate, stimulant and nicotine addictions. Many medications that target positive and negative reinforcement of drugs, as well as individual vulnerabilities to addiction, are in different phases of development. Clinical trials testing the efficacy of these medications for substance use disorder are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Forray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Rasmussen DD, Alexander L, Malone J, Federoff D, Froehlich JC. The α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, clonidine, reduces alcohol drinking in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Alcohol 2014; 48:543-9. [PMID: 25085719 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that noradrenergic signaling may play a role in mediating alcohol-drinking behavior in both rodents and humans. We have investigated this possibility by administering clonidine to alcohol-drinking rats selectively bred for alcohol preference (P line). Clonidine is an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist which, at low doses, inhibits noradrenergic signaling by decreasing norepinephrine release from presynaptic noradrenergic neurons. Adult male P rats were given 24 h access to food and water and scheduled access to a 15% (v/v) alcohol solution for 2 h daily. Rats received intra-peritoneal (IP) injections with clonidine (0, 10, 20, 40, or 80 μg/kg body weight [BW], 10-11 rats/treatment group) once/day at 30 min prior to onset of the daily 2 h alcohol access period for 2 consecutive days. Clonidine, in doses of 40 or 80 μg/kg BW, significantly reduced alcohol intake on both days of treatment (p<0.001). Two weeks later, rats were treated with clonidine for 5 consecutive days and clonidine, in doses of 40 or 80 μg/kg BW, reduced alcohol intake on all 5 treatment days (p < 0.001). Clonidine did not alter water consumption during the daily 2 h free-choice between alcohol and water. In a separate group of male P rats, clonidine (40 μg/kg BW) suppressed intake of a saccharin solution (0.04 g/L). These results are consistent with and complement our previous findings that the α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, decreases voluntary alcohol drinking in alcohol-preferring rats, but suggests that effects of clonidine may not be specific for alcohol. The results suggest that although activation of the noradrenergic system plays an important role in mediating voluntary alcohol drinking, care is needed in selecting which drugs to use to suppress central noradrenergic signaling in order to maximize the selectivity of the drugs for treating alcohol-use disorders.
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Sofuoglu M, Rosenheck R, Petrakis I. Pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder: recent progress. Addict Behav 2014; 39:428-33. [PMID: 24035645 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 08/03/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has identified a strong association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD), necessitating the development of treatments that address both conditions. Some pharmacotherapies are effective for the treatment of PTSD and SUD alone, however; no medications have been proven to be effective for the combination of these conditions. We review the recent advances in pharmacological treatment of comorbid PTSD and SUD. A randomized clinical trial of sertraline, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), did not show overall efficacy for comorbid PTSD and alcohol dependence (AD), although it may have efficacy among light drinkers. Another clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of both disulfiram and naltrexone for the treatment of AD in individuals with PTSD. A more recent clinical trial suggested that norepinephrine uptake inhibitors may also have efficacy for the treatment of comorbid PTSD and AD. In animal and preliminary human studies, brain norepinephrine and glutamate/GABA have emerged as potential treatment targets for comorbid PTSD and SUD. Noradrenergic medications that are promising for comorbid PTSD and SUD include prazosin, guanfacine, and atomoxetine. Promising glutamate/GABA medications include topiramate, memantine, acamprosate, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and ketamine. The safety and efficacy of these medications for the treatment of PTSD and SUD need to be tested in controlled clinical trials.
