Increased CRF signalling in a ventral tegmental area-interpeduncular nucleus-medial habenula circuit induces anxiety during nicotine withdrawal

Nicotine suppresses crystalline silica-induced astrocyte activation and neuronal death by inhibiting NF-κB in the mouse hippocampus

AIMS

Exposure to crystalline silica (CS) in occupational settings induces chronic inflammation in the respiratory system and, potentially, the brain. Some workers are frequently concurrently exposed to both CS and nicotine. Here, we explored the impact of nicotine on CS-induced neuroinflammation in the mouse hippocampus.

METHODS

In this study, we established double-exposed models of CS and nicotine in C57BL/6 mice. To assess depression-like behavior, experiments were conducted at 3, 6, and 9 weeks. Serum inflammatory factors were analyzed by ELISA. Hippocampus was collected for RNA sequencing analysis and examining the gene expression patterns linked to inflammation and cell death. Microglia and astrocyte activation and hippocampal neuronal death were assessed using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. Western blotting was used to analyze the NF-κB expression level.

RESULTS

Mice exposed to CS for 3 weeks showed signs of depression. This was accompanied by elevated IL-6 in blood, destruction of the blood-brain barrier, and activation of astrocytes caused by an increased NF-κB expression in the CA1 area of the hippocampus. The elevated levels of astrocyte-derived Lcn2 and upregulated genes related to inflammation led to higher neuronal mortality. Moreover, nicotine mitigated the NF-κB expression, astrocyte activation, and neuronal death, thereby ameliorating the associated symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Silica exposure induces neuroinflammation and neuronal death in the mouse hippocampal CA1 region and depressive behavior. However, nicotine inhibits CS-induced neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, alleviating depressive-like behaviors in mice.

Neuronal Excitability in the Medial Habenula and Ventral Tegmental Area Is Differentially Modulated by Nicotine Dosage and Menthol in a Sex-Specific Manner

The medial habenula (MHb) has been identified as the limiting factor for nicotine intake and facilitating nicotine withdrawal. However, few studies have assessed MHb neuronal excitability in response to nicotine, and, currently, a gap in knowledge is present for finding behavioral correlates to neuronal excitability in the region. Moreover, no study to date has evaluated sex or nicotine dosage as factors of excitability in the MHb. Here, we utilized an e-vape self-administration (EVSA) model to determine differences between sexes with different nicotine dosages ± menthol. Following this paradigm, we employed patch-clamp electrophysiology to assess key metrics of MHb neuronal excitability in relation to behavioral endpoints. We observed female mice self-administered significantly more than males, regardless of dosage. We also observed a direct correlation between self-administration behavior and MHb excitability with low-dose nicotine + menthol in males. Conversely, a high dose of nicotine ± menthol yields an inverse correlation between excitability and self-administration behavior in males only. In addition, intrinsic excitability in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) does not track with the amount of nicotine self-administered. Rather, they correlate to the active/inactive discrimination of mice. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we also observed that dopamine release dynamics are linked to reinforcement-related behavior in males and motivation-related behaviors in females. These results point to a sex-specific difference in the activity of the MHb and VTA leading to distinct differences in self-administration behavior. His could lend evidence to clinical observations of smoking and nicotine-use behavior differing between males and females.

Behavioral characterization of early nicotine withdrawal in the mouse: a potential model of acute dependence

BACKGROUND

Clinical and preclinical research have demonstrated that short-term exposure to nicotine during the initial experimentation stage can lead to early manifestation of withdrawal-like signs, indicating the state of "acute dependence". As drug withdrawal is a major factor driving the progression toward regular drug intake, characterizing and understanding the features of early nicotine withdrawal may be important for the prevention and treatment of drug addiction. In this study, we corroborate the previous studies by showing that withdrawal-like signs can be precipitated after short-term nicotine exposure in mice, providing a potential animal model of acute dependence on nicotine.

RESULTS

To model nicotine exposure from light tobacco use during the initial experimentation stage, mice were treated with 0.5 mg/kg (-)-nicotine ditartrate once daily for 3 days. On the following day, the behavioral tests were conducted after implementing spontaneous or mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal. In the open field test, precipitated nicotine withdrawal reduced locomotor activity and time spent in the center zone. In the elevated plus maze test, the mecamylamine challenge increased the time spent in the closed arm and reduced the number of entries irrespective of nicotine experience. In the examination of the somatic aspect, precipitated nicotine withdrawal enhanced the number of somatic signs. Finally, nicotine withdrawal did not affect cognitive functioning or social behavior in the passive avoidance, spatial object recognition, or social interaction test.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our data demonstrate that early nicotine withdrawal-like signs could be precipitated by the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine in mice, and that early withdrawal from nicotine primarily causes physical symptoms.

A neuronal coping mechanism linking stress-induced anxiety to motivation for reward

Stress coping involves innate and active motivational behaviors that reduce anxiety under stressful situations. However, the neuronal bases directly linking stress, anxiety, and motivation are largely unknown. Here, we show that acute stressors activate mouse GABAergic neurons in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Stress-coping behavior including self-grooming and reward behavior including sucrose consumption inherently reduced IPN GABAergic neuron activity. Optogenetic silencing of IPN GABAergic neuron activation during acute stress episodes mimicked coping strategies and alleviated anxiety-like behavior. In a mouse model of stress-enhanced motivation for sucrose seeking, photoinhibition of IPN GABAergic neurons reduced stress-induced motivation for sucrose, whereas photoactivation of IPN GABAergic neurons or excitatory inputs from medial habenula potentiated sucrose seeking. Single-cell sequencing, fiber photometry, and optogenetic experiments revealed that stress-activated IPN GABAergic neurons that drive motivated sucrose seeking express somatostatin. Together, these data suggest that stress induces innate behaviors and motivates reward seeking to oppose IPN neuronal activation as an anxiolytic stress-coping mechanism.

Nicotine addiction: More than just dopamine

Despite decades of research and anti-tobacco messaging, nicotine addiction remains an important public health problem leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. While fundamental studies have identified molecular, circuit-level and behavioral mechanisms important for nicotine reinforcement and withdrawal, recent studies have identified additional pathways that are important for both nicotine seeking and aversion. In particular, although dopaminergic mechanisms are necessary for nicotine-dependent reward and drug-seeking, novel glutamate and GABA signaling mechanisms in the mesolimbic system have been identified for their contributions to reward-related behaviors. An additional area of active investigation for nicotine addiction focuses on molecular mechanisms in the habenula-interpeduncular pathway driving nicotine aversion and withdrawal. Across all these domains, sex differences in the molecular basis of nicotine-induced behaviors have emerged that identify important new directions for future research. Recent studies reviewed here highlight additional pathways that could provide therapeutic targets for smoking cessation and problematic nicotine vaping.

