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Simon B, Buzás A, Bokor P, Csabafi K, Ibos KE, Bodnár É, Török L, Földesi I, Siska A, Bagosi Z. The Effects of Alcohol Intoxication and Withdrawal on Hypothalamic Neurohormones and Extrahypothalamic Neurotransmitters. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051288. [PMID: 37238959 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal on hypothalamic neurohormones such as corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), and extrahypothalamic neurotransmitters such as striatal dopamine (DA), amygdalar gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA), and hippocampal glutamate (GLU). In addition, the participation of the two CRF receptors, CRF1 and CRF2, was investigated. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were exposed to repeated intraperitoneal (ip) administration of alcohol every 12 h, for 4 days and then for 1 day of alcohol abstinence. On the fifth or sixth day, intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of selective CRF1 antagonist antalarmin or selective CRF2 antagonist astressin2B was performed. After 30 min, the expression and concentration of hypothalamic CRF and AVP, the concentration of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT), and the release of striatal DA, amygdalar GABA, and hippocampal GLU were measured. Our results indicate that the neuroendocrine changes induced by alcohol intoxication and withdrawal are mediated by CRF1, not CRF2, except for the changes in hypothalamic AVP, which are not mediated by CRF receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Simon
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Buzás
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Bokor
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Krisztina Csabafi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Katalin Eszter Ibos
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Éva Bodnár
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Török
- Department of Traumatology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Imre Földesi
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Andrea Siska
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Bagosi
- Department of Pathophysiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Str. 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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Gatta E, Camussi D, Auta J, Guidotti A, Pandey SC. Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone) and alcohol use disorder: From mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108299. [PMID: 36323379 PMCID: PMC9810076 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a multifaceted relapsing disorder that is commonly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, including anxiety. Alcohol exposure produces a plethora of effects on neurobiology. Currently, therapeutic strategies are limited, and only a few treatments - disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone - are available. Given the complexity of this disorder, there is a great need for the identification of novel targets to develop new pharmacotherapy. The GABAergic system, the primary inhibitory system in the brain, is one of the well-known targets for alcohol and is responsible for the anxiolytic effects of alcohol. Interestingly, GABAergic neurotransmission is fine-tuned by neuroactive steroids that exert a regulatory role on several endocrine systems involved in neuropsychiatric disorders including AUD. Mounting evidence indicates that alcohol alters the biosynthesis of neurosteroids, whereas acute alcohol increases and chronic alcohol decreases allopregnanolone levels. Our recent work highlighted that chronic alcohol-induced changes in neurosteroid levels are mediated by epigenetic modifications, e.g., DNA methylation, affecting key enzymes involved in neurosteroid biosynthesis. These changes were associated with changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression, suggesting an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in AUD. This review will recapitulate the role of neurosteroids in the regulation of the neuroendocrine system, highlight their role in the observed allostatic load in AUD, and develop a framework from mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Diletta Camussi
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Kirson D, Steinman MQ, Wolfe SA, Bagsic SRS, Bajo M, Sureshchandra S, Oleata CS, Messaoudi I, Zorrilla EP, Roberto M. Sex and context differences in the effects of trauma on comorbid alcohol use and post-traumatic stress phenotypes in actively drinking rats. J Neurosci Res 2021; 99:3354-3372. [PMID: 34687080 PMCID: PMC8712392 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24972] [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: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and affective disorders are frequently comorbid and share underlying mechanisms that could be targets for comprehensive treatment. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has high comorbidity with AUD, but comprehensive models of this overlap are nascent. We recently characterized a model of comorbid AUD and PTSD-like symptoms, wherein stressed rats receive an inhibitory avoidance (IA)-related footshock on two occasions followed by two-bottle choice (2BC) voluntary alcohol drinking. Stressed rats received the second footshock in a familiar (FAM, same IA box as the first footshock) or novel context (NOV, single-chambered apparatus); the FAM paradigm more effectively increased alcohol drinking in males and the NOV paradigm in females. During abstinence, stressed males displayed avoidance-like PTSD symptoms, and females showed hyperarousal-like PTSD symptoms. Rats in the model had altered spontaneous action potential-independent GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala (CeA), a brain region key in alcohol dependence and stress-related signaling. However, PTSD sufferers may have alcohol experience prior to their trauma. Here, we therefore modified our AUD/PTSD comorbidity model to provide 3 weeks of intermittent extended alcohol access before footshock and then studied the effects of NOV and FAM stress on drinking and PTSD phenotypes. NOV stress suppressed the escalation of alcohol intake and preference seen in male controls, but no stress effects were seen on drinking in females. Additionally, NOV males had decreased action potential-independent presynaptic GABA release and delayed postsynaptic GABAA receptor kinetics in the CeA compared to control and FAM males. Despite these changes to alcohol intake and CeA GABA signaling, stressed rats showed broadly similar anxiogenic-like behaviors to our previous comorbid model, suggesting decoupling of the PTSD symptoms from the AUD vulnerability for some of these animals. The collective results show the importance of alcohol history and trauma context in vulnerability to comorbid AUD/PTSD-like symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean Kirson
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Michael Q. Steinman
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sarah A. Wolfe
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | - Michal Bajo
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Suhas Sureshchandra
- University of California Irvine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Christopher S. Oleata
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ilhem Messaoudi
- University of California Irvine, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Zuo W, Zuo Q, Wu L, Mei Q, Shah M, Zheng J, Li D, Xu Y, Ye JH. Roles of corticotropin-releasing factor signaling in the lateral habenula in anxiety-like and alcohol drinking behaviors in male rats. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100395. [PMID: 34568522 PMCID: PMC8449174 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system is known to modulate anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption, behaviors that also have been associated with the hyper-glutamatergic state of the lateral habenula (LHb) neurons in rats. However, the role of CRF signaling in the LHb on the glutamate transmission, anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption is unknown. Here, we used male rats that had been consuming alcohol for three months to address this gap in the literature. First, using electrophysiological techniques, we evaluated CRF's effects on the glutamate transmission in LHb neurons in brain slices. CRF facilitated glutamate transmission. The facilitation was greater in neurons of alcohol-withdrawing rats than in those of naïve rats. The facilitation was mimicked by the activation of CRF receptor 1 (CRF1R) but attenuated by the activation of CRF receptor 2 (CRF2R). This facilitation was mediated by upregulating CRF1R-protein kinase A signaling. Conversely, protein kinase C blockade attenuated CRF's facilitation in neurons of naïve rats but promoted it in neurons of alcohol-withdrawing rats. Next, using site-direct pharmacology, we evaluated the role of CRF signaling in the LHb on anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption. Intra-LHb inhibition of CRF1R or activation of CRF2R ameliorated the anxiety-like behaviors in alcohol-withdrawing rats and reduced their alcohol intake when drinking was resumed. These observations provide the first direct behavioral pharmacological and cellular evidence that CRF signaling in the LHb modulates glutamate transmission, anxiety-like behaviors and alcohol consumption, and that adaptation occurs in CRF signaling in the LHb after chronic alcohol consumption. CRF regulates glutamate transmission in the lateral habenula of male rats. CRF1R blockage or CRF2R activation in the LHb reduces anxiety in male rats. CRF1R blockage/CRF2R activation in the LHb reduces alcohol consumption in male rats. Acute ethanol facilitates LHb glutamate transmission involving CRF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qikang Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Liangzhi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qinghua Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Manan Shah
