1
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Teague CD, Markovic T, Zhou X, Martinez-Rivera FJ, Minier-Toribio A, Zinsmaier A, Pulido NV, Schmidt KH, Lucerne KE, Godino A, van der Zee YY, Ramakrishnan A, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Holt LM, Yim YY, Azizian CH, Walker DM, Shen L, Dong Y, Zhang B, Nestler EJ. Circuit-Wide Gene Network Analysis Reveals Sex-Specific Roles for Phosphodiesterase 1b in Cocaine Addiction. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1327232024. [PMID: 38637154 PMCID: PMC11154853 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1327-23.2024] [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: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health issue without an effective pharmacological treatment. Successful treatments are hindered in part by an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie long-lasting maladaptive plasticity and addiction-like behaviors. Here, we leverage a large RNA sequencing dataset to generate gene coexpression networks across six interconnected regions of the brain's reward circuitry from mice that underwent saline or cocaine self-administration. We identify phosphodiesterase 1b (Pde1b), a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme that increases cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis, as a central hub gene within a nucleus accumbens (NAc) gene module that was bioinformatically associated with addiction-like behavior. Chronic cocaine exposure increases Pde1b expression in NAc D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in male but not female mice. Viral-mediated Pde1b overexpression in NAc reduces cocaine self-administration in female rats but increases seeking in both sexes. In female mice, overexpressing Pde1b in D1 MSNs attenuates the locomotor response to cocaine, with the opposite effect in D2 MSNs. Overexpressing Pde1b in D1/D2 MSNs had no effect on the locomotor response to cocaine in male mice. At the electrophysiological level, Pde1b overexpression reduces sEPSC frequency in D1 MSNs and regulates the excitability of NAc MSNs. Lastly, Pde1b overexpression significantly reduced the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NAc following chronic cocaine, with discordant effects on gene transcription between sexes. Together, we identify novel gene modules across the brain's reward circuitry associated with addiction-like behavior and explore the role of Pde1b in regulating the molecular, cellular, and behavioral responses to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin D Teague
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Freddyson J Martinez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Alexander Zinsmaier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Nathalia V Pulido
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kyra H Schmidt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kelsey E Lucerne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yentl Y van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Corrine H Azizian
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
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2
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Walle R, Petitbon A, Fois GR, Varin C, Montalban E, Hardt L, Contini A, Angelo MF, Potier M, Ortole R, Oummadi A, De Smedt-Peyrusse V, Adan RA, Giros B, Chaouloff F, Ferreira G, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Ducrocq F, Georges F, Trifilieff P. Nucleus accumbens D1- and D2-expressing neurons control the balance between feeding and activity-mediated energy expenditure. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2543. [PMID: 38514654 PMCID: PMC10958053 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46874-9] [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: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence points to dysregulations of the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) in eating disorders (ED), however its precise contribution to ED symptomatic dimensions remains unclear. Using chemogenetic manipulations in male mice, we found that activity of dopamine D1 receptor-expressing neurons of the NAc core subregion facilitated effort for a food reward as well as voluntary exercise, but decreased food intake, while D2-expressing neurons have opposite effects. These effects are congruent with D2-neurons being more active than D1-neurons during feeding while it is the opposite during running. Chronic manipulations of each subpopulations had limited effects on energy balance. However, repeated activation of D1-neurons combined with inhibition of D2-neurons biased behavior toward activity-related energy expenditure, whilst the opposite manipulations favored energy intake. Strikingly, concomitant activation of D1-neurons and inhibition of D2-neurons precipitated weight loss in anorexia models. These results suggest that dysregulations of NAc dopaminoceptive neurons might be at the core of EDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Walle
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Anna Petitbon
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Giulia R Fois
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR5293 F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Christophe Varin
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, WELBIO, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Enrica Montalban
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lola Hardt
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Andrea Contini
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Mylène Potier
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
- Bordeaux Sciences Agro, F-, 33175, Gradignan, France
| | - Rodrigue Ortole
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Asma Oummadi
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Roger A Adan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584CG, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Altrecht Eating Disorders Rintveld, Zeist, the Netherlands
| | - Bruno Giros
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Université de Paris Cité, INCC UMR 8002, CNRS; F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Francis Chaouloff
- Endocannabinoids and NeuroAdaptation, NeuroCentre INSERM U1215, 33077, Bordeaux, France
- Université de Bordeaux, 33077, Bordeaux, France
| | - Guillaume Ferreira
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Alban de Kerchove d'Exaerde
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, ULB Neuroscience Institute, WELBIO, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fabien Ducrocq
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Pierre Trifilieff
- Université de Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
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3
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Zachry JE, Kutlu MG, Yoon HJ, Leonard MZ, Chevée M, Patel DD, Gaidici A, Kondev V, Thibeault KC, Bethi R, Tat J, Melugin PR, Isiktas AU, Joffe ME, Cai DJ, Conn PJ, Grueter BA, Calipari ES. D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core have distinct and valence-independent roles in learning. Neuron 2024; 112:835-849.e7. [PMID: 38134921 PMCID: PMC10939818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.11.023] [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: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
At the core of value-based learning is the nucleus accumbens (NAc). D1- and D2-receptor-containing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core are hypothesized to have opposing valence-based roles in behavior. Using optical imaging and manipulation approaches in mice, we show that neither D1 nor D2 MSNs signal valence. D1 MSN responses were evoked by stimuli regardless of valence or contingency. D2 MSNs were evoked by both cues and outcomes, were dynamically changed with learning, and tracked valence-free prediction error at the population and individual neuron level. Finally, D2 MSN responses to cues were necessary for associative learning. Thus, D1 and D2 MSNs work in tandem, rather than in opposition, by signaling specific properties of stimuli to control learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Zachry
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael Z Leonard
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dev D Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Anthony Gaidici
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Veronika Kondev
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Kimberly C Thibeault
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Rishik Bethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Jennifer Tat
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Patrick R Melugin
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Atagun U Isiktas
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Denise J Cai
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - P Jeffrey Conn
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Brad A Grueter
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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4
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Deseyve C, Domingues AV, Carvalho TTA, Armada G, Correia R, Vieitas-Gaspar N, Wezik M, Pinto L, Sousa N, Coimbra B, Rodrigues AJ, Soares-Cunha C. Nucleus accumbens neurons dynamically respond to appetitive and aversive associative learning. J Neurochem 2024; 168:312-327. [PMID: 38317429 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16063] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
To survive, individuals must learn to associate cues in the environment with emotionally relevant outcomes. This association is partially mediated by the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain region of the reward circuit that is mainly composed by GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs), that express either dopamine receptor D1 or D2. Recent studies showed that both populations can drive reward and aversion, however, the activity of these neurons during appetitive and aversive Pavlovian conditioning remains to be determined. Here, we investigated the relevance of D1- and D2-neurons in associative learning, by measuring calcium transients with fiber photometry during appetitive and aversive Pavlovian tasks in mice. Sucrose was used as a positive valence unconditioned stimulus (US) and foot shock was used as a negative valence US. We show that during appetitive Pavlovian conditioning, D1- and D2-neurons exhibit a general increase in activity in response to the conditioned stimuli (CS). Interestingly, D1- and D2-neurons present distinct changes in activity after sucrose consumption that dynamically evolve throughout learning. During the aversive Pavlovian conditioning, D1- and D2-neurons present an increase in the activity in response to the CS and to the US (shock). Our data support a model in which D1- and D2-neurons are concurrently activated during appetitive and aversive conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Deseyve
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Verónica Domingues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Tawan T A Carvalho
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Gisela Armada
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Raquel Correia
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Natacha Vieitas-Gaspar
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Marcelina Wezik
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center-Braga (2CA), Braga, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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5
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Moraes MA, Árabe LB, Resende BL, Codo BC, Reis ALDAL, Souza BR. Effects of L-Dopa, SKF-38393, and quinpirole on exploratory, anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in pubertal female and male mice. Behav Brain Res 2024; 459:114805. [PMID: 38096922 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114805] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a phase of substantial changes in the brain, characterized by maturational remodeling of many systems. This remodeling allows functional plasticity to adapt to a changing environment. The dopaminergic system is under morphological and physiological changes during this phase. In the present study, we investigated if changes in the dopaminergic tone alter mice behavior in a receptor and sex-specific manner, specifically at the beginning of the puberty period. We administered L-Dopa, SKF-38393 (D1 dopamine receptor agonist), and Quinpirole (D2 dopamine receptor agonist) and tested male and female mice's motor, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. While females displayed an impaired exploratory drive, males presented an intense depressive-like response. Our results provide insights into the function of dopaminergic development in adolescent behavior and highlight the importance of studies in this time window with male and female subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muiara Aparecida Moraes
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Laila Blanc Árabe
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Bruna Lopes Resende
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Campos Codo
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Ana Luiza de Araújo Lima Reis
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Bruno Rezende Souza
- Laboratório de Neurodesenvolvimento e Evolução - Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil.