CRH neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area regulate feeding behavior of mice

Food cues serve as pivotal triggers for eliciting physiological responses that subsequently influence food consumption. The magnitude of response induced by these cues stands as a critical determinant in the context of obesity risk. Nonetheless, the underlying neural mechanism that underpins how cues associated with edible food potentiate feeding behaviors remains uncertain. In this study, we revealed that corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area played a crucial role in promoting consummatory behaviors in mice, shedding light on this intricate process. By employing an array of diverse assays, we initially established the activation of these neurons during feeding. Manipulations using optogenetic and chemogenetic assays revealed that their activation amplified appetite and promoted feeding behaviors, whereas inhibition decreased them. Additionally, our investigation identified downstream targets, including the ventral tegmental area, and underscored the pivotal involvement of the CRH neuropeptide itself in orchestrating this regulatory network. This research casts a clarifying light on the neural mechanism underlying the augmentation of appetite and the facilitation of feeding behaviors in response to food cues. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Feed-forward Activation of Habenula Cholinergic Neurons by Local Acetylcholine

While the functional and behavioral role of the medial habenula (MHb) is still emerging, recent data indicate an involvement of this nuclei in regulating mood, aversion, and addiction. Unique to the MHb is a large cluster of cholinergic neurons that project to the interpeduncular nucleus and densely express acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) suggesting that the activity of these cholinergic neurons may be regulated by ACh itself. Whether endogenous ACh from within the habenula regulates cholinergic neuron activity has not been demonstrated. Supporting a role for ACh in modulating MHb activity, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors increased the firing rate of MHb cholinergic neurons in mouse habenula slices, an effect blocked by AChR antagonists and mediated by ACh which was detected via expressing fluorescent ACh sensors in MHb in vivo. To test if cholinergic afferents innervate MHb cholinergic neurons, we used anterograde and retrograde viral tracing to identify cholinergic inputs. Surprisingly, tracing experiments failed to detect cholinergic inputs into the MHb, including from the septum, suggesting that MHb cholinergic neurons may release ACh within the MHb to drive cholinergic activity. To test this hypothesis, we expressed channelrhodopsin in a portion of MHb cholinergic neurons while recording from non-opsin-expressing neurons. Light pulses progressively increased activity of MHb cholinergic neurons indicating feed-forward activation driven by MHb ACh release. These data indicate MHb cholinergic neurons may utilize a unique feed-forward mechanism to synchronize and increase activity by releasing local ACh.

Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke extract increases nicotine withdrawal symptoms in adult and adolescent male rats

The aim of the current study was to determine whether non-nicotine constituents of cigarette smoke contribute to nicotine dependence in adolescent and adult male Sprague Dawley rats. For 10 days animals were given three times daily intravenous injections of nicotine (1.5 mg/kg/day) or cigarette smoke extract (CSE) containing an equivalent dose of nicotine. Both spontaneous and mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal were then measured. Chronic treatment with CSE induced significantly greater somatic and affective withdrawal signs than nicotine in both adolescents and adults. Mecamylamine-precipitated somatic signs were similar at both ages. In contrast, animals spontaneously withdrawn from chronic drug treatment exhibited significant age differences: whereas adolescents chronically treated with nicotine did not show somatic signs, those treated with CSE showed similar physical withdrawal to those of adults. Mecamylamine did not precipitate anxiety-like behavior at either age. However, both adolescents and adults showed significant anxiety in a light-dark box test 18 h after spontaneous withdrawal. Anxiety-like behavior was still evident in an open field test 1 month after termination of drug treatment, with adolescents showing significantly greater affective symptoms than adults. Our findings indicate that non-nicotine constituents of cigarette smoke do contribute to dependence in both adolescents and adults and emphasize the importance of including smoke constituents with nicotine in animal models of tobacco dependence.

Acute nicotine abstinence amplifies subjective withdrawal symptoms and threat-evoked fear and anxiety, but not extended amygdala reactivity

Tobacco smoking imposes a staggering burden on public health, underscoring the urgency of developing a deeper understanding of the processes that maintain addiction. Clinical and experience-sampling data highlight the importance of anxious withdrawal symptoms, but the underlying neurobiology has remained elusive. Mechanistic work in animals implicates the central extended amygdala (EAc)-including the central nucleus of the amygdala and the neighboring bed nucleus of the stria terminalis-but the translational relevance of these discoveries remains unexplored. Here we leveraged a randomized trial design, well-established threat-anticipation paradigm, and multidimensional battery of assessments to understand the consequences of 24-hour nicotine abstinence. The threat-anticipation paradigm had the expected consequences, amplifying subjective distress and arousal, and recruiting the canonical threat-anticipation network. Abstinence increased smoking urges and withdrawal symptoms, and potentiated threat-evoked distress, but had negligible consequences for EAc threat reactivity, raising questions about the translational relevance of prominent animal and human models of addiction. These observations provide a framework for conceptualizing nicotine abstinence and withdrawal, with implications for basic, translational, and clinical science.

Understanding the habenula: A major node in circuits regulating emotion and motivation

Over the last decade, the understanding of the habenula has rapidly advanced from being an understudied brain area with the Latin name 'habena" meaning "little rein", to being considered a "major rein" in the control of key monoaminergic brain centers. This ancient brain structure is a strategic node in the information flow from fronto-limbic brain areas to brainstem nuclei. As such, it plays a crucial role in regulating emotional, motivational, and cognitive behaviors and has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and addiction. This review will summarize recent findings on the medial (MHb) and lateral (LHb) habenula, their topographical projections, cell types, and functions. Additionally, we will discuss contemporary efforts that have uncovered novel molecular pathways and synaptic mechanisms with a focus on MHb-Interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) synapses. Finally, we will explore the potential interplay between the habenula's cholinergic and non-cholinergic components in coordinating related emotional and motivational behaviors, raising the possibility that these two pathways work together to provide balanced roles in reward prediction and aversion, rather than functioning independently.

Microglia sustain anterior cingulate cortex neuronal hyperactivity in nicotine-induced pain

BACKGROUND

Long-term smoking is a risk factor for chronic pain, and chronic nicotine exposure induces pain-like effects in rodents. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been demonstrated to be associated with pain and substance abuse. This study aims to investigate whether ACC microglia are altered in response to chronic nicotine exposure and their interaction with ACC neurons and subsequent nicotine-induced allodynia in mice.

METHODS

We utilized a mouse model that was fed nicotine water for 28 days. Brain slices of the ACC were collected for morphological analysis to evaluate the impacts of chronic nicotine on microglia. In vivo calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamp were used to record the excitability of ACC glutamatergic neurons.

RESULTS

Compared to the vehicle control, the branch endpoints and the length of ACC microglial processes decreased in nicotine-treated mice, coinciding with the hyperactivity of glutamatergic neurons in the ACC. Inhibition of ACC glutamatergic neurons alleviated nicotine-induced allodynia and reduced microglial activation. On the other hand, reactive microglia sustain ACC neuronal excitability in response to chronic nicotine, and pharmacological inhibition of microglia by minocycline or liposome-clodronate reduces nicotine-induced allodynia. The neuron-microglia interaction in chronic nicotine-induced allodynia is mediated by increased expression of neuronal CX3CL1, which activates microglia by acting on CX3CR1 receptors on microglial cells.

CONCLUSION

Together, these findings underlie a critical role of ACC microglia in the maintenance of ACC neuronal hyperactivity and resulting nociceptive hypersensitivity in chronic nicotine-treated mice.

Blockade of orexin receptor 1 attenuates morphine protracted abstinence-induced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice

One negative emotional state from morphine protracted abstinence is anxiety which can drive craving and relapse risk in opioid addicts. Although the orexinergic system has been reported to be important in mediating emotion processing and addiction, the role of orexinergic system in anxiety from drug protracted abstinence remains elusive. In this study, by using behavioral test, western blot, electrophysiology and virus-mediated regulation of orexin receptor 1 (OX1R), we found that: (1) Intraperitoneal and intra-VTA administration of a selective OX1R antagonist SB334867 alleviated anxiety-like behaviors in open field test (OFT) but not in elevated plus maze test (EPM) in morphine protracted abstinent male mice. (2) OX1R expression in the VTA was upregulated by morphine withdrawal. (3) Virus-mediated knockdown of OX1R in the VTA prevented morphine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behaviors and virus-mediated overexpression of OX1R in the VTA was sufficient to produce anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. (4) The VTA neuronal activity was increased significantly induced by morphine protracted abstinence, which was mediated by OX1R. (5) OX1R was widely distributed in the neuronal soma and processes of dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons in the VTA. The findings revealed that the OX1R mediates morphine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behaviors and the VTA plays a critical role in this effect.

