1
|
Borland JM. The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105809. [PMID: 39004323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
BORLAND, J.M., The effects of different types of social interactions on the electrophysiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodents, NEUROSCI BIOBEH REV 21(1) XXX-XXX, 2024.-Sociality shapes an organisms' life. The nucleus accumbens is a critical brain region for mental health. In the following review, the effects of different types of social interactions on the physiology of neurons in the nucleus accumbens is synthesized. More specifically, the effects of sex behavior, aggression, social defeat, pair-bonding, play behavior, affiliative interactions, parental behaviors, the isolation from social interactions and maternal separation on measures of excitatory synaptic transmission, intracellular signaling and factors of transcription and translation in neurons in the nucleus accumbens in rodent models are reviewed. Similarities and differences in effects depending on the type of social interaction is then discussed. This review improves the understanding of the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of sociality.
Collapse
|
2
|
Abstract
Neuroscience has convinced people that much of their behavior is determined by causes unknown to them and beyond their control. However, are advances in neuroscience truly a prerequisite for such beliefs? Robert Kane's theory of ultimate responsibility is libertarian theory. Its innovative nature makes it possible to discuss the neurophysiological basis of its postulates. Using the functions of the midbrain dopaminergic system as an example, this article provides an overview of this neurophysiological basis. According to Kane, if we are to be ultimately responsible for our wills as well as for our actions, some actions in our lives must lack sufficient motives and causes. These are self-forming actions. Dopamine is hypothesized to mediate self-forming action execution. Dopamine not only mediates action but also ensures synaptic plasticity in the brain, that is, learning from action; hence, dopamine changes the acting individual and provides the formation of our own wills. The basal ganglia, which are the main target of dopamine in the brain, act through parallel pathways and are involved in decision-making processes. Dopamine is also involved in the regulation of the neurodynamical properties of prefrontal cortex networks with random spiking noise. It can be assumed that the activity of the dopaminergic system is closely related to the physiological basis of free will.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ivlieva
- Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Butlerova Str., 5a, Moscow, 117485, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mitra A, Deats SP, Dickson PE, Zhu J, Gardin J, Nieman BJ, Henkelman RM, Tsai NP, Chesler EJ, Zhang ZW, Kumar V. Tmod2 Is a Regulator of Cocaine Responses through Control of Striatal and Cortical Excitability and Drug-Induced Plasticity. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1389232024. [PMID: 38508714 PMCID: PMC11063827 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1389-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Drugs of abuse induce neuroadaptations, including synaptic plasticity, that are critical for transition to addiction, and genes and pathways that regulate these neuroadaptations are potential therapeutic targets. Tropomodulin 2 (Tmod2) is an actin-regulating gene that plays an important role in synapse maturation and dendritic arborization and has been implicated in substance abuse and intellectual disability in humans. Here, we mine the KOMP2 data and find that Tmod2 knock-out mice show emotionality phenotypes that are predictive of addiction vulnerability. Detailed addiction phenotyping shows that Tmod2 deletion does not affect the acute locomotor response to cocaine administration. However, sensitized locomotor responses are highly attenuated in these knock-outs, indicating perturbed drug-induced plasticity. In addition, Tmod2 mutant animals do not self-administer cocaine indicating lack of hedonic responses to cocaine. Whole-brain MR imaging shows differences in brain volume across multiple regions, although transcriptomic experiments did not reveal perturbations in gene coexpression networks. Detailed electrophysiological characterization of Tmod2 KO neurons showed increased spontaneous firing rate of early postnatal and adult cortical and striatal neurons. Cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity that is critical for sensitization is either missing or reciprocal in Tmod2 KO nucleus accumbens shell medium spiny neurons, providing a mechanistic explanation of the cocaine response phenotypes. Combined, these data, collected from both males and females, provide compelling evidence that Tmod2 is a major regulator of plasticity in the mesolimbic system and regulates the reinforcing and addictive properties of cocaine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jiuhe Zhu
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | | | - Brian J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - R Mark Henkelman
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Nien-Pei Tsai
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | | | | | - Vivek Kumar
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jameson AN, Siemann JK, Grueter CA, Grueter B, McMahon DG. Effects of age and sex on photoperiod modulation of nucleus accumbens monoamine content and release in adolescence and adulthood. Neurobiol Sleep Circadian Rhythms 2024; 16:100103. [PMID: 38585223 PMCID: PMC10990739 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbscr.2024.100103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Day length, or photoperiod, is a reliable environmental cue encoded by the brain's circadian clock that indicates changing seasons and induces seasonal biological processes. In humans, photoperiod, age, and sex have been linked to seasonality in neuropsychiatric disorders, as seen in Seasonal Affective Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. The nucleus accumbens is a key locus for the regulation of motivated behaviors and neuropsychiatric disorders. Using periadolescent and young adult male and female mice, here we assessed photoperiod's effect on serotonin and dopamine tissue content in the nucleus accumbens core, as well as on accumbal synaptic dopamine release and uptake. We found greater serotonin and dopamine tissue content in the nucleus accumbens from young adult mice raised in a Short winter-like photoperiod. In addition, dopamine release and clearance were greater in the nucleus accumbens from young adult mice raised in a Long summer-like photoperiod. Importantly, we found that photoperiod's effects on accumbal dopamine tissue content and release were sex-specific to young adult females. These findings support that in mice there are interactions across age, sex, and photoperiod that impact critical monoamine neuromodulators in the nucleus accumbens which may provide mechanistic insight into the age and sex dependencies in seasonality of neuropsychiatric disorders in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N. Jameson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Justin K. Siemann
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Carrie A. Grueter
- Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - BradA. Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Douglas G. McMahon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kondev V, Najeed M, Loomba N, Brown J, Winder DG, Grueter BA, Patel S. Synaptic and cellular endocannabinoid signaling mechanisms regulate stress-induced plasticity of nucleus accumbens somatostatin neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2300585120. [PMID: 37590414 PMCID: PMC10450650 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2300585120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Interneuron populations within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) orchestrate excitatory-inhibitory balance, undergo experience-dependent plasticity, and gate-motivated behavior, all biobehavioral processes heavily modulated by endogenous cannabinoid (eCB) signaling. While eCBs are well known to regulate synaptic plasticity onto NAc medium spiny neurons and modulate NAc function at the behavioral level, how eCBs regulate NAc interneuron function is less well understood. Here, we show that eCB signaling differentially regulates glutamatergic and feedforward GABAergic transmission onto NAc somatostatin-expressing interneurons (NAcSOM+) in an input-specific manner, while simultaneously increasing postsynaptic excitability of NAcSOM+ neurons, ultimately biasing toward vHPC (ventral hippocampal), and away from BLA (basolateral amygdalalar), activation of NAcSOM+ neurons. We further demonstrate that NAcSOM+ are activated by stress in vivo and undergo stress-dependent plasticity, evident as a global increase in intrinsic excitability and an increase in excitation-inhibition balance specifically at vHPC, but not BLA, inputs onto NAcSOM+ neurons. Importantly, both forms of stress-induced plasticity are dependent on eCB signaling at cannabinoid type 1 receptors. These findings reveal eCB-dependent mechanisms that sculpt afferent input and excitability of NAcSOM+ neurons and demonstrate a key role for eCB signaling in stress-induced plasticity of NAcSOM+-associated circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Kondev
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | | | - Niharika Loomba
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Jordan Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Danny G. Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN27323
| | - Brad A. Grueter
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN27323
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN37232
| | - Sachin Patel
- Northwestern Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL60611