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiayi Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ding Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
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Liu M, Jia J, Fan F, Sun P, Wu Z, Jiang Y, He D, Liu B, Yang Y, Zhang Y. Association of depressive symptoms with the progression of carotid intima-media thickness in a community-based cohort in Beijing, China. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e050254. [PMID: 34404713 PMCID: PMC8372881 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the relationship between depressive symptoms and progression of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in a Beijing community-based population. DESIGN Prospective cohort study between 2014 and 2018. SETTING Dwellers without cardiovascular disease, hypertension or diabetes from a Beijing community. PARTICIPANTS 3849 Chinese community-dwelling individuals who underwent baseline screening for depressive symptoms were invited to participate in the study in 2014 and follow-up visit in 2018. Among them, 2124 participants completed carotid ultrasound examination both at baseline and a follow-up visit. After further excluding patients with a history of stroke, myocardial infarction or lower extremity arterial stenosis and those with a diagnosis of hypertension or diabetes and ankle-brachial index ≤0.9 at baseline, 1011 eligible participants were finally included. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE The rate of mean cIMT change. RESULTS Over a median follow-up period of 4.40 years, the overall rate of mean cIMT change was 2.23% (-5.64% to 9.51%). After adjustment for 13 covariates, there was an increase of 2.36% (β=2.36, 95% CI: 0.37 to 4.36, p=0.020) for the rates of mean cIMT change in the depressive group compared with the control group. Furthermore, this association was modified by drinking status (β=3.22, 95% CI: 1.25 to 5.19, P-interaction=0.006). CONCLUSION Depressive symptoms were independently associated with progression of mean cIMT in a community-based cohort in Beijing, China. Furthermore, this relationship was modified by drinking status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyuan Liu
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Jia
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Department of Biostatistics, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fangfang Fan
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Pengfei Sun
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongli Wu
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yimeng Jiang
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Danmei He
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
- Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China
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Cucinello-Ragland JA, Edwards S. Neurobiological aspects of pain in the context of alcohol use disorder. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 157:1-29. [PMID: 33648668 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol is an effective and widely utilized analgesic. However, the chronic use of alcohol can actually facilitate nociceptive sensitivity over time, a condition known as hyperalgesia. Excessive and uncontrollable alcohol drinking is also a hallmark feature of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Both AUD and chronic pain are typically accompanied by negative affective states that may underlie reinforcement mechanisms contributing to AUD maintenance or progression. Frequent utilization of alcohol to relieve pain in individuals suffering from AUD or other chronic pain conditions may thus represent a powerful negative reinforcement construct. This chapter will describe ties between alcohol-mediated pain relief and potential exacerbation of AUD. We describe neurobiological systems engaged in alcohol analgesia as well as systems recruited in the development and maintenance of AUD and hyperalgesia. Although few effective therapies exist for either chronic pain or AUD, the common interaction of these conditions will likely lead the way for promising new discoveries of more effective and even simultaneous treatment of AUD and co-morbid hyperalgesia. An abundance of neurobiological findings from multiple laboratories has implicated a potentiation of central amygdala (CeA) signaling in both pain and AUD, and these data also suggest that attenuation of stress-related systems (including corticotropin-releasing factor, vasopressin, and glucocorticoid receptor activity) would be particularly effective and comprehensive therapeutic strategies targeting the critical intersection of somatic and motivational mechanisms driving AUD, including alcohol-induced hyperalgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Cucinello-Ragland
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States.
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Gatta E, Saudagar V, Auta J, Grayson DR, Guidotti A. Epigenetic landscape of stress surfeit disorders: Key role for DNA methylation dynamics. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:127-183. [PMID: 33461662 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to stress throughout lifespan alters brain structure and function, inducing a maladaptive response to environmental stimuli, that can contribute to the development of a pathological phenotype. Studies have shown that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction is associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders, including major depressive, alcohol use and post-traumatic stress disorders. Downstream actors of the HPA axis, glucocorticoids are critical mediators of the stress response and exert their function through specific receptors, i.e., the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), highly expressed in stress/reward-integrative pathways. GRs are ligand-activated transcription factors that recruit epigenetic actors to regulate gene expression via DNA methylation, altering chromatin structure and thus shaping the response to stress. The dynamic interplay between stress response and epigenetic modifiers suggest DNA methylation plays a key role in the development of stress surfeit disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vikram Saudagar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Dennis R Grayson
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
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Delery EC, Edwards S. Neuropeptide and cytokine regulation of pain in the context of substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2020; 174:108153. [PMID: 32470337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are frequently accompanied by affective symptoms that promote negative reinforcement mechanisms contributing to SUD maintenance or progression. Despite their widespread use as analgesics, chronic or excessive exposure to alcohol, opioids, and nicotine produces heightened nociceptive sensitivity, termed hyperalgesia. This review focuses on the contributions of neuropeptide (CRF, melanocortin, opioid peptide) and cytokine (IL-1β, TNF-α, chemokine) systems in the development and maintenance of substance-induced hyperalgesia. Few effective therapies exist for either chronic pain or SUD, and the common interaction of these disease states likely complicates their effective treatment. Here we highlight promising new discoveries as well as identify gaps in research that could lead to more effective and even simultaneous treatment of SUDs and co-morbid hyperalgesia symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Delery
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology and Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
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Chronic alcohol disrupts hypothalamic responses to stress by modifying CRF and NMDA receptor function. Neuropharmacology 2020; 167:107991. [PMID: 32059962 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.107991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The chronic inability of alcoholics to effectively cope with relapse-inducing stressors has been linked to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling. However, the cellular mechanisms responsible for this dysregulation are yet to be identified. After exposure of male Sprague Dawley rats to chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE; 5-6 g/kg orally for 35 doses over 50 days) or water, followed by 40-60 days of protracted withdrawal, we investigated CIE effects on glutamatergic synaptic transmission, stress-induced plasticity, CRF- and ethanol-induced NMDAR inhibition using electrophysiological recordings in parvocellular neurosecretory cells (PNCs) of the paraventricular nucleus. We also assessed CIE effects on hypothalamic mRNA expression of CRF-related genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction, and on HPA axis function by measuring stress-induced increases in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosterone, and self-grooming. In control rats, ethanol-mediated inhibition of NMDARs was prevented by CRF1 receptor (CRFR1) blockade with antalarmin, while CRF/CRFR1-mediated NMDAR blockade was prevented by intracellularly-applied inhibitor of phosphatases PP1/PP2A, okadaic acid, but not the selective striatal-enriched tyrosine protein phosphatase inhibitor, TC-2153. CIE exposure increased GluN2B subunit-dependent NMDAR function of PNCs. This was associated with the loss of both ethanol- and CRF-mediated NMDAR inhibition, and loss of stress-induced short-term potentiation of glutamatergic synaptic inputs, which could be reversed by intracellular blockade of NMDARs with MK801. CIE exposure also blunted the hormonal and self-grooming behavioral responses to repeated restraint stress. These findings suggest a cellular mechanism whereby chronic alcohol dysregulates the hormonal and behavioral responses to repetitive stressors by increasing NMDAR function and decreasing CRFR1 function.