Specific Inhibition of Interpeduncular Nucleus GABAergic Neurons Alleviates Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Male Mice after Prolonged Abstinence from Methamphetamine

Anxiety is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms of methamphetamine (METH) abuse, which further drives relapse to drugs. Interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) has been implicated in anxiety-like behaviors and addiction, yet its role in METH-abstinence-induced anxiety remains unknown. Here, we found that prolonged abstinence from METH enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice, accompanied by more excited IPN GABAergic neurons, as indicated by the increased c-fos expression and the enhanced neuronal excitability by electrophysiological recording in the GABAergic neurons. Using the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs method, specific inhibition of IPN GABAergic neurons rescued the aberrant neuronal excitation of IPN GABAergic neurons and efficiently reduced anxiety-like behaviors, whereas it did not induce depression-like behaviors in male mice after prolonged abstinence from METH. These findings reveal that IPN GABAergic neurons should be a promising brain target to alleviate late withdrawal symptoms from METH with few side effects.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prolonged abstinence from METH triggers IPN GABAergic neurons and ultimately increases anxiety in male mice. Suppressing IPN GABAergic neurons rescues METH abstinence-induced aberrant neuronal excitation of IPN GABAergic neurons and efficiently reduces anxiety in mice.

Viral Tracing Confirms Paranigral Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Inputs to the Interpeduncular Nucleus Where Dopamine Release Encodes Motivated Exploration

Midbrain dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are engaged by rewarding stimuli and encode reward prediction error to update goal-directed learning. However, recent data indicate that VTA DAergic neurons are functionally heterogeneous with emerging roles in aversive signaling, salience, and novelty, based in part on anatomic location and projection, highlighting a need to functionally characterize the repertoire of VTA DAergic efferents in motivated behavior. Previous work identifying a mesointerpeduncular circuit consisting of VTA DAergic neurons projecting to the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN), a midbrain area implicated in aversion, anxiety-like behavior, and familiarity, has recently come into question. To verify the existence of this circuit, we combined presynaptic targeted and retrograde viral tracing in the dopamine transporter-Cre mouse line. Consistent with previous reports, synaptic tracing revealed that axon terminals from the VTA innervate the caudal IPN; whereas, retrograde tracing revealed DAergic VTA neurons, predominantly in the paranigral region, project to the nucleus accumbens shell, as well as the IPN. To test whether functional DAergic neurotransmission exists in the IPN, we expressed the genetically encoded DA sensor, dLight 1.2, in the IPN of C57BL/6J mice and measured IPN DA signals in vivo during social and anxiety-like behavior using fiber photometry. We observed an increase in IPN DA signal during social investigation of a novel but not familiar conspecific and during exploration of the anxiogenic open arms of the elevated plus maze. Together, these data confirm VTA DAergic neuron projections to the IPN and implicate this circuit in encoding motivated exploration.

Habenular Neurons Expressing Mu Opioid Receptors Promote Negative Affect in a Projection-Specific Manner

BACKGROUND

The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is central to hedonic balance and produces euphoria by engaging reward circuits. MOR signaling may also influence aversion centers, notably the habenula (Hb), where the receptor is highly dense. Our previous data suggest that the inhibitory activity of MOR in the Hb may limit aversive states. To investigate this hypothesis, we tested whether neurons expressing MOR in the Hb (Hb-MOR neurons) promote negative affect.

METHODS

Using Oprm1-Cre knockin mice, we combined tracing and optogenetics with behavioral testing to investigate consequences of Hb-MOR neuron stimulation for approach/avoidance (real-time place preference), anxiety-related responses (open field, elevated plus maze, and marble burying), and despair-like behavior (tail suspension).

RESULTS

Optostimulation of Hb-MOR neurons elicited avoidance behavior, demonstrating that these neurons promote aversive states. Anterograde tracing showed that, in addition to the interpeduncular nucleus, Hb-MOR neurons project to the dorsal raphe nucleus. Optostimulation of Hb-MOR/interpeduncular nucleus terminals triggered avoidance and despair-like responses with no anxiety-related effect, whereas light-activation of Hb-MOR/dorsal raphe nucleus terminals increased levels of anxiety with no effect on other behaviors, revealing 2 dissociable pathways controlling negative affect.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, the data demonstrate that Hb neurons expressing MOR facilitate aversive states via 2 distinct Hb circuits, contributing to despair-like behavior (Hb-MOR/interpeduncular nucleus) and anxiety (Hb-MOR/dorsal raphe nucleus). The findings support the notion that inhibition of these neurons by either endogenous or exogenous opioids may relieve negative affect, a mechanism that would have implications for hedonic homeostasis and addiction.

Cell-type-specific population dynamics of diverse reward computations

Computational analysis of cellular activity has developed largely independently of modern transcriptomic cell typology, but integrating these approaches may be essential for full insight into cellular-level mechanisms underlying brain function and dysfunction. Applying this approach to the habenula (a structure with diverse, intermingled molecular, anatomical, and computational features), we identified encoding of reward-predictive cues and reward outcomes in distinct genetically defined neural populations, including TH+ cells and Tac1+ cells. Data from genetically targeted recordings were used to train an optimized nonlinear dynamical systems model and revealed activity dynamics consistent with a line attractor. High-density, cell-type-specific electrophysiological recordings and optogenetic perturbation provided supporting evidence for this model. Reverse-engineering predicted how Tac1+ cells might integrate reward history, which was complemented by in vivo experimentation. This integrated approach describes a process by which data-driven computational models of population activity can generate and frame actionable hypotheses for cell-type-specific investigation in biological systems.

Electroacupuncture Increases the Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission Efficiency and Long-Term Plasticity to Improve Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively improve vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), but its mechanisms have not been clearly elucidated. This study is aimed at investigating the mechanisms underlying the effects of EA treatment on hippocampal synaptic transmission efficiency and plasticity in rats with VCI. Methods. Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to VCI with bilateral common carotid occlusion (2VO). EA stimulation was applied to Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24) acupoints for 30 min once a day, five times a week, for four weeks. Our study also included nonacupoint groups to confirm the specificity of EA therapy. The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to assess cognitive function. Electrophysiological techniques were used to detect the field characteristics of the hippocampal CA3–CA1 circuit in each group of rats, including input-output (I/O), paired-pulse facilitation ratios (PPR), field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP), and excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC). The expression of synapse- and calcium-mediated signal transduction associated proteins was detected through western blotting. Results. The MWM behavioural results showed that EA significantly improved cognitive function in VCI model rats. EA increased the I/O curve of VCI model rats from 20 to 90 μA. No significant differences were observed in hippocampal PPR. The fEPSP of the hippocampal CA3–CA1 circuit was significantly increased after EA treatment compared with that after nonacupuncture treatment. We found that EA led to an increase in the EPSC amplitude and frequency, especially in the decay and rise times. In addition, the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor 1, and Ca²⁺-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II increased to varying degrees in the hippocampus of VCI model rats. Conclusion. EA at GV20 and GV24 acupoints increased the basic synaptic transmission efficiency and synaptic plasticity of the hippocampal CA3–CA1 circuit, thereby improving learning and memory ability in rats with VCI.

A cholinergic medial septum input to medial habenula mediates generalization formation and extinction of visual aversion

Generalization of visual aversion is a critical function of the brain that supports survival, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We establish a rapid generalization procedure for inducing visual aversion by dynamic stripe images. By using fiber photometry, apoptosis, chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques, and behavioral tests, we find that decreased cholinergic neurons' activity in the medial septum (MS) leads to generalization loss of visual aversion. Strikingly, we identify a projection from MS cholinergic neurons to the medial habenula (MHb) and find that inhibition of the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit disrupts aversion-generalization formation while its continuous activation disrupts subsequent extinction. Further studies show that MS→MHb cholinergic projections modulate the generalization of visual aversion possibly via M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) of downstream neurons coreleasing glutamate and acetylcholine. These findings reveal that the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit is a critical node in aversion-generalization formation and extinction and potentially provides insight into the pathogenesis of affective disorders.