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Giotakos O. Modeling intentionality in the human brain. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1163421. [PMID: 37621971 PMCID: PMC10445144 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1163421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper is focusing on a rather neglected issue that concerns both aspects of philosophy and neurobiology in relation to the concept of intentionality. Intentionality is concerned with the 'directedness' or 'aboutness' of mental phenomena towards an object. Despite the fact that in philosophy both concepts of aboutness and directedness are conceptually identical with intentionality, a careful neuroscientific approach can demonstrate that these two phenomena represent two distinct conceptual and neurobiological aspects of intentionality with complementary functions. We described the interaction between a series of intentionality and pathogenetic psychobiological factors, the corresponding brain topography, and the resulting clinical manifestation and psychopathology. A permanent failure of intentionality dominates in psychosis, which includes an inappropriateness of the intentional object or connection, from the outset, or even from the prodromal phase of the disorder. Affective disorders may result from imprecise interoceptive prediction error signals, due to a confused identification of the intentional object. In suicidal patients there is an emotional intentionality failure, characterized by an absence of intentional object or a loss of conscious access to normal intentional objects. We may model an 'intentional system' as a higher order system, with a monitoring and regulatory role attributed to the brain and behavior. Also, we may consider mental disorders as the result of a radical disruption of intentionality, due to an inappropriateness or lack of the intentional object or due to an inappropriate connection in some points of the suggested brain pathways of intentionality.
Collapse
|
7
|
Yim YY, Nestler EJ. Cell-Type-Specific Neuroproteomics of Synapses. Biomolecules 2023; 13:998. [PMID: 37371578 PMCID: PMC10296650 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, our knowledge of synaptic proteomes and their relationship to normal brain function and neuropsychiatric disorders has been expanding rapidly through the use of more powerful neuroproteomic approaches. However, mass spectrometry (MS)-based neuroproteomic studies of synapses still require cell-type, spatial, and temporal proteome information. With the advancement of sample preparation and MS techniques, we have just begun to identify and understand proteomes within a given cell type, subcellular compartment, and cell-type-specific synapse. Here, we review the progress and limitations of MS-based neuroproteomics of synapses in the mammalian CNS and highlight the recent applications of these approaches in studying neuropsychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder and substance use disorders. Combining neuroproteomic findings with other omics studies can generate an in-depth, comprehensive map of synaptic proteomes and possibly identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers for several central nervous system disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA;
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Papp M, Gruca P, Litwa E, Lason M, Willner P. Optogenetic stimulation of transmission from prelimbic cortex to nucleus accumbens core overcomes resistance to venlafaxine in an animal model of treatment-resistant depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 123:110715. [PMID: 36610613 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our earlier study demonstrated that repeated optogenetic stimulation of afferents from ventral hippocampus (vHIP) to the prelimbic region of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) overcame resistance to antidepressant treatment in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. These results suggested that antidepressant resistance may result from an insufficiency of transmission from vHIP to mPFC. Here we examined whether similar effects can be elicited from major output of mPFC; the pathway from to nucleus accumbens core (NAc). METHOD WKY rats were subjected to Chronic Mild Stress and were used in two sets of experiments: 1) they were treated acutely with optogenetic stimulation of afferents to NAc core originating from the mPFC, and 2) they were treated with chronic (5 weeks) venlafaxine (10 mg/kg) and/or repeated (once weekly) optogenetic stimulation of afferents to NAc originating from either mPFC or vHIP. RESULTS Chronic mild stress procedure decreased sucrose intake, open arm entries on elevated plus maze, and novel object recognition test. Acute optogenetic stimulation of the mPFC-NAc and vHIP-NAc pathways had no effect in sucrose or plus maze tests, but increased object recognition. Neither venlafaxine nor mPFC-NAc optogenetic stimulation alone was effective in reversing the effects of CMS, but the combination of chronic antidepressant and repeated optogenetic stimulation improved behaviour on all three measures. CONCLUSIONS The synergism between venlafaxine and mPFC-NAc optogenetic stimulation supports the hypothesis that the mechanisms of non-responsiveness of WKY rats involves a failure of antidepressant treatment to restore transmission in the mPFC-NAc pathway. Together with earlier results, this implicates insufficiency in a vHIP-mPFC-NAc circuit in non-responsiveness to antidepressant drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariusz Papp
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
| | - Piotr Gruca
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ewa Litwa
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Magdalena Lason
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Paul Willner
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Zhang J, Liu Z, Liu X, Wang X, Yu L. Intravenous Injection of GluR2-3Y Inhibits Repeated Morphine-Primed Reinstatement of Drug Seeking in Rats. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040590. [PMID: 37190555 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor is essential to drug addiction. In this study, we explored the influence of GluR2-3Y, an interfering peptide to prevent the endocytosis of AMPA receptors containing the GluR2 subunit, on morphine-seeking behavior in the rat self-administration model. After self-administration was established, the rats received intravenous injections of GluR2-3Y during the extinction sessions. There were no significant differences in both active and inactive pokes compared to the control group of rats that received GluR2-3S, indicating that GluR2-3Y has no significant influences on the extinction of morphine self-administration. The other two groups of rats were trained, extinguished, and reinstated by repeated morphine priming (respectively, called Prime 1, Prime 2, and Prime 3). Only one intravenous injection of GluR2-3Y was performed before Prime 1. Compared to the control group, GluR2-3Y did not affect Prime 1, but significantly attenuated the morphine-seeking behavior during repeated morphine-primed reinstatement, indicating an inhibitory after effect of GluR2-3Y on morphine-seeking behavior in rats. The long-term depression (LTD) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell was also assessed. Pretreatment with GluR2-3Y altered the ability of LTD induction to the level of that in the naive group, while pretreatment with GluR2-3S had no effects on LTD. Our results demonstrated that the intravenous injection of GluR2-3Y, to block the endocytosis of AMPA receptors, inhibited the reinstatement of morphine-seeking behavior, which may be induced by modulating the neuronal plasticity in the NAc shell of rats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Zhang
- College of Basic Medical, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Encephalopathy, Jinzhong 030619, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhuo Liu
- School of Crime Investigation, People’s Public Security University of China, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xiaoqian Wang
- College of Basic Medical, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Jinzhong 030619, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Encephalopathy, Jinzhong 030619, China
| | - Longchuan Yu
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Konar-Nié M, Guzman-Castillo A, Armijo-Weingart L, Aguayo LG. Aging in nucleus accumbens and its impact on alcohol use disorders. Alcohol 2023; 107:73-90. [PMID: 36087859 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Ethanol is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world and prolonged excessive ethanol intake might lead to alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which are characterized by neuroadaptations in different brain regions, such as in the reward circuitry. In addition, the global population is aging, and it appears that they are increasing their ethanol consumption. Although research involving the effects of alcohol in aging subjects is limited, differential effects have been described. For example, studies in human subjects show that older adults perform worse in tests assessing working memory, attention, and cognition as compared to younger adults. Interestingly, in the field of the neurobiological basis of ethanol actions, there is a significant dichotomy between what we know about the effects of ethanol on neurochemical targets in young animals and how it might affect them in the aging brain. To be able to understand the distinct effects of ethanol in the aging brain, the following questions need to be answered: (1) How does physiological aging impact the function of an ethanol-relevant region (e.g., the nucleus accumbens)? and (2) How does ethanol affect these neurobiological systems in the aged brain? This review discusses the available data to try to understand how aging affects the nucleus accumbens (nAc) and its neurochemical response to alcohol. The data show that there is little information on the effects of ethanol in aged mice and rats, and that many studies had considered 2-3-month-old mice as adults, which needs to be reconsidered since more recent literature defines 6 months as young adults and >18 months as an older mouse. Considering the actual relevance of an aged worldwide population and that this segment is drinking more frequently, it appears at least reasonable to explore how ethanol affects the brain in adult and aged models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Konar-Nié
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.
