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Pedrón VT, Canero EM, Varani AP, Aon AJ, Maldonado R, Balerio GN. Baclofen prevents morphine rewarding effects and associated biochemical alterations in male and female mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 979:176768. [PMID: 39002637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176768] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies from our laboratory have shown sex differences in the behavioral, molecular, and neurochemical manifestations of morphine withdrawal and they were related to an increased sensitivity to morphine effects in males. In addition, we observed an interaction between the GABAergic and opioid systems that could also be sex-dependent. Baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist, prevented the somatic expression and the molecular and neurochemical changes induced by morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. On the contrary, little is known about baclofen effects in the rewarding properties of morphine in male and female mice. The present study aimed to explore the effect of baclofen (1, 2 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) pretreatment in the rewarding effects induced by morphine (7 mg/kg, s.c.) and its effect on c-Fos and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression induced by the rewarding properties of morphine in prepubertal male and female mice. Baclofen (2 mg/kg) pretreatment prevented the rewarding effects of morphine only in male mice, while baclofen (3 mg/kg) reduced these effects in both sexes. Moreover, the rewarding effects of morphine were associated with a decrease of BDNF and c-Fos expression cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens shell, cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), and cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) areas of the hippocampus only in male mice. In addition, baclofen pretreatment prevented these changes in BDNF, but not in c-Fos expression. In conclusion, our results show that GABAB receptors have a regulatory role in the rewarding effects of morphine that could be of interest for a potential future therapeutic application in opioid use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria T Pedrón
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eliana M Canero
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Farmacología, Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Andrés P Varani
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amira J Aon
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratori de Neurofarmacologia, Facultat de Ciències de La Salut I de La Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Graciela N Balerio
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-CONICET), Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Farmacología, Junín 956, 5° Piso, C1113AAD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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2
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Wani SN, Grewal AK, Khan H, Singh TG. Elucidating the molecular symphony: unweaving the transcriptional & epigenetic pathways underlying neuroplasticity in opioid dependence and withdrawal. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06684-9. [PMID: 39254835 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06684-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
The persistent use of opioids leads to profound changes in neuroplasticity of the brain, contributing to the emergence and persistence of addiction. However, chronic opioid use disrupts the delicate balance of the reward system in the brain, leading to neuroadaptations that underlie addiction. Chronic cocaine usage leads to synchronized alterations in gene expression, causing modifications in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), a vital part of the reward system of the brain. These modifications assist in the development of maladaptive behaviors that resemble addiction. Neuroplasticity in the context of addiction involves changes in synaptic connectivity, neuronal morphology, and molecular signaling pathways. Drug-evoked neuroplasticity in opioid addiction and withdrawal represents a complicated interaction between environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Identifying specific transcriptional and epigenetic targets that can be modulated to restore normal neuroplasticity without disrupting essential physiological processes is a critical consideration. The discussion in this article focuses on the transcriptional aspects of drug-evoked neuroplasticity, emphasizing the role of key transcription factors, including cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), ΔFosB, NF-kB, Myocyte-enhancing factor 2 (MEF2), Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), E2F3a, and FOXO3a. These factors regulate gene expression and lead to the neuroadaptive changes observed in addiction and withdrawal. Epigenetic regulation, which involves modifying gene accessibility by controlling these structures, has been identified as a critical component of addiction development. By unraveling these complex molecular processes, this study provides valuable insights that may pave the way for future therapeutic interventions targeting the mechanisms underlying addiction and withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Nazir Wani
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, 140401, India
- Aman Pharmacy College, Dholakhera, Udaipurwati, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, 333307, India
| | - Amarjot Kaur Grewal
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, 140401, India.
| | - Heena Khan
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, 140401, India
| | - Thakur Gurjeet Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, Punjab, 140401, India
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Daiwile AP, McCoy MT, Ladenheim B, Subramaniam J, Cadet JL. Incubation of methamphetamine craving in punishment-resistant individuals is associated with activation of specific gene networks in the rat dorsal striatum. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1990-2000. [PMID: 38351172 PMCID: PMC11408252 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02455-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is characterized by loss of control over compulsive drug use. Here, we used a self-administration (SA) model to investigate transcriptional changes associated with the development of early and late compulsivity during contingent footshocks. Punishment initially separated methamphetamine taking rats into always shock-resistant (ASR) rats that continued active lever pressing and shock-sensitive (SS) rats that reduced their lever pressing. At the end of the punishment phase, rats underwent 15 days of forced abstinence at the end of which they were re-introduced to the SA paradigm followed by SA plus contingent shocks. Interestingly, 36 percent of the initial SS rats developed delayed shock-resistance (DSR). Of translational relevance, ASR rats showed more incubation of methamphetamine craving than DSR and always sensitive (AS) rats. RNA sequencing revealed increased striatal Rab37 and Dipk2b mRNA levels that correlated with incubation of methamphetamine craving. Interestingly, Bdnf mRNA levels showed HDAC2-dependent decreased expression in the AS rats. The present SA paradigm should help to elucidate the molecular substrates of early and late addiction-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul P Daiwile
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Michael T McCoy
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Bruce Ladenheim
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jayanthi Subramaniam
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Mews P, Sosnick L, Gurung A, Sidoli S, Nestler EJ. Decoding cocaine-induced proteomic adaptations in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadl4738. [PMID: 38626009 PMCID: PMC11170322 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adl4738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric condition that results from enduring cellular and molecular adaptations. Among substance use disorders, CUD is notable for its rising prevalence and the lack of approved pharmacotherapies. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region that is integral to the brain's reward circuitry, plays a crucial role in the initiation and continuation of maladaptive behaviors that are intrinsic to CUD. Leveraging advancements in neuroproteomics, we undertook a proteomic analysis that spanned membrane, cytosolic, nuclear, and chromatin compartments of the NAc in a mouse model. The results unveiled immediate and sustained proteomic modifications after cocaine exposure and during prolonged withdrawal. We identified congruent protein regulatory patterns during initial cocaine exposure and reexposure after withdrawal, which contrasted with distinct patterns during withdrawal. Pronounced proteomic shifts within the membrane compartment indicated adaptive and long-lasting molecular responses prompted by cocaine withdrawal. In addition, we identified potential protein translocation events between soluble-nuclear and chromatin-bound compartments, thus providing insight into intracellular protein dynamics after cocaine exposure. Together, our findings illuminate the intricate proteomic landscape that is altered in the NAc by cocaine use and provide a dataset for future research toward potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lucas Sosnick
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ashik Gurung
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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5