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Brief maternal separation affects brain α1-adrenoceptors and apoptotic signaling in adult mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2014; 48:161-9. [PMID: 24128685 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Revised: 09/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adversity during early life is a risk factor for the development of different mood and psychiatric disorders, including depressive-like behaviors. Here, neonatal mice were temporarily but repeatedly (day 1 to day 13) separated from mothers and placed in a testing environment containing a layer of odorless clean bedding (CB). We assessed in adult animals the impact of this early experience on binding sites and mRNA expression of α1-adrenergic receptor subtypes, heat shock proteins (HSPs) and proapoptotic and antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family proteins in different brain regions involved in processing of olfactory information and rewarding stimuli. We found that repeated exposure to CB experience produced anhedonic-like behavior in terms of reduced saccharin intake and α1-adrenoceptor downregulation in piriform and somatosensory cortices, hippocampus, amygdala and discrete thalamic nuclei. We also found a selective decrease of α1B-adrenoceptor binding sites in the cingulate cortex and hippocampus and an increase of hippocampal α1A and α1B receptor, but not of α1D-adrenoceptor, mRNA levels. Moreover, while a significant decrease of antiapoptotic heat shock proteins Hsp72 and Hsp90 was identified in the prefrontal cortex, a parallel increase of antiapoptotic members of Bcl-2 family proteins was found at the hippocampal level. Together, these data provide evidence that the early exposure to CB experience produced enduring downregulation of α1-adrenoceptors in the prefrontal-limbic forebrain/limbic midbrain network, which plays a key role in the processing of olfactory information and reaction to rewarding stimuli. Finally, these data show that CB experience can "prime" the hippocampal circuitry and promote the expression of antiapoptotic factors that can confer potential neuroprotection to subsequent adversity.
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LEVČÍK D, STUCHLÍK A, KLEMENT D. Effect of Block of α1-adrenoceptors on Overall Motor Activity but not on Spatial Cognition in the Object-Position Recognition Task. Physiol Res 2013; 62:561-7. [DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prazosin, an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist, is well known for its depressant effect on motivation and motor activity, while it has no effect on retention of spatial behavior in several tasks, e.g. in the Morris water maze and radial arm maze. The role of α1-adrenoceptors in operant tasks with stimulus-controlled behavior has not yet been tested. The present study investigated the effect of prazosin on the modulation of overall motor activity and on cognitive performance in a spatial operant task called object-position recognition task, where operant behavior (lever pressing) was controlled by spatial stimuli displayed on a computer screen. This task has been previously showed to be hippocampal-dependent. Pre-test injection of prazosin at the dose of 3 mg/kg decreased the responding rate, while it did not affect the recognition of object’s position. In conclusion, we validated the new cognitive test with a drug with known pharmacological effects on behavior and confirmed the depressant effect of prazosin on motor activity and no effect on retrieval of spatial memory in the hippocampal-dependent operant task.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. LEVČÍK
- Department of Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
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36
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Theberge FR, Li X, Kambhampati S, Pickens CL, St Laurent R, Bossert JM, Baumann MH, Hutchinson MR, Rice KC, Watkins LR, Shaham Y. Effect of chronic delivery of the Toll-like receptor 4 antagonist (+)-naltrexone on incubation of heroin craving. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 73:729-37. [PMID: 23384483 PMCID: PMC3615146 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2012] [Revised: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence implicates toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in opioid analgesia, tolerance, conditioned place preference, and self-administration. Here, we determined the effect of the TLR4 antagonist (+)-naltrexone (a μ-opioid receptor inactive isomer) on the time-dependent increases in cue-induced heroin seeking after withdrawal (incubation of heroin craving). METHODS In an initial experiment, we trained rats for 9 hours per day to self-administer heroin (.1 mg/kg/infusion) for 9 days; lever presses were paired with a 5-second tone-light cue. We then assessed cue-induced heroin seeking in 30-minute extinction sessions on withdrawal day 1; immediately after testing, we surgically implanted rats with Alzet minipumps delivering (+)-naltrexone (0, 7.5, 15, 30 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous) for 14 days. We then tested the rats for incubated cue-induced heroin seeking in 3-hour extinction tests on withdrawal day 13. RESULTS We found that chronic delivery of (+)-naltrexone via minipumps during the withdrawal phase decreased incubated cue-induced heroin seeking. In follow-up experiments, we found that acute injections of (+)-naltrexone immediately before withdrawal day 13 extinction tests had no effect on incubated cue-induced heroin seeking. Furthermore, chronic delivery of (+)-naltrexone (15 or 30 mg/kg/day) or acute systemic injections (15 or 30 mg/kg) had no effect on ongoing extended access heroin self-administration. Finally, in rats trained to self-administer methamphetamine (.1 mg/kg/infusion, 9 hours/day, 9 days), chronic delivery of (+)-naltrexone (30 mg/kg/day) during the withdrawal phase had no effect on incubated cue-induced methamphetamine seeking. CONCLUSIONS The present results suggest a critical role of TLR4 in the development of incubation of heroin, but not methamphetamine, craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence R Theberge
- Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Abstract
Among both civilian and veteran populations, substance use disorders (SUDs) and anxiety disorders frequently co-occur. One of the most common comorbid anxiety disorder is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition which may develop after exposure to traumatic events, such as military combat. In comparison with the general population, rates of both SUDs and PTSD are elevated among veterans. Recent data show that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate high rates of co-occurring SUDs, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. Careful assessment of these conditions is critical and may be complicated by symptom overlap. More research targeting integrated interventions for these conditions is needed to establish optimal treatments.