The incentive amplifying effects of nicotine: Roles in alcohol seeking and consumption

Nicotine has a unique profile among drugs of abuse. To the noninitiated user, nicotine has powerful aversive effects and its relatively weak euphorigenic effects undergo rapid tolerance. Despite this, nicotine is commonly abused despite negative heath consequences, and nicotine users have enormous difficulty quitting. Further, nicotine is one of the most commonly co-abused substances, in that it is often taken in combination with other drugs. One explanation of this polydrug use is that nicotine has multiple appetitive and consummatory conditioning effects. For example, nicotine is a reinforcement enhancer in that it can potently increase the incentive value of other stimuli, including those surrounding drugs of abuse such as alcohol. In addition, nicotine also has a unique profile of neurobiological effects that alter regulation of alcohol intake and interoception. This review discusses the psychological and biological mechanisms surrounding nicotine's appetitive conditioning and consummatory effects, particularly its interactions with alcohol.

Dynamic activity of interpeduncular nucleus GABAergic neurons controls expression of nicotine withdrawal in male mice

A critical brain area implicated in nicotine dependence is the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) located in the ventral midbrain and consisting primarily of GABAergic neurons. Previous studies indicate that IPN GABAergic neurons contribute to expression of somatic symptoms of nicotine withdrawal; however, whether IPN neurons are dynamically regulated during withdrawal in vivo and how this may contribute to both somatic and affective withdrawal behavior is unknown. To bridge this gap in knowledge, we expressed GCaMP in IPN GABAergic neurons and used in vivo fiber photometry to record changes in fluorescence, as a proxy for neuronal activity, in male mice during nicotine withdrawal. Mecamylamine-precipitated withdrawal significantly increased activity of IPN GABAergic neurons in nicotine-dependent, but not nicotine-naive mice. Analysis of GCaMP signals time-locked with somatic symptoms including grooming and scratching revealed reduced IPN GABAergic activity during these behaviors, specifically in mice undergoing withdrawal. In the elevated plus maze, used to measure anxiety-like behavior, an affective withdrawal symptom, IPN GABAergic neuron activity was increased during open-arm versus closed-arm exploration in nicotine-withdrawn, but not non-withdrawn mice. Optogenetic silencing IPN GABAergic neurons during withdrawal significantly reduced withdrawal-induced increases in somatic behavior and increased open-arm exploration. Together, our data indicate that IPN GABAergic neurons are dynamically regulated during nicotine withdrawal, leading to increased anxiety-like symptoms and somatic behavior, which inherently decrease IPN GABAergic neuron activity as a withdrawal-coping mechanism. These results provide a neuronal basis underlying the role of the IPN in the expression of somatic and affective behaviors of nicotine withdrawal.

From chronic stress and anxiety to neurodegeneration: Focus on neuromodulation of the axon initial segment

To adapt to the sustained demands of chronic stress, discrete brain circuits undergo structural and functional changes often resulting in anxiety disorders. In some individuals, anxiety disorders precede the development of motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) caused by degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Here, we present a circuit framework for probing a causal link between chronic stress, anxiety, and PD, which postulates a central role of abnormal neuromodulation of the SN's axon initial segment by brainstem inputs. It is grounded in findings demonstrating that the earliest PD pathologies occur in the stress-responsive, emotion regulation network of the brainstem, which provides the SN with dense aminergic and cholinergic innervation. SN's axon initial segment (AIS) has unique features that support the sustained and bidirectional propagation of activity in response to synaptic inputs. It is therefore, especially sensitive to circuit-mediated stress-induced imbalance of neuromodulation, and thus a plausible initiating site of neurodegeneration. This could explain why, although secondary to pathophysiologies in other brainstem nuclei, SN degeneration is the most extensive. Consequently, the cardinal symptom of PD, severe motor deficits, arise from degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway rather than other brainstem nuclei. Understanding when and how circuit dysfunctions underlying anxiety can progress to neurodegeneration, raises the prospect of timed interventions for reversing, or at least impeding, the early pathophysiologies that lead to PD and possibly other neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurobiological Mechanisms of Nicotine Reward and Aversion

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) regulate the rewarding actions of nicotine contained in tobacco that establish and maintain the smoking habit. nAChRs also regulate the aversive properties of nicotine, sensitivity to which decreases tobacco use and protects against tobacco use disorder. These opposing behavioral actions of nicotine reflect nAChR expression in brain reward and aversion circuits. nAChRs containing α4 and β2 subunits are responsible for the high-affinity nicotine binding sites in the brain and are densely expressed by reward-relevant neurons, most notably dopaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. High-affinity nAChRs can incorporate additional subunits, including β3, α6, or α5 subunits, with the resulting nAChR subtypes playing discrete and dissociable roles in the stimulatory actions of nicotine on brain dopamine transmission. nAChRs in brain dopamine circuits also participate in aversive reactions to nicotine and the negative affective state experienced during nicotine withdrawal. nAChRs containing α3 and β4 subunits are responsible for the low-affinity nicotine binding sites in the brain and are enriched in brain sites involved in aversion, including the medial habenula, interpeduncular nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract, brain sites in which α5 nAChR subunits are also expressed. These aversion-related brain sites regulate nicotine avoidance behaviors, and genetic variation that modifies the function of nAChRs in these sites increases vulnerability to tobacco dependence and smoking-related diseases. Here, we review the molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms through which nicotine elicits reward and aversion and the adaptations in these processes that drive the development of nicotine dependence. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Tobacco use disorder in the form of habitual cigarette smoking or regular use of other tobacco-related products is a major cause of death and disease worldwide. This article reviews the actions of nicotine in the brain that contribute to tobacco use disorder.

New Insights in the Involvement of the Endocannabinoid System and Natural Cannabinoids in Nicotine Dependence

Nicotine, the main psychoactive component in tobacco smoke, plays a major role in tobacco addiction, producing a high morbidity and mortality in the world. A great amount of research has been developed to elucidate the neural pathways and neurotransmitter systems involved in such a complex addictive behavior. The endocannabinoid system, which has been reported to participate in the addictive properties of most of the prototypical drugs of abuse, is also implicated in nicotine dependence. This review summarizes and updates the main behavioral and biochemical data involving the endocannabinoid system in the rewarding properties of nicotine as well as in nicotine withdrawal and relapse to nicotine-seeking behavior. Promising results from preclinical studies suggest that manipulation of the endocannabinoid system could be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating nicotine addiction.

Rodent models for nicotine withdrawal

BACKGROUND

Animal models are critical to improve our understanding of the neuronal mechanisms underlying nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine dependence in rodents can be established by repeated nicotine injections, chronic nicotine infusion via osmotic minipumps, oral nicotine intake, tobacco smoke exposure, nicotine vapor exposure, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure. The time course of nicotine withdrawal symptoms associated with these methods has not been reviewed in the literature.

AIM

The goal of this review is to discuss nicotine withdrawal symptoms associated with the cessation of nicotine, tobacco smoke, nicotine vapor, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure in rats and mice. Furthermore, age and sex differences in nicotine withdrawal symptoms are reviewed.

RESULTS

Cessation of nicotine, tobacco smoke, nicotine vapor, and e-cigarette aerosol exposure leads to nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as somatic withdrawal signs, changes in locomotor activity, anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, learning and memory deficits, attention deficits, hyperalgesia, and dysphoria. These withdrawal symptoms are most pronounced within the first week after cessation of nicotine exposure. Anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, and deficits in learning and memory may persist for several months. Adolescent (4-6 weeks old) rats and mice display fewer nicotine withdrawal symptoms than adults (>8 weeks old). In adult rats and mice, females show fewer nicotine withdrawal symptoms than males. The smoking cessation drugs bupropion and varenicline reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms in rodents.