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Pettorruso M, Miuli A, Clemente K, Mancusi G, Migliara G, Di Carlo F, Pernaci G, Di Crosta T, Santorelli M, d'Andrea G, De Risio L, Ciavarella M, Baccolini V, Di Meo I, Cataldo I, Sensi SL, Martinotti G. Enhanced peripheral levels of BDNF and proBDNF: elucidating neurotrophin dynamics in cocaine use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:760-766. [PMID: 38177347 PMCID: PMC11153130 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02367-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its precursor, proBDNF, are known to significantly contribute to brain homeostasis, neuroplasticity, and neuronal remodeling. Although these neurotrophins are thought to have opposing roles, both play a critical part in shaping long-lasting behavioral changes following substance use. In this context, our study sought to explore the implications of these neurotrophins in the pathophysiology of cocaine use disorder (CUD). We conducted a case-control study, which included 28 individuals seeking treatment for CUD and 38 matched healthy participants. We measured peripheral neurotrophin concentrations via an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, all participants were screened for cocaine-associated pathways (e.g., cocaine intake, craving intensity), along with associated psychopathological data. Our findings highlighted an increased concentration of BDNF and proBDNF in CUD individuals when compared to healthy controls (BDNF: 18092.80 ± 6844.62 vs. 11334.42 ± 5061.85 pg/ml, p < 0.001; proBDNF: 87.03 ± 33.23 vs. 55.70 ± 23.26 ng/ml, p < 0.001). We further corroborated the relationship between neurotrophin levels and CUD using a linear regression model. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the proBDNF to BDNF ratio between the two groups. Interestingly, our study also demonstrated the influence of factors like usage of psychotropic medications, history of psychiatric hospitalizations, and psychiatric diagnoses on neurotrophin dynamics. In conclusion, our study underscores the significance of neurotrophin fluctuations in CUD. The observed increase in BDNF and proBDNF levels could play a pivotal role in driving craving and relapse risk. Thus, a nuanced understanding of these neurobiological underpinnings in CUD might contribute to the development of more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Andrea Miuli
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Katia Clemente
- Unit of Clinical Pathology, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gianluca Mancusi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Migliara
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Carlo
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giulia Pernaci
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Teresa Di Crosta
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Mario Santorelli
- School of Medicine and Surgery, Psychiatric Residency Training Program, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, 20900, Italy
| | - Giacomo d'Andrea
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Luisa De Risio
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction, ASL Roma 5, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariaceleste Ciavarella
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Valentina Baccolini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Di Meo
- Unit of Clinical Pathology, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Ivana Cataldo
- Unit of Clinical Pathology, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano L Sensi
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti - Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Chieti, Italy
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK
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6
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Morelos-Santana E, Islas-Preciado D, Alcalá-Lozano R, González-Olvera J, Estrada-Camarena E. Peripheral neurotrophin levels during controlled crack/cocaine abstinence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1410. [PMID: 38228745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51901-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine/crack abstinence periods have higher risk of relapse. Abstinence as initial part of the recovery process is affected by learning and memory changes that could preserve the addictive cycle. To further understand how the interruption of cocaine/crack consumption affects neurotrophin level we performed the present systematic review and meta-analysis following the PRISMA statement (number CRD42019121643). The search formula was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criterion was cocaine use disorder in 18 to 60-year-old people, measuring at least one neurotrophin in blood before and after a controlled abstinence period. Studies without pre-post design were excluded. Five investigations had nine different reports, four of them were subjected to a meta-analysis (n = 146). GRADE risk of bias method was followed. Individual studies reported increased peripheral brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after abstinence, evidence pooled by Hedge's g showed no significant change in BDNF after abstinence. Relevant heterogeneity in the length of the abstinence period (12-32 days), last cocaine/crack consumption monitoring and blood processing were detected that could help to explain non-significant results. Further improved methods are suggested, and a potential BDNF augmentation hypothesis is proposed that, if true, would help to understand initial abstinence as a re-adaptation period influenced by neurotrophins such as the BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Morelos-Santana
- Laboratorio de Neuromodulación, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - D Islas-Preciado
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Dirección de Investigación en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, 101. Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, CP 14370, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - R Alcalá-Lozano
- Laboratorio de Neuromodulación, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - J González-Olvera
- Secretariado Técnico del Consejo Nacional de Salud Mental, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - E Estrada-Camarena
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Dirección de Investigación en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, 101. Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, CP 14370, Mexico City, Mexico.
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H Z R, H J S, R C S B, Kr R, R RD, M E B. Physical Exercise Promotes Beneficial Changes on Neurotrophic Factors in Mesolimbic Brain Areas After AMPH Relapse: Involvement of the Endogenous Opioid System. Neurotox Res 2023; 41:741-751. [PMID: 37904065 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-023-00675-y] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a serious public health problem, and the current pharmacotherapy is unable to prevent drug use reinstatement. Studies have focused on physical exercise as a promising coadjuvant treatment. Our research group recently showed beneficial neuroadaptations in the dopaminergic system related to amphetamine-relapse prevention involving physical exercise-induced endogenous opioid system activation (EXE-OS activation). In this context, additional mechanisms were explored to understand the exercise benefits on drug addiction. Male rats previously exposed to amphetamine (AMPH, 4.0 mg/kg) for 8 days were submitted to physical exercise for 5 weeks. EXE-OS activation was blocked by naloxone administration (0.3 mg/kg) 5 min before each physical exercise session. After the exercise protocol, the rats were re-exposed to AMPH for 3 days, and in sequence, euthanasia was performed and the VTA and NAc were dissected. In the VTA, our findings showed increased immunocontent of proBDNF, BDNF, and GDNF and decreased levels of AMPH-induced TrkB; therefore, EXE-OS activation increased all these markers and naloxone administration prevented this exercise-induced effect. In the NAc, the same molecular markers were also increased by AMPH and decreased by EXE-OS activation. In this study, we propose a close relation between EXE-OS activation beneficial influence and a consequent neuroadaptation on neurotrophins and dopaminergic system levels in the mesolimbic brain area, preventing the observed AMPH-relapse behavior. Our outcomes bring additional knowledge concerning addiction neurobiology understanding and show that EXE-OS activation may be a potential adjuvant tool in drug addiction therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa H Z
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
| | - Segat H J
- Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Barcelos R C S
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Roversi Kr
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Rossato D R
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Burger M E
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
- Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
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8
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Zhang W, Zhou J, Su H, Zhang X, Song W, Wang Z, Tang C, Uludağ K, Zhao M, Xiong ZQ, Zhai R, Jiang H. Repeated methamphetamine exposure decreases plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in rhesus monkeys. Gen Psychiatr 2023; 36:e101127. [PMID: 37920406 PMCID: PMC10618972 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2023-101127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to prevent methamphetamine (METH)-induced neurotoxicity and plays a role in various stages of METH addiction. However, there is a lack of research with longitudinal design on changes in plasma BDNF levels in active METH-dependent individuals. Aims The aim of the study was to investigate changes in BDNF levels during METH self-administration in monkeys. Methods This study measured plasma BDNF levels in three male rhesus monkeys with continuous METH exposure and four male control rhesus monkeys without METH exposure. Changes in plasma BDNF levels were then assessed longitudinally during 40 sessions of METH self-administration in the three monkeys. Results Repeated METH exposure decreased plasma BDNF levels. Additionally, plasma BDNF decreased with long-term rather than short-term accumulation of METH during METH self-administration. Conclusions These findings may indicate that the changes in peripheral BDNF may reflect the quantity of accumulative METH intake during a frequent drug use period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenlei Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiahui Zhou
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Su
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Weichen Song
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zijing Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengjie Tang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kadir Uludağ
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhi-Qi Xiong