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α-1 Adrenergic receptors are localized on presynaptic elements in the nucleus accumbens and regulate mesolimbic dopamine transmission. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:2161-72. [PMID: 22588352 PMCID: PMC3398716 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Brainstem noradrenergic neurons innervate the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway both directly and indirectly, with norepinephrine facilitating dopamine (DA) neurotransmission via α1-adrenergic receptors (α1ARs). Although α1AR signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) promotes mesolimbic transmission and drug-induced behaviors, the potential contribution of α1ARs in other parts of the pathway, such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), has not been investigated before. We found that local blockade of α1ARs in the medial NAc shell, but not the VTA, attenuates cocaine- and morphine-induced locomotion. To determine the neuronal substrates that could mediate these effects, we analyzed the cellular, subcellular, and subsynaptic localization of α1ARs and characterized the chemical phenotypes of α1AR-containing elements within the mesocorticolimbic system using single and double immunocytochemical methods at the electron microscopic (EM) level. We found that α1ARs are found mainly extra-synaptically in axons and axon terminals in the NAc and are enriched in glutamatergic and dopaminergic elements. α1ARs are also abundant in glutamatergic terminals in the PFC, and in GABA-positive terminals in the VTA. In line with these observations, microdialysis experiments revealed that local blockade of α1ARs attenuated the increase in extracellular DA in the medial NAc shell following administration of cocaine. These data indicate that local α1ARs control DA transmission in the medial NAc shell and behavioral responses to drugs of abuse.
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The dopamine receptor antagonist levo-tetrahydropalmatine attenuates heroin self-administration and heroin-induced reinstatement in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 102:1-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2012.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Velásquez-Martinez MC, Vázquez-Torres R, Jiménez-Rivera CA. Activation of alpha1-adrenoceptors enhances glutamate release onto ventral tegmental area dopamine cells. Neuroscience 2012; 216:18-30. [PMID: 22542873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays an important role in reward and motivational processes that facilitate the development of drug addiction. Glutamatergic inputs into the VTA contribute to dopamine (DA) neuronal activation related to reward and response-initiating effects in drug abuse. Previous investigations indicate that alpha1-adrenoreceptors (α1-ARs) are primarily localized at presynaptic elements in the ventral midbrain. Studies from several brain regions have shown that presynaptic α1-AR activation enhances glutamate release. Therefore, we hypothesized that glutamate released onto VTA-DA neurons is modulated by pre-synaptic α1-AR. Recordings were obtained from putative VTA-DA cells of male Sprague-Dawley rats (28-50 days postnatal) using voltage clamp techniques. Phenylephrine (10 μM) and methoxamine (80μM), both α1-AR agonists, increased AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents' (EPSCs) amplitude evoked by electrical stimulation of afferent fibers (p<0.05). This effect was blocked by the α1-AR antagonist prazosin (1 μM). Phenylephrine decreased the paired-pulse ratio (PPR) and increased spontaneous EPSCs' frequencies but not their amplitudes suggesting a presynaptic locus of action. No changes in miniature EPSCs (0.5μM, tetrodotoxin [TTX]) were observed after phenylephrine's application which suggests that α1-AR effect was action potential dependent. Normal extra- and intracellular Ca(2+) concentration seems necessary for the α1-AR effect since phenylephrine in low Ca(2+) artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) and depletion of intracellular Ca(2+) stores with thapsigargin (10 μM) failed to increase the AMPA EPSCs' amplitude. Chelerythrine (1μM, protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor) but not Rp-cAMPS (11 μM, PKA inhibitor) blocked the α1-AR activation effect on AMPA EPSCs, indicating that a PKC intracellular pathway is required. These results demonstrated that presynaptic α1-AR activation modulates glutamatergic inputs that affect VTA-DA neuronal excitability. α1-AR action might be heterosynaptically localized at glutamatergic fibers terminating onto VTA-DA neurons. It is suggested that drug-induced changes in α1-AR could be part of the neuroadaptations occurring in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry during the addiction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Velásquez-Martinez
- Department of Physiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