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6
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Wojick JA, Paranjapye A, Chiu JK, Mahmood M, Oswell C, Kimmey BA, Wooldridge LM, McCall NM, Han A, Ejoh LL, Chehimi SN, Crist RC, Reiner BC, Korb E, Corder G. A nociceptive amygdala-striatal pathway for chronic pain aversion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.12.579947. [PMID: 38405972 PMCID: PMC10888915 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.12.579947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is essential for assigning positive or negative valence to sensory stimuli. Noxious stimuli that cause pain are encoded by an ensemble of nociceptive BLA projection neurons (BLAnoci ensemble). However, the role of the BLAnoci ensemble in mediating behavior changes and the molecular signatures and downstream targets distinguishing this ensemble remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the same BLAnoci ensemble neurons are required for both acute and chronic neuropathic pain behavior. Using single nucleus RNA-sequencing, we characterized the effect of acute and chronic pain on the BLA and identified enrichment for genes with known functions in axonal and synaptic organization and pain perception. We thus examined the brain-wide targets of the BLAnoci ensemble and uncovered a previously undescribed nociceptive hotspot of the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) that mirrors the stability and specificity of the BLAnoci ensemble and is recruited in chronic pain. Notably, BLAnoci ensemble axons transmit acute and neuropathic nociceptive information to the NAcSh, highlighting this nociceptive amygdala-striatal circuit as a unique pathway for affective-motivational responses across pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Wojick
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alekh Paranjapye
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Juliann K Chiu
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Malaika Mahmood
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corinna Oswell
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Blake A Kimmey
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa M Wooldridge
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nora M McCall
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alan Han
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsay L Ejoh
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samar Nasser Chehimi
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard C Crist
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Reiner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Erica Korb
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gregory Corder
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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7
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Belilos A, Gray C, Sanders C, Black D, Mays E, Richie C, Sengupta A, Hake H, Francis TC. Nucleus accumbens local circuit for cue-dependent aversive learning. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113488. [PMID: 37995189 PMCID: PMC10795009 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113488] [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: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient, which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area. We describe a nucleus accumbens core local circuit whereby excitatory plasticity facilitates learning and recall of discrete aversive cues. We demonstrate that putative nucleus accumbens substance P release and long-term excitatory plasticity on dopamine 2 receptor-expressing projection neurons are required for cue-dependent fear learning. Additionally, we find that fear learning and recall is dependent on distinct projection neuron subtypes. Our work demonstrates a critical role for nucleus accumbens substance P in cue-dependent aversive learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Belilos
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Cortez Gray
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Christie Sanders
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Destiny Black
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Elizabeth Mays
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Christopher Richie
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Ayesha Sengupta
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Holly Hake
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - T Chase Francis
- Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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8
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Braine A, Georges F. Emotion in action: When emotions meet motor circuits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105475. [PMID: 37996047 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105475] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The brain is a remarkably complex organ responsible for a wide range of functions, including the modulation of emotional states and movement. Neuronal circuits are believed to play a crucial role in integrating sensory, cognitive, and emotional information to ultimately guide motor behavior. Over the years, numerous studies employing diverse techniques such as electrophysiology, imaging, and optogenetics have revealed a complex network of neural circuits involved in the regulation of emotional or motor processes. Emotions can exert a substantial influence on motor performance, encompassing both everyday activities and pathological conditions. The aim of this review is to explore how emotional states can shape movements by connecting the neural circuits for emotional processing to motor neural circuits. We first provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of different emotional states on motor control in humans and rodents. In line with behavioral studies, we set out to identify emotion-related structures capable of modulating motor output, behaviorally and anatomically. Neuronal circuits involved in emotional processing are extensively connected to the motor system. These circuits can drive emotional behavior, essential for survival, but can also continuously shape ongoing movement. In summary, the investigation of the intricate relationship between emotion and movement offers valuable insights into human behavior, including opportunities to enhance performance, and holds promise for improving mental and physical health. This review integrates findings from multiple scientific approaches, including anatomical tracing, circuit-based dissection, and behavioral studies, conducted in both animal and human subjects. By incorporating these different methodologies, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the emotional modulation of movement in both physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaelle Braine
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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9
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Xi H, Wu W, Qin S, Wang X, Liu C. Effects of electroacupuncture on the ventral tegmental area- nucleus accumbens dopamine pathway in rats with chronic sleep deprivation. Acupunct Med 2023; 41:336-344. [PMID: 36655631 DOI: 10.1177/09645284221146197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insomnia is a well-recognized clinical sleep disorder in the adult population. It has been established that acupuncture has a clinical effects in the treatment of insomnia; however, research on the underlying neural circuits involved in these effects is limited. METHODS The modified multiple platform method (MMPM) was used to establish a rat model of chronic sleep deprivation (CSD). Forty rats were randomly divided into a control (Con) group, (untreated) CSD group, electroacupuncture-treated CSD group (CSD + EA) and estazolam-treated CSD group (CSD + Estazolam group) with n = 10 per group. In the CSD + EA group, EA was delivered at Yintang and unilateral HT7 (left and right treated every other day) with continuous waves (2 Hz frequency) for 30 min/day over 7 consecutive days. In the CSD + Estazolam groups, estazolam was administered by oral gavage (0.1 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days. The open field test (OFT) was used to observe behavioral changes. Immunofluorescence assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to observe the effects of EA on the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine (DA) pathway. We also assessed the effects of EA on the expression of dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) and dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) in the NAc, which are the downstream targets of the VTA-NAc DA pathway. RESULTS After CSD was established by MMPM, rats exhibited increased autonomous activity and increased excitability of the VTA-NAc DA pathway, with increased VTA and NAc DA content, increased D1R expression and decreased D2R expression in the NAc. EA appeared to reduce the autonomous ability of CSD rats, leading to lower DA content in the VTA and NAc, reduced expression of D1R in the NAc and increased expression of D2R. Most importantly, EA produced effects similar to estazolam with respect to the general condition of rats with CSD and regulation of the VTA-NAc DA pathway. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic effect of EA in chronic insomnia may be mediated by reduced excitability of the VTA-NAc DA pathway, with lower DA content in the VTA and NAc, downregulated expression of D1R in the NAc and increased expression of D2R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqing Xi
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzhong Wu
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Shan Qin
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaoqiu Wang
- Physical Examination Center, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chengyong Liu
- Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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Bai X, Zhang K, Ou C, Mu Y, Chi D, Zhang J, Huang J, Li X, Zhang Y, Huang W, Ouyang H. AKAP150 from nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons regulates morphine withdrawal. iScience 2023; 26:108227. [PMID: 37953959 PMCID: PMC10637943 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1R-MSNs) and dopamine D2 receptor-expressing MSNs (D2R-MSNs) in nucleus accumbens (NAc) have been demonstrated to show different effects on reward and memory of abstinence. A-kinase anchoring protein 150 (AKAP150) expression in NAc is significantly upregulated and contributes to the morphine withdrawal behavior. However, the underlying mechanism of AKAP150 under opioid withdrawal remains unclear. In this study, AKAP150 expression in NAc is upregulated in naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal model, and knockdown of AKAP150 alleviates morphine withdrawal somatic signs and improves the performance of conditioned place aversion (CPA) test. AKAP150 in NAc D1R-MSNs is related to modulation of the performance of morphine withdrawal CPA test, while AKAP150 in NAc D2R-MSNs is relevant to the severity of somatic responses. Our results suggest that AKAP150 from D1R-MSNs or D2R-MSNs in NAc contributes to the developmental process of morphine withdrawal but plays different roles in aspects of behavior or psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Chaopeng Ou
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yanyu Mu
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Dongmei Chi
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jianxing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jingxiu Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Xile Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wan Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Handong Ouyang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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11
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Domingues AV, Rodrigues AJ, Soares-Cunha C. A novel perspective on the role of nucleus accumbens neurons in encoding associative learning. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2601-2610. [PMID: 37643893 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14727] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been considered a key brain region for encoding reward/aversion and cue-outcome associations. These processes are encoded by medium spiny neurons that express either dopamine receptor D1 (D1-MSNs) or D2 (D2-MSNs). Despite the well-established role of NAc neurons in encoding reward/aversion, the underlying processing by D1-/D2-MSNs remains largely unknown. Recent electrophysiological, optogenetic and calcium imaging studies provided insight on the complex role of D1- and D2-MSNs in these behaviours and helped to clarify their involvement in associative learning. Here, we critically discuss findings supporting an intricate and complementary role of NAc D1- and D2-MSNs in associative learning, emphasizing the need for additional studies in order to fully understand the role of these neurons in behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Verónica Domingues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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12
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Chong TTJ, Fortunato E, Bellgrove MA. Amphetamines Improve the Motivation to Invest Effort in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6898-6908. [PMID: 37666665 PMCID: PMC10573750 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0982-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prevailing frameworks propose that a key feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is lower motivation. An important component of motivation is the willingness to engage in cognitively or physically effortful behavior. However, the degree to which effort sensitivity is impaired in ADHD has rarely been tested, and the efficacy of stimulant medication in ameliorating any such impairments is unclear. Here, we tested 20 individuals with ADHD (11 males, 9 females) who were managed with amphetamine-based medication (dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine), and 24 controls (8 males, 16 females). Individuals with ADHD were tested over two counterbalanced sessions, ON and OFF their usual amphetamine-based medication. In each session, participants performed an effort-based decision-making task, in which they were required to choose how much cognitive or physical effort they were willing to engage in return for reward. Our results revealed three main findings. First, individuals with ADHD had lower motivation relative to controls to invest effort in both the cognitive and physical domains. Second, amphetamine increased motivation uniformly across both domains. Finally, the net effect of amphetamine treatment was to mostly restore motivation across both domains of effort relative to healthy controls. These data provide clear evidence for a heightened sensitivity to both cognitive and physical effort in ADHD, and reveal the efficacy of amphetamine-based drugs in restoring effort sensitivity to levels similar to controls. These findings confirm the existence of reduced motivational drive in ADHD, and more broadly provide direct causal evidence for a domain-general role of catecholamines in motivating effortful behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A core feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be a heightened aversion to effort. Surprisingly, however, the degree to which effort sensitivity is impaired in ADHD has rarely been tested. More broadly, the relative efficacy of catecholamines in motivating the investment of cognitive and physical effort is unclear. We tested 20 individuals with ADHD ON and OFF amphetamines, and compared their behavior on an effort-based decision-making task to 24 controls. When tested OFF medication, the ADHD group was less cognitively and physically motivated than controls. However, amphetamines led to a comparable increase in motivation across both domains. This demonstrates the efficacy of catecholamines in facilitating domain-general effort, and highlights the broader potential of such drugs to treat disorders of motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor T-J Chong
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria 3065, Australia
| | - Erika Fortunato
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Mark A Bellgrove
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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13
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Belilos A, Gray C, Sanders C, Black D, Mays E, Richie CT, Sengupta A, Hake HS, Francis TC. Nucleus Accumbens Local Circuit for Cue-Dependent Aversive Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527338. [PMID: 36798245 PMCID: PMC9934565 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area. We uncovered a nucleus accumbens core local circuit whereby excitatory plasticity facilitates learning and recall of discrete aversive cues. We demonstrate that putative nucleus accumbens substance P release and long-term excitatory plasticity on dopamine 2 receptor expressing projection neurons is required for cue-dependent fear learning. Additionally, we found fear learning and recall were dependent on distinct projection-neuron subtypes. Our work demonstrates a critical role for Nucleus Accumbens substance P in cue-dependent aversive learning.
