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Houser SD, McNealy KR, Barrett ST, Bevins RA. Varenicline but not cotinine increased the value of a visual stimulus reinforcer in rats: No evidence for synergy of the two compounds. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 235:173702. [PMID: 38154590 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173702] [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] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with <7 % of smoking cessation attempts being met with success. Nicotine, the main addictive agent in cigarettes, enhances the reinforcing value of other environmental rewards. Under some circumstances, this reward enhancement maintains nicotine consumption. Varenicline (i.e., cessation aid Chantix™) also has reward-enhancement effects via nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonism (nAChRs) - albeit less robust than nicotine. Cotinine is the major metabolite of nicotine. Recent studies suggest that cotinine is a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) and/or a weak agonist at nAChRs. Thus, cotinine may enhance the behavioral effects of nAChR compounds such as varenicline and/or exert some behavioral effects alone. We used 20 (10M, 10F) Sprague-Dawley rats to assess reward-enhancement within-subjects by examining responding maintained by a reinforcing visual stimulus on a Variable Ratio 2 schedule of reinforcement. To assess the reward-enhancing effects of cotinine, rats received one injection of cotinine (saline, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0 mg/kg) before each 1 h session. To assess cotinine and varenicline interactions, rats received an injection of cotinine (saline, 0.1, 1.0, or 6.0 mg/kg) and of varenicline (saline, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg) before the session. While we replicated prior work identifying reward-enhancement by 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg varenicline, cotinine alone did not produce reward-enhancement nor augment the reward-enhancing effects of varenicline. Future studies may consider examining the reward-enhancing effects of cotinine with other reinforcers or co-administered with other smoking cessation aids such as bupropion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney D Houser
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Kathleen R McNealy
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Scott T Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Rick A Bevins
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA.
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2
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Randall CA, Sun D, Randall PA. Differential Effects of Nicotine, Alcohol, and Coexposure on Neuroimmune-Related Protein and Gene Expression in Corticolimbic Brain Regions of Rats. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:628-644. [PMID: 36705334 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Nicotine and alcohol co-use is extremely common and their use constitutes two of the most common causes of preventable death, yet the underlying biological mechanisms are largely understudied. Activation of neuroimmune toll-like receptors (TLRs) promotes the induction of proinflammatory cascades and increases alcohol intake in rodents, which further promotes TLRs in the brain; nicotine may decrease central proinflammatory signaling. The current studies sought to determine the effects of nicotine ± alcohol (alone or in combination) on circulating blood plasma and TLR protein/gene expression in addiction-associated corticolimbic brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex-prelimbic (mPFC-PL) and nucleus accumbens core (AcbC). Adult rats were treated with alcohol (0 or 2 g/kg, IG) and exposed to nicotine vapor (0 or 30 mg/mL solution) daily for 2, 14, or 28 days. Plasma studies indicated no effects of independent exposure or coexposure in males. Coexposure decreased plasma nicotine levels versus nicotine-only treated females, yet alcohol and cotinine concentrations were unchanged. By 28 days, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-13 was decreased in alcohol-only females. Divergent changes in TLR3 (but not TLR4) protein occurred for independent-drug exposed males (but not coexposure), with reductions in the mPFC-PL after 14 days and increases in the AcbC by 28 days. Gene expression following chronic coexposure suggests nicotine may regionally counteract alcohol-induced inflammation, including increased AcbC-TLR3/4/7 and several downstream markers in females and increased mPFC-PL-TLR3 and -STAT3 (but not IRF3) evident in males with exposure to either drug alone. These findings give further insight into the role of sex and the neuroimmune system in independent exposure and coexposure to nicotine ± alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christie A Randall
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States
| | - Dongxiao Sun
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033 United States
| | - Patrick A Randall
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033 United States
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3
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Lallai V, Chen YC, Roybal MM, Kotha ER, Fowler JP, Staben A, Cortez A, Fowler CD. Nicotine e-cigarette vapor inhalation and self-administration in a rodent model: Sex- and nicotine delivery-specific effects on metabolism and behavior. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13024. [PMID: 33624410 PMCID: PMC8380743 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