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Haifeng Jiang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
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Ornell F, Scherer JN, Schuch JB, Sordi AO, Halpern SC, Rebelatto FP, Bristot G, Kapczinski F, Roglio VS, Pechansky F, Kessler FHP, von Diemen L. Serum BDNF levels increase during early drug withdrawal in alcohol and crack cocaine addiction. Alcohol 2023; 111:1-7. [PMID: 37037287 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.04.001] [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: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in several drug-induced brain neuroadaptations. The impact of withdrawal from substances that have different neurological mechanisms on BDNF levels is unclear. Our goal was to compare serum BDNF levels in inpatients with alcohol or crack cocaine use disorders during the early withdrawal period, and to evaluate the association with substance-related outcomes. We performed a follow-up study with 101 men under detoxification treatment (drug preference: alcohol [n = 37] and crack cocaine [n = 64]). Blood samples were collected on the 1st and 15th days of hospitalization to measure serum BDNF levels. Serum BDNF levels increased during the early stage of withdrawal (28.2 ± 10.0 vs. 32.6 ± 13.3, p < 0.001), similarly in individuals with alcohol and crack cocaine use. In the alcohol group, BDNF levels on the 15th day of hospitalization were negatively correlated with age (r = -0.394, p = 0.023). Delta BDNF levels were also negatively correlated with BDNF on the 1st day of hospitalization (p = 0.011). No significant correlation was found regarding substance-related outcomes. This is the first study to compare BDNF levels in alcohol and crack cocaine users undergoing similar treatment conditions. These findings could be related to clinical improvement after abstinence or even to drug withdrawal itself, decreasing neuronal injury. Furthermore, age may be a crucial factor, hindering the recovery of neuroplasticity in alcohol users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Ornell
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Juliana N Scherer
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B Schuch
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Anne O Sordi
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Silvia C Halpern
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fernando P Rebelatto
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Giovana Bristot
- Bipolar Disorder Program, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Flavio Kapczinski
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Bipolar Disorder Program, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vinicius S Roglio
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Flavio Pechansky
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Felix H P Kessler
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lisia von Diemen
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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10
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Hogarth S, Jaehne EJ, Xu X, Schwarz Q, van den Buuse M. Interaction of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor with the Effects of Chronic Methamphetamine on Prepulse Inhibition in Mice Is Independent of Dopamine D3 Receptors. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2290. [PMID: 37626786 PMCID: PMC10452514 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082290] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and dopamine D3 receptors in the effects of chronic methamphetamine (METH) on prepulse inhibition (PPI), an endophenotype of psychosis. We compared the effect of a three-week adolescent METH treatment protocol on the regulation of PPI in wildtype mice, BDNF heterozygous mice (HET), D3 receptor knockout mice (D3KO), and double-mutant mice (DM) with both BDNF heterozygosity and D3 receptor knockout. Chronic METH induced disruption of PPI regulation in male mice with BDNF haploinsufficiency (HET and DM), independent of D3 receptor knockout. Specifically, these mice showed reduced baseline PPI, as well as attenuated disruption of PPI induced by acute treatment with the dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine (APO), or the glutamate NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801. In contrast, there were no effects of BDNF heterozygosity or D3 knockout on PPI regulation in female mice. Chronic METH pretreatment induced the expected locomotor hyperactivity sensitisation, where female HET and DM mice also showed endogenous sensitisation. Differential sex-specific effects of genotype and METH pretreatment were observed on dopamine receptor and dopamine transporter gene expression in the striatum and frontal cortex. Taken together, these results show a significant involvement of BDNF in the long-term effects of METH on PPI, particularly in male mice, but these effects appear independent of D3 receptors. The role of this receptor in psychosis endophenotypes therefore remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Hogarth
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia (E.J.J.)
| | - Emily J. Jaehne
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia (E.J.J.)
| | - Xiangjun Xu
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia (Q.S.)
| | - Quenten Schwarz
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia (Q.S.)
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia (E.J.J.)
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11
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Peeters LD, Wills LJ, Cuozzo AM, Ivanich KL, Brown RW. Reinstatement of nicotine conditioned place preference in a transgenerational model of drug abuse vulnerability in psychosis: Impact of BDNF on the saliency of drug associations. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:1453-1464. [PMID: 37160431 PMCID: PMC10330905 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06379-7] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia are often accompanied by high rates of cigarette smoking, reduced quit success, and high relapse rates, negatively affecting patient outcomes. However, the mechanisms underlying altered relapse-like behaviors in psychosis are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES The present study analyzed changes in extinction and reinstatement of nicotine conditioned place preference (CPP) and resulting changes in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in a novel heritable rodent model of psychosis, demonstrating increased dopamine D2 receptor sensitivity, to explore mechanisms contributing to changes in relapse-like behaviors. METHODS Male and female offspring of two neonatal quinpirole-treated (1 mg/kg quinpirole from postnatal day (P)1-21; QQ) and two neonatal saline-treated (SS) Sprague-Dawley rats (F1 generation) were tested on an extended CPP paradigm to analyze extinction and nicotine-primed reinstatement. Brain tissue was analyzed 60 min after the last nicotine injection for BDNF response in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the infralimbic (IfL) and prelimbic (PrL) cortices. RESULTS F1 generation QQ offspring demonstrated delayed extinction and more robust reinstatement compared to SS control animals. In addition, QQ animals demonstrated an enhanced BDNF response to nicotine in the VTA, IfL and Prl cortices compared to SS offspring. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to demonstrate altered relapse-like behavior in a heritable rodent model with relevance to comorbid drug abuse and psychosis. This altered pattern of behavior is hypothesized to be related to elevated activity-dependent BDNF in brain areas associated with drug reinforcement during conditioning that persists through the extinction phase, rendering aberrantly salient drug associations resistant to extinction and enhancing relapse vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loren D Peeters
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Liza J Wills
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Anthony M Cuozzo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Kira L Ivanich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
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12
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Emerson SD, Chevée M, Mews P, Calipari ES. The transcriptional response to acute cocaine is inverted in male mice with a history of cocaine self-administration and withdrawal throughout the mesocorticolimbic system. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103823. [PMID: 36868542 PMCID: PMC10247534 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103823] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A large body of work has demonstrated that cocaine-induced changes in transcriptional regulation play a central role in the onset and maintenance of cocaine use disorder. An underappreciated aspect of this area of research, however, is that the pharmacodynamic properties of cocaine can change depending on an organism's previous drug-exposure history. In this study, we utilized RNA sequencing to characterize how the transcriptome-wide effects of acute cocaine exposure were altered by a history of cocaine self-administration and long-term withdrawal (30 days) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in male mice. First, we found that the gene expression patterns induced by a single cocaine injection (10 mg/kg) were discordant between cocaine-naïve mice and mice in withdrawal from cocaine self-administration. Specifically, the same genes that were upregulated by acute cocaine in cocaine-naïve mice were downregulated by the same dose of cocaine in mice undergoing long-term withdrawal; the same pattern of opposite regulation was observed for the genes downregulated by initial acute cocaine exposure. When we analyzed this dataset further, we found that the gene expression patterns that were induced by long-term withdrawal from cocaine self-administration showed a high degree of overlap with the gene expression patterns of acute cocaine exposure - even though animals had not consumed cocaine in 30 days. Interestingly, cocaine re-exposure at this withdrawal time point reversed this expression pattern. Finally, we found that this pattern was similar across the VTA, PFC, NAc, and within each brain region the same genes were induced by acute cocaine, re-induced during long-term withdrawal, and reversed by cocaine re-exposure. Together, we identified a longitudinal pattern of gene regulation that is conserved across the VTA, PFC, and NAc, and characterized the genes constituting this pattern in each brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren D Emerson