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14
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Passeri A, Municchi D, Cavalieri G, Babicola L, Ventura R, Di Segni M. Linking drug and food addiction: an overview of the shared neural circuits and behavioral phenotype. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1240748. [PMID: 37767338 PMCID: PMC10520727 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1240748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite a lack of agreement on its definition and inclusion as a specific diagnosable disturbance, the food addiction construct is supported by several neurobiological and behavioral clinical and preclinical findings. Recognizing food addiction is critical to understanding how and why it manifests. In this overview, we focused on those as follows: 1. the hyperpalatable food effects in food addiction development; 2. specific brain regions involved in both food and drug addiction; and 3. animal models highlighting commonalities between substance use disorders and food addiction. Although results collected through animal studies emerged from protocols differing in several ways, they clearly highlight commonalities in behavioral manifestations and neurobiological alterations between substance use disorders and food addiction characteristics. To develop improved food addiction models, this heterogeneity should be acknowledged and embraced so that research can systematically investigate the role of specific variables in the development of the different behavioral features of addiction-like behavior in preclinical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Passeri
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Cavalieri
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Psychology and Center “Daniel Bovet”, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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15
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Macpherson T, Dixon CI, Robertson J, Sindarto MM, Janak PH, Belelli D, Lambert JJ, Stephens DN, King SL. α4-Containing GABA A Receptors on DRD2 Neurons of the Nucleus Accumbens Mediate Instrumental Responding for Conditioned Reinforcers and Its Potentiation by Cocaine. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0236-23.2023. [PMID: 37553242 PMCID: PMC10470850 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0236-23.2023] [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: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Extrasynaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) composed of α4, β, and δ subunits mediate GABAergic tonic inhibition and are potential molecular targets in the modulation of behavioral responses to natural and drug rewards. These GABAARs are highly expressed within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), where they influence the excitability of the medium spiny neurons. Here, we explore their role in modulating behavioral responses to food-conditioned cues and the behavior-potentiating effects of cocaine. α4-Subunit constitutive knock-out mice (α4-/-) showed higher rates of instrumental responding for reward-paired stimuli in a test of conditioned reinforcement (CRf). A similar effect was seen following viral knockdown of GABAAR α4 subunits within the NAc. Local infusion of the α4βδ-GABAAR-preferring agonist THIP (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[5,4-c]pyridin-3-ol; Gaboxadol) into the NAc had no effect on responding when given alone but reduced cocaine potentiation of responding for conditioned reinforcers in wild-type, but not α4-/- mice. Finally, specific deletion of α4-subunits from dopamine D2, but not D1, receptor-expressing neurons (DRD2 and DRD1 neurons), mimicked the phenotype of the constitutive knockout, potentiating CRf responding, and blocking intra-accumbal THIP attenuation of cocaine-potentiated CRf responding. These data demonstrate that α4-GABAAR-mediated inhibition of DRD2 neurons reduces instrumental responding for a conditioned reinforcer and its potentiation by cocaine and emphasize the importance of GABAergic signaling within the NAc in mediating the effects of cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Macpherson
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Claire I. Dixon
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Robertson
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Marsha M. Sindarto
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Delia Belelli
- Division of Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy J. Lambert
- Division of Neuroscience, Medical Research Institute, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 9SY, United Kingdom
| | - David N. Stephens
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah L. King
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
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16
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Guillaumin MCC, Viskaitis P, Bracey E, Burdakov D, Peleg-Raibstein D. Disentangling the role of NAc D1 and D2 cells in hedonic eating. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3531-3547. [PMID: 37402855 PMCID: PMC10618099 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02131-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Overeating is driven by both the hedonic component ('liking') of food, and the motivation ('wanting') to eat it. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain center implicated in these processes, but how distinct NAc cell populations encode 'liking' and 'wanting' to shape overconsumption remains unclear. Here, we probed the roles of NAc D1 and D2 cells in these processes using cell-specific recording and optogenetic manipulation in diverse behavioral paradigms that disentangle reward traits of 'liking' and 'wanting' related to food choice and overeating in healthy mice. Medial NAc shell D2 cells encoded experience-dependent development of 'liking', while D1 cells encoded innate 'liking' during the first food taste. Optogenetic control confirmed causal links of D1 and D2 cells to these aspects of 'liking'. In relation to 'wanting', D1 and D2 cells encoded and promoted distinct aspects of food approach: D1 cells interpreted food cues while D2 cells also sustained food-visit-length that facilitates consumption. Finally, at the level of food choice, D1, but not D2, cell activity was sufficient to switch food preference, programming subsequent long-lasting overconsumption. By revealing complementary roles of D1 and D2 cells in consumption, these findings assign neural bases to 'liking' and 'wanting' in a unifying framework of D1 and D2 cell activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde C C Guillaumin
- Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Paulius Viskaitis
- Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Eva Bracey
- Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Denis Burdakov
- Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Daria Peleg-Raibstein
- Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
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17
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Mikus N, Eisenegger C, Mathys C, Clark L, Müller U, Robbins TW, Lamm C, Naef M. Blocking D2/D3 dopamine receptors in male participants increases volatility of beliefs when learning to trust others. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4049. [PMID: 37422466 PMCID: PMC10329681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39823-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to learn about other people is crucial for human social functioning. Dopamine has been proposed to regulate the precision of beliefs, but direct behavioural evidence of this is lacking. In this study, we investigate how a high dose of the D2/D3 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride impacts learning about other people's prosocial attitudes in a repeated Trust game. Using a Bayesian model of belief updating, we show that in a sample of 76 male participants sulpiride increases the volatility of beliefs, which leads to higher precision weights on prediction errors. This effect is driven by participants with genetically conferred higher dopamine availability (Taq1a polymorphism) and remains even after controlling for working memory performance. Higher precision weights are reflected in higher reciprocal behaviour in the repeated Trust game but not in single-round Trust games. Our data provide evidence that the D2 receptors are pivotal in regulating prediction error-driven belief updating in a social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nace Mikus
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christoph Mathys
- Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuromodeling Unit (TNU), Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Luke Clark
- Centre for Gambling Research at UBC, Department of Psychology, University of British, Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ulrich Müller
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Adult Neurodevelopmental Services, Health & Community Services, Government of Jersey, St Helier, Jersey
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Claus Lamm
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Michael Naef
- Department of Economics, University of Durham, Durham, UK.