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10
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Marcolin ML, Baumbach JL, Hodges TE, McCormick CM. The effects of social instability stress and subsequent ethanol consumption in adolescence on brain and behavioral development in male rats. Alcohol 2020; 82:29-45. [PMID: 31465790 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Excessive drinking in adolescence continues to be a problem, and almost a quarter of young Canadians have reported consuming five or more alcoholic drinks in one occasion in recent surveys. The consequences of such drinking may be more pronounced when commenced in adolescence, given the ongoing brain development during this period of life. Here, we investigated the consequences of 3 weeks' intermittent access to ethanol in mid-adolescence to early adulthood in rats, and the extent to which a stress history moderated the negative consequences of ethanol access. In experiment 1, male rats that underwent adolescent social instability stress (SS; daily 1 h isolation + return to unfamiliar cage partner every day from postnatal day [PND] 30-45) did not differ from control (CTL) rats in intake of 10% ethanol sweetened with 0.1% saccharin (access period; PND 47-66). Ethanol drinking reduced proteins relevant for synaptic plasticity (αCaMKII, βCaMKII, and PSD-95) in the dorsal hippocampus, and in CTL rats only in the prefrontal cortex (αCaMKII and PSD 95), attenuating the difference between CTL and SS rats in the water-drinking group. In experiment 2, ethanol also attenuated the difference between SS and CTL rats in a social interaction test by reducing social interaction in SS rats; CTL rats, however, had a higher intake of ethanol than did SS rats during the access period. Ethanol drinking reduced baseline and fear recall recovery concentrations of corticosterone relative to those exposed only to water, although there was no effect of either ethanol or stress history on fear conditioning. Ethanol drinking did not influence intake after 9 days of withdrawal; however, ethanol-naïve SS rats drank more than did CTL rats when given a 24-h access in adulthood. These results reveal a complex relationship between stress history and ethanol intake in adolescence on outcomes in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina L Marcolin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jennet L Baumbach
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Travis E Hodges
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Cheryl M McCormick
- Department of Psychology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2S 3A1, Canada.
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11
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Evans O, Rodríguez-Borillo O, Font L, Currie PJ, Pastor R. Alcohol Binge Drinking and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Socialized Versus Isolated C57BL/6J Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 44:244-254. [PMID: 31713874 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge alcohol drinking has been characterized as a key feature of alcoholism. The drinking-in-the-dark (DID) preclinical model, a procedure that promotes high levels of ethanol (EtOH) intake in short periods of time, has been extensively used to investigate neuropharmacological and genetic determinants of binge-like EtOH consumption. Using DID methodology, alcohol-preferring strains of mice such as C57BL/6J (B6) mice consume enough EtOH to achieve blood concentrations (≥1.0 mg/ml) associated with behavioral intoxication (i.e., motor incoordination). DID procedures typically involve the use of socially isolated animals (single-housed prior to and during the experiment). Previous research indicates that stress associated with social isolation can induce anxiety-like behavior and promote increases in EtOH intake. The present study investigates the role of housing conditions in anxiety-like behavior and binge-like EtOH intake using a DID procedure. METHODS Male and female B6 mice were isolated or pair-housed for a period of 6 weeks prior to evaluation of anxiety-like (elevated plus maze, light and dark box, open field) and drinking (water, 10% sucrose, 10 to 30% EtOH) behavior. In order to measure intake, a variation of the standard DID procedure using a removable, transparent, and perforated plastic barrier strip (designed to temporarily divide the cage in 2) was introduced. This allowed for individual intake records (2-hour test) of isolated and socially housed animals. RESULTS Increased anxiety-like behavior and reduced sucrose consumption were found in isolated mice. The effects of housing conditions on EtOH intake were sex- and concentration-dependent. In male mice, isolation increased 20 and 30% EtOH intake. In females, however, an increased intake of EtOH (30%) was found in socialized animals. No effects of housing or sex were found at EtOH 10%. CONCLUSIONS Together with previous literature, the present study suggests that social isolation can promote anxiety-associated behavior and produce sex-dependent changes in binge-like EtOH consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ophelia Evans
- Department of Psychology, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Laura Font
- Area de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Paul J Currie
- Department of Psychology, Reed College, Portland, Oregon
| | - Raúl Pastor
- Department of Psychology, Reed College, Portland, Oregon.,Area de Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
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12
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Rompala GR, Homanics GE. Intergenerational Effects of Alcohol: A Review of Paternal Preconception Ethanol Exposure Studies and Epigenetic Mechanisms in the Male Germline. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1032-1045. [PMID: 30908630 PMCID: PMC6551262 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly heritable psychiatric disease, efforts to elucidate that heritability by examining genetic variation (e.g., single nucleotide polymorphisms) have been insufficient to fully account for familial AUD risk. Perhaps not coincidently, there has been a burgeoning interest in novel nongenomic mechanisms of inheritance (i.e., epigenetics) that are shaped in the male or female germ cells by significant lifetime experiences such as exposure to chronic stress, malnutrition, or drugs of abuse. While many epidemiological and preclinical studies have long pointed to a role for the parental preconception environment in offspring behavior, over the last decade many studies have implicated a causal relationship between the environmentally sensitive sperm epigenome and intergenerational phenotypes. This critical review will detail the heritable effects of alcohol and the potential role for epigenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory R Rompala
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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13
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Beeler E, Nobile ZL, Homanics GE. Paternal Preconception Every-Other-Day Ethanol Drinking Alters Behavior and Ethanol Consumption in Offspring. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9030056. [PMID: 30845665 PMCID: PMC6468863 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9030056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a devastating disease with a complex etiology. Recent preclinical studies have revealed that paternal preconception chronic intermittent ethanol (EtOH) exposure via vaporized EtOH altered drinking behaviors and sensitivity to EtOH selectively in male offspring. In the current study, we used a voluntary oral route of paternal preconception EtOH exposure, i.e., intermittent every-other-day two-bottle choice drinking, and tested offspring for behavioral alterations. Fifteen EtOH drinking sires and 10 control sires were mated to EtOH naïve females to produce EtOH-sired and control-sired offspring. These offspring were tested using the elevated plus maze, open field, drinking in the dark, and unlimited access two-bottle choice assays. We found that paternal preconception every-other-day two-bottle choice drinking resulted in reduced EtOH consumption selectively in male offspring in the drinking in the dark assay compared to control-sired offspring. No differences were detected in either sex in the unlimited access two-bottle choice and elevated plus maze assays. Open field analysis revealed complex changes in basal behavior and EtOH-induced behaviors that were sex specific. We concluded that paternal preconception voluntary EtOH consumption has persistent effects that impact the next generation. This study adds to a growing appreciation that one’s behavioral response to EtOH and EtOH drinking behavior are impacted by EtOH exposure of the prior generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Beeler
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6068 Biomedical Science Tower-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| | - Zachary L Nobile