CONCLUSION

The nicotine withdrawal symptoms that are observed in rodents are similar to those observed in humans. Tobacco smoke and e-cigarette aerosol contain chemicals and added flavors that enhance the reinforcing properties of nicotine. Therefore, more valid animal models of tobacco and e-cigarette use need to be developed by using tobacco smoke and e-cigarette aerosol exposure methods to induce dependence.

Protein profiling in the habenula after chronic (-)-menthol exposure in mice

The identification of proteins that are altered following nicotine/tobacco exposure can facilitate and positively impact the investigation of related diseases. In this report, we investigated the effects of chronic (-)-menthol exposure in 14 murine brain regions for changes in total β2 subunit protein levels and changes in epibatidine binding levels using immunoblotting and radioligand binding assays. We identified the habenula as a region of interest due to the region's marked decreases in β2 subunit and nAChR levels in response to chronic (-)-menthol alone. Thus, we further examined the habenula, a brain region associated with both the reward and withdrawal components of addiction, for additional protein level alterations using mass spectrometry. A total of 552 proteins with altered levels were identified after chronic (-)-menthol exposure. Enriched in the proteins with altered levels after (-)-menthol exposure were proteins associated with signaling, immune systems, RNA regulation, and protein transport. The continuation and expansion of the brain region-specific protein profiling in response to (-)-menthol will provide a better understanding of how this common flavorant in tobacco and e-liquid products may affect addiction and general health.

Regulation of habenular G-protein gamma 8 on learning and memory via modulation of the central acetylcholine system

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) gamma 8 (Gng8) is a subunit of G proteins and expressed in the medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Recent studies have demonstrated that Gng8 is involved in brain development; however, the roles of Gng8 on cognitive function have not yet been addressed. In the present study, we investigated the expression of Gng8 in the brain and found that Gng8 was predominantly expressed in the MHb-IPN circuit of the mouse brain. We generated Gng8 knockout (KO) mice by CRISPR/Cas9 system in order to assess the role of Gng8 on cognitive function. Gng8 KO mice exhibited deficiency in learning and memory in passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests. In addition, Gng8 KO mice significantly reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus compared to that of wild-type (WT) mice. Furthermore, we observed that levels of acetylcholine (ACh) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the MHb and IPN of Gng8 KO mice were significantly decreased, compared to WT mice. The administration of nAChR α4β2 agonist A85380 rescued memory impairment in the Gng8 KO mice, suggesting that Gng8 regulates cognitive function via modulation of cholinergic activity. Taken together, Gng8 is a potential therapeutic target for memory-related diseases and/or neurodevelopmental diseases.

Sex Differences in the Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens Proteome at Baseline and Following Nicotine Exposure

Sex differences in behaviors relevant to nicotine addiction have been observed in rodent models and human subjects. Behavioral, imaging, and epidemiological studies also suggest underlying sex differences in mesolimbic dopamine signaling pathways. In this study we evaluated the proteome in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell in male and female mice. Experimental groups included two mouse strains (C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J) at baseline, a sub-chronic, rewarding regimen of nicotine in C3H/HeJ mice, and chronic nicotine administration and withdrawal in C57BL/6J mice. Isobaric labeling with a TMT 10-plex system, sample fractionation, and tandem mass spectrometry were used to quantify changes in protein abundance. In C3H/HeJ mice, similar numbers of proteins were differentially regulated between sexes at baseline compared with within each sex after sub-chronic nicotine administration. In C57BL/6J mice, there were significantly greater numbers of proteins differentially regulated between sexes at baseline compared with within each sex after chronic nicotine administration and withdrawal. Despite differences by sex, strain, and nicotine exposure parameters, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP-32, Ppp1r1b) were repeatedly identified as significantly altered proteins, especially in the VTA. Further, network analyses showed sex- and nicotine-dependent regulation of a number of signaling pathways, including dopaminergic signaling. Sub-chronic nicotine exposure in female mice increased proteins related to dopaminergic signaling in the NAc shell but decreased them in the VTA, whereas the opposite pattern was observed in male mice. In contrast, dopaminergic signaling pathways were similarly upregulated in both male and female VTA after chronic nicotine and withdrawal. Overall, this study identifies significant sex differences in the proteome of the mesolimbic system, at baseline and after nicotine reward or withdrawal, which may help explain differential trajectories and susceptibility to nicotine addiction in males and females.

Role of endocannabinoid signaling in a septohabenular pathway in the regulation of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior

Enhancing endocannabinoid signaling produces anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects, but the neural circuits involved remain poorly understood. The medial habenula (MHb) is a phylogenetically-conserved epithalamic structure that is a powerful modulator of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. Here, we show that a robust endocannabinoid signaling system modulates synaptic transmission between the MHb and its sole identified GABA input, the medial septum and nucleus of the diagonal band (MSDB). With RNAscope in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that key enzymes that synthesize or degrade the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) or anandamide are expressed in the MHb and MSDB, and that cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) is expressed in the MSDB. Electrophysiological recordings in MHb neurons revealed that endogenously-released 2-AG retrogradely depresses GABA input from the MSDB. This endocannabinoid-mediated depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) was limited by monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) but not by fatty acid amide hydrolase. Anatomic and optogenetic circuit mapping indicated that MSDB GABA neurons monosynaptically project to cholinergic neurons of the ventral MHb. To test the behavioral significance of this MSDB-MHb endocannabinoid signaling, we induced MSDB-specific knockout of CB1 or MAGL via injection of virally-delivered Cre recombinase into the MSDB of Cnr1loxP/loxP or MgllloxP/loxP mice. Relative to control mice, MSDB-specific knockout of CB1 or MAGL bidirectionally modulated 2-AG signaling in the ventral MHb and led to opposing effects on anxiety- and depressive-like behavior. Thus, depression of synaptic GABA release in the MSDB-ventral MHb pathway may represent a potential mechanism whereby endocannabinoids exert anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects.

Genetically Targeted Connectivity Tracing Excludes Dopaminergic Inputs to the Interpeduncular Nucleus from the Ventral Tegmentum and Substantia Nigra

The “habenulopeduncular system” consists of the medial habenula (MHb) and its principal target of innervation, the interpeduncular nucleus (IP). Neurons in the ventral MHb (MHbV) express acetylcholine along with glutamate, and both the MHb and IP are rich in nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Much of the work on this system has focused on nicotinic mechanisms and their clinical implications for nicotine use, particularly because the IP expresses the α5 nicotinic receptor subunit, encoded by the CHRNA5 gene, which is genetically linked to smoking risk. A working model has emerged in which nicotine use may be determined by the balance of reinforcement mediated in part by nicotine effects on dopamine reward pathways, and an aversive “brake” on nicotine consumption encoded in the MHb-IP pathway. However, recent work has proposed that the IP also receives direct dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). If correct, this would significantly impact the prevailing model of IP function. Here, we have used Chrna5^Cre mice to perform rabies virus-mediated retrograde tracing of global inputs to the IP. We have also used Cre-dependent adeno-associated virus (AAV) anterograde tracing using Slc6a3^Cre (DAT^Cre) mice to map VTA dopaminergic efferents, and we have examined tract-tracing data using other transgenic models for dopaminergic neurons available in a public database. Consistent with the existing literature using non-genetic tracing methods, none of these experiments show a significant anatomic connection from the VTA or substantia nigra (SN) to the IP, and thus do not support a model of direct dopaminergic input to the habenulopeduncular system.