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maxime Chevée
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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13
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Krueger K, Lamenza F, Gu H, El-Hodiri H, Wester J, Oberdick J, Fischer AJ, Oghumu S. Sex differences in susceptibility to substance use disorder: Role for X chromosome inactivation and escape? Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103859. [PMID: 37207894 PMCID: PMC10286730 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103859] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a sex-based disparity associated with substance use disorders (SUDs) as demonstrated by clinical and preclinical studies. Females are known to escalate from initial drug use to compulsive drug-taking behavior (telescoping) more rapidly, and experience greater negative withdrawal effects than males. Although these biological differences have largely been attributed to sex hormones, there is evidence for non-hormonal factors, such as the influence of the sex chromosome, which underlie sex disparities in addiction behavior. However, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying sex chromosome influences on substance abuse behavior are not completely understood. In this review, we discuss the role that escape from X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in females plays in sex-associated differences in addiction behavior. Females have two X chromosomes (XX), and during XCI, one X chromosome is randomly chosen to be transcriptionally silenced. However, some X-linked genes escape XCI and display biallelic gene expression. We generated a mouse model using an X-linked gene specific bicistronic dual reporter mouse as a tool to visualize allelic usage and measure XCI escape in a cell specific manner. Our results revealed a previously undiscovered X-linked gene XCI escaper (CXCR3), which is variable and cell type dependent. This illustrates the highly complex and context dependent nature of XCI escape which is largely understudied in the context of SUD. Novel approaches such as single cell RNA sequencing will provide a global molecular landscape and impact of XCI escape in addiction and facilitate our understanding of the contribution of XCI escape to sex disparities in SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Krueger
- Department of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Felipe Lamenza
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Howard Gu
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Heithem El-Hodiri
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jason Wester
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - John Oberdick
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andy J Fischer
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Steve Oghumu
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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14
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Garton DR, Turconi G, Iivanainen V, Andressoo JO. Opposing Spatially Segregated Function of Endogenous GDNF-RET Signaling in Cocaine Addiction. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050761. [PMID: 37238631 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050761] [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: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a serious condition with potentially lethal complications and no current pharmacological approaches towards treatment. Perturbations of the mesolimbic dopamine system are crucial to the establishment of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and reward. As a potent neurotrophic factor modulating the function of dopamine neurons, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) acting through its receptor RET on dopamine neurons may provide a novel therapeutic avenue towards psychostimulant addiction. However, current knowledge on endogenous GDNF and RET function after the onset of addiction is scarce. Here, we utilized a conditional knockout approach to reduce the expression of the GDNF receptor tyrosine kinase RET from dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) after the onset of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference. Similarly, after establishing cocaine-induced conditioned place preference, we studied the effect of conditionally reducing GDNF in the ventral striatum nucleus accumbens (NAc), the target of mesolimbic dopaminergic innervation. We find that the reduction of RET within the VTA hastens cocaine-induced conditioned place preference extinction and reduces reinstatement, while the reduction of GDNF within the NAc does the opposite: prolongs cocaine-induced conditioned place preference and increases preference during reinstatement. In addition, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was increased and key dopamine-related genes were reduced in the GDNF cKO mutant animals after cocaine administration. Thus, RET antagonism in the VTA coupled with intact or enhanced accumbal GDNF function may provide a new approach towards cocaine addiction treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Garton
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giorgio Turconi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vilma Iivanainen
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaan-Olle Andressoo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Malik JA, Agrewala JN. Future perspectives of emerging novel drug targets and immunotherapies to control drug addiction. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 119:110210. [PMID: 37099943 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is one of the major mental illnesses that is terrifically intensifying worldwide. It is becoming overwhelming due to limited options for treatment. The complexity of addiction disorders is the main impediment to understanding the pathophysiology of the illness. Hence, unveiling the complexity of the brain through basic research, identification of novel signaling pathways, the discovery of new drug targets, and advancement in cutting-edge technologies will help control this disorder. Additionally, there is a great hope of controlling the SUDs through immunotherapeutic measures like therapeutic antibodies and vaccines. Vaccines have played a cardinal role in eliminating many diseases like polio, measles, and smallpox. Further, vaccines have controlled many diseases like cholera, dengue, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), human papillomavirus, influenza, Japanese encephalitis, etc. Recently, COVID-19 was controlled in many countries by vaccination. Currently, continuous effort is done to develop vaccines against nicotine, cocaine, morphine, methamphetamine, and heroin. Antibody therapy against SUDs is another important area where serious attention is required. Antibodies have contributed substantially against many serious diseases like diphtheria, rabies, Crohn's disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and bladder cancer. Antibody therapy is gaining immense momentum due to its success rate in cancer treatment. Furthermore, enormous advancement has been made in antibody therapy due to the generation of high-efficiency humanized antibodies with a long half-life. The advantage of antibody therapy is its instant outcome. This article's main highlight is discussing the drug targets of SUDs and their associated mechanisms. Importantly, we have also discussed the scope of prophylactic measures to eliminate drug dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonaid Ahmad Malik
- Immunology laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab, India
| | - Javed N Agrewala
- Immunology laboratory, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar, Punjab, India.
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16
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Nikbakhtzadeh M, Ranjbar H, Moradbeygi K, Zahedi E, Bayat M, Soti M, Shabani M. Cross-talk between the HPA axis and addiction-related regions in stressful situations. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15525. [PMID: 37151697 PMCID: PMC10161713 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a worldwide problem that has a negative impact on society by imposing significant costs on health care, public security, and the deactivation of the community economic cycle. Stress is an important risk factor in the development of addiction and relapse vulnerability. Here we review studies that have demonstrated the diverse roles of stress in addiction. Term searches were conducted manually in important reference journals as well as in the Google Scholar and PubMed databases, between 2010 and 2022. In each section of this narrative review, an effort has been made to use pertinent sources. First, we will provide an overview of changes in the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis component following stress, which impact reward-related regions including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Then we will focus on internal factors altered by stress and their effects on drug addiction vulnerability. We conclude that alterations in neuro-inflammatory, neurotrophic, and neurotransmitter factors following stress pathways can impact related mechanisms on craving and relapse susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Nikbakhtzadeh
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Ranjbar
- Neuroscience Research Center of Kerman, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
| | | | - Elham Zahedi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahnaz Bayat
- Clinical Neurology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Monavareh Soti
- Neuroscience Research Center of Kerman, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
- Corresponding author. Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Postal Code: 76198-13159, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center of Kerman, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran
- Corresponding author. Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology institute, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Postal Code: 76198-13159, Iran.