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6068 Biomedical Science Tower-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6060 Biomedical Science Tower-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6060 Biomedical Science Tower-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 6060 Biomedical Science Tower-3, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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14
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Rompala GR, Simons A, Kihle B, Homanics GE. Paternal Preconception Chronic Variable Stress Confers Attenuated Ethanol Drinking Behavior Selectively to Male Offspring in a Pre-Stress Environment Dependent Manner. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:257. [PMID: 30450042 PMCID: PMC6225737 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric disorders such as major depression are strongly associated with alcohol abuse and alcohol use disorder. Recently, many epidemiological and preclinical studies suggest that chronic stress prior to conception has cross-generational effects on the behavior and physiological response to stress in subsequent generations. Thus, we hypothesized that chronic stress may also affect ethanol drinking behaviors in the next generation. In the first cohort of mice, we found that paternal preconception chronic variable stress significantly reduced both two-bottle choice and binge-like ethanol drinking selectively in male offspring. However, these results were not replicated in a second cohort that were tested under experimental conditions that were nearly identical, except for one notable difference. Cohort 1 offspring were derived from in-house C57BL/6J sires that were born in the animal vivarium at the University of Pittsburgh whereas cohort 2 offspring were derived from C57BL/6J sires shipped directly from the vendor. Therefore, a third cohort that included both in-house and vendor born sires was analyzed. Consistent with the first two cohorts, we observed a significant interaction between chronic stress and sire-source with only stressed sires that were born in-house able to impart reduced ethanol drinking behaviors to male offspring. Overall, these results demonstrate that paternal preconception stress can impact ethanol drinking behavior in males of the next generation. These studies provide additional support for a recently recognized role of the paternal preconception environment in shaping ethanol drinking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory R Rompala
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alison Simons
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Brooke Kihle
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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15
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Preconception paternal bisphenol A exposure induces sex-specific anxiety and depression behaviors in adult rats. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192434. [PMID: 29420593 PMCID: PMC5805290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA), an environmental endocrine-disrupting compound, has drawn a great attention for its adverse effect on behavioral development. Maternal exposure to this compound has been reported to induce anxiety and depression in offspring, but the effect of its paternal exposure is rarely discussed. This study investigated whether preconception paternal BPA exposure can affect the emotions of male rats and their offspring. Eighteen adult male rats (F0) received either a vehicle or 50 μg/kg/day BPA diet for 21 weeks and were then mated with non-exposed females to produce offspring (F1). The affective behaviors of F0 and F1 rats were evaluated in the open-field test, the elevated-plus maze and the forced swimming test, and their serum corticosterone were then examined. BPA exposure induced increased anxiety behaviors along with increased serum corticosterone in F0 rats. This paternal exposure also led to increased anxiety behaviors in F1 females and aggravated depression behaviors in both sexes of F1 rats. Furthermore, only F1 females exhibited increased serum corticosterone. Overall, these data indicate that preconception paternal exposure to a low dose of BPA may induce transgenerational sex-specific impairments in the affection of adult rats.
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16
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Granholm L, Segerström L, Nylander I. Episodic Ethanol Exposure in Adolescent Rats Causes Residual Alterations in Endogenous Opioid Peptides. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:425. [PMID: 30250435 PMCID: PMC6139348 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent binge drinking is associated with an increased risk of substance use disorder, but how ethanol affects the central levels of endogenous opioid peptides is still not thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of repeated episodic ethanol exposure during adolescence on the tissue levels of three different endogenous opioid peptides in rats. Outbred Wistar rats received orogastric (i.e., gavage) ethanol for three consecutive days per week between 4 and 9 weeks of age. At 2 h and 3 weeks, respectively, after the last exposure, beta-endorphin, dynorphin B and Met-enkephalin-Arg6Phe7 (MEAP) were analyzed with radioimmunoassay. Beta-endorphin levels were low in the nucleus accumbens during ethanol intoxication. Remaining effects of adolescent ethanol exposure were found especially for MEAP, with low levels in the amygdala, and high in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area three weeks after the last exposure. In the hypothalamus and pituitary, the effects of ethanol on beta-endorphin were dependent on time from the last exposure. An interaction effect was also found in the accumbal levels of MEAP and nigral dynorphin B. These results demonstrate that repeated episodic exposure to ethanol during adolescence affected opioid peptide levels in regions involved in reward and reinforcement as well as stress response. These alterations in opioid networks after adolescent ethanol exposure could explain, in part, the increased risk for high ethanol consumption later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linnea Granholm
- Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behaviour, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lova Segerström
- Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behaviour, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingrid Nylander
- Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience, Neuropharmacology, Addiction and Behaviour, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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17
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Cyr KJ, Avaldi OM, Wikswo JP. Circadian hormone control in a human-on-a-chip: In vitro biology's ignored component? Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2017; 242:1714-1731. [PMID: 29065796 PMCID: PMC5832251 DOI: 10.1177/1535370217732766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Organs-on-Chips (OoCs) are poised to reshape dramatically the study of biology by replicating in vivo the function of individual and coupled human organs. Such microphysiological systems (MPS) have already recreated complex physiological responses necessary to simulate human organ function not evident in two-dimensional in vitro biological experiments. OoC researchers hope to streamline pharmaceutical development, accelerate toxicology studies, limit animal testing, and provide new insights beyond the capability of current biological models. However, to develop a physiologically accurate Human-on-a-Chip, i.e., an MPS homunculus that functions as an interconnected, whole-body, model organ system, one must couple individual OoCs with proper fluidic and metabolic scaling. This will enable the study of the effects of organ-organ interactions on the metabolism of drugs and toxins. Critical to these efforts will be the recapitulation of the complex physiological signals that regulate the endocrine, metabolic, and digestive systems. To date, with the exception of research focused on reproductive organs on chips, most OoC research ignores homuncular endocrine regulation, in particular the circadian rhythms that modulate the function of all organ systems. We outline the importance of cyclic endocrine regulation and the role that it may play in the development of MPS homunculi for the pharmacology, toxicology, and systems biology communities. Moreover, we discuss the critical end-organ hormone interactions that are most relevant for a typical coupled-OoC system, and the possible research applications of a missing endocrine system MicroFormulator (MES-µF) that could impose biological rhythms on in vitro models. By linking OoCs together through chemical messenger systems, advanced physiological phenomena relevant to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies can be replicated. The concept of a MES-µF could be applied to other standard cell-culture systems such as well plates, thereby extending the concept of circadian hormonal regulation to much of in vitro biology. Impact statement Historically, cyclic endocrine modulation has been largely ignored within in vitro cell culture, in part because cultured cells typically have their media changed every day or two, precluding hourly adjustment of hormone concentrations to simulate circadian rhythms. As the Organ-on-Chip (OoC) community strives for greater physiological realism, the contribution of hormonal oscillations toward regulation of organ systems has been examined only in the context of reproductive organs, and circadian variation of the breadth of other hormones on most organs remains unaddressed. We illustrate the importance of cyclic endocrine modulation and the role that it plays within individual organ systems. The study of cyclic endocrine modulation within OoC systems will help advance OoC research to the point where it can reliably replicate in vitro key regulatory components of human physiology. This will help translate OoC work into pharmaceutical applications and connect the OoC community with the greater pharmacology and physiology communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J. Cyr