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Bruijnzeel AW, Ford J, Rogers JA, Scheick S, Ji Y, Bishnoi M, Alexander JC. Blockade of CRF1 receptors in the central nucleus of the amygdala attenuates the dysphoria associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2012; 101:62-8. [PMID: 22182462 PMCID: PMC3315052 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Revised: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 12/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The majority of smokers relapse during the acute withdrawal phase when withdrawal symptoms are most severe. The goal of the present studies was to investigate the role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenergic transmission in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in the dysphoria associated with smoking cessation. It was investigated if blockade of CRF1 receptors, blockade of α1-adrenergic receptors, or stimulation of α2-adrenergic receptors in the CeA diminishes the deficit in brain reward function associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats. Nicotine dependence was induced by implanting minipumps that delivered a nicotine solution. Withdrawal was precipitated with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist mecamylamine. A discrete-trial intracranial self-stimulation procedure was used to assess the negative affective aspects of nicotine withdrawal. Elevations in brain reward thresholds are indicative of a deficit in brain reward function. In all the experiments, mecamylamine elevated the brain reward thresholds of the rats chronically treated with nicotine and did not affect the brain reward thresholds of the saline-treated control rats. Intra-CeA administration of the CRF1 receptor antagonist R278995/CRA0450 completely prevented the mecamylamine-induced elevations in brain reward thresholds in the nicotine-treated rats and did not affect the brain reward thresholds of the saline-treated control rats. R278995/CRA0450 has also been shown to block sigma-1 receptors but there is no evidence that this could affect negative mood states. Intra-CeA administration of the α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin or the α2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine did not affect the brain reward thresholds of the nicotine or saline-treated rats. These studies suggest that CRF1 receptor antagonists may diminish the dysphoria associated with smoking cessation by blocking CRF1 receptors in the CeA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrie W Bruijnzeel
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 100 S. Newell Dr., Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
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Martín F, Núñez C, Marín MT, Laorden ML, Kovács KJ, Milanés MV. Involvement of noradrenergic transmission in the PVN on CREB activation, TORC1 levels, and pituitary-adrenal axis activity during morphine withdrawal. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31119. [PMID: 22355339 PMCID: PMC3280277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Experimental and clinical findings have shown that administration of adrenoceptor antagonists alleviated different aspects of drug withdrawal and dependence. The present study tested the hypothesis that changes in CREB activation and phosphorylated TORC1 levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) after naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal as well as the HPA axis activity arises from α1- and/or β-adrenoceptor activation. The effects of morphine dependence and withdrawal on CREB phosphorylation (pCREB), phosphorylated TORC1 (pTORC1), and HPA axis response were measured by Western-blot, immunohistochemistry and radioimmunoassay in rats pretreated with prazosin (α1-adrenoceptor antagonist) or propranolol (β-adrenoceptor antagonist). In addition, the effects of morphine withdrawal on MHPG (the main NA metabolite at the central nervous system) and NA content and turnover were evaluated by HPLC. We found an increase in MHPG and NA turnover in morphine-withdrawn rats, which were accompanied by increased pCREB immunoreactivity and plasma corticosterone concentrations. Levels of the inactive form of TORC1 (pTORC1) were decreased during withdrawal. Prazosin but not propranolol blocked the rise in pCREB level and the decrease in pTORC1 immunoreactivity. In addition, the HPA axis response to morphine withdrawal was attenuated in prazosin-pretreated rats. Present results suggest that, during acute morphine withdrawal, NA may control the HPA axis activity through CREB activation at the PVN level. We concluded that the combined increase in CREB phosphorylation and decrease in pTORC1 levels might represent, in part, two of the mechanisms of CREB activation at the PVN during morphine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Martín
- Group of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Cristina Núñez
- Group of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - M. Teresa Marín
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M. Luisa Laorden
- Group of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
| | - Krisztina J. Kovács
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuroendocrinology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - M. Victoria Milanés