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17
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Chen H, Dong G, Li K. Overview on brain function enhancement of Internet addicts through exercise intervention: Based on reward-execution-decision cycle. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1094583. [PMID: 36816421 PMCID: PMC9933907 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1094583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Internet addiction (IA) has become an impulse control disorder included in the category of psychiatric disorders. The IA trend significantly increased after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic. IA damages some brain functions in humans. Emerging evidence suggests that exercise exerts beneficial effects on the brain function and cognitive level damaged by IA. This work reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of IA and describes the brain function impairment by IA from three systems: reward, execution, and decision-making. Furthermore, we sort out the research related to exercise intervention on IA and its effect on improving brain function. The internal and external factors that produce IA must be considered when summarizing movement interventions from a behavioral perspective. We can design exercise prescriptions based on exercise interests and achieve the goal of quitting IA. This work explores the possible mechanisms of exercise to improve IA through systematic analysis. Furthermore, this work provides research directions for the future targeted design of exercise prescriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Department of Sports, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China.,Department of Graduate School of Education, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, China
| | - Guijun Dong
- Department of Sports, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China.,Department of Graduate School of Education, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, China
| | - Kefeng Li
- Department of Medicine, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou, China
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18
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Hippocampal and amygdalar increased BDNF expression in the extinction of opioid-induced place preference. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 13:402-409. [PMID: 36275846 PMCID: PMC9580243 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.10.007] [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: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid crisis was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States with alarming statistics about overdose-related deaths. Current treatment options, such as medication assisted treatments, have been unable to prevent relapse in many patients, whereas cue-based exposure therapy have had mixed results in human trials. To improve patient outcomes, it is imperative to develop animal models of addiction to understand molecular mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets. We previously found increased brain derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) transcript in the ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens (VS/NAc) of rats that extinguished morphine-induced place preference. Here, we expand our study to determine whether BDNF protein expression was modulated in mesolimbic brain regions of the reward system in animals exposed to extinction training. Drug conditioning and extinction sessions were followed by Western blots for BDNF in the hippocampus (HPC), amygdala (AMY) and VS/NAc. Rears, as a measure of withdrawal-induced anxiety were also measured to determine their impact on extinction. Results showed that animals who received extinction training and successfully extinguished morphine CPP significantly increased BDNF in the HPC when compared to animals deprived of extinction training (sham-extinction). This increase was not significant in animals who failed to extinguish (extinction-resistant). In AMY, all extinction-trained animals showed increased BDNF, regardless of behavior phenotype. No BDNF modulation was observed in the VS/NAc. Finally, extinction-trained animals showed no difference in rears regardless of extinction outcome, suggesting that anxiety elicited by drug withdrawal did not significantly impact extinction of morphine CPP. Our results suggest that BDNF expression in brain regions of the mesolimbic reward system could play a key role in extinction of opioid-induced maladaptive behaviors and represents a potential therapeutic target for future combined pharmacological and extinction-based therapies.
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19
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Sequeira-Cordero A, Brenes JC. Time course of plasticity-related alterations following the first exposure to amphetamine in juvenile rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 221:173489. [PMID: 36375621 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In vulnerable consumers, the first drug exposure induces various neurobehavioral adaptations that may represent the starting point toward addiction. Elucidating the neuroplastic mechanisms underlying that first rewarding experience would contribute to understanding the transition from recreational to compulsive drug use. In a preclinical model with juvenile rats, we analyzed the time-dependent fluctuations in the expression of neuroplasticity-related genes like the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), the microRNA-132, the Rho GTPase-activating protein 32 (p250GAP), the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and the neurotransmitters contents in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the dorsal striatum (DS) 45, 90, and 180 min after an amphetamine (AMPH) injection. As expected, AMPH altered the concentration of norepinephrine, dopamine, DOPAC, and serotonin in a region- and time-dependent manner. Regarding gene expression, AMPH at 45 min upregulated BDNF and primiR-132 expression in NAc and downregulated TrkB expression in DS. At 90 min, AMPH upregulated TrkB, CREB, p250GAP, and primiR-132 expression in NAc and BDNF, primiR-132, and CRF in DS. At 180 min, only BNDF in NAc continued to be upregulated by AMPH. Based on the levels of AMPH-induced hyperactivity, we classified the rats as low and high AMPH responders. High AMPH responders characterized by overexpressing BDNF, CREB, p250GAP, and CRF in NAc and by showing lower levels of dopamine and serotonin metabolites and turnovers in both regions. Our findings demonstrated that a single AMPH administration is enough to induce neuroplastic adaptations, especially in the NAc of prone rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
| | - Juan C Brenes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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20
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Miuli A, d’Andrea G, Pettorruso M, Mancusi G, Mosca A, Di Carlo F, Martinotti G, di Giannantonio M. From a Cycle to a Period: The Potential Role of BDNF as Plasticity and Phase-Specific Biomarker in Cocaine Use Disorder. Curr Neuropharmacol 2022; 20:2024-2028. [PMID: 35034597 PMCID: PMC9886838 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220114152052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) is one of the diseases with the greatest social and health impact, due to the high cost of rehabilitation management and the high risk of dangerous behavior and relapse. This pathology frequently leads to unsuccessful attempts to interrupt the consumption, resulting in relapses and a vicious cycle of binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/ anticipation (craving). The alternation of these phases in addiction was well illustrated by Koob and colleagues in the so-called "addictive cycle", which nowadays represents a landmark in the addiction field. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the worldwide literature for biomarkers that might explain the different stages of addiction, and one of the most studied biomarkers is, without a doubt, Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). In this perspective article, we discuss the potential role of BDNF as biomarker of the CUD phases described in the "Addictive Cycle", speculating about the close relationship between BDNF fluctuations and the clinical course of CUD. We also discuss BDNF's potential role as "staging" biomarker, predicting the progression of the disease. Finding valuable biomarkers of CUD severity and disease stage could shift clinicians' focus away from behavioral symptomatic treatment and toward a novel brain-based approach, allowing for the development of more effective and targeted therapeutic strategies, thus determining major benefits for CUD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Miuli
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Italy; ,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; ,Equally contributed as first authors
| | - Giacomo d’Andrea
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; ,Equally contributed as first authors
| | - Mauro Pettorruso
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Italy; ,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; ,Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto, Chieti, Italy; E-mail:
| | - Gianluca Mancusi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy;
| | - Alessio Mosca
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy;
| | - Francesco Di Carlo
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy; ,Department of Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Clinical Science, University of Hertfordshire, Herts, UK
| | - Massimo di Giannantonio
- Department of Mental Health, ASL 2 Abruzzo Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Italy; ,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, “G. d'Annunzio” University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy;
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21
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Kaya-Akyüzlü D, Özkan-Kotiloğlu S, Bal C, Avcıoğlu G, Yalçın-Şahiner Ş, Şahiner İV. Sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone treatment is not affected by OPRM1 A118G and BDNF Va66Met polymorphisms, but alters the plasma beta-endorphin and BDNF levels in individuals with opioid use disorder. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY 2022; 95:103979. [PMID: 36174909 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2022.103979] [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] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed to examine the genetic contribution to buprenorphine (BUP) treatment in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), with a specific focus on BDNF and OPRM1 genes. A total of 113 controls and 111 OUD patients receiving sublingual BUP/naloxone were enrolled. OPRM1 A118G and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms were investigated by PCR-FRLP. Plasma BDNF and beta-endorphin levels were assessed by ELISA kits in both groups. Blood BUP levels were measured by LC-MS/MS and normalized with daily BUP dose (BUP/D). OPRM1 A118G and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms didn't have an effect on plasma beta-endorphin and BDNF levels in OUD patients, respectively. Interestingly, OUD patients had significantly higher plasma BDNF and lower beta-endorphin levels compared to the controls (p < 0.001). A negative and significant correlation between plasma BUP/D and BDNF levels was found. Age onset of first use was associated with OPRM1 A118G polymorphism. The findings indicated that sublingual BUP/naloxone may increase plasma BDNF levels, but may decrease beta-endorphin levels in individuals with OUD. Plasma BDNF level seemed to be decreased in a BUP/D concentration-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Selin Özkan-Kotiloğlu
- Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Science and Art, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Kırşehir, Turkey
| | - Ceylan Bal
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gamze Avcıoğlu