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education
- Systems Biology and Bioengineering Undergraduate Research Experience
| | - Omero M. Avaldi
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education
- Systems Biology and Bioengineering Undergraduate Research Experience
| | - John P. Wikswo
- Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education
- Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN, 37235, USA
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18
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Somkuwar SS, Vendruscolo LF, Fannon MJ, Schmeichel B, Nguyen TB, Guevara J, Sidhu H, Contet C, Zorrilla EP, Mandyam CD. Abstinence from prolonged ethanol exposure affects plasma corticosterone, glucocorticoid receptor signaling and stress-related behaviors. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 84. [PMID: 28647675 PMCID: PMC5557646 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is linked to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Here, we investigated effects of repeated ethanol intoxication-withdrawal cycles (using chronic intermittent ethanol vapor inhalation; CIE) and abstinence from CIE on peak and nadir plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels. Irritability- and anxiety-like behaviors as well as glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were assessed at various intervals (2h-28d) after cessation of CIE. Results show that peak CORT increased during CIE, transiently decreased during early abstinence (1-11d), and returned to pre-abstinence levels during protracted abstinence (17-27d). Acute withdrawal from CIE enhanced aggression- and anxiety-like behaviors. Early abstinence from CIE reduced anxiety-like behavior. mPFC-GR signaling (indexed by relative phosphorylation of GR at Ser211) was transiently decreased when measured at time points during early and protracted abstinence. Further, voluntary ethanol drinking in CIE (CIE-ED) and CIE-naïve (ED) rats, and effects of CIE-ED and ED on peak CORT levels and mPFC-GR were investigated during acute withdrawal (8h) and protracted abstinence (28d). CIE-ED and ED increased peak CORT during drinking. CIE-ED and ED decreased expression and signaling of mPFC-GR during acute withdrawal, an effect that was reversed by systemic mifepristone treatment. CIE-ED and ED demonstrate robust reinstatement of ethanol seeking during protracted abstinence and show increases in mPFC-GR expression. Collectively, the data demonstrate that acute withdrawal from CIE produces robust alterations in GR signaling, CORT and negative affect symptoms which could facilitate excessive drinking. The findings also show that CIE-ED and ED demonstrate enhanced relapse vulnerability triggered by ethanol cues and these changes are partially mediated by altered GR expression in the mPFC. Taken together, transition to alcohol dependence could be accompanied by alterations in mPFC stress-related pathways that may increase negative emotional symptoms and increase vulnerability to relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Brooke Schmeichel
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tran Bao Nguyen
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Harpreet Sidhu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Candice Contet
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Eric P. Zorrilla
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Chitra D. Mandyam
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA,Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, CA, USA,Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA USA,Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
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19
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Chachlaki K, Garthwaite J, Prevot V. The gentle art of saying NO: how nitric oxide gets things done in the hypothalamus. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2017. [PMID: 28621341 DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The chemical signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO), which freely diffuses through aqueous and lipid environments, subserves an array of functions in the mammalian central nervous system, such as the regulation of synaptic plasticity, blood flow and neurohormone secretion. In this Review, we consider the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which NO evokes short-term and long-term changes in neuronal activity. We also highlight recent studies showing that discrete populations of neurons that synthesize NO in the hypothalamus constitute integrative systems that support life by relaying metabolic and gonadal signals to the neuroendocrine brain, and thus gate the onset of puberty and adult fertility. The putative involvement and therapeutic potential of NO in the pathophysiology of brain diseases, for which hormonal imbalances during postnatal development could be risk factors, is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Chachlaki
- Inserm, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, UMR-S 1172, 1 place de Verdun, F-59000 Lille, France
- University of Lille, University Hospital Federations (FHU) 1,000 days for Health, School of Medicine, 1 place de Verdun, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - John Garthwaite
- The Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Inserm, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, UMR-S 1172, 1 place de Verdun, F-59000 Lille, France
- University of Lille, University Hospital Federations (FHU) 1,000 days for Health, School of Medicine, 1 place de Verdun, F-59000 Lille, France
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20
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Becker HC. Influence of stress associated with chronic alcohol exposure on drinking. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:115-126. [PMID: 28431971 PMCID: PMC5497303 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Stress is commonly regarded as an important trigger for relapse and a significant factor that promotes increased motivation to drink in some individuals. However, the relationship between stress and alcohol is complex, likely changing in form during the transition from early moderated alcohol use to more heavy uncontrolled alcohol intake. A growing body of evidence indicates that prolonged excessive alcohol consumption serves as a potent stressor, producing persistent dysregulation of brain reward and stress systems beyond normal homeostatic limits. This progressive dysfunctional (allostatic) state is characterized by changes in neuroendocrine and brain stress pathways that underlie expression of withdrawal symptoms that reflect a negative affective state (dysphoria, anxiety), as well as increased motivation to self-administer alcohol. This review highlights literature supportive of this theoretical framework for alcohol addiction. In particular, evidence for stress-related neural, physiological, and behavioral changes associated with chronic alcohol exposure and withdrawal experience is presented. Additionally, this review focuses on the effects of chronic alcohol-induced changes in several pro-stress neuropeptides (corticotropin-releasing factor, dynorphin) and anti-stress neuropeptide systems (nocicepton, neuropeptide Y, oxytocin) in contributing to the stress, negative emotional, and motivational consequences of chronic alcohol exposure. Studies involving use of animal models have significantly increased our understanding of the dynamic stress-related physiological mechanisms and psychological underpinnings of alcohol addiction. This, in turn, is crucial for developing new and more effective therapeutics for treating excessive, harmful drinking, particularly stress-enhanced alcohol consumption. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs, Charleston, SC 29464, USA.