| | - Alejandra Guzman-Castillo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile; Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion, Chile.
| | - Lorena Armijo-Weingart
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile; Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion, Chile.
| | - Luis Gerardo Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile; Programa en Neurociencia, Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Universidad de Concepción, Concepcion, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Funke JR, Hwang EK, Wunsch AM, Baker R, Engeln KA, Murray CH, Milovanovic M, Caccamise AJ, Wolf ME. Persistent Neuroadaptations in the Nucleus Accumbens Core Accompany Incubation of Methamphetamine Craving in Male and Female Rats. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0480-22.2023. [PMID: 36792361 PMCID: PMC10016192 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0480-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Relapse is a major problem in treating methamphetamine use disorder. "Incubation of craving" during abstinence is a rat model for persistence of vulnerability to craving and relapse. While methamphetamine incubation has previously been demonstrated in male and female rats, it has not been demonstrated after withdrawal periods greater than 51 d and most mechanistic work used males. Here, we address both gaps. First, although methamphetamine intake was higher in males during self-administration training (6 h/d × 10 d), incubation was similar in males and females, with "incubated" craving persisting through withdrawal day (WD)100. Second, using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, we assessed synaptic levels of calcium-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs), as their elevation is required for expression of incubation in males. In both sexes, compared with saline-self-administering controls, CP-AMPAR levels were significantly higher in methamphetamine rats across withdrawal, although this was less pronounced in WD100-135 rats than WD15-35 or WD40-75 methamphetamine rats. We also examined membrane properties and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) transmission. In saline controls, MSNs from males exhibited lower excitability than females. This difference was eliminated after incubation because of increased excitability of MSNs from males. NMDAR transmission did not differ between sexes and was not altered after incubation. In conclusion, incubation persists for longer than previously described and equally persistent CP-AMPAR plasticity in NAc core occurs in both sexes. Thus, abstinence-related synaptic plasticity in NAc is similar in males and females although other methamphetamine-related behaviors and neuroadaptations show differences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Funke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
| | - Eun-Kyung Hwang
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
| | - Amanda M Wunsch
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Raines Baker
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
| | - Kimberley A Engeln
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
| | - Conor H Murray
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Mike Milovanovic
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Aaron J Caccamise
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064
| | - Marina E Wolf
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97212
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chakraborty P, Dey A, Gopalakrishnan AV, Swati K, Ojha S, Prakash A, Kumar D, Ambasta RK, Jha NK, Jha SK, Dewanjee S. Glutamatergic neurotransmission: A potential pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 85:101838. [PMID: 36610558 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian brain, glutamate is regarded to be the primary excitatory neurotransmitter due to its widespread distribution and wide range of metabolic functions. Glutamate plays key roles in regulating neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, neurite outgrowth, and neuron survival in the brain. Ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors, neurotransmitters, neurotensin, neurosteroids, and others co-ordinately formulate a complex glutamatergic network in the brain that maintains optimal excitatory neurotransmission. Cognitive activities are potentially synchronized by the glutamatergic activities in the brain via restoring synaptic plasticity. Dysfunctional glutamate receptors and other glutamatergic components are responsible for the aberrant glutamatergic activity in the brain that cause cognitive impairments, loss of synaptic plasticity, and neuronal damage. Thus, controlling the brain's glutamatergic transmission and modifying glutamate receptor function could be a potential therapeutic strategy for cognitive disorders. Certain drugs that regulate glutamate receptor activities have shown therapeutic promise in improving cognitive functions in preclinical and clinical studies. However, several issues regarding precise functional information of glutamatergic activity are yet to be comprehensively understood. The present article discusses the scope of developing glutamatergic systems as prospective pharmacotherapeutic targets to treat cognitive disorders. Special attention has been given to recent developments, challenges, and future prospects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Chakraborty
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Abilash Valsala Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014, India
| | - Kumari Swati
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Anand Prakash
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari, Bihar, India
| | - Dhruv Kumar
- School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly DCE), Delhi 110042, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, UP, India; School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India.
| | - Saurabh Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, UP, India; Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali 140413, India; Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India.