Vitamin D3 reduces hippocampal NR2A and anxiety in nicotine withdrawal mice

Nicotine withdrawal symptoms, mainly anxiety, cause high level of relapse rate after quitting smoking. Vitamin D supplementation has shown its potential for the prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders; however, neurobiological studies about the effect of vitamin D on nicotine withdrawal-induced anxiety are limited. To investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of vitamin D3 supplement by dietary on anxiety-like behavior during nicotine withdrawal, male C57/BL6 mice were divided into four groups: vehicle, nicotine only, vitamin D3 only, and nicotine plus vitamin D3. Mice were administrated with nicotine in drinking water (200 µg/mL), and vitamin D3 in feed for 6 weeks. During nicotine withdrawal, vitamin D3-treated mice showed significantly less anxiety-like behavior by an open-field test and marble buried test that performed an increase in the duration of the central zone and a decrease buried marble, respectively. Moreover, vitamin D3 supplementation attenuated the hippocampal NR2A expression on both protein and mRNA levels in nicotine and vitamin D3-treated mice. Our data showed that dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 ameliorated nicotine withdrawal-induced anxiety, which may be related to downregulation of NR2A expression in hippocampus. Vitamin D3 may provide a new dietary intervention with the easy access for smoking cessation.

Addiction-related neuroadaptations following chronic nicotine exposure

The addiction-relevant molecular, cellular, and behavioral actions of nicotine are derived from its stimulatory effects on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the central nervous system. nAChRs expressed by dopamine-containing neurons in the ventral midbrain, most notably in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), contribute to the reward-enhancing properties of nicotine that motivate the use of tobacco products. nAChRs are also expressed by neurons in brain circuits that regulate aversion. In particular, nAChRs expressed by neurons in the medial habenula (mHb) and the interpeduncular nucleus (IPn) to which the mHb almost exclusively projects regulate the "set-point" for nicotine aversion and control nicotine intake. Different nAChR subtypes are expressed in brain reward and aversion circuits and nicotine intake is titrated to maximally engage reward-enhancing nAChRs while minimizing the recruitment of aversion-promoting nAChRs. With repeated exposure to nicotine, reward- and aversion-related nAChRs and the brain circuits in which they are expressed undergo adaptations that influence whether tobacco use will transition from occasional to habitual. Genetic variation that influences the sensitivity of addiction-relevant brain circuits to the actions of nicotine also influence the propensity to develop habitual tobacco use. Here, we review some of the key advances in our understanding of the mechanisms by which nicotine acts on brain reward and aversion circuits and the adaptations that occur in these circuits that may drive addiction to nicotine-containing tobacco products.

Serotonin neurons in the median raphe nucleus bidirectionally regulate somatic signs of nicotine withdrawal in mice

In chronic smokers, nicotine withdrawal symptoms during tobacco cessation can lead to smoking relapse. In rodent models, chronic exposure to nicotine elicited physical dependence, whereas acute antagonism of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) immediately precipitated withdrawal symptoms. Although the central serotonergic system plays an important role in nicotine withdrawal, the exact serotonergic raphe nuclei regulating these symptoms remain unknown. We used transgenic mice expressing archaerhodopsinTP009 or channelrhodopsin-2[C128S] exclusively in the central serotonergic neurons to selectively manipulate serotonergic neurons in each raphe nucleus. Nicotine withdrawal symptoms were precipitated by an acute injection of mecamylamine, a nonspecific nAChR antagonist, following chronic nicotine consumption. Somatic signs were used as measures of nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Acute mecamylamine administration significantly increased ptosis occurrence in nicotine-drinking mice compared with that in control-drinking mice. Optogenetic inhibition of the serotonergic neurons in the median raphe nucleus (MRN), but not of those in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), mimicked the symptoms observed during mecamylamine-precipitated nicotine withdrawal even in nicotine-naïve mice following the administration of acute mecamylamine injection. Optogenetic activation of the serotonergic neurons in the MRN nearly abolished the occurrence of ptosis in nicotine-drinking mice. The serotonergic neurons in the MRN, but not those in the DRN, are necessary for the occurrence of somatic signs, a nicotine withdrawal symptom, and the activation of these neurons may act as a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing the somatic manifestations of nicotine withdrawal.

Female rats display greater nicotine withdrawal-induced cellular activation of a central portion of the interpeduncular nucleus versus males: A study of Fos immunoreactivity within provisionally assigned interpeduncular subnuclei

BACKGROUND

The interpeduncular nucleus (>1840) (IPN) has been shown to modulate the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal in male rodents. To date, the contribution of this brain structure to sex differences in withdrawal is largely unexplored.

METHODS

This study compared neuronal activation, as reported by observable Fos expression in the IPN of nicotine-dependent female and male rats experiencing withdrawal. We provisionally localized the Fos-expressing cells to certain IPN subnuclei within Swanson's standardized brain atlas (2018). Adult female and male rats were prepared with a pump that delivered nicotine (3.2 mg/kg/day; base) continuously. Controls received a sham surgery. Fourteen days later, the rats received administration of saline or the nicotinic receptor antagonist, mecamylamine (3.0 mg/kg; salt), and physical signs and anxiety-like behavior were assessed. The rats were then euthanized and brain sections containing the IPN were processed for Fos immunofluorescence to infer the possible IPN subnuclei displaying differential activation between sexes.

RESULTS

Both female and male rats displayed withdrawal-induced Fos expression within the IPN. Compared to males, female rats displayed greater numbers of withdrawal-induced Fos-positive cells within a circumscribed portion of the IPN that may fall within the cytoarchitectural boundaries of the central subnucleus (>1840) (IPNc). The withdrawal-induced activation of the IPN was correlated with negative affective states in females, but not males.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that a centrally located group of IPN cells, presumably situated partly or completely within the IPNc, play a role in modulating sex differences in negative affective states produced by withdrawal.

Amino acid systems in the interpeduncular nucleus are altered in a sex-dependent manner during nicotine withdrawal

Prior work in male rodents established that the medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway modulates nicotine withdrawal. Specifically, withdrawal severity has been closely associated with inhibitory tone in the IPN via interneurons that release γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Inhibitory tone in the IPN is regulated by projections from the MHb that co-release glutamate and acetylcholine. Within the IPN, inhibitory tone is also regulated via corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 (CRF1) receptors that control GABA release from local interneurons. This study extends previous work by comparing sex differences in GABA, glutamate, as well serotonin levels in the IPN during precipitated nicotine withdrawal. Sex differences in withdrawal-induced neurochemical effects were also compared following systemic administration of a CRF1 receptor antagonist. The results revealed that there were no group differences in serotonin levels in the IPN. A major finding was that females displayed a larger withdrawal-induced increases in GABA levels in the IPN than males. Also, withdrawal increased IPN glutamate levels in a similar manner in females and males. Blockade of CRF1 receptors produced a larger suppression of the withdrawal-induced increases in GABA levels in the IPN of females versus males, an effect that was likely related to the robust increase in glutamate following administration of the CRF1 receptor antagonist in females. These data suggest that amino acid systems in the IPN modulate sex differences in the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal. Furthermore, our data imply that medications that target stress-induced activation of the IPN may reduce withdrawal severity, particularly in females.

Multidimensional Intersection of Nicotine, Gene Expression, and Behavior

The cholinergic system plays a crucial role in nervous system function with important effects on developmental processes, cognition, attention, motivation, reward, learning, and memory. Nicotine, the reinforcing component of tobacco and e-cigarettes, directly acts on the cholinergic system by targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain. Activation of nAChRs leads to a multitude of immediate and long-lasting effects in specific cellular populations, thereby affecting the addictive properties of the drug. In addition to the direct actions of nicotine in binding to and opening nAChRs, the subsequent activation of circuits and downstream signaling cascades leads to a wide range of changes in gene expression, which can subsequently alter further behavioral expression. In this review, we provide an overview of the actions of nicotine that lead to changes in gene expression and further highlight evidence supporting how these changes can often be bidirectional, thereby inducing subsequent changes in behaviors associated with further drug intake.