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21
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Rompala GR, Finegersh A, Slater M, Homanics GE. Paternal preconception alcohol exposure imparts intergenerational alcohol-related behaviors to male offspring on a pure C57BL/6J background. Alcohol 2017; 60:169-177. [PMID: 27876231 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly heritable condition, the basis of AUD in families with a history of alcoholism is difficult to explain by genetic variation alone. Emerging evidence suggests that parental experience prior to conception can affect inheritance of complex behaviors in offspring via non-genomic (epigenetic) mechanisms. For instance, male C57BL/6J (B6) mice exposed to chronic intermittent vapor ethanol (CIE) prior to mating with Strain 129S1/SvImJ ethanol-naïve females produce male offspring with reduced ethanol-drinking preference, increased ethanol sensitivity, and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that these intergenerational effects of paternal CIE are reproducible in male offspring on an inbred B6 background. To this end, B6 males were exposed to 6 weeks of CIE (or room air as a control) before mating with ethanol-naïve B6 females to produce ethanol (E)-sired and control (C)-sired male and female offspring. We observed a sex-specific effect, as E-sired males exhibited decreased two-bottle free-choice ethanol-drinking preference, increased sensitivity to the anxiolytic effects of ethanol, and increased VTA BDNF expression; no differences were observed in female offspring. These findings confirm and extend our previous results by demonstrating that the effects of paternal preconception ethanol are reproducible using genetically identical, inbred B6 animals.
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22
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Upregulation of Mineralocorticoid Receptor in the Hypothalamus Associated with a High Anxiety-like Level in Apolipoprotein E4 Transgenic Mice. Behav Genet 2017; 47:416-424. [DOI: 10.1007/s10519-017-9843-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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23
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Gilpin NW, Weiner JL. Neurobiology of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol-use disorder. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 16:15-43. [PMID: 27749004 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid in humans. Although we have some understanding of the structural and functional brain changes that define each of these disorders, and how those changes contribute to the behavioral symptoms that define them, little is known about the neurobiology of comorbid PTSD and AUD, which may be due in part to a scarcity of adequate animal models for examining this research question. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the-science on comorbid PTSD and AUD. We summarize epidemiological data documenting the prevalence of this comorbidity, review what is known about the potential neurobiological basis for the frequent co-occurrence of PTSD and AUD and discuss successes and failures of past and current treatment strategies. We also review animal models that aim to examine comorbid PTSD and AUD, highlighting where the models parallel the human condition, and we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each model. We conclude by discussing key gaps in our knowledge and strategies for addressing them: in particular, we (1) highlight the need for better animal models of the comorbid condition and better clinical trial design, (2) emphasize the need for examination of subpopulation effects and individual differences and (3) urge cross-talk between basic and clinical researchers that is reflected in collaborative work with forward and reverse translational impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- N W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA.,Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
| | - J L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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24
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Quadros IMH, Macedo GC, Domingues LP, Favoretto CA. An Update on CRF Mechanisms Underlying Alcohol Use Disorders and Dependence. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2016; 7:134. [PMID: 27818644 PMCID: PMC5073134 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2016.00134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused substance worldwide. The emergence of alcohol use disorders, and alcohol dependence in particular, is accompanied by functional changes in brain reward and stress systems, which contribute to escalated alcohol drinking and seeking. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) systems have been critically implied in the transition toward problematic alcohol drinking and alcohol dependence. This review will discuss how dysregulation of CRF function contributes to the vulnerability for escalated alcohol drinking and other consequences of alcohol consumption, based on preclinical evidence. CRF signaling, mostly via CRF1 receptors, seems to be particularly important in conditions of excessive alcohol taking and seeking, including during early and protracted withdrawal, relapse, as well as during withdrawal-induced anxiety and escalated aggression promoted by alcohol. Modulation of CRF1 function seems to exert a less prominent role over low to moderate alcohol intake, or to species-typical behaviors. While CRF mechanisms in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis have some contribution to the neurobiology of alcohol abuse and dependence, a pivotal role for extra-hypothalamic CRF pathways, particularly in the extended amygdala, is well characterized. More recent studies further suggest a direct modulation of brain reward function by CRF signaling in the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and the prefrontal cortex, among other structures. This review will further discuss a putative role for other components of the CRF system that contribute for the overall balance of CRF function in reward and stress pathways, including CRF2 receptors, CRF-binding protein, and urocortins, a family of CRF-related peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Marian Hartmann Quadros
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovana Camila Macedo
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Liz Paola Domingues
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Aparecida Favoretto
- Department of Psychobiology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Packard AEB, Egan AE, Ulrich-Lai YM. HPA Axis Interactions with Behavioral Systems. Compr Physiol 2016; 6:1897-1934. [PMID: 27783863 DOI: 10.1002/cphy.c150042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Perhaps the most salient behaviors that individuals engage in involve the avoidance of aversive experiences and the pursuit of pleasurable experiences. Engagement in these behaviors is regulated to a significant extent by an individual's hormonal milieu. For example, glucocorticoid hormones are produced by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, and influence most aspects of behavior. In turn, many behaviors can influence HPA axis activity. These bidirectional interactions not only coordinate an individual's physiological and behavioral states to each other, but can also tune them to environmental conditions thereby optimizing survival. The present review details the influence of the HPA axis on many types of behavior, including appetitively-motivated behaviors (e.g., food intake and drug use), aversively-motivated behaviors (e.g., anxiety-related and depressive-like) and cognitive behaviors (e.g., learning and memory). Conversely, the manuscript also describes how engaging in various behaviors influences HPA axis activity. Our current understanding of the neuronal and/or hormonal mechanisms that underlie these interactions is also summarized. © 2016 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 6:1897-1934, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E B Packard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Ann E Egan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Yvonne M Ulrich-Lai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Rompala GR, Finegersh A, Homanics GE. Paternal preconception ethanol exposure blunts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responsivity and stress-induced excessive fluid intake in male mice. Alcohol 2016; 53:19-25. [PMID: 27286933 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A growing number of environmental insults have been shown to induce epigenetic effects that persist across generations. For instance, paternal preconception exposures to ethanol or stress have independently been shown to exert such intergenerational effects. Since ethanol exposure is a physiological stressor that activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, we hypothesized that paternal ethanol exposure would impact stress responsivity of offspring. Adult male mice were exposed to chronic intermittent vapor ethanol or control conditions for 5 weeks before being mated with ethanol-naïve females to produce ethanol (E)- and control (C)-sired offspring. Adult male and female offspring were tested for plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels following acute restraint stress and the male offspring were further examined for stress-evoked 2-bottle choice ethanol-drinking. Paternal ethanol exposure blunted plasma CORT levels following acute restraint stress selectively in male offspring; females were unaffected. In a stress-evoked ethanol-drinking assay, there was no effect of stress on ethanol consumption. However, C-sired males exhibited increased total fluid intake (polydipsia) in response to stress while E-sired males were resistant to this stress-induced phenotype. Taken together, these data suggest that paternal ethanol exposure imparts stress hyporesponsivity to male offspring.