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Jameson AN, Siemann JK, Melchior J, Calipari ES, McMahon DG, Grueter BA. Photoperiod Impacts Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Dynamics. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0361-22.2023. [PMID: 36781229 PMCID: PMC9937087 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0361-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian photoperiod, or day length, changes with the seasons and influences behavior to allow animals to adapt to their environment. Photoperiod is also associated with seasonal rhythms of affective state, as evidenced by seasonality of several neuropsychiatric disorders. Interestingly, seasonality tends to be more prevalent in women for affective disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder (BD). However, the underlying neurobiological processes contributing to sex-linked seasonality of affective behaviors are largely unknown. Mesolimbic dopamine input to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) contributes to the regulation of affective state and behaviors. Additionally, sex differences in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway are well established. Therefore, we hypothesize that photoperiod may drive differential modulation of NAc dopamine in males and females. Here, we used fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) to explore whether photoperiod can modulate subsecond dopamine signaling dynamics in the NAc core of male and female mice raised in seasonally relevant photoperiods. We found that photoperiod modulates dopamine signaling in the NAc core, and that this effect is sex-specific to females. Both release and uptake of dopamine were enhanced in the NAc core of female mice raised in long, summer-like photoperiods, whereas we did not find photoperiodic effects on NAc core dopamine in males. These findings uncover a potential neural circuit basis for sex-linked seasonality in affective behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis N Jameson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Justin K Siemann
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - James Melchior
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Douglas G McMahon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lind EB, Sweis BM, Asp AJ, Esguerra M, Silvis KA, David Redish A, Thomas MJ. A quadruple dissociation of reward-related behaviour in mice across excitatory inputs to the nucleus accumbens shell. Commun Biol 2023; 6:119. [PMID: 36717646 PMCID: PMC9886947 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04429-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is critically important for reward valuations, yet it remains unclear how valuation information is integrated in this region to drive behaviour during reinforcement learning. Using an optogenetic spatial self-stimulation task in mice, here we show that contingent activation of different excitatory inputs to the NAcSh change expression of different reward-related behaviours. Our data indicate that medial prefrontal inputs support place preference via repeated actions, ventral hippocampal inputs consistently promote place preferences, basolateral amygdala inputs produce modest place preferences but as a byproduct of increased sensitivity to time investments, and paraventricular inputs reduce place preferences yet do not produce full avoidance behaviour. These findings suggest that each excitatory input provides distinct information to the NAcSh, and we propose that this reflects the reinforcement of different credit assignment functions. Our finding of a quadruple dissociation of NAcSh input-specific behaviours provides insights into how types of information carried by distinct inputs to the NAcSh could be integrated to help drive reinforcement learning and situationally appropriate behavioural responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Lind
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Brian M Sweis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Anders J Asp
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Rehabilitation Medicine Research Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Manuel Esguerra
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Keelia A Silvis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - A David Redish
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Mark J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, 3-432 McGuire Translational Research Facility, 2001 6th St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Manz KM, Zepeda JC, Zurawski Z, Hamm HE, Grueter BA. SNAP25 differentially contributes to G i/o-coupled receptor function at glutamatergic synapses in the nucleus accumbens. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1165261. [PMID: 37206665 PMCID: PMC10188356 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1165261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) guides reward-related motivated behavior implicated in pathological behavioral states, including addiction and depression. These behaviors depend on the precise neuromodulatory actions of Gi/o-coupled G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) at glutamatergic synapses onto medium spiny projection neurons (MSNs). Previous work has shown that discrete classes of Gi/o-coupled GPCR mobilize Gβγ to inhibit vesicular neurotransmitter release via t-SNARE protein, SNAP25. However, it remains unknown which Gαi/o systems in the NAc utilize Gβγ-SNARE signaling to dampen glutamatergic transmission. Utilizing patch-clamp electrophysiology and pharmacology in a transgenic mouse line with a C-terminal three-residue deletion of SNAP25 (SNAP25Δ3) weaking the Gβγ-SNARE interaction, we surveyed a broad cohort of Gi/o-coupled GPCRs with robust inhibitory actions at glutamatergic synapses in the NAc. We find that basal presynaptic glutamate release probability is reduced in SNAP25Δ3 mice. While κ opioid, CB1, adenosine A1, group II metabotropic glutamate receptors, and histamine H3 receptors inhibit glutamatergic transmission onto MSNs independent of SNAP25, we report that SNAP25 contributes significantly to the actions of GABAB, 5-HT1B/D, and μ opioid receptors. These findings demonstrate that presynaptic Gi/o-coupled GPCRs recruit heterogenous effector mechanisms at glutamatergic synapses in the NAc, with a subset requiring SNA25-dependent Gβγ signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M. Manz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - José C. Zepeda
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Zack Zurawski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Heidi E. Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Brad A. Grueter
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
- *Correspondence: Brad A. Grueter,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Smith NK, Kondev V, Hunt TR, Grueter BA. Neuropeptide Y modulates excitatory synaptic transmission and promotes social behavior in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Neuropharmacology 2022; 217:109201. [PMID: 35917875 PMCID: PMC9836361 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions define the human experience, but these integral behaviors are disrupted in many psychiatric disorders. Social behaviors have evolved over millennia, and neuromodulatory systems that promote social behavior in invertebrates are also present in mammalian brains. One such conserved neuromodulator, neuropeptide Y (NPY), acts through several receptors including the Y1r, Y2r, and Y5r. These receptors are present in brain regions that control social behavior, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). However, whether NPY modulates NAc neurotransmission is unknown. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology of NAc neurons, we find that multiple NPY receptors regulate excitatory synaptic transmission in a cell-type specific manner. At excitatory synapses onto D1+ MSNs, Y1r activity enhances transmission while Y2r suppresses transmission. At excitatory synapses onto D1- MSNs, Y5r activity enhances transmission while Y2r suppresses transmission. Directly infusing NPY or the Y1r agonist [Leu31, Pro34]-NPY into the NAc significantly increases social interaction with an unfamiliar conspecific. Inhibition of an enzyme that breaks down NPY, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), shifts the effect of NPY on D1+ MSNs to a Y1r dominated phenotype. Together, these results increase our understanding of how NPY regulates neurotransmission in the NAc and identify a novel mechanism underlying the control of social behavior. Further, they reveal a potential strategy to shift NPY signaling for therapeutic gain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas K. Smith
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Thomas R. Hunt
- College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brad A. Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN 37232, USA,Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University; Nashville, TN, 37232, USA,Corresponding author. 1161 21st Avenue South * T4202-MCN Nashville, TN, 37232-2520, USA, (B.A. Grueter)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Lilja A, Didio G, Hong J, Heo WD, Castrén E, Umemori J. Optical Activation of TrkB (E281A) in Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons of the Mouse Visual Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810249. [PMID: 36142154 PMCID: PMC9499497 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the receptor of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), plays a key role in induced juvenile-like plasticity (iPlasticity), which allows restructuring of neural networks in adulthood. Optically activatable TrkB (optoTrkB) can temporarily and spatially evoke iPlasticity, and recently, optoTrkB (E281A) was developed as a variant that is highly sensitive to light stimulation while having lower basal activity compared to the original optoTrkB. In this study, we validate optoTrkB (E281A) activated in alpha calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II positive (CKII+) pyramidal neurons or parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons in the mouse visual cortex by immunohistochemistry. OptoTrkB (E281A) was activated in PV+ interneurons and CKII+ pyramidal neurons with blue light (488 nm) through the intact skull and fur, and through a transparent skull, respectively. LED light stimulation significantly increased the intensity of phosphorylated ERK and CREB even through intact skull and fur. These findings indicate that the highly sensitive optoTrkB (E281A) can be used in iPlasticity studies of both inhibitory and excitatory neurons, with flexible stimulation protocols in behavioural studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Lilja
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giuliano Didio
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jongryul Hong
- Department of Biological Science, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, Korea
| | - Won Do Heo
- Department of Biological Science, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, Korea
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon 305-701, Korea
- KAIST Institute for the BioCentury, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701, Korea
| | - Eero Castrén
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- Correspondence: (E.C.); (J.U.)
| | - Juzoh Umemori
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, 00100 Helsinki, Finland
- Gene and Cell Technology, A.I. Virtanen Institute, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
- Correspondence: (E.C.); (J.U.)