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18
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Truckenbrod LM, Betzhold SM, Wheeler AR, Shallcross J, Singhal S, Harden S, Schwendt M, Frazier CJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B, Orsini CA. Circuit and Cell-Specific Contributions to Decision Making Involving Risk of Explicit Punishment in Male and Female Rats. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4837-4855. [PMID: 37286352 PMCID: PMC10312052 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0276-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Decision making is a complex cognitive process that recruits a distributed network of brain regions, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Recent work suggests that communication between these structures, as well as activity of cells expressing dopamine (DA) D2 receptors (D2R) in the NAcSh, are necessary for some forms of decision making; however, the contributions of this circuit and cell population during decision making under risk of punishment are unknown. The current experiments addressed this question using circuit-specific and cell type-specific optogenetic approaches in rats during a decision making task involving risk of punishment. In experiment 1, Long-Evans rats received intra-BLA injections of halorhodopsin or mCherry (control) and in experiment 2, D2-Cre transgenic rats received intra-NAcSh injections of Cre-dependent halorhodopsin or mCherry. Optic fibers were implanted in the NAcSh in both experiments. Following training in the decision making task, BLA→NAcSh or D2R-expressing neurons were optogenetically inhibited during different phases of the decision process. Inhibition of the BLA→NAcSh during deliberation (the time between trial initiation and choice) increased preference for the large, risky reward (increased risk taking). Similarly, inhibition during delivery of the large, punished reward increased risk taking, but only in males. Inhibition of D2R-expressing neurons in the NAcSh during deliberation increased risk taking. In contrast, inhibition of these neurons during delivery of the small, safe reward decreased risk taking. These findings extend our knowledge of the neural dynamics of risk taking, revealing sex-dependent circuit recruitment and dissociable activity of selective cell populations during decision making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Until recently, the ability to dissect the neural substrates of decision making involving risk of punishment (risk taking) in a circuit-specific and cell-specific manner has been limited by the tools available for use in rats. Here, we leveraged the temporal precision of optogenetics, together with transgenic rats, to probe contributions of a specific circuit and cell population to different phases of risk-based decision making. Our findings reveal basolateral amygdala (BLA)→nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is involved in evaluation of punished rewards in a sex-dependent manner. Further, NAcSh D2 receptor (D2R)-expressing neurons make unique contributions to risk taking that vary across the decision making process. These findings advance our understanding of the neural principles of decision making and provide insight into how risk taking may become compromised in neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Truckenbrod
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32610
| | | | - Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Neurology
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712
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19
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Jin R, Sun S, Hu Y, Zhang H, Sun X. Neuropeptides Modulate Feeding via the Dopamine Reward Pathway. Neurochem Res 2023:10.1007/s11064-023-03954-4. [PMID: 37233918 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-03954-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) is a catecholamine neurotransmitter widely distributed in the central nervous system. It participates in various physiological functions, such as feeding, anxiety, fear, sleeping and arousal. The regulation of feeding is exceptionally complex, involving energy homeostasis and reward motivation. The reward system comprises the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), hypothalamus, and limbic system. This paper illustrates the detailed mechanisms of eight typical orexigenic and anorexic neuropeptides that regulate food intake through the reward system. According to recent literature, neuropeptides released from the hypothalamus and other brain regions regulate reward feeding predominantly through dopaminergic neurons projecting from the VTA to the NAc. In addition, their effect on the dopaminergic system is mediated by the prefrontal cortex, paraventricular thalamus, laterodorsal tegmental area, amygdala, and complex neural circuits. Research on neuropeptides involved in reward feeding can help identify more targets to treat diseases with metabolic disorders, such as obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruijie Jin
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Shanbin Sun
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongfei Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiangrong Sun
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
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20
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Chometton S, Tsan L, Hayes AMR, Kanoski SE, Schier LA. Early-life influences of low-calorie sweetener consumption on sugar taste. Physiol Behav 2023; 264:114133. [PMID: 36801464 PMCID: PMC11062773 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114133] [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: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Children and adolescents are the highest consumers of added sugars, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). Regular consumption of SSB early in life induces a variety of negative consequences on health that can last into adulthood. Low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) are increasingly used as an alternative to added sugars because they provide a sweet sensation without adding calories to the diet. However, the long-term effects of early-life consumption of LCS are not well understood. Considering LCS engage at least one of the same taste receptors as sugars and potentially modulate cellular mechanisms of glucose transport and metabolism, it is especially important to understand how early-life LCS consumption impacts intake of and regulatory responses to caloric sugars. In our recent study, we found that habitual intake of LCS during the juvenile-adolescence period significantly changed how rats responded to sugar later in life. Here, we review evidence that LCS and sugars are sensed via common and distinct gustatory pathways, and then discuss the implications this has for shaping sugar-associated appetitive, consummatory, and physiological responses. Ultimately, the review highlights the diverse gaps in knowledge that will be necessary to fill to understand the consequences of regular LCS consumption during important phases of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Chometton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Linda Tsan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna M R Hayes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lindsey A Schier
- Department of Biological Sciences, Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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21
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Nishioka T, Attachaipanich S, Hamaguchi K, Lazarus M, de Kerchove d'Exaerde A, Macpherson T, Hikida T. Error-related signaling in nucleus accumbens D2 receptor-expressing neurons guides inhibition-based choice behavior in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2284. [PMID: 37085502 PMCID: PMC10121661 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Learned associations between environmental cues and the outcomes they predict (cue-outcome associations) play a major role in behavioral control, guiding not only which responses we should perform, but also which we should inhibit, in order to achieve a specific goal. The encoding of such cue-outcome associations, as well as the performance of cue-guided choice behavior, is thought to involve dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-/D2-MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Here, using a visual discrimination task in male mice, we assessed the role of NAc D1-/D2-MSNs in cue-guided inhibition of inappropriate responding. Cell-type specific neuronal silencing and in-vivo imaging revealed NAc D2-MSNs to contribute to inhibiting behavioral responses, with activation of NAc D2-MSNs following response errors playing an important role in optimizing future choice behavior. Our findings indicate that error-signaling by NAc D2-MSNs contributes to the ability to use environmental cues to inhibit inappropriate behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadaaki Nishioka
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
- Laboratory for Developing Minds, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Suthinee Attachaipanich
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Kosuke Hamaguchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michael Lazarus
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS) and Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | | | - Tom Macpherson
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
| | - Takatoshi Hikida
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
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22
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Noursadeghi E, Haghparast A. Modulatory role of intra-accumbal dopamine receptors in the restraint stress-induced antinociceptive responses. Brain Res Bull 2023; 195:172-179. [PMID: 36889361 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.03.003] [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: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress contributes to pain sensation by affecting several neural pathways, including mesolimbic-cortical dopamine neurons. Nucleus accumbens, an essential element of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, plays a fundamental role in modulating pain and is differentially influenced by stressful events. Since we previously demonstrated the marked association of intra-NAc dopamine receptors with forced swim stress-evoked analgesia in acute pain state, this research was conducted to consider the contribution of intra-accumbal D1- and D2-like dopamine receptors to modulating effects of exposure to restraint stress in pain-related behaviors during the tail-flick test. Stereotaxic surgery was executed to implant a guide cannula within the NAc in male Wistar rats. On the test day, different concentrations of SCH23390 and Sulpiride as D1- and D2-like dopamine receptor antagonists, respectively, were unilaterally microinjected within the NAc. The vehicle animals received saline or 12 % DMSO (0.5 µl) instead of SCH23390 or Sulpiride into the NAc, respectively. Five minutes following receiving drug or vehicle, animals were restrained for 3 h and then their acute nociceptive threshold was measured for a 60-min period by the tail-flick test. Our data revealed that RS considerably enhanced antinociceptive reaction in acute pain states. The analgesia evoked by RS dramatically declined following blocking either D1- or D2-like dopamine receptors in the NAc, an effect was more noticeable by D1-like dopamine receptor antagonist. These findings indicated that intra-NAc dopamine receptors are considerably mediated in the RS-produced analgesia in acute pain states, suggesting their possible role in psychological stress and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Noursadeghi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Basic Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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23
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Wang J, Miao X, Sun Y, Li S, Wu A, Wei C. Dopaminergic System in Promoting Recovery from General Anesthesia. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13040538. [PMID: 37190503 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13040538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that plays a biological role by binding to dopamine receptors. The dopaminergic system regulates neural activities, such as reward and punishment, memory, motor control, emotion, and sleep-wake. Numerous studies have confirmed that the dopaminergic system has the function of maintaining wakefulness in the body. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that the sleep-wake cycle in the brain has similar neurobrain network mechanisms to those associated with the loss and recovery of consciousness induced by general anesthesia. With the continuous development and innovation of neurobiological techniques, the dopaminergic system has now been proved to be involved in the emergence from general anesthesia through the modulation of neuronal activity. This article is an overview of the dopaminergic system and the research progress into its role in wakefulness and general anesthesia recovery. It provides a theoretical basis for interpreting the mechanisms regulating consciousness during general anesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxu Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Xiaolei Miao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Yi Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Sijie Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Anshi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Changwei Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
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24
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Fox ME, Wulff AB, Franco D, Choi EY, Calarco CA, Engeln M, Turner MD, Chandra R, Rhodes VM, Thompson SM, Ament SA, Lobo MK. Adaptations in Nucleus Accumbens Neuron Subtypes Mediate Negative Affective Behaviors in Fentanyl Abstinence. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:489-501. [PMID: 36435669 PMCID: PMC9931633 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid discontinuation generates a withdrawal syndrome marked by increased negative affect. Increased symptoms of anxiety and dysphoria during opioid discontinuation are significant barriers to achieving long-term abstinence in opioid-dependent individuals. While adaptations in the nucleus accumbens are implicated in opioid abstinence syndrome, the precise neural mechanisms are poorly understood. Additionally, our current knowledge is limited to changes following natural and semisynthetic opioids, despite recent increases in synthetic opioid use and overdose. METHODS We used a combination of cell subtype-specific viral labeling and electrophysiology in male and female mice to investigate structural and functional plasticity in nucleus accumbens medium spiny neuron (MSN) subtypes after fentanyl abstinence. We characterized molecular adaptations after fentanyl abstinence with subtype-specific RNA sequencing and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. We used viral-mediated gene transfer to manipulate the molecular signature of fentanyl abstinence in D1-MSNs. RESULTS Here, we show that fentanyl abstinence increases anxiety-like behavior, decreases social interaction, and engenders MSN subtype-specific plasticity in both sexes. D1-MSNs, but not D2-MSNs, exhibit dendritic atrophy and an increase in excitatory drive. We identified a cluster of coexpressed dendritic morphology genes downregulated selectively in D1-MSNs that are transcriptionally coregulated by E2F1. E2f1 expression in D1-MSNs protects against loss of dendritic complexity, altered physiology, and negative affect-like behaviors caused by fentanyl abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that fentanyl abstinence causes unique structural, functional, and molecular changes in nucleus accumbens D1-MSNs that can be targeted to alleviate negative affective symptoms during abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Fox
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Andreas B Wulff
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Daniela Franco
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eric Y Choi
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cali A Calarco
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michel Engeln
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Makeda D Turner
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Victoria M Rhodes
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Scott M Thompson
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Seth A Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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25
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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.