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Blaine SK, Milivojevic V, Fox H, Sinha R. Alcohol Effects on Stress Pathways: Impact on Craving and Relapse Risk. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2016; 61:145-53. [PMID: 27254089 PMCID: PMC4813419 DOI: 10.1177/0706743716632512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
A significant amount of neurobiological research regarding the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) has focused on alcohol-related activation and long-term alterations in the mesocortical dopaminergic reward pathways. However, alcohol does not only interact with brain reward systems. Many of its acute and chronic effects may be related to allostatic adaptations in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic stress regulation pathways. For example, acute binge intoxication is associated with hypothalamically driven increases in blood cortisol, norepinephrine, and sex steroid metabolite levels. This may contribute to the development of mesocortical sensitization to alcohol. Furthermore, chronic alcohol exposure is associated with systemic dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, sympathetic adrenal medullary system, and sex steroid systems. This dysregulation appears to manifest as neuroendocrine tolerance. In this review, we first summarize the literature suggesting that alcohol-induced alterations in these hypothalamic systems influence craving and contribute to the development of AUDs. We note that for women, the effects of alcohol on these neuroendocrine stress regulation systems may be influenced by the rhythmic variations of hormones and steroids across the menstrual cycle. Second, we discuss how changes in these systems may indicate progression of AUDs and increased risk of relapse in both sexes. Specifically, neuroendocrine tolerance may contribute to mesocortical sensitization, which in turn may lead to decreased prefrontal inhibitory control of the dopaminergic reward and hypothalamic stress systems. Thus, pharmacological strategies that counteract alcohol-associated changes in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic stress regulation pathways may slow the development and progression of AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Blaine
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Verica Milivojevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Helen Fox
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Phillips TJ, Reed C, Pastor R. Preclinical evidence implicating corticotropin-releasing factor signaling in ethanol consumption and neuroadaptation. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:98-135. [PMID: 25565358 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The results of many studies support the influence of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system on ethanol (EtOH) consumption and EtOH-induced neuroadaptations that are critical in the addiction process. This review summarizes the preclinical data in this area after first providing an overview of the components of the CRF system. This complex system involves hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic mechanisms that play a role in the central and peripheral consequences of stressors, including EtOH and other drugs of abuse. In addition, several endogenous ligands and targets make up this system and show differences in their involvement in EtOH drinking and in the effects of chronic or repeated EtOH treatment. In general, genetic and pharmacological approaches paint a consistent picture of the importance of CRF signaling via type 1 CRF receptors (CRF(1)) in EtOH-induced neuroadaptations that result in higher levels of intake, encourage alcohol seeking during abstinence and alter EtOH sensitivity. Furthermore, genetic findings in rodents, non-human primates and humans have provided some evidence of associations of genetic polymorphisms in CRF-related genes with EtOH drinking, although additional data are needed. These results suggest that CRF(1) antagonists have potential as pharmacotherapeutics for alcohol use disorders. However, given the broad and important role of these receptors in adaptation to environmental and other challenges, full antagonist effects may be too profound and consideration should be given to treatments with modulatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Phillips
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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Engberg H, Butwicka A, Nordenström A, Hirschberg AL, Falhammar H, Lichtenstein P, Nordenskjöld A, Frisén L, Landén M. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and risk for psychiatric disorders in girls and women born between 1915 and 2010: A total population study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 60:195-205. [PMID: 26184920 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a chronic condition and individuals are exposed to elevated androgen levels in utero as a result of the endogenous cortisol deficiency. Prenatal androgen exposure has been suggested to influence mental health, but population based studies on psychiatric morbidity among girls and women with CAH are lacking. Therefore, we performed a cohort study based on Swedish nationwide registers linked with the national CAH register. Girls and women with CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (n = 335) born between January 1915 and January 2010 were compared with aged-matched female (n = 33500) and male controls (n = 33500). Analyses were stratified by phenotype [salt wasting (SW), simple virilizing (SV), and non-classical type (NC)] and by CYP21A2 genotype subgroups (null, I2splice, I172N, and P30L). Results are presented as estimated risks (OR, 95%CI) of psychiatric disorders among girls and women with CAH compared with age-matched controls. Any psychiatric diagnoses were more common in CAH females compared with female and male population controls [1.9 (1.4-2.5), and 2.2 (1.7-2.9)]. In particular, the risk of alcohol misuse was increased compared with female and male population controls [2.8 (1.7-4.7) and 2.1 (1.2-3.5)], and appeared most common among the girls and women with the most severe null genotype [6.7 (2.6-17.8)]. The risk of stress and adjustment disorders was doubled compared with female population controls [2.1 (1.3-3.6)]. Girls and women with CAH have an increased risk of psychiatric disorders in general and substance use disorders in particular compared with unexposed females, with the highest risk among those with the most severe genotype. Prenatal androgen exposure and deficient endogenous cortisol and/or adrenaline production may provide explanations for these findings, but other factors related to CAH cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedvig Engberg
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Agnieszka Butwicka
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Child Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Nordenström
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Astrid Lindgren Children Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Henrik Falhammar
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agneta Nordenskjöld
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Pediatric Surgery, Astrid Lindgren Children Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Louise Frisén
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Landén
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Mediates Acupunctural Effects on Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis During Ethanol Withdrawal. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2015; 9:4-10. [PMID: 26896070 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A previous study demonstrated that acupuncture at ST36 (Zu-San-Li) attenuates ethanol withdrawal (EW)-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rats. The current study investigated the involvement of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) in that process. Rats were intraperitoneally treated with 3 g/kg/d of ethanol or saline for 28 days. After 24 hours of EW, acupuncture was applied to rats at bilateral ST36 points or at nonacupoints (tail) for 1 minute. A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that EW significantly increased both the NE and the 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Western blot analysis also revealed that EW markedly elevated the phosphorylation rates of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), but spared TH protein expression in the PVN. However, acupuncture at ST36, but not at nonacupoints, greatly inhibited the increase in the hypothalamic NE, MHPG, and phosphorylation rates of TH. Additionally, postacupuncture infusion of NE into the PVN significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of acupuncture at ST36 on the oversecretion of plasma corticosterone during EW. These results suggest that acupuncture at ST36 inhibits EW-induced hyperactivation of the hypothalamic NEergic system to produce therapeutic effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