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hunger dampens a nucleus accumbens circuit to drive persistent food seeking. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1689-1702.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
19
|
Zinsmaier AK, Dong Y, Huang YH. Cocaine-induced projection-specific and cell type-specific adaptations in the nucleus accumbens. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:669-686. [PMID: 33963288 PMCID: PMC8691189 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine craving, seeking, and relapse are mediated, in part, by cocaine-induced adaptive changes in the brain reward circuits. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) integrates and prioritizes different emotional and motivational inputs to the reward system by processing convergent glutamatergic projections from the medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, ventral hippocampus, and other limbic and paralimbic brain regions. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are the principal projection neurons in the NAc, which can be divided into two major subpopulations, namely dopamine receptor D1- versus D2-expressing MSNs, with complementing roles in reward-associated behaviors. After cocaine experience, NAc MSNs exhibit complex and differential adaptations dependent on cocaine regimen, withdrawal time, cell type, location (NAc core versus shell), and related input and output projections, or any combination of these factors. Detailed characterization of these cellular adaptations has been greatly facilitated by the recent development of optogenetic/chemogenetic techniques combined with transgenic tools. In this review, we discuss such cell type- and projection-specific adaptations induced by cocaine experience. Specifically, (1) D1 and D2 NAc MSNs frequently exhibit differential adaptations in spinogenesis, glutamatergic receptor trafficking, and intrinsic membrane excitability, (2) cocaine experience differentially changes the synaptic transmission at different afferent projections onto NAc MSNs, (3) cocaine-induced NAc adaptations exhibit output specificity, e.g., being different at NAc-ventral pallidum versus NAc-ventral tegmental area synapses, and (4) the input, output, subregion, and D1/D2 cell type may together determine cocaine-induced circuit plasticity in the NAc. In light of the projection- and cell-type specificity, we also briefly discuss ensemble and circuit mechanisms contributing to cocaine craving and relapse after drug withdrawal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
| | - Yanhua H. Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Upadhyay J, Verrico CD, Cay M, Kodele S, Yammine L, Koob GF, Schreiber R. Neurocircuitry basis of the opioid use disorder-post-traumatic stress disorder comorbid state: conceptual analyses using a dimensional framework. Lancet Psychiatry 2022; 9:84-96. [PMID: 34774203 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00008-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the interface between opioid use disorder (OUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging. By use of a dimensional framework, such as research domain criteria, convergent and targetable neurobiological processes in OUD-PTSD comorbidity can be identified. We hypothesise that, in OUD-PTSD, circuitry that is implicated in two research domain criteria systems (ie, negative valence and cognitive control) underpins dysregulation of incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive function. We also propose that the OUD-PTSD state might be systematically investigated with approaches outlined within a neuroclinical assessment framework for addictions and PTSD. Our dimensional analysis of the OUD-PTSD state shows how first-line therapeutic approaches (ie, partial μ-type opioid receptor [MOR1] agonism) modulate overlapping neurobiological and clinical features and also provides mechanistic rationale for evaluating polytherapeutic strategies (ie, partial MOR1 agonism, κ-type opioid receptor [KOR1] antagonism, and α-2A adrenergic receptor [ADRA2A] agonism). A combination of these therapeutic mechanisms is projected to facilitate recovery in patients with OUD-PTSD by mitigating negative valence states and enhancing executive control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaymin Upadhyay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
| | - Christopher D Verrico
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mariesa Cay
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Sanda Kodele
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Section Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Luba Yammine
- Louis A Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rudy Schreiber
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Section Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Kappa opioid receptor modulation of excitatory drive onto nucleus accumbens fast-spiking interneurons. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2340-2349. [PMID: 34400782 PMCID: PMC8581025 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01146-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) contributes to affective states. Parvalbumin fast-spiking interneurons (PV-FSIs), a key component of feedforward inhibition, participate in integration of excitatory inputs to the NAc by robustly inhibiting select populations of medium spiny output neurons, therefore greatly influencing NAc dependent behavior. How the dynorphin/KOR system regulates feedforward inhibition in the NAc remains unknown. Here, we elucidate the molecular mechanisms of KOR inhibition of excitatory transmission onto NAc PV-FSIs using a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, optogenetics, pharmacology, and a parvalbumin reporter mouse. We find that postsynaptic KOR stimulation induces long-term depression (LTD) of excitatory synapses onto PV-FSI by stimulating the endocytosis of AMPARs via a PKA and calcineurin-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, KOR regulation of PV-FSI synapses are input specific, inhibiting thalamic but not cortical inputs. Finally, following acute stress, a protocol known to elevate dynorphin/KOR signaling in the NAc, KOR agonists no longer inhibit excitatory transmission onto PV-FSI. In conclusion, we delineate pathway-specific mechanisms mediating KOR control of feedforward inhibitory circuits in the NAc and provide evidence for the recruitment of this system in response to stress.