- Group of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Murcia, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Verplaetse TL, Rasmussen DD, Froehlich JC, Czachowski CL. Effects of prazosin, an α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, on the seeking and intake of alcohol and sucrose in alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 36:881-6. [PMID: 21981346 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01653.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies show that prazosin, an α(1) -adrenergic receptor antagonist, decreases alcohol drinking in animal models of alcohol use and dependence [Rasmussen et al. (2009) Alcohol Clin Exp Res 3:264-272; Walker et al. (2008) Alcohol 42:91-97] and in alcohol-dependent men [Simpson et al. (2009) Alcohol Clin Exp Res 33:255-263]. This study extended these findings by using a paradigm that allows for separate assessment of prazosin on motivation to seek versus consume alcohol or sucrose in selectively bred rats. METHODS Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained to complete an operant response that resulted in access to either 2% sucrose or 10% alcohol. A 4-week Seeking Test Phase examined responding in single, weekly extinction sessions when no reinforcer could be obtained. A 4-week Drinking Test Phase consisted of rats lever-pressing to "pay" a specified amount up front to gain access to unlimited alcohol (or sucrose) for a 20-minute period. On Seeking and Drinking test days, prazosin (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to behavioral sessions. RESULTS Rats were self-administering an average of 0.9 (±0.09) g/kg alcohol on vehicle test day and had pharmacologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations. Prazosin significantly decreased alcohol seeking at all doses tested. The highest dose of prazosin also increased the latency to first response for alcohol and decreased alcohol intake. While sucrose-seeking and intake were similarly affected by prazosin, the high dose of prazosin did not increase response latency. CONCLUSIONS These findings are consistent with and extend previous research and suggest that prazosin decreases motivation to initiate and engage in alcohol consumption. The specificity of prazosin in attenuating the initiation of alcohol- but not sucrose-seeking suggests that this effect is not because of prazosin-induced motor-impairment or malaise. Together with previous findings, these data suggest that prazosin may be an effective pharmacotherapy, with specific application in people that drink excessively or have a genetic predisposition to alcohol abuse.
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Logrip ML, Zorrilla EP, Koob GF. Stress modulation of drug self-administration: implications for addiction comorbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:552-64. [PMID: 21782834 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Revised: 06/11/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Drug abuse and dependence present significant health burdens for our society, affecting roughly 10% of the population. Stress likely contributes to the development and persistence of drug use; for example, rates of substance dependence are elevated among individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Thus, understanding the interaction between stress and drug use, and associated neuroadaptations, is key for developing therapies to combat substance use disorders. For this purpose, many rodent models of the effects of stress exposure on substance use have been developed; the models can be classified according to three categories of stress exposure: developmental, adult nonsocial, and adult social. The present review addresses preclinical findings on the effect of each type of trauma on responses to and self-administration of drugs of abuse by focusing on a key exemplar for each category. In addition, the potential efficacy of targeting neuropeptide systems that have been implicated in stress responses and stress system neuroadaptation in order to treat comorbid PTSD and substance abuse will be discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian L Logrip
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30-2400, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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Abstract
This paper is the 32nd consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2009 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior (Section 2), and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia (Section 3); stress and social status (Section 4); tolerance and dependence (Section 5); learning and memory (Section 6); eating and drinking (Section 7); alcohol and drugs of abuse (Section 8); sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (Section 9); mental illness and mood (Section 10); seizures and neurologic disorders (Section 11); electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (Section 12); general activity and locomotion (Section 13); gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (Section 14); cardiovascular responses (Section 15); respiration and thermoregulation (Section 16); and immunological responses (Section 17).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367, USA.