E-cigarettes, which deliver vaporized nicotine, have dramatically risen in popularity in recent years, despite many unanswered questions about safety, efficacy in reducing dependence, and overall impact on public health. Other factors, such as sex, also play an important role in determining behavioral and neurochemical responses to drugs of abuse. In these studies, we sought to develop a protocol for vaporized e-cigarette nicotine self-administration in rats, as a foundation to better understand the differing effects of nicotine exposure routes on behavior and physiological function. We report a novel method that elicits robust nicotine vapor self-administration in male and female rats. Our findings indicate that 5-mg/ml nicotine vape solution provides a high level of consistency in lever-pressing behavior for both males and females. Moreover, in male rats, we find that such e-cigarette nicotine vapor induces similar blood levels of nicotine's main metabolite, cotinine, as that found with intravenous nicotine self-administration. Therefore, the breathing pattern during vapor exposure in males leads to similar levels of titrated nicotine intake as with intravenous nicotine self-administration. Interestingly, a differential effect was found in the females, in which the same conditions of vapor exposure led to decreased cotinine levels with vapor compared to intravenous self-administration. Finally, differences in nicotine-mediated locomotion provide further support of the physiological effects of e-cigarette vapor inhalation. Taken together, our findings reveal important sex differences in nicotine intake based on the route of exposure, and we further establish a protocol for nicotine vapor self-administration in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lallai
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Yen-Chu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Mikayla M Roybal
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Eashan R Kotha
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - James P Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Andres Staben
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Angelique Cortez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Christie D Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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4
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Tan X, Vrana K, Ding ZM. Cotinine: Pharmacologically Active Metabolite of Nicotine and Neural Mechanisms for Its Actions. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:758252. [PMID: 34744656 PMCID: PMC8568040 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.758252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Tobacco use disorder continues to be a leading public health issue and cause of premature death in the United States. Nicotine is considered as the major tobacco alkaloid causing addiction through its actions on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Current pharmacotherapies targeting nicotine's effects produce only modest effectiveness in promoting cessation, highlighting the critical need for a better understanding of mechanisms of nicotine addiction to inform future treatments. There is growing interest in identifying potential contributions of non-nicotine components to tobacco reinforcement. Cotinine is a minor alkaloid, but the major metabolite of nicotine that can act as a weak agonist of nAChRs. Accumulating evidence indicates that cotinine produces diverse effects and may contribute to effects of nicotine. In this review, we summarize findings implicating cotinine as a neuroactive metabolite of nicotine and discuss available evidence regarding potential mechanisms underlying its effects. Preclinical findings reveal that cotinine crosses the blood brain barrier and interacts with both nAChRs and non-nAChRs in the nervous system, and produces neuropharmacological and behavioral effects. Clinical studies suggest that cotinine is psychoactive in humans. However, reviewing evidence regarding mechanisms underlying effects of cotinine provides a mixed picture with a lack of consensus. Therefore, more research is warranted in order to provide better insight into the actions of cotinine and its contribution to tobacco addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Tan
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, and Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Kent Vrana
- Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Zheng-Ming Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, and Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
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Developmental impaired Akt signaling in the Shank1 and Shank3 double knock-out mice. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1928-1944. [PMID: 33402706 PMCID: PMC8440179 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00979-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Human mutations and haploinsufficiency of the SHANK family genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Complex phenotypes have been also described in all mouse models of Shank mutations and deletions, consistent with the heterogeneity of the human phenotypes. However, the specific role of Shank proteins in synapse and neuronal functions remain to be elucidated. Here, we generated a new mouse model to investigate how simultaneously deletion of Shank1 and Shank3 affects brain development and behavior in mice. Shank1-Shank3 DKO mice showed a low survival rate, a developmental strong reduction in the activation of intracellular signaling pathways involving Akt, S6, ERK1/2, and eEF2 during development and a severe behavioral impairments. Our study suggests that Shank1 and Shank3 proteins are essential to developmentally regulate the activation of Akt and correlated intracellular pathways crucial for mammalian postnatal brain development and synaptic plasticity. Therefore, Akt function might represent a new therapeutic target for enhancing cognitive abilities of syndromic ASD patients.