Collapse
|
22
|
Manz KM, Ghose D, Turner BD, Taylor A, Becker J, Grueter CA, Grueter BA. Calcium-Permeable AMPA Receptors Promote Endocannabinoid Signaling at Parvalbumin Interneuron Synapses in the Nucleus Accumbens Core. Cell Rep 2021; 32:107971. [PMID: 32726634 PMCID: PMC7422922 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is a key mechanism of learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity mechanisms within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediate differential behavioral adaptations. Feedforward inhibition in the NAc occurs when glutamatergic afferents onto medium spiny neurons (MSNs) collateralize onto fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons (PV-INs), which exert GABAergic control over MSN action potential generation. Here, we find that feedforward glutamatergic synapses onto PV-INs in the NAc core selectively express Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs). Ca2+ influx by CP-AMPARs on PV-INs triggers long-term depression (LTD) mediated by endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling at presynaptic cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptors (CB1Rs). Moreover, CP-AMPARs authorize tonic eCB signaling to negatively regulate glutamate release probability. Blockade of CP-AMPARs in the NAc core in vivo is sufficient to disinhibit locomotor output. These findings elucidate mechanisms by which PV-IN-embedded microcircuits in the NAc undergo activity-dependent shifts in synaptic strength. Manz et al. show that CP-AMPARs are expressed at glutamatergic synapses onto PV-INs but not D1- or D2-expressing MSNs in the NAc core. Ca2+ influx through CP-AMPARs triggers endocannabinoid-dependent tone and synaptic plasticity. Intra-NAc blockade of CP-AMPARs in vivo increases basal locomotion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Manz
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dipanwita Ghose
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brandon D Turner
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Anne Taylor
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer Becker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Carrie A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Turner BD, Smith NK, Manz KM, Chang BT, Delpire E, Grueter CA, Grueter BA. Cannabinoid type 1 receptors in A2a neurons contribute to cocaine-environment association. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1121-1131. [PMID: 33454843 PMCID: PMC8386588 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05759-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) are widely expressed within the brain's reward circuits and are implicated in regulating drug induced behavioral adaptations. Understanding how CB1R signaling in discrete circuits and cell types contributes to drug-related behavior provides further insight into the pathology of substance use disorders. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS We sought to determine how cell type-specific expression of CB1Rs within striatal circuits contributes to cocaine-induced behavioral plasticity, hypothesizing that CB1R function in distinct striatal neuron populations would differentially impact behavioral outcomes. We crossed conditional Cnr1fl/fl mice and striatal output pathway cre lines (Drd1a -cre; D1, Adora2a -cre; A2a) to generate cell type-specific CB1R knockout mice and assessed their performance in cocaine locomotor and associative behavioral assays. RESULTS Both knockout lines retained typical locomotor activity at baseline. D1-Cre x Cnr1fl/fl mice did not display hyperlocomotion in response to acute cocaine dosing, and both knockout lines exhibited blunted locomotor activity across repeated cocaine doses. A2a-cre Cnr1fl/fl, mice did not express a preference for cocaine paired environments in a two-choice place preference task. CONCLUSIONS This study aids in mapping CB1R-dependent cocaine-induced behavioral adaptations onto distinct striatal neuron subtypes. A reduction of cocaine-induced locomotor activation in the D1- and A2a-Cnr1 knockout mice supports a role for CB1R function in the motor circuit. Furthermore, a lack of preference for cocaine-associated context in A2a-Cnr1 mice suggests that CB1Rs on A2a-neuron inhibitory terminals are necessary for either reward perception, memory consolidation, or recall. These results direct future investigations into CB1R-dependent adaptations underlying the development and persistence of substance use disorders.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cocaine-Related Disorders/psychology
- Conditioning, Operant/drug effects
- Corpus Striatum/drug effects
- Environment
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Neurons/drug effects
- Receptor, Adenosine A2A/drug effects
- Receptor, Adenosine A2A/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/drug effects
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Reward
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon D Turner
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Nicholas K Smith
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Kevin M Manz
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Betty T Chang
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Eric Delpire
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Carrie A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Anesthesiology Research Division, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 2213 Garland Avenue, P435H MRB IV, Nashville, TN, 37232-0413, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Manz KM, Becker JC, Grueter CA, Grueter BA. Histamine H 3 Receptor Function Biases Excitatory Gain in the Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:588-599. [PMID: 33012522 PMCID: PMC7865000 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histamine (HA), a wake-promoting monoamine implicated in stress-related arousal states, is synthesized in histidine decarboxylase-expressing hypothalamic neurons of the tuberomammillary nucleus. Histidine decarboxylase-containing varicosities diffusely innervate striatal and mesolimbic networks, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The NAc integrates diverse monoaminergic inputs to coordinate motivated behavior. While the NAc expresses various HA receptor subtypes, mechanisms by which HA modulates NAc circuit dynamics are undefined. METHODS Using male D1tdTomato transgenic reporter mice, whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, and input-specific optogenetics, we employed a targeted pharmacological approach to interrogate synaptic mechanisms recruited by HA signaling at glutamatergic synapses in the NAc. We incorporated an immobilization stress protocol to assess whether acute stress engages these mechanisms at glutamatergic synapses onto D1 receptor-expressing [D1(+)] medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core. RESULTS HA negatively regulates excitatory gain onto D1(+)-MSNs via presynaptic H3 receptor-dependent long-term depression that requires Gβγ-directed Akt-GSK3β signaling. Furthermore, HA asymmetrically regulates glutamatergic transmission from the prefrontal cortex and mediodorsal thalamus, with inputs from the prefrontal cortex undergoing robust HA-induced long-term depression. Finally, we report that acute immobilization stress attenuates this long-term depression by recruiting endogenous H3 receptor signaling in the NAc at glutamatergic synapses onto D1(+)-MSNs. CONCLUSIONS Stress-evoked HA signaling in the NAc recruits H3 heteroreceptor signaling to shift thalamocortical input onto D1(+)-MSNs in the NAc. Our findings provide novel insight into an understudied neuromodulatory system within the NAc and implicate HA in stress-associated physiological states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Manz
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jennifer C Becker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Carrie A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Drug addiction co-morbidity with alcohol: Neurobiological insights. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 157:409-472. [PMID: 33648675 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Addiction is a chronic disorder that consists of a three-stage cycle of binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation. These stages involve, respectively, neuroadaptations in brain circuits involved in incentive salience and habit formation, stress surfeit and reward deficit, and executive function. Much research on addiction focuses on the neurobiology underlying single drug use. However, alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be co-morbid with substance use disorder (SUD), called dual dependence. The limited epidemiological data on dual dependence indicates that there is a large population of individuals suffering from addiction who are dependent on more than one drug and/or alcohol, yet dual dependence remains understudied in addiction research. Here, we review neurobiological data on neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems that are known to contribute to addiction pathology and how the involvement of these systems is consistent or divergent across drug classes. In particular, we highlight the dopamine, opioid, corticotropin-releasing factor, norepinephrine, hypocretin/orexin, glucocorticoid, neuroimmune signaling, endocannabinoid, glutamate, and GABA systems. We also discuss the limited research on these systems in dual dependence. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that the use of multiple drugs can produce neuroadaptations that are distinct from single drug use. Further investigation into the neurobiology of dual dependence is necessary to develop effective treatments for addiction to multiple drugs.