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey
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22
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Du H, Lai M, Zhuang D, Fu D, Zhou Y, Chen S, Wang F, Xu Z, Liu H, Wang Y, Xu P, Zhou W. A comparison of reinforcing effectiveness and drug-seeking reinstatement of 2-fluorodeschloroketamine and ketamine in self-administered rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:972798. [PMID: 36172262 PMCID: PMC9510746 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.972798] [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: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
2-Fluorodeschloroketamine (2F-DCK), a structural analog of ketamine, has been reported to cause impaired consciousness, agitation, and hallucination in abuse cases. It has similar reinforcing and discriminative effects as ketamine. However, the reinforcing efficacy and drug-seeking reinstatement of this analog have not been clarified to date. In this study, the effectiveness of 2F-DCK and ketamine was compared using a behavioral economics demand curve. The reinstatement of 2F-DCK- and ketamine-seeking behaviors induced by either conditioned cues or self-priming was also analyzed. Rats were intravenously self-administered 2F-DCK and ketamine at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/infusion under a reinforcing schedule of fixed ratio 1 (FR1) with 4 h of daily training for at least 10 consecutive days. The elasticity coefficient parameter α and the essential value of the demand curve in the two groups were similar. Both groups of rats showed significant drug-seeking behavior induced either by conditional cues or by 2F-DCK and ketamine priming. Moreover, the α parameter was inversely related to the degree of reinstatement induced by cues or drug priming in both groups. In total, the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) in the nucleus accumbens in both extinguished and reinstated rats were significantly lower than those in the control. The expression of total Akt, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) also decreased, but p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-mTOR, and p-ERK levels increased in both extinguished and reinstated rats. This is the first study to demonstrate that 2F-DCK has similar reinforcing efficacy, effectiveness, and post-withdrawal cravings as ketamine after repeated use. These data suggest that the downregulation of CREB/BDNF and the upregulation of the Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β signaling pathway in the nucleus accumbens may be involved in ketamine or 2F-DCK relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Du
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Miaojun Lai
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Dingding Zhuang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Dan Fu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yiying Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Fangmin Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zemin Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Huifen Liu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Youmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Monitoring and Control, Drug Intelligence and Forensic Center, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Peng Xu
| | - Wenhua Zhou
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Addiction Research, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Wenhua Zhou
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Anderson EM, Taniguchi M. Epigenetic Effects of Addictive Drugs in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:828055. [PMID: 35813068 PMCID: PMC9260254 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.828055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use induces long-lasting behavioral changes and drug craving. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic gene regulation contributes to the development and expression of these long-lasting behavioral alterations. Here we systematically review extensive evidence from rodent models of drug-induced changes in epigenetic regulation and epigenetic regulator proteins. We focus on histone acetylation and histone methylation in a brain region important for drug-related behaviors: the nucleus accumbens. We also discuss how experimentally altering these epigenetic regulators via systemically administered compounds or nucleus accumbens-specific manipulations demonstrate the importance of these proteins in the behavioral effects of drugs and suggest potential therapeutic value to treat people with substance use disorder. Finally, we discuss limitations and future directions for the field of epigenetic studies in the behavioral effects of addictive drugs and suggest how to use these insights to develop efficacious treatments.
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McGinty JF. BDNF as a therapeutic candidate for cocaine use disorders. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100006. [PMID: 37206683 PMCID: PMC10195100 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration disturbs intracellular signaling in multiple reward circuitry neurons that underlie relapse to drug seeking. Cocaine-induced deficits in prelimbic (PL) prefrontal cortex change during abstinence, resulting in different neuroadaptations during early withdrawal from cocaine self-administration than after one or more weeks of abstinence. Infusion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) into the PL cortex immediately following a final session of cocaine self-administration attenuates relapse to cocaine seeking for an extended period. BDNF affects local (PL) and distal subcortical target areas that mediate cocaine-induced neuroadaptations that lead to cocaine seeking. Blocking synaptic activity selectively in the PL projection to the nucleus accumbens during early withdrawal prevents BDNF from decreasing subsequent relapse. In contrast, blocking synaptic activity selectively in the PL projection to the paraventricular thalamic nucleus by itself decreases subsequent relapse and prior intra-PL BDNF infusion prevents the decrease. Infusion of BDNF into other brain structures at different timepoints after cocaine self administration differentially alters cocaine seeking. Thus, the effects of BDNF on drug seeking are different depending on the brain region, the timepoint of intervention, and the specific pathway that is affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline F McGinty
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave MSC 510, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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25
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Qiu X, Wang H, Lan Y, Miao J, Pan C, Sun W, Li G, Wang Y, Zhao X, Zhu Z, Zhu S. Blood biomarkers of post-stroke depression after minor stroke at three months in males and females. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:162. [PMID: 35241021 PMCID: PMC8896360 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03805-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common neuropsychiatric complications after stroke. Studies on the underlying mechanisms and biological markers of sex differences in PSD are of great significance, but there are still few such studies. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the association of biomarkers with PSD at 3 months after minor stroke in men and women. METHODS This was a prospective multicenter cohort study that enrolled 530 patients with minor stroke (males, 415; females, 115). Demographic information and blood samples of patients were collected within 24 h of admission, and followed up at 3 months after stroke onset. PSD was defined as a depressive disorder due to another medical condition with depressive features, major depressive-like episode, or mixed-mood features according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-V). Univariate analysis was performed using the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, or t-test. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to distinguish between patients with and without PSD. Factors with variable importance for projection (VIP) > 1.0 were classified as the most important factors in the model segregation. RESULTS The PLS-DA model mainly included component 1 and component 2 for males and females. For males, the model could explain 13% and 16.9% of the variables, respectively, and 29.9% of the variables in total; the most meaningful predictors were exercise habit and fibrinogen level. For females, the model could explain 15.7% and 10.5% of the variables, respectively, and 26.2% of the variables in total; the most meaningful predictors in the model were brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), magnesium and free T3. Fibrinogen was positively correlated with the Hamilton Depression Scale-17 items (HAMD-17) score. BDNF, magnesium, and free T3 levels were negatively correlated with the HAMD-17 score. CONCLUSIONS This was a prospective cohort study. The most important markers found to be affecting PSD at 3 months were fibrinogen in males, and free T3, magnesium, and BDNF in females. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR-ROC-17013993 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Qiu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - He Wang
- Department of Medical Affair, Tongji Medical College, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Yan Lan
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Jinfeng Miao
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Chensheng Pan
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Wenzhe Sun
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Guo Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Zhou Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
| | - Suiqiang Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030 Hubei China
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26
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Addiction-induced plasticity in underlying neural circuits. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:1605-1615. [DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05778-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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27
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Teague CD, Nestler EJ. Key transcription factors mediating cocaine-induced plasticity in the nucleus accumbens. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:687-709. [PMID: 34079067 PMCID: PMC8636523 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01163-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Repeated cocaine use induces coordinated changes in gene expression that drive plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), an important component of the brain's reward circuitry, and promote the development of maladaptive, addiction-like behaviors. Studies on the molecular basis of cocaine action identify transcription factors, a class of proteins that bind to specific DNA sequences and regulate transcription, as critical mediators of this cocaine-induced plasticity. Early methods to identify and study transcription factors involved in addiction pathophysiology primarily relied on quantifying the expression of candidate genes in bulk brain tissue after chronic cocaine treatment, as well as conventional overexpression and knockdown techniques. More recently, advances in next generation sequencing, bioinformatics, cell-type-specific targeting, and locus-specific neuroepigenomic editing offer a more powerful, unbiased toolbox to identify the most important transcription factors that drive drug-induced plasticity and to causally define their downstream molecular mechanisms. Here, we synthesize the literature on transcription factors mediating cocaine action in the NAc, discuss the advancements and remaining limitations of current experimental approaches, and emphasize recent work leveraging bioinformatic tools and neuroepigenomic editing to study transcription factors involved in cocaine addiction.