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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.
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26
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Chen G, Lai S, Bao G, Ke J, Meng X, Lu S, Wu X, Xu H, Wu F, Xu Y, Xu F, Bi GQ, Peng G, Zhou K, Zhu Y. Distinct reward processing by subregions of the nucleus accumbens. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112069. [PMID: 36753418 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays an important role in motivation and reward processing. Recent studies suggest that different NAc subnuclei differentially contribute to reward-related behaviors. However, how reward is encoded in individual NAc neurons remains unclear. Using in vivo single-cell resolution calcium imaging, we find diverse patterns of reward encoding in the medial and lateral shell subdivision of the NAc (NAcMed and NAcLat, respectively). Reward consumption increases NAcLat activity but decreases NAcMed activity, albeit with high variability among neurons. The heterogeneity in reward encoding could be attributed to differences in their synaptic inputs and transcriptional profiles. Specific optogenetic activation of Nts-positive neurons in the NAcLat promotes positive reinforcement, while activation of Cartpt-positive neurons in the NAcMed induces behavior aversion. Collectively, our study shows the organizational and transcriptional differences in NAc subregions and provides a framework for future dissection of NAc subregions in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaowei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shishi Lai
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; Yunnan University School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Guo Bao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jincan Ke
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Xiaogao Meng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shanshan Lu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiaocong Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Hua Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Fengyi Wu
- Interdisciplinary Center for Brain Information, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yu Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, China
| | - Fang Xu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; Interdisciplinary Center for Brain Information, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guo-Qiang Bi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; Interdisciplinary Center for Brain Information, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guangdun Peng
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-HKU Guangdong-Hong Kong Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Kuikui Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; School of Health and Life Sciences, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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Gimenez-Gomez P, Le T, Martin GE. Modulation of neuronal excitability by binge alcohol drinking. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1098211. [PMID: 36866357 PMCID: PMC9971943 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1098211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug use poses a serious threat to health systems throughout the world. The number of consumers rises every year being alcohol the drug of abuse most consumed causing 3 million deaths (5.3% of all deaths) worldwide and 132.6 million disability-adjusted life years. In this review, we present an up-to-date summary about what is known regarding the global impact of binge alcohol drinking on brains and how it affects the development of cognitive functions, as well as the various preclinical models used to probe its effects on the neurobiology of the brain. This will be followed by a detailed report on the state of our current knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of binge drinking on neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity, with an emphasis on brain regions of the meso-cortico limbic neurocircuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Gimenez-Gomez
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Timmy Le
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Gilles E. Martin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- The Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
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Soares-Cunha C, Heinsbroek JA. Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1086053. [PMID: 36817646 PMCID: PMC9932340 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053] [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: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The interconnected nuclei of the ventral basal ganglia have long been identified as key regulators of motivated behavior, and dysfunction of this circuit is strongly implicated in mood and substance use disorders. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central node of the ventral basal ganglia, and recent studies have revealed complex VP cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of reward, aversion, motivation, and drug-seeking behaviors. Although the VP is canonically considered a relay and output structure for this circuit, emerging data indicate that the VP is a central hub in an extensive network for reward processing and the regulation of motivation that extends beyond classically defined basal ganglia borders. VP neurons respond temporally faster and show more advanced reward coding and prediction error processing than neurons in the upstream nucleus accumbens, and regulate the activity of the ventral mesencephalon dopamine system. This review will summarize recent findings in the literature and provide an update on the complex cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement by the VP with a specific focus on mood and substance use disorders. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which stress and drug exposure alter the functioning of the VP and produce susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Lastly, we will outline unanswered questions and identify future directions for studies necessary to further clarify the central role of VP neurons in the regulation of motivated behaviors. Significance: Research in the last decade has revealed a complex cell- and circuit-specific role for the VP in reward processing and the regulation of motivated behaviors. Novel insights obtained using cell- and circuit-specific interrogation strategies have led to a major shift in our understanding of this region. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the VP in which we integrate novel findings with the existing literature and highlight the emerging role of the VP as a linchpin of the neural systems that regulate motivation, reward, and aversion. In addition, we discuss the dysfunction of the VP in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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Truckenbrod LM, Betzhold SM, Wheeler AR, Shallcross J, Singhal S, Harden S, Schwendt M, Frazier CJ, Bizon JL, Setlow B, Orsini CA. Circuit and cell-specific contributions to decision making involving risk of explicit punishment in male and female rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.15.524142. [PMID: 36711946 PMCID: PMC9882127 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.15.524142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Decision making is a complex cognitive process that recruits a distributed network of brain regions, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh). Recent work suggests that communication between these structures, as well as activity of cells expressing dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in the NAcSh, are necessary for some forms of decision making; however, the contributions of this circuit and cell population during decision making under risk of punishment are unknown. The current experiments addressed this question using circuit- and cell type-specific optogenetic approaches in rats during a decision-making task involving risk of punishment. In Experiment 1, Long-Evans rats received intra-BLA injections of halorhodopsin or mCherry (control) and in Experiment 2, D2-Cre transgenic rats received intra-NAcSh injections of Cre-dependent halorhodopsin or mCherry. Optic fibers were implanted in the NAcSh in both experiments. Following training in the decision-making task, BLA→NAcSh or D2R-expressing neurons were optogenetically inhibited during different phases of the decision process. Inhibition of the BLA→NAcSh during deliberation (the time between trial initiation and choice) increased choice of the large, risky reward (increased risk taking). Similarly, inhibition during delivery of the large, punished reward increased risk taking, but only in males. Inhibition of D2R-expressing neurons in the NAcSh during deliberation increased risk taking. In contrast, inhibition of these neurons during delivery of the small, safe reward decreased risk taking. These findings extend our knowledge of the neural dynamics of risk taking, revealing sex-dependent circuit recruitment and dissociable activity of selective cell populations during decision making.
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Differential Patterns of Synaptic Plasticity in the Nucleus Accumbens Caused by Continuous and Interrupted Morphine Exposure. J Neurosci 2023; 43:308-318. [PMID: 36396404 PMCID: PMC9838694 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0595-22.2022] [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: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid exposure and withdrawal both cause adaptations in brain circuits that may contribute to abuse liability. These adaptations vary in magnitude and direction following different patterns of opioid exposure, but few studies have systematically manipulated the pattern of opioid administration while measuring neurobiological impact. In this study, we compared cellular and synaptic adaptations in the nucleus accumbens shell caused by morphine exposure that was either continuous or interrupted by daily bouts of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. At the behavioral level, continuous morphine administration caused psychomotor tolerance, which was reversed when the continuity of morphine action was interrupted by naloxone-precipitated withdrawal. Using ex vivo slice electrophysiology in female and male mice, we investigated how these patterns of morphine administration altered intrinsic excitability and synaptic plasticity of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing the D1 or D2 dopamine receptor. We found that morphine-evoked adaptations at excitatory synapses were predominately conserved between patterns of administration, but there were divergent effects on inhibitory synapses and the subsequent balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input. Overall, our data suggest that continuous morphine administration produces adaptations that dampen the output of D1-MSNs, which are canonically thought to promote reward-related behaviors. Interruption of otherwise continuous morphine exposure does not dampen D1-MSN functional output to the same extent, which may enhance behavioral responses to subsequent opioid exposure. Our findings support the hypothesis that maintaining continuity of opioid administration could be an effective therapeutic strategy to minimize the vulnerability to opioid use disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Withdrawal plays a key role in the cycle of addiction to opioids like morphine. We studied how repeated cycles of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal from otherwise continuous opioid exposure can change brain function of the nucleus accumbens, which is an important brain region for reward and addiction. Different patterns of opioid exposure caused unique changes in communication between neurons in the nucleus accumbens, and the nature of these changes depended on the type of neuron being studied. The specific changes in communication between neurons caused by repeated cycles of withdrawal may increase vulnerability to opioid use disorders. This highlights the importance of reducing or preventing the experience of withdrawal during opioid treatment.