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Bruijnzeel AW, Bishnoi M, van Tuijl IA, Keijzers KFM, Yavarovich KR, Pasek TM, Ford J, Alexander JC, Yamada H. Effects of prazosin, clonidine, and propranolol on the elevations in brain reward thresholds and somatic signs associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010; 212:485-99. [PMID: 20697697 PMCID: PMC3042243 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-1970-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Tobacco withdrawal is characterized by a negative mood state and relatively mild somatic symptoms. Increased noradrenergic transmission has been reported to play an important role in opioid withdrawal, but little is known about the role of noradrenergic transmission in nicotine withdrawal. OBJECTIVES The aim of these experiments was to investigate the effects of prazosin, clonidine, and propranolol on the negative mood state and somatic signs associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats. METHODS A discrete-trial intracranial self-stimulation procedure was used to assess the negative affective state of nicotine withdrawal. Elevations in brain reward thresholds are indicative of a deficit in brain reward function. RESULTS In all the experiments, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist mecamylamine (3 mg/kg) elevated the brain reward thresholds of the nicotine-treated rats and did not affect those of the control rats. The α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (0.0625 and 0.125 mg/kg) dose-dependently attenuated the elevations in brain reward thresholds associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal. The α2-adrenergic receptor agonist clonidine (10-40 μg/kg) and the nonselective β-adrenergic receptor antagonist propranolol (2.5-10 mg/kg) did not attenuate the elevations in brain reward thresholds associated with nicotine withdrawal. Furthermore, mecamylamine (2 mg/kg) induced more somatic signs in the nicotine-treated rats than in the control rats. Clonidine and propranolol, but not prazosin, decreased the total number of somatic signs associated with nicotine withdrawal. CONCLUSION Blockade of α1-adrenergic receptors attenuates the deficit in brain reward function associated with nicotine withdrawal. Antagonism of β-adrenergic receptors or stimulation of α2-adrenergic receptors attenuates the somatic symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrie W Bruijnzeel
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 100 S. Newell Dr., P.O. Box 100256, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
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Rodríguez-Arias M, Aguilar MA, Manzanedo C, Miñarro J. Preclinical evidence of new opioid modulators for the treatment of addiction. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2010; 19:977-94. [PMID: 20629615 DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2010.500612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD Addiction to opiates is one of the most severe forms of substance dependence, and despite a variety of pharmacological approaches to treat it, relapse is observed in a high percentage of subjects. New pharmacological compounds are necessary to improve the outcome of treatments and reduce adverse side effects. Moreover, drugs that act on the opioid system can also be of benefit in the treatment of alcohol or cocaine addiction. AREA COVERED BY THIS REVIEW: Recent preclinical studies of pharmacological agents for the treatment of opiate addiction (2008 to the present date). WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN The reader will be informed of the latest drugs shown in animal models to modify dependence on opiates and the reinforcing effects of these drugs. In addition, reports of the latest studies to test these compounds in models of other drug addictions are reviewed. TAKE HOME MESSAGE The classic clinical pharmacotherapy for opiate dependence, involving mu-opioid receptor agonists or antagonists, has not yielded a high success rate in humans. In pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence, new options are emerging and different pharmacological strategies are now being tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rodríguez-Arias
- Facultad de Psicología, Departamento de Psicobiología, Unidad de Investigación Psicobiología de las Drogodependencias, Universitat de Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez 21, Valencia, Spain
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Forget B, Wertheim C, Mascia P, Pushparaj A, Goldberg SR, Le Foll B. Noradrenergic alpha1 receptors as a novel target for the treatment of nicotine addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:1751-60. [PMID: 20357760 PMCID: PMC3055474 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2010.