Chronic sleep fragmentation enhances habenula cholinergic neural activity

Sleep is essential to emotional health. Sleep disturbance, particularly REM sleep disturbance, profoundly impacts emotion regulation, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain elusive. Here we show that chronic REM sleep disturbance, achieved in mice by chronic sleep fragmentation (SF), enhanced neural activity in the medial habenula (mHb), a brain region increasingly implicated in negative affect. Specifically, after a 5-day SF procedure that selectively fragmented REM sleep, cholinergic output neurons (ChNs) in the mHb exhibited increased spontaneous firing rate and enhanced firing regularity in brain slices. The SF-induced firing changes remained intact upon inhibition of glutamate, GABA, acetylcholine, and histamine receptors, suggesting cell-autonomous mechanisms independent of synaptic transmissions. Moreover, the SF-induced hyperactivity was not because of enhanced intrinsic membrane excitability, but was accompanied by depolarized resting membrane potential in mHb ChNs. Furthermore, inhibition of TASK-3 (KCNK9) channels, a subtype of two-pore domain K⁺ channels, mimicked the SF effects by increasing the firing rate and regularity, as well as depolarizing the resting membrane potential in mHb ChNs in control-sleep mice. These effects of TASK-3 inhibition were absent in SF mice, suggesting reduced TASK-3 activity following SF. By contrast, inhibition of small-conductance Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ (SK) channels did not produce similar effects. Thus, SF compromised TASK-3 function in mHb ChNs, which likely led to depolarized resting membrane potential and increased spontaneous firing. These results not only demonstrate that selective REM sleep disturbance leads to hyperactivity of mHb ChNs, but also identify a key molecular substrate through which REM sleep disturbance may alter affect regulation.

Altered mRNA Levels of Stress-Related Peptides in Mouse Hippocampus and Caudate-Putamen in Withdrawal after Long-Term Intermittent Exposure to Tobacco Smoke or Electronic Cigarette Vapour

Nicotine addiction is a severe public health problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in key neurotransmissions after 60 days of withdrawal from seven weeks of intermittent cigarette smoke, e-cigarette vapours, or an e-cigarette vehicle. In the nicotine withdrawal groups, increased depressive and anxiety/obsessive–compulsive-like behaviours were demonstrated in the tail suspension, sucrose preference and marble burying tests. Cognitive impairments were detected in the spatial object recognition test. A significant increase in Corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) and Crf1 mRNA levels was observed, specifically after cigarette withdrawal in the caudate-putamen nucleus (CPu). The nociceptin precursor levels were reduced by cigarette (80%) and e-cigarette (50%) withdrawal in the CPu. The delta opioid receptor showed a significant reduction in the hippocampus driven by the exposure to an e-cigarette solubilisation vehicle, while the mRNA levels doubled in the CPu of mice that had been exposed to e-cigarettes. Withdrawal after exposure to e-cigarette vapour induced a 35% Bdnf mRNA decrease in the hippocampus, whereas Bdnf was augmented by 118% by cigarette withdrawal in the CPu. This study shows that long-term withdrawal-induced affective and cognitive symptoms associated to lasting molecular alterations in peptidergic signalling may determine the impaired neuroplasticity in the hippocampal and striatal circuitry.

Cocaine experience abolishes the motivation suppressing effect of CRF in the ventral midbrain

Stress affects dopamine-dependent behaviors in part through the actions of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). For example, acute stress engages CRF signaling in the VTA to suppress the motivation to work for food rewards. In contrast, acute stress promotes drug-seeking behavior through the actions of CRF in the VTA. These diverging behavioral effects in food- and drug-based tasks could indicate that CRF modulates goal-directed actions in a reinforcer-specific manner. Alternatively, prior drug experience could functionally alter how CRF in the VTA regulates dopamine-dependent behavior. To address these possibilities, we examined how intra-VTA injections of CRF influenced cocaine intake and whether prior drug experience alters how CRF modulates the motivation for food rewards. Our results demonstrate that intra-VTA injections of CRF had no effect on drug intake when self-administering cocaine under a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule. We also found that a prior history of either contingent or noncontingent cocaine infusions abolished the capacity for CRF to reduce the motivation for food rewards. Furthermore, voltammetry recordings in the nucleus accumbens illustrate that CRF in the VTA had no effect on cocaine-evoked dopamine release. These results collectively illustrate that exposure to abused substances functionally alters how neuropeptides act within the VTA to influence motivated behavior.

Midbrain Dopamine Controls Anxiety-like Behavior by Engaging Unique Interpeduncular Nucleus Microcircuitry

BACKGROUND

Dopamine (DA) is hypothesized to modulate anxiety-like behavior, although the precise role of DA in anxiety behaviors and the complete anxiety network in the brain have yet to be elucidated. Recent data indicate that dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) innervate the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN), but how the IPN responds to DA and what role this circuit plays in anxiety-like behavior are unknown.

METHODS

We expressed a genetically encoded G protein-coupled receptor activation-based DA sensor in mouse midbrain to detect DA in IPN slices using fluorescence imaging combined with pharmacology. Next, we selectively inhibited or activated VTA→IPN DAergic inputs via optogenetics during anxiety-like behavior. We used a biophysical approach to characterize DA effects on neural IPN circuits. Site-directed pharmacology was used to test if DA receptors in the IPN can regulate anxiety-like behavior.

RESULTS

DA was detected in mouse IPN slices. Silencing/activating VTA→IPN DAergic inputs oppositely modulated anxiety-like behavior. Two neuronal populations in the ventral IPN (vIPN) responded to DA via D₁ receptors (D1Rs). vIPN neurons were controlled by a small population of D1R neurons in the caudal IPN that directly respond to VTA DAergic terminal stimulation and innervate the vIPN. IPN infusion of a D1R agonist and antagonist bidirectionally controlled anxiety-like behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

VTA DA engages D1R-expressing neurons in the caudal IPN that innervate vIPN, thereby amplifying the VTA DA signal to modulate anxiety-like behavior. These data identify a DAergic circuit that mediates anxiety-like behavior through unique IPN microcircuitry.

Midbrain circuits of novelty processing

Novelty triggers an increase in orienting behavior that is critical to evaluate the potential salience of unknown events. As novelty becomes familiar upon repeated encounters, this increase in response rapidly habituates as a form of behavioral adaptation underlying goal-directed behaviors. Many neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders are associated with abnormal responses to novelty and/or familiarity, although the neuronal circuits and cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying these natural behaviors in the healthy brain are largely unknown, as is the maladaptive processes that occur to induce impairment of novelty signaling in diseased brains. In rodents, the development of cutting-edge tools that allow for measurements of real time activity dynamics in selectively identified neuronal ensembles by gene expression signatures is beginning to provide advances in understanding the neural bases of the novelty response. Accumulating evidence indicate that midbrain circuits, the majority of which linked to dopamine transmission, promote exploratory assessments and guide approach/avoidance behaviors to different types of novelty via specific projection sites. The present review article focuses on midbrain circuit analysis relevant to novelty processing and habituation with familiarity.

T-Type Calcium Channels Contribute to Burst Firing in a Subpopulation of Medial Habenula Neurons

Action potential (AP) burst firing caused by the activation of low-voltage-activated T-type Ca²⁺ channels is a unique mode of neuronal firing. T-type channels have been implicated in diverse physiological and pathophysiological processes, including epilepsy, autism, and mood regulation, but the brain structures involved remain incompletely understood. The medial habenula (MHb) is an epithalamic structure implicated in anxiety-like and withdrawal behavior. Previous studies have shown that MHb neurons fire tonic APs at a frequency of ∼2–10 Hz or display depolarized low-amplitude membrane oscillations. Here, we report in C57BL/6J mice that a subpopulation of MHb neurons are capable of firing transient, high-frequency AP bursts mediated by T-type channels. Burst firing was observed following rebounding from hyperpolarizing current injections or during depolarization from hyperpolarized membrane potentials in ∼20% of MHb neurons. It was rarely observed at baseline but could be evoked in MHb neurons displaying different initial activity states. Further, we show that T-type channel mRNA, in particular Ca_v3.1, is expressed in the MHb in both cholinergic and substance P-ergic neurons. Pharmacological Ca_v3 antagonism blocked both burst firing and evoked Ca²⁺ currents in MHb neurons. Additionally, we observed high-frequency AP doublet firing at sustained depolarized membrane potentials that was independent of T-type channels. Thus, there is a greater diversity of AP firing patterns in MHb neurons than previously identified, including T-type channel-mediated burst firing, which may uniquely contribute to behaviors with relevance to neuropsychiatric disease.