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Iarkov A, Barreto GE, Grizzell JA, Echeverria V. Strategies for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: Beyond Dopamine. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:4. [PMID: 32076403 PMCID: PMC7006457 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second-leading cause of dementia and is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra alongside the presence of intraneuronal α-synuclein-positive inclusions. Therapies to date have been directed to the restoration of the dopaminergic system, and the prevention of dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the midbrain. This review discusses the physiological mechanisms involved in PD as well as new and prospective therapies for the disease. The current data suggest that prevention or early treatment of PD may be the most effective therapeutic strategy. New advances in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of PD predict the development of more personalized and integral therapies in the years to come. Thus, the development of more reliable biomarkers at asymptomatic stages of the disease, and the use of genetic profiling of patients will surely permit a more effective treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Iarkov
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile
| | - George E Barreto
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.,Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - J Alex Grizzell
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Valentina Echeverria
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile.,Research & Development Service, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, FL, United States
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7
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Torres LH, Garcia RCT, Blois AMM, Pacheco-Neto M, Camarini R, Britto LR, Marcourakis T. Early postnatal tobacco smoke exposure triggers anxiety-like behavior and decreases synaptic proteins even after a long exposure-free period in mice. Brain Res 2019; 1707:99-106. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Majdi A, Kamari F, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Gjedde A. Molecular Insights Into Memory-Enhancing Metabolites of Nicotine in Brain: A Systematic Review. Front Neurosci 2019; 12:1002. [PMID: 30697142 PMCID: PMC6341027 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.01002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The alleged procognitive effects of nicotine and its metabolites in brain are controversial. Objective: Here, we review the pharmacologically active metabolites of nicotine in brain and their effects on neuronal mechanisms involving two main cognitive domains, i.e., learning and memory. Methods: We searched Embase, Medline via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for entries no later than May 2018, and restricted the search to articles about nicotine metabolites and cognitive behavior or cognitive mechanisms. Results: The initial search yielded 425 articles, of which 17 were eligible for inclusion after application of exclusion criteria. Of these, 13 were experimental, two were clinical, and two were conference papers. Conclusions: The results revealed three pharmacologically active biotransformations of nicotine in the brain, including cotinine, norcotinine, and nornicotine, among which cotinine and nornicotine both had a procognitive impact without adverse effects. The observed effect was significant only for cotinine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Majdi
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farzin Kamari
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Albert Gjedde
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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9
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Pardo M, Beurel E, Jope RS. Cotinine administration improves impaired cognition in the mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:490-498. [PMID: 27775852 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Cotinine is the major metabolite of nicotine and has displayed some capacity for improving cognition in mouse models following chronic administration. We tested if acute cotinine treatment is capable of improving cognition in the mouse model of Fragile X syndrome, Fmr1-/- knockout mice, and if this is related to inhibition by cotinine treatment of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), which is abnormally active in Fmr1-/- mice. Acute cotinine treatment increased the inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of GSK3β and the activating phosphorylation of AKT, which can mediate serine-phosphorylation of GSK3β, in both wild-type and Fmr1-/- mouse hippocampus. Acute cotinine treatment improved cognitive functions of Fmr1-/- mice in coordinate and categorical spatial processing, novel object recognition, and temporal ordering. However, cotinine failed to restore impaired cognition in GSK3β knockin mice, in which a serine9-to-alanine9 mutation blocks the inhibitory serine phosphorylation of GSK3β, causing GSK3β to be hyperactive. These results indicate that acute cotinine treatment effectively repairs impairments of these four cognitive tasks in Fmr1-/- mice, and suggest that this cognition-enhancing effect of cotinine is linked to its induction of inhibitory serine-phosphorylation of GSK3. Taken together, these results show that nicotinic receptor agonists can act as cognitive enhancers in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome and highlight the potential role of inhibiting GSK3β in mediating the beneficial effects of cotinine on memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pardo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eleonore Beurel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Richard S Jope
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33136, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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Wei M, Chen X, Zhao Y, Cao B, Zhao W. Effects of Prenatal Environmental Exposures on the Development of Endometriosis in Female Offspring. Reprod Sci 2016; 23:1129-38. [DOI: 10.1177/1933719116630418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Academy of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xinyuan Chen
- Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ye Zhao
- Department of Clinical Research, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Academy of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Baoli Cao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Academy of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenli Zhao
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Department of Neurology, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Academy of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin, China
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