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28
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Koskela M, Piepponen TP, Lindahl M, Harvey BK, Andressoo JO, Võikar V, Airavaara M. The overexpression of GDNF in nucleus accumbens suppresses alcohol-seeking behavior in group-housed C57Bl/6J female mice. J Biomed Sci 2021; 28:87. [PMID: 34923968 PMCID: PMC8686589 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-021-00782-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Craving for alcohol, in other words powerful desire to drink after withdrawal, is an important contributor to the development and maintenance of alcoholism. Here, we studied the role of GDNF (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) on alcohol-seeking behavior in group-housed female mice. Methods We modeled alcohol-seeking behavior in C57Bl/6J female mice. The behavioral experiments in group-housed female mice were performed in an automated IntelliCage system. We conducted RT-qPCR analysis of Gdnf, Bdnf, Manf and Cdnf expression in different areas of the female mouse brain after alcohol drinking conditioning. We injected an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector expressing human GDNF or BDNF in mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) after ten days of alcohol drinking conditioning and assessed alcohol-seeking behavior. Behavioral data were analyzed by two-way repeated-measures ANOVA, and statistically significant effects were followed by Bonferroni’s post hoc test. The student’s t-test was used to analyze qPCR data. Results The RT-qPCR data showed that Gdnf mRNA level in NAc was more than four times higher (p < 0.0001) in the mice from the sweetened alcohol group compared to the water group. Our data showed a more than a two-fold decrease in Manf mRNA (p = 0.04) and Cdnf mRNA (p = 0.02) levels in the hippocampus and Manf mRNA in the VTA (p = 0.04) after alcohol consumption. Two-fold endogenous overexpression of Gdnf mRNA and lack of CDNF did not affect alcohol-seeking behavior. The AVV-GDNF overexpression in nucleus accumbens suppressed alcohol-seeking behavior while overexpression of BDNF did not. Conclusions The effect of increased endogenous Gdnf mRNA level in female mice upon alcohol drinking has remained unknown. Our data suggest that an increase in endogenous GDNF expression upon alcohol drinking occurs in response to the activation of another mesolimbic reward pathway participant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Koskela
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - T Petteri Piepponen
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Lindahl
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Brandon K Harvey
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, IRP, NIH, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Boulevard Suite 200, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jaan-Olle Andressoo
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, PO Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, 17177, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vootele Võikar
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
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29
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Dremencov E, Jezova D, Barak S, Gaburjakova J, Gaburjakova M, Kutna V, Ovsepian SV. Trophic factors as potential therapies for treatment of major mental disorders. Neurosci Lett 2021; 764:136194. [PMID: 34433100 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Notwithstanding major advances in psychotherapeutics, their efficacy and specificity remain limited. The slow onset of beneficial outcomes and numerous adverse effects of widely used medications remain of chief concern, warranting in-depth studies. The majority of frontline therapies are thought to enhance the endogenous monoaminergic drive, to initiate a cascade of molecular events leading to lasting functional and structural plasticity. They also involve alterations in trophic factor signalling, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), VGF (non-acronymic), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and others. In several major mental disorders, emerging data suggest protective and restorative effects of trophic factors in preclinical models, when applied on their own. Antidepressant outcomes of VGF and FGF2, for instance, were shown in experimental animals, while BDNF and GDNF prove useful in the treatment of addiction, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. The main challenge with the effective translation of these and other findings in the clinic is the knowledge gap in action mechanisms with potential risks, as well as the lack of effective platforms for validation under clinical settings. Herein, we review the state-of-the-art and advances in the therapeutic use of trophic factors in several major neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliyahu Dremencov
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Daniela Jezova
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Jana Gaburjakova
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Marta Gaburjakova
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Viera Kutna
- Department of Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Saak V Ovsepian
- Department of Experimental Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
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Neuroplasticity and Multilevel System of Connections Determine the Integrative Role of Nucleus Accumbens in the Brain Reward System. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189806. [PMID: 34575969 PMCID: PMC8471564 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a significant role not only in the physiological processes associated with reward and satisfaction but also in many diseases of the central nervous system. Summary of the current state of knowledge on the morphological and functional basis of such a diverse function of this structure may be a good starting point for further basic and clinical research. The NAc is a part of the brain reward system (BRS) characterized by multilevel organization, extensive connections, and several neurotransmitter systems. The unique role of NAc in the BRS is a result of: (1) hierarchical connections with the other brain areas, (2) a well-developed morphological and functional plasticity regulating short- and long-term synaptic potentiation and signalling pathways, (3) cooperation among several neurotransmitter systems, and (4) a supportive role of neuroglia involved in both physiological and pathological processes. Understanding the complex function of NAc is possible by combining the results of morphological studies with molecular, genetic, and behavioral data. In this review, we present the current views on the NAc function in physiological conditions, emphasizing the role of its connections, neuroplasticity processes, and neurotransmitter systems.
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Saad L, Zwiller J, Kalsbeek A, Anglard P. Epigenetic Regulation of Circadian Clocks and Its Involvement in Drug Addiction. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1263. [PMID: 34440437 PMCID: PMC8394526 DOI: 10.3390/genes12081263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on studies describing an increased prevalence of addictive behaviours in several rare sleep disorders and shift workers, a relationship between circadian rhythms and addiction has been hinted for more than a decade. Although circadian rhythm alterations and molecular mechanisms associated with neuropsychiatric conditions are an area of active investigation, success is limited so far, and further investigations are required. Thus, even though compelling evidence connects the circadian clock to addictive behaviour and vice-versa, yet the functional mechanism behind this interaction remains largely unknown. At the molecular level, multiple mechanisms have been proposed to link the circadian timing system to addiction. The molecular mechanism of the circadian clock consists of a transcriptional/translational feedback system, with several regulatory loops, that are also intricately regulated at the epigenetic level. Interestingly, the epigenetic landscape shows profound changes in the addictive brain, with significant alterations in histone modification, DNA methylation, and small regulatory RNAs. The combination of these two observations raises the possibility that epigenetic regulation is a common plot linking the circadian clocks with addiction, though very little evidence has been reported to date. This review provides an elaborate overview of the circadian system and its involvement in addiction, and we hypothesise a possible connection at the epigenetic level that could further link them. Therefore, we think this review may further improve our understanding of the etiology or/and pathology of psychiatric disorders related to drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamis Saad
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.S.); (J.Z.)
- The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jean Zwiller
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.S.); (J.Z.)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 75016 Paris, France
| | - Andries Kalsbeek
- The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (NIN), Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick Anglard
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA), UMR 7364 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Neuropôle de Strasbourg, 67000 Strasbourg, France; (L.S.); (J.Z.)