Nicotine Self-Administration Induces Plastic Changes to Nicotinic Receptors in Medial Habenula

Chronic nicotine upregulates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) throughout the brain, and reducing their activity may promote somatic and affective states that lead to nicotine seeking. nAChRs are functionally upregulated in animal models using passive nicotine administration, but whether/how it occurs in response to volitional nicotine intake is unknown. The distinction is critical, as drug self-administration (SA) can induce neurotransmission and cellular excitability changes that passive drug administration does not. In this study, we probed the question of whether medial habenula (MHb) nAChRs are functionally augmented by nicotine SA. Male rats were implanted with an indwelling jugular catheter and trained to nose poke for nicotine infusions. A saline SA group controlled for non-specific responding and nicotine-associated visual cues. Using patch-clamp whole-cell recordings and local application of acetylcholine, we observed robust functional enhancement of nAChRs in MHb neurons from rats with a history of nicotine SA. To determine whether upregulated receptors are generally enhanced or directed to specific cellular compartments, we imaged neurons during recordings using two-photon laser scanning microscopy (2PLSM). nAChR activity at the cell soma and on proximal and distal dendrites was examined by local nicotine uncaging using a photoactivatable nicotine (PA-Nic) probe and focal laser flash photolysis. Results from this experiment revealed strong nAChR enhancement at all examined cellular locations. Our study demonstrates nAChR functional enhancement by nicotine SA, confirming that volitional nicotine intake sensitizes cholinergic systems in the brain. This may be a critical plasticity change supporting nicotine addiction.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and nicotine addiction: A brief introduction

Nicotine is a highly addictive drug found in tobacco that drives its continued use despite the harmful consequences. The initiation of nicotine abuse involves the mesolimbic dopamine system, which contributes to the rewarding sensory stimuli and associative learning processes in the beginning stages of addiction. Nicotine binds to neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which come in a diverse collection of subtypes. The nAChRs that contain the α4 and β2 subunits, often in combination with the α6 subunit, are particularly important for nicotine's ability to increase midbrain dopamine neuron firing rates and phasic burst firing. Chronic nicotine exposure results in numerous neuroadaptations, including the upregulation of particular nAChR subtypes associated with long-term desensitization of the receptors. When nicotine is no longer present, for example during attempts to quit smoking, a withdrawal syndrome develops. The expression of physical withdrawal symptoms depends mainly on the α2, α3, α5, and β4 nicotinic subunits in the epithalamic habenular complex and its target regions. Thus, nicotine affects diverse neural systems and an array of nAChR subtypes to mediate the overall addiction process. This article is part of the special issue on 'Contemporary Advances in Nicotine Neuropharmacology'.

Persistent cognitive and affective alterations at late withdrawal stages after long-term intermittent exposure to tobacco smoke or electronic cigarette vapour: Behavioural changes and their neurochemical correlates

Smoking cessation induces a withdrawal syndrome associated with anxiety, depression, and impaired neurocognitive functions, but much less is known about the withdrawal of e-cigarettes (e-CIG). We investigated in Balb/c mice the behavioural and neurochemical effects of withdrawal for up to 90 days after seven weeks' intermittent exposure to e-CIG vapour or cigarette smoke (CIG). The withdrawal of e-CIG and CIG induced early behavioural alterations such as spatial memory deficits (spatial object recognition task), increased anxiety (elevated plus maze test) and compulsive-like behaviour (marble burying test) that persisted for 60-90 days. Notably, attention-related (virtual object recognition task) and depression-like behaviours (tail suspension and sucrose preference tests) appeared only 15-30 days after withdrawal and persisted for as long as up to 90 days. At hippocampal level, the withdrawal-induced changes in the levels of AMPA receptor GluA1 and GluA2/3 subunits, PSD 95 protein, corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) and Crf receptor 1 (CrfR1) mRNA were biphasic: AMPA receptor subunit and PSD95 protein levels initially remained unchanged and decreased after 60-90 days, whereas Crf/CrfR1 mRNA levels initially increased and then markedly decreased after 60 days. These late reductions correlated with the behavioural impairments, particularly the appearance of depression-like behaviours. Our findings show that major behavioural and neurochemical alterations persist or even first appear late after the withdrawal of chronic CIG smoke or e-CIG vapour exposure, and underline importance of conducting similar studies of humans, including e-CIG vapers.

Stress and nicotine during adolescence disrupts adult hippocampal-dependent learning and alters stress reactivity

Adolescence represents increased susceptibility to stress that increases risk for nicotine dependence. The present study examined the interactive effects of brief exposure to stress (shipping/transportation or experimentally induced) and chronic nicotine during adolescence on cognitive function and stress reactivity in adulthood. Adolescent (P31), but not young adult (P47), C57BL/6J mice had higher levels of corticosterone after shipping vs mice bred onsite. Shipped preadolescent (P23) and adolescent (P38) mice, but not those bred onsite, exposed to nicotine showed deficits in contextual fear learning when tested in adulthood. Adult learning deficits were replicated in adolescent mice bred onsite, exposed to experimentally induced stress, and administered chronic nicotine. Stress and nicotine during adolescence resulted in higher expression of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors and corticotropin-releasing factor receptors and blunted restraint induced CORT release in adulthood. Importantly, studies examining adolescent behavior in mice should consider stress influences outcomes.

Role of corticotropin-releasing factor in alcohol and nicotine addiction

The two most prevalent substance use disorders involve alcohol and nicotine, which are often co-abused. Robust preclinical and translational evidence indicates that individuals initiate drug use for the acute rewarding effects of the substance. The development of negative emotional states is key for the transition from recreational use to substance use disorders as subjects seek the substance to obtain relief from the negative emotional states of acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is a major regulator of the brain stress system and key in the development of negative affective states. The present review examines the role of CRF in preclinical models of alcohol and nicotine abuse and explores links between CRF and anxiety-like, dysphoria-like, and other negative affective states. Finally, the present review discusses preclinical models of nicotine and alcohol use with regard to the CRF system, advances in molecular and genetic manipulations of CRF, and the importance of examining both males and females in this field of research.

TMEM16A expression in cholinergic neurons of the medial habenula mediates anxiety-related behaviors

TMEM16A, a Ca2+ -activated Cl- channel, is known to modulate the excitability of various types of cells; however, its function in central neurons is largely unknown. Here, we show the specific expression of TMEM16A in the medial habenula (mHb) via RNAscope in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and electrophysiology. When TMEM16A is ablated in the mHb cholinergic neurons (TMEM16A cKO mice), the slope of after-hyperpolarization of spontaneous action potentials decreases and the firing frequency is reduced. Reduced mHb activity also decreases the activity of the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Moreover, TMEM16A cKO mice display anxiogenic behaviors and deficits in social interaction without despair-like phenotypes or cognitive dysfunctions. Finally, chemogenetic inhibition of mHb cholinergic neurons using the DREADD (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) approach reveals similar behavioral phenotypes to those of TMEM16A cKO mice. We conclude that TMEM16A plays a key role in anxiety-related behaviors regulated by mHb cholinergic neurons and could be a potential therapeutic target against anxiety-related disorders.