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine is the main psychoactive ingredient in tobacco and its rewarding effects are considered primarily responsible for persistent tobacco smoking and relapse. Although dopamine has been extensively implicated in the rewarding effects of nicotine, noradrenergic systems may have a larger role than previously suspected. This study evaluated the role of noradrenergic alpha(1) receptors in nicotine and food self-administration and relapse, nicotine discrimination, and nicotine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in rats. We found that the noradrenergic alpha(1) receptor antagonist prazosin (0.25-1 mg/kg) dose dependently reduced the self-administration of nicotine (0.03 mg/kg), an effect that was maintained over consecutive daily sessions; but did not reduce food self-administration. Prazosin also decreased reinstatement of extinguished nicotine seeking induced by either a nicotine prime (0.15 mg/kg) or nicotine-associated cues, but not food-induced reinstatement of food-seeking, and decreased nicotine-induced (0.15 mg/kg) dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens shell. However, prazosin did not have nicotine-like discriminative effects and did not alter the dose-response curve for nicotine discrimination. These findings suggest that stimulation of noradrenergic alpha(1) receptors is involved in nicotine self-administration and relapse, possibly via facilitation of nicotine-induced activation of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system. The findings point to alpha(1) adrenoceptor blockade as a potential new approach to the treatment of tobacco dependence in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Forget
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Carrie Wertheim
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paola Mascia
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abhiram Pushparaj
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steven R Goldberg
- Preclinical Pharmacology Section, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada,Departments of Family and Community Medicine, Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Institutes of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Edwards S, Koob GF. Neurobiology of dysregulated motivational systems in drug addiction. FUTURE NEUROLOGY 2010; 5:393-401. [PMID: 20563312 PMCID: PMC2886284 DOI: 10.2217/fnl.10.14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The progression from recreational drug use to drug addiction impacts multiple neurobiological processes and can be conceptualized as a transition from positive to negative reinforcement mechanisms driving both drug-taking and drug-seeking behaviors. Neurobiological mechanisms for negative reinforcement, defined as drug taking that alleviates a negative emotional state, involve changes in the brain reward system and recruitment of brain stress (or antireward) systems within forebrain structures, including the extended amygdala. These systems are hypothesized to be dysregulated by excessive drug intake and to contribute to allostatic changes in reinforcement mechanisms associated with addiction. Points of intersection between positive and negative motivational circuitry may further drive the compulsivity of drug addiction but also provide a rich neurobiological substrate for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Edwards
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30–2400, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, SP30–2400, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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McElligott ZA, Klug JR, Nobis WP, Patel S, Grueter BA, Kash TL, Winder DG. Distinct forms of Gq-receptor-dependent plasticity of excitatory transmission in the BNST are differentially affected by stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:2271-6. [PMID: 20133871 PMCID: PMC2836642 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0905568107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term depression (LTD) is an important synaptic mechanism for limiting excitatory influence over circuits subserving cognitive and emotional behavior. A major means of LTD induction is through the recruitment of signaling via G(q)-linked receptors activated by norepinephrine (NE), acetylcholine, and glutamate. Receptors from these transmitter families have been proposed to converge on a common postsynaptic LTD maintenance mechanism, such that hetero- and homosynaptic induction produce similar alterations in glutamate synapse efficacy. We report that in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), recruitment of G(q)-linked receptors by glutamate or NE initiates mechanistically distinct forms of postsynaptically maintained LTD and these LTDs are differentially regulated by stress exposure. In particular, we show that although both mGluR5- and alpha(1)-adrenergic receptor (AR)-dependent LTDs involve postsynaptic endocytosis, the alpha(1)-AR-initiated LTD exclusively involves modulation of signaling through calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. Further, alpha(1)-AR- but not mGluR5- dependent LTD is disrupted by restraint stress. alpha(1)-AR LTD is also impaired in mice chronically exposed to ethanol. These data thus suggest that in the BNST, NE- and glutamate-activated G(q)-linked signaling pathways differentially tune glutamate synapse efficacy in response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Thomas L. Kash
- Department of Pharmacology and Bowles Alcohol Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and
- Center for Molecular Neuroscience, and Kennedy Center for Human Development, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; and
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