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P7, a novel antagonist of corticotropin releasing factor receptor type 1 (CRFR1) screened from phage display library. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2015; 463:200-4. [PMID: 25998380 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) plays a central role in regulating the activities of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the presence of a variety of stressful stimuli via binding to its type 1 receptors (CRFR1). Despite that many peptidic or non-peptidic antagonists of CRFR1 have been developed to serve as therapeutic tools to CRF-related pathologies, none of them have been utilized clinically. Targeting the extracellular domain 1 (EC1) of CRFR1, the CRF-binding site, represents a new strategy to inhibit the function of the receptor. However, no such agents have been identified up to now. Herein, by using an 87-amino acid fragment corresponding to the EC1 region as the bait, we screened the binding polypeptides from a phage display (Ph.D.-12) peptide library. After 3-round biopanning, positive clones were selected and the polypeptides carried by them were identified. 5 polypeptides were found to bind with the target specifically. Among them, the P7 exhibited the highest affinity. By evaluating the cAMP accumulation in the CRFR1 or CRFR2-expressing HEK293 cells, we demonstrated that P7 blocking the function of CRFR1, but not CRFR2. In addition, we also found that P7 and CRF act on CRFR1 competitively. Taken together, we reveal that P7, a novel polypeptide identified from phage display library, inhibits the function of CRFR1 effectively and specifically by binding at its EC1 domain. The new polypeptide might provide a promising agent for diagnostic or therapeutic utilities in CRF-related disorders.
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Zhou Y, Lapingo C. Modulation of proopiomelanocortin gene expression by ethanol in mouse anterior pituitary corticotrope tumor cell AtT20. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 192-193:6-14. [PMID: 25072633 DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2014.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Revised: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In humans, alcoholism is associated with a decrease in basal ACTH and cortisol levels, and blunted pituitary ACTH responses to administered corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) during active drinking and after long-term abstinence. Preclinical studies indicate that a persistent decrease in pituitary activation after chronic exposure to ethanol is due to a direct effect of ethanol on the corticotrope of the anterior pituitary. The present studies were undertaken to determine if ethanol has effects on proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene transcription activity in mouse anterior pituitary corticotrope tumor cell AtT20. We measured the levels of the POMC primary nuclear RNA transcript (PT), processing intermediate, and mature mRNA in the nucleus and the levels of the POMC mRNA in the cytoplasm after treatment of AtT20 cells with 5-15 mM concentrations of ethanol. After 15 mM ethanol for 60 to 120 min, the POMC PT levels were significantly decreased. This decreased POMC gene transcription activity was coupled with a significant reduction of the POMC cytoplasmic mRNA levels. After ethanol for 4h, however, both the decreases were no longer observed. After 8h, a decrease in the ACTH secretion in the medium was found. We further investigated if CRH or glutamate modulates the effects of ethanol on the POMC gene transcription activity. CRH at 10nM after 60 min increased the POMC PT levels, and 15mM ethanol attenuated the effect of CRH on the nuclear transcription activity. Glutamate receptor proteins, including NMDA receptor subtype NR1 (but not NR2A or NR2B) and GluR2, were identified by Western immunoblot analysis in AtT20 cells, with similar sizes to those in mouse hypothalamus. The inhibitory effect of 60 min ethanol at 5 to 15 mM on the POMC PT levels was attenuated by 50 μM L-glutamate. Together, our data showed that: (1) ethanol treatment in intoxicate doses significantly inhibited POMC gene transcription activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner in AtT20 cells, and (2) the POMC gene transcription activity in response to CRH or glutamate was altered by ethanol. Our results suggest that ethanol has an inhibitory effect on the POMC gene transcription activity in the anterior pituitary corticotrope, which may contribute to the persistent decrease in pituitary activation after chronic ethanol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Christina Lapingo
- Department of Neurobiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Lu YL, Richardson HN. Alcohol, stress hormones, and the prefrontal cortex: a proposed pathway to the dark side of addiction. Neuroscience 2014; 277:139-51. [PMID: 24998895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chronic exposure to alcohol produces changes in the prefrontal cortex that are thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of alcoholism. A large body of literature suggests that stress hormones play a critical role in this process. Here we review the bi-directional relationship between alcohol and stress hormones, and discuss how alcohol acutely stimulates the release of glucocorticoids and induces enduring modifications to neuroendocrine stress circuits during the transition from non-dependent drinking to alcohol dependence. We propose a pathway by which alcohol and stress hormones elicit neuroadaptive changes in prefrontal circuitry that could contribute functionally to a dampened neuroendocrine state and the increased propensity to relapse-a spiraling trajectory that could eventually lead to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y-L Lu
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
| | - H N Richardson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Neuroscience Center SOVM, University of Pennsylvania, 201E Vet, 6046, 3800 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6046, United States.
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35
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An integrative analysis of ethanol tolerance and withdrawal in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Behav Brain Res 2014; 276:161-70. [PMID: 24598276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The zebrafish is emerging as a popular animal model for alcohol (ethanol or EtOH) addiction due to its simplicity and practical advantages. Two phenomena associated with ethanol addiction are the development of tolerance and withdrawal. Using a multi-level approach in the current study, we characterise ethanol tolerance and withdrawal in zebrafish. We first investigate the temporal trajectory of ethanol concentration in the zebrafish brain in response to an acute exposure and during withdrawal. We report that ethanol concentrations approach a steady state within 60 min of exposure to 0.50% and 1.00% v/v ethanol and rapidly decline and return to zero within 60 min following withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure (0.50% v/v). We characterise the changes associated with ethanol tolerance and withdrawal in zebrafish by focusing on three domains relevant to ethanol addiction: motor patterns, physiological responses (i.e. cortisol levels), and neurochemical alterations. The use of multiple domains of investigation allowed an in-depth analysis of ethanol induced changes in zebrafish.
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