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Zalachoras I, Ramos-Fernández E, Hollis F, Trovo L, Rodrigues J, Strasser A, Zanoletti O, Steiner P, Preitner N, Xin L, Astori S, Sandi C. Glutathione in the nucleus accumbens regulates motivation to exert reward-incentivized effort. eLife 2022; 11:77791. [DOI: 10.7554/elife.77791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence is implicating mitochondrial function and metabolism in the nucleus accumbens in motivated performance. However, the brain is vulnerable to excessive oxidative insults resulting from neurometabolic processes, and whether antioxidant levels in the nucleus accumbens contribute to motivated performance is not known. Here, we identify a critical role for glutathione (GSH), the most important endogenous antioxidant in the brain, in motivation. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at ultra-high field in both male humans and rodent populations, we establish that higher accumbal GSH levels are highly predictive of better, and particularly, steady performance over time in effort-related tasks. Causality was established in in vivo experiments in rats that, first, showed that downregulating GSH levels through micro-injections of the GSH synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine in the nucleus accumbens impaired effort-based reward-incentivized performance. In addition, systemic treatment with the GSH precursor N-acetyl-cysteine increased accumbal GSH levels in rats and led to improved performance, potentially mediated by a cell-type-specific shift in glutamatergic inputs to accumbal medium spiny neurons. Our data indicate a close association between accumbal GSH levels and an individual’s capacity to exert reward-incentivized effort over time. They also suggest that improvement of accumbal antioxidant function may be a feasible approach to boost motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Zalachoras
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Eva Ramos-Fernández
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Fiona Hollis
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
| | - Laura Trovo
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - João Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Alina Strasser
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Pascal Steiner
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - Nicolas Preitner
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé SA, Vers-chez-les-Blanc
| | - Lijing Xin
- Animal Imaging and Technology Core (AIT), Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), EPFL
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics (LGC), Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
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Chen W. Neural circuits provide insights into reward and aversion. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:1002485. [PMID: 36389177 PMCID: PMC9650032 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.1002485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maladaptive changes in the neural circuits associated with reward and aversion result in some common symptoms, such as drug addiction, anxiety, and depression. Historically, the study of these circuits has been hampered by technical limitations. In recent years, however, much progress has been made in understanding the neural mechanisms of reward and aversion owing to the development of technologies such as cell type-specific electrophysiology, neuronal tracing, and behavioral manipulation based on optogenetics. The aim of this paper is to summarize the latest findings on the mechanisms of the neural circuits associated with reward and aversion in a review of previous studies with a focus on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and basal forebrain (BF). These findings may inform efforts to prevent and treat mental illnesses associated with dysfunctions of the brain's reward and aversion system.
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Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a canonical reward center that regulates feeding and drinking but it is not known whether these behaviors are mediated by same or different neurons. We employed two-photon calcium imaging in awake, behaving mice and found that during the appetitive phase, both hunger and thirst are sensed by a nearly identical population of individual D1 and D2 neurons in the NAc that respond monophasically to food cues in fasted animals and water cues in dehydrated animals. During the consummatory phase, we identified three distinct neuronal clusters that are temporally correlated with action initiation, consumption, and cessation shared by feeding and drinking. These dynamic clusters also show a nearly complete overlap of individual D1 neurons and extensive overlap among D2 neurons. Modulating D1 and D2 neural activities revealed analogous effects on feeding versus drinking behaviors. In aggregate, these data show that a highly overlapping set of D1 and D2 neurons in NAc detect food and water reward and elicit concordant responses to hunger and thirst. These studies establish a general role of this mesolimbic pathway in mediating instinctive behaviors by controlling motivation-associated variables rather than conferring behavioral specificity.
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Choi JE, Choi DI, Lee J, Kim J, Kim MJ, Hong I, Jung H, Sung Y, Kim JI, Kim T, Yu NK, Lee SH, Choe HK, Koo JW, Kim JH, Kaang BK. Synaptic ensembles between raphe and D 1R-containing accumbens shell neurons underlie postisolation sociability in males. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo7527. [PMID: 36223467 PMCID: PMC9555785 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo7527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Social animals expend considerable energy to maintain social bonds throughout their life. Male and female mice show sexually dimorphic behaviors, yet the underlying neural mechanisms of sociability and their dysregulation during social disconnection remain unknown. Dopaminergic neurons in dorsal raphe nucleus (DRNTH) is known to contribute to a loneliness-like state and modulate sociability. We identified that activated subpopulations in DRNTH and nucleus accumbens shell (NAcsh) during 24 hours of social isolation underlie the increase in isolation-induced sociability in male but not in female mice. This effect was reversed by chemogenetically and optogenetically inhibiting the DRNTH-NAcsh circuit. Moreover, synaptic connectivity among the activated neuronal ensembles in this circuit was increased, primarily in D1 receptor-expressing neurons in NAcsh. The increase in synaptic density functionally correlated with elevated dopamine release into NAcsh. Overall, specific synaptic ensembles in DRNTH-NAcsh mediate sex differences in isolation-induced sociability, indicating that sex-dependent circuit dynamics underlie the expression of sexually dimorphic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ja Eun Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Dong Il Choi
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jisu Lee
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Jooyoung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Min Jung Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ilgang Hong
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Hyunsu Jung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Yongmin Sung
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Ji-il Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - TaeHyun Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Nam-Kyung Yu
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
| | - Seung-Hee Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Han Kyoung Choe
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 333 Technojoongang-daero, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, South Korea
| | - Ja Wook Koo
- Emotion, Cognition & Behavior Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, South Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - Bong-Kiun Kaang
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea
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WEI XL, TIAN J, JIA SH, SHU Q. Acupuncture for the relief of chronic pain: regulating negative emotions and reward/motivation circuits based on the theory of “spirit-regulation with acupuncture" 针灸改善慢性疼痛的新视角:“针灸治神”调控负性情绪及奖赏/动机环路. WORLD JOURNAL OF ACUPUNCTURE-MOXIBUSTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wjam.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Kishikawa Y, Kawahara Y, Ohnishi YN, Sotogaku N, Koeda T, Kawahara H, Nishi A. Dysregulation of dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens in immobilization-induced hypersensitivity. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:988178. [PMID: 36160381 PMCID: PMC9493457 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.988178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cast immobilization causes sensory hypersensitivity, which is also a symptom of neuropathic pain and chronic pain. However, the mechanisms underlying immobilization-induced hypersensitivity remain unclear. The present study investigated the role of dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) of rats with cast immobilization-induced mechanical hypersensitivity using in vivo microdialysis. Cast immobilization of the hind limb decreased the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT). Mechanical stimulation of the cast-immobilized hind limb induced a decrease in dopamine in the NAcSh, and this decrease was associated with the upregulation of presynaptic D2-like receptors. A D2-like receptor antagonist infused into the NAcSh reversed the decrease in PWT in rats with cast immobilization, whereas a D2-like receptor agonist infused into the NAcSh induced a decrease in PWT in control rats. In addition, the expression of the D2 receptor (Drd2) mRNA in the NAcSh was increased by cast immobilization. Importantly, systemic administration of the D2-like receptor antagonist reversed the decrease in PWT in rats with cast immobilization. As dopamine levels regulated by presynaptic D2-like receptors did not correlate with the PWT, it is presumed that the D2-like receptor antagonist or agonist acts on postsynaptic D2-like receptors. These results suggest that immobilization-induced mechanical hypersensitivity is attributable to the upregulation of postsynaptic D2-like receptors in the NAc. Blockade of D2-like receptors in the NAcSh is a potential therapeutic strategy for immobilization-induced hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kishikawa
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nishikyushu University, Kanzaki, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Yukie Kawahara
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yukie Kawahara, ; Akinori Nishi,
| | | | - Naoki Sotogaku
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Tomoko Koeda
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nagoya Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawahara
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akinori Nishi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yukie Kawahara, ; Akinori Nishi,
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Prenatal dexamethasone exposure alters effort decision making and triggers nucleus accumbens and anterior cingulate cortex functional changes in male rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:338. [PMID: 35986000 PMCID: PMC9391327 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02043-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Daily, individuals select actions based on cost-benefit to allocate resources into goal-directed actions. Different brain regions coordinate this complex decision, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). In utero exposure to synthetic glucocorticoids (iuGC), such as dexamethasone, triggers prominent motivation deficits but the impact of this exposure in the ACC-NAc and/or ACC-VTA circuits is unknown. Here, we show that iuGC exposure causes decreased motivation for natural rewards (food) and impaired effort-based decision-making. Importantly, reduced neuronal activation (number of c-fos+ neurons) was observed in the NAc core and ACC of iuGC rats in comparison to CTR rats after performing the effort-based decision-making task. In addition, iuGC treatment led to increased NAc and ACC basal neuronal activity. Electrophysiological recordings during optogenetic modulation of ACC terminals in the NAc revealed that the ACC-NAc circuit is dysfunctional in iuGC animals. These data suggest that iuGC animals present motivational and effort-based decision-making deficits that can be associated with the observed ACC-NAc dysfunction.