Collapse
|
26
|
Siemann JK, Grueter BA, McMahon DG. Rhythms, Reward, and Blues: Consequences of Circadian Photoperiod on Affective and Reward Circuit Function. Neuroscience 2020; 457:220-234. [PMID: 33385488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Circadian disruptions, along with altered affective and reward states, are commonly associated with psychiatric disorders. In addition to genetics, the enduring influence of environmental factors in programming neural networks is of increased interest in assessing the underpinnings of mental health. The duration of daylight or photoperiod is known to impact both the serotonin and dopamine systems, which are implicated in mood and reward-based disorders. This review first examines the effects of circadian disruption and photoperiod in the serotonin system in both human and preclinical studies. We next highlight how brain regions crucial for the serotoninergic system (i.e., dorsal raphe nucleus; DRN), and dopaminergic (i.e., nucleus accumbens; NAc and ventral tegmental area; VTA) system are intertwined in overlapping circuitry, and play influential roles in the pathology of mood and reward-based disorders. We then focus on human and animal studies that demonstrate the impact of circadian factors on the dopaminergic system. Lastly, we discuss how environmental factors such as circadian photoperiod can impact the neural circuits that are responsible for regulating affective and reward states, offering novel insights into the biological mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology, systems, and therapeutic treatments necessary for mood and reward-based disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin K Siemann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Douglas G McMahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA; Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Activity-Based Anorexia Dynamically Dysregulates the Glutamatergic Synapse in the Nucleus Accumbens of Female Adolescent Rats. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12123661. [PMID: 33260714 PMCID: PMC7760003 DOI: 10.3390/nu12123661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Intense physical activity and dieting are core symptoms of anorexia nervosa (AN). Their combination evolves into compulsivity, leading the patient into an out-of-control spiral. AN patients exhibit an altered activation of nucleus accumbens (NAc), revealing a dysfunctional mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry in AN. Since evidence exists that a dysregulation of the glutamate system in the NAc influences reward and taking advantage of the activity-based anorexia (ABA) rat model, which closely mimics the hallmarks of AN, we investigated the involvement of the glutamatergic signaling in the NAc in this experimental model. We here demonstrate that food restriction causes hyperactive and compulsive behavior in rodents, inducing an escalation of physical activity, which results in dramatic weight loss. Analysis of the glutamate system revealed that, in the acute phase of the pathology, ABA rats increased the membrane expression of GluA1 AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor subunits together with its scaffolding protein SAP97. Recovery of body weight reduced GluN2A/2B balance together with the expression of their specific scaffolding proteins, thus suggesting persistent maladaptive neurotransmission. Taken together, AMPA and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor subunit reorganization may play a role in the motivational mechanisms underlying AN.
Collapse
|
28
|
Borland JM, Kim E, Swanson SP, Rothwell PE, Mermelstein PG, Meisel RL. Effect of Aggressive Experience in Female Syrian Hamsters on Glutamate Receptor Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:583395. [PMID: 33328919 PMCID: PMC7719767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.583395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Our social relationships determine our health and well-being. In rodent models, there is now strong support for the rewarding properties of aggressive or assertive behaviors to be critical for the expression and development of adaptive social relationships, buffering from stress and protecting from the development of psychiatric disorders such as depression. However, due to the false belief that aggression is not a part of the normal repertoire of social behaviors displayed by females, almost nothing is known about the neural mechanisms mediating the rewarding properties of aggression in half the population. In the following study, using Syrian hamsters as a well-validated and translational model of female aggression, we investigated the effects of aggressive experience on the expression of markers of postsynaptic structure (PSD-95, Caskin I) and excitatory synaptic transmission (GluA1, GluA2, GluA4, NR2A, NR2B, mGluR1a, and mGluR5) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate putamen and prefrontal cortex. Aggressive experience resulted in an increase in PSD-95, GluA1 and the dimer form of mGluR5 specifically in the NAc 24 h following aggressive experience. There was also an increase in the dimer form of mGluR1a 1 week following aggressive experience. Aggressive experience also resulted in an increase in the strength of the association between these postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors, supporting a common mechanism of action. In addition, 1 week following aggressive experience there was a positive correlation between the monomer of mGluR5 and multiple AMPAR and NMDAR subunits. In conclusion, we provide evidence that aggressive experience in females results in an increase in the expression of postsynaptic density, AMPARs and group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, and an increase in the strength of the association between postsynaptic proteins and glutamate receptors. This suggests that aggressive experience may result in an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission in the NAc, potentially encoding the rewarding and behavioral effects of aggressive interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan M. Borland
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Kumar M, Adeluyi A, Anderson EL, Turner JR. Glial cells as therapeutic targets for smoking cessation. Neuropharmacology 2020; 175:108157. [PMID: 32461156 PMCID: PMC7791555 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Smoking remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with less than 5% of smokers attempting to quit succeeding. This low smoking cessation success rate is thought to be due to the long-term adaptations and alterations in synaptic plasticity that occur following chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal. Glial cells have recently emerged as active players in the development of dependence phenotypes due to their roles in modulating neuronal functions and synaptic plasticity. Fundamental studies have demonstrated that microglia and astrocytes are crucial for synapse formation and elimination in the developing brain, likely contributing to why glial dysfunction is implicated in numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders. Recently, there is increasing evidence for the involvement of glial cells in drug dependence and its associated behavioral manifestations. This review summarizes the newly evaluated role of microglia and astrocytes as molecular drivers of nicotine dependence and withdrawal phenotypes. This article is part of the special issue on 'Contemporary Advances in Nicotine Neuropharmacology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Adewale Adeluyi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA; Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Disease, Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Erin L Anderson
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
| | - Jill R Turner
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Xu L, Nan J, Lan Y. The Nucleus Accumbens: A Common Target in the Comorbidity of Depression and Addiction. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:37. [PMID: 32694984 PMCID: PMC7338554 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The comorbidity of depression and addiction has become a serious public health issue, and the relationship between these two disorders and their potential mechanisms has attracted extensive attention. Numerous studies have suggested that depression and addiction share common mechanisms and anatomical pathways. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has long been considered a key brain region for regulating many behaviors, especially those related to depression and addiction. In this review article, we focus on the association between addiction and depression, highlighting the potential mediating role of the NAc in this comorbidity via the regulation of changes in the neural circuits and molecular signaling. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this association, we summarize evidence from overlapping reward neurocircuitry, the resemblance of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and common treatments. Understanding the interplay between these disorders should help guide clinical comorbidity prevention and the search for a new target for comorbidity treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University School of Medicine, Yanji City, China
| | - Jun Nan
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji City, China
| | - Yan Lan
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University School of Medicine, Yanji City, China
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Heterosynaptic GABA B Receptor Function within Feedforward Microcircuits Gates Glutamatergic Transmission in the Nucleus Accumbens Core. J Neurosci 2019; 39:9277-9293. [PMID: 31578230 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1395-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex circuit interactions within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) facilitate goal-directed behavior. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) mediate NAc output by projecting to functionally divergent brain regions, a property conferred, in part, by the differential projection patterns of D1- and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing MSNs. Glutamatergic afferents to the NAc direct MSN output by recruiting feedforward inhibitory microcircuits comprised of parvalbumin (PV)-expressing interneurons (INs). Furthermore, the GABAB heteroreceptor (GABABR), a Gi/o-coupled G-protein-coupled receptor, is expressed at glutamatergic synapses throughout the mesolimbic network, yet its physiological context and synaptic mechanism within the NAc remains unknown. Here, we explored GABABR function at glutamatergic synapses within PV-IN-embedded microcircuits in the NAc core of male mice. We found that GABABR is expressed presynaptically and recruits a noncanonical signaling mechanism to reduce glutamatergic synaptic efficacy at D1(+) and D1(-) (putative D2) MSN subtypes. Furthermore, PV-INs, a robust source of neuronal GABA in the NAc, heterosynaptically target GABABR to selectively modulate glutamatergic transmission onto D1(+) MSNs. These findings elucidate a new mechanism of feedforward inhibition and refine mechanisms by which GABAB heteroreceptors modulate mesolimbic circuit function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) critically contributes to goal-directed behaviors. However, intrinsic microcircuit mechanisms governing the integration of these synapses remain largely unknown. Here, we show that parvalbumin-expressing interneurons within feedforward microcircuits heterosynaptically target GABAB heteroreceptors (GABABR) on glutamate terminals. Activation of presynaptically-expressed GABABR decreases glutamatergic synaptic strength by engaging a non-canonical signaling pathway that interferes with vesicular exocytotic release machinery. These findings offer mechanistic insight into the role of GABAB heteroreceptors within reward circuitry, elucidate a novel arm to feedforward inhibitory networks, and inform the growing use of GABABR-selective pharmacotherapy for various motivational disorders, including addiction, major depressive disorder, and autism (Cousins et al., 2002; Kahn et al., 2009; Jacobson et al., 2018; Stoppel et al., 2018; Pisansky et al., 2019).