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Canonica T, Zalachoras I. Motivational disturbances in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:940672. [PMID: 36051635 PMCID: PMC9426724 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.940672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated behavior is integral to the survival of individuals, continuously directing actions toward rewards or away from punishments. The orchestration of motivated behavior depends on interactions among different brain circuits, primarily within the dopaminergic system, that subserve the analysis of factors such as the effort necessary for obtaining the reward and the desirability of the reward. Impairments in motivated behavior accompany a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders, decreasing the patients’ quality of life. Despite its importance, motivation is often overlooked as a parameter in neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we review motivational impairments in rodent models of schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease, focusing on studies investigating effort-related behavior in operant conditioning tasks and on pharmacological interventions targeting the dopaminergic system. Similar motivational disturbances accompany these conditions, suggesting that treatments aimed at ameliorating motivation levels may be beneficial for various neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Zhao ZD, Han X, Chen R, Liu Y, Bhattacherjee A, Chen W, Zhang Y. A molecularly defined D1 medium spiny neuron subtype negatively regulates cocaine addiction. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn3552. [PMID: 35960793 PMCID: PMC9374336 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn3552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The striatum plays a critical role in regulating addiction-related behaviors. The conventional dichotomy model suggests that striatal D1/D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) positively/negatively regulate addiction-related behaviors. However, this model does not account for the neuronal heterogeneity and functional diversity of the striatum, and whether MSN subtypes beyond the pan-D1/D2 populations play distinct roles in drug addiction remains unknown. We characterized the role of a tachykinin 2-expressing D1 MSN subtype (Tac2+), present in both rodent and primate striatum, using cocaine addiction mouse models. We found that acute cocaine administration reduces Tac2 neuronal activity, and cocaine conditioning alters neuronal response related to cocaine reward contextual associations. In addition, activation/inhibition of Tac2+ neurons attenuates/promotes cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and cocaine intravenous self-administration. Furthermore, stimulation of the NAc-to-lateral hypothalamic projection of Tac2+ neurons suppresses cocaine reward behavior. Our study reveals an unconventional negative regulatory function of D1 MSNs in drug addiction that operates in a subtype- and projection-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng-dong Zhao
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xiao Han
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Renchao Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yiqiong Liu
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aritra Bhattacherjee
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wenqiang Chen
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, WAB-149G, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Kruyer A, Angelis A, Garcia-Keller C, Li H, Kalivas PW. Plasticity in astrocyte subpopulations regulates heroin relapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo7044. [PMID: 35947652 PMCID: PMC9365285 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo7044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) produces detrimental personal and societal consequences. Astrocytes are a major cell group in the brain that receives little attention in mediating OUD. We determined how astrocytes and the astroglial glutamate transporter, GLT-1, in the nucleus accumbens core adapt and contribute to heroin seeking in rats. Seeking heroin, but not sucrose, produced two transient forms of plasticity in different astroglial subpopulations. Increased morphological proximity to synapses occurred in one subpopulation and increased extrasynaptic GLT-1 expression in another. Augmented synapse proximity by astroglia occurred selectively at D2-dopamine receptor-expressing dendrites, while changes in GLT-1 were not neuron subtype specific. mRNA-targeted antisense inhibition of either morphological or GLT-1 plasticity promoted cue-induced heroin seeking. Thus, we show that heroin cues induce two distinct forms of transient plasticity in separate astroglial subpopulations that dampen heroin relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ariana Angelis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Hong Li
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W. Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Lamontagne SJ, Wash SIJ, Irwin SH, Zucconi KE, Olmstead MC. Effects of dopamine modulation on chronic stress-induced deficits in reward learning. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:736-753. [PMID: 35396630 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia is characteristically preceded by chronic stress, likely involving downstream effects of glucocorticoid alterations on dopamine (DA) function. To elucidate the neural underpinnings of this interaction, we examined whether acute pharmacological modulation of DA alters reward learning after chronic mild stress (CMS). Forty-eight male Wistar rats were exposed to a 21-day CMS regime (n = 48 no stress controls) before completing the probabilistic reward task (PRT), a well-validated cross-species test of reward learning. We first examined whether stress-induced reward dysfunction could be restored by systemic injections of low-dose amisulpride (AMI), which increases DA transmission via D2-like autoreceptor blockade. Then, we investigated region-specific effects through bilateral infusions of quinpirole (QUIN), a D2-like receptor agonist, into either the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) or medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Blunted reward learning in CMS animals was reversed by acute AMI administration, but this treatment did not alter reward learning in the no stress group. Elevated adrenal gland weight, a proxy for stress reactivity, predicted lower reward learning in the untreated CMS group. This effect was extinguished following AMI treatment. These findings might be attributed to significantly higher D2 receptor density in the NAcc of high stress reactive animals. To this end, NAcc QUIN infusions potentiated reward learning relative to mPFC QUIN infusions in CMS rats, but there was no effect in no stress control rats. Collectively, these findings suggest that DA modulation reverses stress-induced reward dysfunction, even among the most stress-reactive animals. The effect might depend on D2-like receptor activation in the mesolimbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Lamontagne
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA.
| | - Sarah I J Wash
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Samantha H Irwin
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Kate E Zucconi
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, 62 Arch Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, USA
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
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Inbar K, Levi LA, Kupchik YM. Cocaine induces input and cell-type-specific synaptic plasticity in ventral pallidum-projecting nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1461-1472. [PMID: 35121830 PMCID: PMC9205871 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01285-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use and abstinence induce long-term synaptic alterations in the excitatory input to nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSNs). The NAc regulates reward-related behaviors through two parallel projections to the ventral pallidum (VP)-originating in D1 or D2-expressing MSNs (D1-MSNs→VP; D2-MSNs→VP). The activity of these projections depends on their excitatory synaptic inputs, but it is not known whether and how abstinence from cocaine affects the excitatory transmission to D1-MSNs→VP and D2-MSNs→VP. Here we examined different forms of cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity in the inputs from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to NAc D1-MSNs→VP and putative D2-MSNs→VP (pD2-MSNs→VP) in the core and shell subcompartments of the NAc. We used the whole-cell patch-clamp technique to record excitatory postsynaptic currents from D1-tdTomato mice injected with ChR2 in either the BLA or the mPFC and retrograde tracer (RetroBeads) in the VP. We found that cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) followed by abstinence potentiated the excitatory input from the BLA and mPFC to both D1-MSNs→VP and pD2-MSNs→VP. Interestingly, while the strengthening of the inputs to D1-MSNs→VP was of postsynaptic origin and manifested as increased AMPA to NMDA ratio, in pD2-MSNs→VP plasticity was predominantly presynaptic and was detected as changes in the paired-pulse ratio and coefficient of variation. Lastly, some of the changes were sex-specific. Overall our data show that abstinence from cocaine changes the excitatory inputs to both D1-MSNs→VP and pD2-MSNs→VP but with different mechanisms. This may help understand how circuits converging into the VP change after cocaine exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kineret Inbar
- grid.9619.70000 0004 1937 0538Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102 Israel
| | - Liran A. Levi
- grid.9619.70000 0004 1937 0538Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102 Israel
| | - Yonatan M. Kupchik
- grid.9619.70000 0004 1937 0538Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9112102 Israel
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43
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Aomine Y, Sakurai K, Macpherson T, Ozawa T, Miyamoto Y, Yoneda Y, Oka M, Hikida T. Importin α3 (KPNA3) Deficiency Augments Effortful Reward-Seeking Behavior in Mice. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:905991. [PMID: 35844217 PMCID: PMC9279672 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.905991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Importin α3 (Gene: Kpna3, the ortholog of human Importin α4) is a member of the importin α family and participates in nucleocytoplasmic transport by forming trimeric complexes between cargo proteins and importin β1. Evidence from human studies has indicated that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the KPNA3 gene are associated with the occurrence of several psychiatric disorders accompanied by abnormal reward-related behavior, including schizophrenia, major depression, and substance addiction. However, the precise roles of importin α3 in controlling reward processing and motivation are still unclear. In this study, we evaluated the behavioral effects of Kpna3 knockout (KO) in mice on performance in touchscreen operant chamber-based tasks evaluating simple (fixed-ratio) and effortful (progressive-ratio) reward-seeking behaviors. While Kpna3 KO mice showed no significant differences in operant reward learning on a fixed-ratio schedule, they demonstrated significantly increased motivation (increased break point) to instrumentally respond for sucrose on a progressive-ratio schedule. We additionally measured the number of c-Fos-positive cells, a marker of neural activity, in 20 regions of the brain and identified a network of brain regions based on their interregional correlation coefficients. Network and graph-theoretic analyses suggested that Kpna3 deficiency enhanced overall interregional functional connectivity. These findings suggest the importance of Kpna3 in motivational control and indicate that Kpna3 KO mice may be an attractive line for modeling motivational abnormalities associated with several psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiatsu Aomine
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Koki Sakurai
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tom Macpherson
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takaaki Ozawa
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoichi Miyamoto
- Laboratory of Nuclear Transport Dynamics, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Yoneda
- National Institutes for Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
| | - Masahiro Oka
- Laboratory of Nuclear Transport Dynamics, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Hikida
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- *Correspondence: Takatoshi Hikida,
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Macpherson T, Kim JY, Hikida T. Nucleus Accumbens Core Dopamine D2 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Control Reversal Learning but Not Set-Shifting in Behavioral Flexibility in Male Mice. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:885380. [PMID: 35837123 PMCID: PMC9275008 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.885380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to use environmental cues to flexibly guide responses is crucial for adaptive behavior and is thought to be controlled within a series of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops. Previous evidence has indicated that different prefrontal cortical regions control dissociable aspects of behavioral flexibility, with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) necessary for the ability to shift attention to a novel strategy (set-shifting) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) necessary for shifting attention between learned stimulus-outcome associations (reversal learning). The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a major downstream target of both the mPFC and the OFC; however, its role in controlling reversal learning and set-shifting abilities is still unclear. Here we investigated the contribution of the two major NAc neuronal populations, medium spiny neurons expressing either dopamine D1 or D2 receptors (D1-/D2-MSNs), in guiding reversal learning and set-shifting in an attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Persistent inhibition of neurotransmitter release from NAc D2-MSNs, but not D1-MSNs, resulted in an impaired ability for reversal learning, but not set-shifting in male mice. These findings suggest that NAc D2-MSNs play a critical role in suppressing responding toward specific learned cues that are now associated with unfavorable outcomes (i.e., in reversal stages), but not in the suppression of more general learned strategies (i.e., in set-shifting). This study provides further evidence for the anatomical separation of reversal learning and set-shifting abilities within cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Macpherson
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- *Correspondence: Tom Macpherson,
| | - Ji Yoon Kim
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Hikida
- Laboratory for Advanced Brain Functions, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
- Medical Innovation Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Takatoshi Hikida,
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Brondi M, Bruzzone M, Lodovichi C, dal Maschio M. Optogenetic Methods to Investigate Brain Alterations in Preclinical Models. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111848. [PMID: 35681542 PMCID: PMC9180859 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111848] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating the neuronal dynamics supporting brain functions and understanding how the alterations in these mechanisms result in pathological conditions represents a fundamental challenge. Preclinical research on model organisms allows for a multiscale and multiparametric analysis in vivo of the neuronal mechanisms and holds the potential for better linking the symptoms of a neurological disorder to the underlying cellular and circuit alterations, eventually leading to the identification of therapeutic/rescue strategies. In recent years, brain research in model organisms has taken advantage, along with other techniques, of the development and continuous refinement of methods that use light and optical approaches to reconstruct the activity of brain circuits at the cellular and system levels, and to probe the impact of the different neuronal components in the observed dynamics. These tools, combining low-invasiveness of optical approaches with the power of genetic engineering, are currently revolutionizing the way, the scale and the perspective of investigating brain diseases. The aim of this review is to describe how brain functions can be investigated with optical approaches currently available and to illustrate how these techniques have been adopted to study pathological alterations of brain physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Brondi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council-CNR, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy; (M.B.); (C.L.)