Collapse
|
32
|
Noorbakhshnia M, Zarrinimehr N. The role of nucleus accumbens shell on acquisition and retrieval stages of morphine state dependent learning. Asian J Psychiatr 2019; 39:150-156. [PMID: 30639974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Revised: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
AIM In the present study, the effect of transient inactivation of the shell subregion of the nucleus accumbens (NAC shell) by lidocaine on the acquisition and retrieval stages of passive avoidance learning (PAL) and memory and morphine state-dependent learning (SDL) in male wistar rats was investigated. METHODOLOGY Adult male wistar rats weighing (220-250 g) were used. Lidocaine hydrochloride was bilaterally injected into the shell area of the nucleus accumbens 5 min before of subcutaneous morphine administration. RESULTS pre-training and pre-test infusion of lidocaine into the NAC shell significantly impaired PAL and memory. Furthermore, Pre-training administration of morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) in a step-through passive avoidance task induced state-dependent learning with impaired memory retrieval on the test day. The impairment of memory was restored after pre-test administration of the same dose of morphine. This phenomenon has been named as morphine state dependent learning (SDL). Moreover, Pre-training and pre-test inactivation of the NAC shell impaired morphine SDL. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest the role of NAC shell as a common structure in the PAL and morphine SDL. It is suggested that NAC shell as a common area plays a critical role in the acquisition and retrieval stages of PAL and also morphine SDL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Noorbakhshnia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Nahid Zarrinimehr
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Joffe ME, Turner BD, Delpire E, Grueter BA. Genetic loss of GluN2B in D1-expressing cell types enhances long-term cocaine reward and potentiation of thalamo-accumbens synapses. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2383-2389. [PMID: 29982266 PMCID: PMC6180117 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0131-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Transient upregulation of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors (R) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is proposed as an intermediate to long-term AMPAR plasticity associated with persistent cocaine-related behaviors. However, cell type- and input-specific contributions of GluN2B underlying lasting actions of cocaine remain to be elucidated. We utilized GluN2B cell type-specific knockouts and optogenetics to deconstruct the role of GluN2B in cocaine-induced NAc synaptic and behavioral plasticity. While reward learning was unaffected, loss of GluN2B in D1 dopamine receptor-expressing cells (D1) led to prolonged retention of reward memory. In control mice, prefrontal cortex (PFC)-D1(+) NAc AMPAR function was unaffected by cocaine exposure, while midline thalamus (mThal)-D1(+) NAc AMPAR function was potentiated but diminished after withdrawal. In D1-GluN2B-/- mice, the potentiation of mThal-D1(+) NAc AMPAR function persisted following withdrawal, corresponding with continued expression of cocaine reward behavior. These data suggest NAc GluN2B-containing NMDARs serve a feedback role and may weaken reward-related memories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | | | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Turner BD, Rook JM, Lindsley CW, Conn PJ, Grueter BA. mGlu 1 and mGlu 5 modulate distinct excitatory inputs to the nucleus accumbens shell. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2075-2082. [PMID: 29654259 PMCID: PMC6097986 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0049-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is a substrate for reward learning and motivation. Metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors regulate NAcSh synaptic strength by inducing long-term depression (LTD). Inputs from prefrontal cortex (PFC) and medio-dorsal thalamus (MDT) drive opposing motivated behaviors yet mGlu receptor regulation of these synapses is unexplored. We examined Group I mGlu receptor regulation of PFC and MDT glutamatergic synapses onto specific populations of NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) using D1tdTom BAC transgenic mice and optogenetics. Synaptically evoked long-term depression (LTD) at MDT-NAcSh synapses required mGlu5 but not mGlu1 and was specific for D1(+) MSNs, whereas PFC LTD was expressed at both D1(+) and D1(-) MSNs and required mGlu1 but not mGlu5. Two weeks after five daily non-contingent cocaine exposures (15 mg/kg), LTD was attenuated at MDT-D1(+) synapses but was rescued by the mGlu5-positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0409551. These results highlight unique plasticity mechanisms regulating specific NAcSh synapses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon D. Turner
- 0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Jerri M. Rook
- 0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Craig W. Lindsley
- 0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - P. Jeffrey Conn
- 0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| | - Brad A. Grueter
- 0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Dept. of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA ,0000 0001 2264 7217grid.152326.1Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232 USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Endocannabinoids in Body Weight Control. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2018; 11:ph11020055. [PMID: 29849009 PMCID: PMC6027162 DOI: 10.3390/ph11020055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintenance of body weight is fundamental to maintain one's health and to promote longevity. Nevertheless, it appears that the global obesity epidemic is still constantly increasing. Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are lipid messengers that are involved in overall body weight control by interfering with manifold central and peripheral regulatory circuits that orchestrate energy homeostasis. Initially, blocking of eCB signaling by first generation cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) inverse agonists such as rimonabant revealed body weight-reducing effects in laboratory animals and men. Unfortunately, rimonabant also induced severe psychiatric side effects. At this point, it became clear that future cannabinoid research has to decipher more precisely the underlying central and peripheral mechanisms behind eCB-driven control of feeding behavior and whole body energy metabolism. Here, we will summarize the most recent advances in understanding how central eCBs interfere with circuits in the brain that control food intake and energy expenditure. Next, we will focus on how peripheral eCBs affect food digestion, nutrient transformation and energy expenditure by interfering with signaling cascades in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, fat depots and endocrine glands. To finally outline the safe future potential of cannabinoids as medicines, our overall goal is to address the molecular, cellular and pharmacological logic behind central and peripheral eCB-mediated body weight control, and to figure out how these precise mechanistic insights are currently transferred into the development of next generation cannabinoid medicines displaying clearly improved safety profiles, such as significantly reduced side effects.
Collapse
|