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Bruzzone
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, 35121 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Claudia Lodovichi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council-CNR, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy; (M.B.); (C.L.)
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, 35121 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco dal Maschio
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58B, 35121 Padova, Italy;
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Orus 2, 35129 Padova, Italy
- Correspondence:
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The effects of ninjin'yoeito on the electrophysiological properties of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra pars compacta and medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:4634-4652. [PMID: 35660668 PMCID: PMC9217710 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA), substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) are involved in the regulation of appetite and motivational behaviors. A traditional Japanese (Kampo) medicine, ninjin'yoeito (NYT), has been reported to improve decreased motivation and anorexia in patients with Alzheimer's disease and apathy-like model mice. Thus, NYT may affect the activities of neurons in the VTA, SNpc and NAc. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of NYT. Here, we investigated the effects of NYT on the electrophysiological properties of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and SNpc, as well as on those of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc (core and shell subregions), by applying the patch-clamp technique in the brain slices. NYT reduced the resting membrane potential of VTA and SNpc dopaminergic neurons. In contrast, NYT increased the firing frequency of NAc MSNs accompanied by shortened first spike latency and interspike interval. Furthermore, NYT attenuated the inward rectification and sustained outward currents. In conclusion, NYT may directly influence the excitability of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA and SNpc, as well as MSNs in the NAc (core and shell). NYT may modulate dopamine signals in appetite and motivational behaviors.
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47
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Zhang HY, De Biase L, Chandra R, Shen H, Liu QR, Gardner E, Lobo MK, Xi ZX. Repeated cocaine administration upregulates CB 2 receptor expression in striatal medium-spiny neurons that express dopamine D 1 receptors in mice. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2022; 43:876-888. [PMID: 34316031 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-021-00712-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid CB2 receptors (CB2R) are importantly involved in drug reward and addiction. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying CB2R action remain unclear. We have previously reported that cocaine self-administration upregulates CB2R expression in midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. In the present study, we investigated whether cocaine or heroin also alters CB2R expression in striatal medium-spiny neurons that express dopamine D1 or D2 receptors (D1-MSNs, D2-MSNs) and microglia. Due to the concern of CB2R antibody specificity, we developed three mouse CB2-specific probes to detect CB2R mRNA using quantitative RT-PCR and RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) assays. We found that a single injection of cocaine failed to alter, while repeated cocaine injections or self-administration dose-dependently upregulated CB2R gene expression in both brain (cortex and striatum) and periphery (spleen). In contrast, repeated administration of heroin produced a dose-dependent reduction in striatal CB2 mRNA expression. RNAscope ISH assays detected CB2R mRNA in striatal D1- and D2-MSNs, not in microglia. We then used transgenic CX3CR1eGFP/+ microglia reporter mice and D1- or D2-Cre-RiboTag mice to purify striatal microglia or ribosome-associated mRNAs from CX3CR1eGFP/+, D1-MSNs, or D2-MSNs, respectively. We found that CB2R upregulation occurred mainly in D1-MSNs, not in D2-MSNs or microglia, in the nucleus accumbens rather than the dorsal striatum. These findings indicate that repeated cocaine exposure may upregulate CB2R expression in both brain and spleen, with regional and cell type-specific profiles. In the striatum, CB2R upregulation occurs mainly in D1-MSNs in the nucleus accumbens. Given the important role of D1-MSNs in brain reward function, the present findings provide new insight into mechanisms by which brain CB2Rs modulate cocaine action.
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48
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Zalachoras I, Astori S, Meijer M, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, de Suduiraut IG, Deussing JM, Sandi C. Opposite effects of stress on effortful motivation in high and low anxiety are mediated by CRHR1 in the VTA. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj9019. [PMID: 35319997 PMCID: PMC8942367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Individuals frequently differ in their behavioral and cognitive responses to stress. However, whether motivation is differently affected by acute stress in different individuals remains to be established. By exploiting natural variation in trait anxiety in outbred Wistar rats, we show that acute stress facilitates effort-related motivation in low anxious animals, while dampening effort in high anxious ones. This model allowed us to address the mechanisms underlying acute stress-induced differences in motivated behavior. We show that CRHR1 expression levels in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-a neuronal type implicated in the regulation of motivation-depend on animals' anxiety, and these differences in CRHR1 expression levels explain the divergent effects of stress on both effortful behavior and the functioning of mesolimbic DA neurons. These findings highlight CRHR1 in VTA DA neurons-whose levels vary with individuals' anxiety-as a switching mechanism determining whether acute stress facilitates or dampens motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Zalachoras
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
| | - Mandy Meijer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan M. Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry/Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
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49
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A Conditioned Place Preference for Heroin Is Signaled by Increased Dopamine and Direct Pathway Activity and Decreased Indirect Pathway Activity in the Nucleus Accumbens. J Neurosci 2022; 42:2011-2024. [PMID: 35031576 PMCID: PMC8916759 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1451-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated pairing of a drug with a neutral stimulus, such as a cue or context, leads to the attribution of the drug's reinforcing properties to that stimulus, and exposure to that stimulus in the absence of the drug can elicit drug-seeking. A principal role for the NAc in the response to drug-associated stimuli has been well documented. Direct and indirect pathway medium spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs) have been shown to bidirectionally regulate cue-induced heroin-seeking in rats expressing addiction-like phenotypes, and a shift in NAc activity toward the direct pathway has been shown in mice following cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). However, how NAc signaling guides heroin CPP, and whether heroin alters the balance of signaling between dMSNs and iMSNs, remains unknown. Moreover, the role of NAc dopamine signaling in heroin reinforcement is unclear. Here, we integrate fiber photometry for in vivo monitoring of dopamine and dMSN/iMSN calcium activity with a heroin CPP procedure in rats to begin to address these questions. We identify a sensitization-like response to heroin in the NAc, with prominent iMSN activity during initial heroin exposure and prominent dMSN activity following repeated heroin exposure. We demonstrate a ramp in dopamine activity, dMSN activation, and iMSN inactivation preceding entry into a heroin-paired context, and a decrease in dopamine activity, dMSN inactivation, and iMSN activation preceding exit from a heroin-paired context. Finally, we show that buprenorphine is sufficient to prevent the development of heroin CPP and reduce Fos activation in the NAc after conditioning. Together, these data support the hypothesis that an imbalance in NAc activity contributes to the development of drug-cue associations that can drive addiction processes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The attribution of the reinforcing effects of drugs to neutral stimuli (e.g., cues and contexts) contributes to the long-standing nature of addiction, as re-exposure to drug-associated stimuli can reinstate drug-seeking and -taking even after long periods of abstinence. The NAc has an established role in encoding the value of drug-associated stimuli, and dopamine release into the NAc is known to modulate the reinforcing effects of drugs, including heroin. Using fiber photometry, we show that entering a heroin-paired context is driven by dopamine signaling and NAc direct pathway activation, whereas exiting a heroin-paired context is driven by NAc indirect pathway activation. This study provides further insight into the role of NAc microcircuitry in encoding the reinforcing properties of heroin.
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50
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Bolkan SS, Stone IR, Pinto L, Ashwood ZC, Iravedra Garcia JM, Herman AL, Singh P, Bandi A, Cox J, Zimmerman CA, Cho JR, Engelhard B, Pillow JW, Witten IB. Opponent control of behavior by dorsomedial striatal pathways depends on task demands and internal state. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:345-357. [PMID: 35260863 PMCID: PMC8915388 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A classic view of the striatum holds that activity in direct and indirect pathways oppositely modulates motor output. Whether this involves direct control of movement, or reflects a cognitive process underlying movement, remains unresolved. Here we find that strong, opponent control of behavior by the two pathways of the dorsomedial striatum depends on the cognitive requirements of a task. Furthermore, a latent state model (a hidden Markov model with generalized linear model observations) reveals that-even within a single task-the contribution of the two pathways to behavior is state dependent. Specifically, the two pathways have large contributions in one of two states associated with a strategy of evidence accumulation, compared to a state associated with a strategy of repeating previous choices. Thus, both the demands imposed by a task, as well as the internal state of mice when performing a task, determine whether dorsomedial striatum pathways provide strong and opponent control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott S Bolkan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Iris R Stone
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Lucas Pinto
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Zoe C Ashwood
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Alison L Herman
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Priyanka Singh
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Akhil Bandi
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Julia Cox
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Jounhong Ryan Cho
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ben Engelhard
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Jonathan W Pillow
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ilana B Witten
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
- Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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