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), 75013 Paris, France
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Sequeira-Cordero A, Brenes JC. Time-dependent changes in striatal monoamine levels and gene expression following single and repeated amphetamine administration in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 904:174148. [PMID: 33961872 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
As drug addiction may result from pathological usurpations of learning and memory's neural mechanisms, we focused on the amphetamine-induced time-dependent neurochemical changes associated with neural plasticity. We used juvenile rats as the risk for drug abuse is higher during adolescence. Experiment 1 served to define the appropriate amphetamine dose and the neurochemical effects of a single administration. In experiment 2, rats received seven amphetamine or saline injections in the open-field test throughout a twelve-day period. We measured the mRNA levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), its tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), the microRNA-132, the Rho GTPase-activating protein 32 (p250GAP), the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and monoamines and amino-acids contents in the nucleus accumbens and the dorsal striatum 45, 90, and 180 min after the last injection. We found that amphetamine changed gene expression only at certain time points and in a dose and region-dependent manner. Repeated but not single administrations upregulated accumbal and striatal BDNF (180 min) and striatal pri-miR-132 (90 min) expression, while downregulated accumbal CREB levels (90 min). As only some drug users develop addiction, we compared brain parameters between low and high amphetamine responders. Prone subjects characterized by having reduced striatal 5-HT metabolism, higher accumbal BDNF and TrkB expression, and lower levels of CREB in the dorsal striatum and p250GAP in both regions. Thus, individual differences in drug-induced changes in neurotransmission and gene expression in nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways may underlie the plasticity adaptations associated with behavioral sensitization to amphetamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Sequeira-Cordero
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
| | - Juan C Brenes
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica; Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias, Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
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Xu W, Hong Q, Lin Z, Ma H, Chen W, Zhuang D, Zhu H, Lai M, Fu D, Zhou W, Liu H. Role of nucleus accumbens microRNA-181a and MeCP2 in incubation of heroin craving in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2313-2324. [PMID: 33932163 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05854-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Epigenetic regulation has been implicated in the incubation of drug craving (the time-dependent increase in drug seeking after prolonged withdrawal from drug self-administration). There is little information available on the role of microRNAs in incubation of heroin craving. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the roles and mechanisms of miR-181a and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in incubation of heroin seeking. METHODS MiRNA sequencing was used to predict potential miRNAs, and miRNA profiles were performed in the NAc after 1 day or 14 days after withdrawal from heroin self-administration. Following 14 days of heroin self-administration, rats were injected of lentiviral vectors into the NAc and evaluated for the effects of overexpression of miR-181a or knockdown of MeCP2 on non-reinforced heroin seeking after 14 withdrawal days. RESULTS Lever presses during the heroin-seeking tests were higher after 14 withdrawal days than after 1 day (incubation of heroin craving). miR-181a expression in NAc was lower after 14 withdrawal days than after 1 day, and meCP2 expression in NAc was higher after 14 days than after 1 day. Luciferase activity assay showed that the 3'UTR of MeCP2 is directly regulated by miR-181a. Overexpression of miR-181a in NAc decreased heroin seeking after 14 withdrawal days and decreased MeCP2 mRNA and protein expression. Knockdown of MeCP2 expression in NAc by LV-siRNA-MeCP2 also decreased heroin seeking after 14 withdrawal days. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that incubation of heroin craving is mediated in part by time-dependent decreases in NAc miR181a expression that leads to time-dependent increases in MeCP2 expression. Our data suggest that NAc miR-181a and MeCP2 contribute to incubation of heroin craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjin Xu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingxiao Hong
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi Lin
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, 315201, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Weisheng Chen
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Dingding Zhuang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaqiang Zhu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Miaojun Lai
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Fu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenhua Zhou
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
| | - Huifen Liu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo Institute of Microcirculation and Henbane, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Addiction Research of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo, 315010, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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Beros J, Rodger J, Harvey AR. Age Related Response of Neonatal Rat Retinal Ganglion Cells to Reduced TrkB Signaling in vitro and in vivo. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:671087. [PMID: 34150766 PMCID: PMC8213349 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.671087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
During development of retinofugal pathways there is naturally occurring cell death of at least 50% of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). In rats, RGC death occurs over a protracted pre- and early postnatal period, the timing linked to the onset of axonal ingrowth into central visual targets. Gene expression studies suggest that developing RGCs switch from local to target-derived neurotrophic support during this innervation phase. Here we investigated, in vitro and in vivo, how RGC birthdate affects the timing of the transition from intra-retinal to target-derived neurotrophin dependence. RGCs were pre-labeled with 5-Bromo-2'-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) at embryonic (E) day 15 or 18. For in vitro studies, RGCs were purified from postnatal day 1 (P1) rat pups and cultured with or without: (i) brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), (ii) blocking antibodies to BDNF and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT-4/5), or (iii) a tropomyosin receptor kinase B fusion protein (TrkB-Fc). RGC viability was quantified 24 and 48 h after plating. By 48 h, the survival of purified βIII-tubulin immunopositive E15 but not E18 RGCs was dependent on addition of BDNF to the culture medium. For E18 RGCs, in the absence of exogenous BDNF, addition of blocking antibodies or TrkB-Fc reduced RGC viability at both 24 and 48 h by 25-40%. While this decrease was not significant due to high variance, importantly, each blocking method also consistently reduced complex process expression in surviving RGCs. In vivo, survival of BrdU and Brn3a co-labeled E15 or E18 RGCs was quantified in rats 24 h after P1 or P5 injection into the eye or contralateral superior colliculus (SC) of BDNF and NT-4/5 antibodies, or serum vehicle. The density of E15 RGCs 24 h after P1 or P5 injection of blocking antibodies was reduced after SC but not intraretinal injection. Antibody injections into either site had little obvious impact on viability of the substantially smaller population of E18 RGCs. In summary, most early postnatal RGC death in the rat involves the elimination of early-born RGCs with their survival primarily dependent upon the availability of target derived BDNF during this time. In contrast, late-born RGC survival may be influenced by additional factors, suggesting an association between RGC birthdate and developmental death mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Beros
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Jennifer Rodger
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Alan R Harvey
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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Transcriptional signatures in prefrontal cortex confer vulnerability versus resilience to food and cocaine addiction-like behavior. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9076. [PMID: 33907201 PMCID: PMC8079697 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88363-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by compulsive reward-seeking despite harmful consequences. The mechanisms underlying addiction are orchestrated by transcriptional reprogramming in the reward system of vulnerable subjects. This study aims at revealing gene expression alterations across different types of addiction. We analyzed publicly available transcriptome datasets of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) from a palatable food and a cocaine addiction study. We found 56 common genes upregulated in the PFC of addicted mice in these two studies, whereas most of the differentially expressed genes were exclusively linked to either palatable food or cocaine addiction. Gene ontology analysis of shared genes revealed that these genes contribute to learning and memory, dopaminergic synaptic transmission, and histone phosphorylation. Network analysis of shared genes revealed a protein–protein interaction node among the G protein-coupled receptors (Drd2, Drd1, Adora2a, Gpr6, Gpr88) and downstream targets of the cAMP signaling pathway (Ppp1rb1, Rgs9, Pde10a) as a core network in addiction. Upon extending the analysis to a cell-type specific level, some of these common molecular players were selectively expressed in excitatory neurons, oligodendrocytes, and endothelial cells. Overall, computational analysis of publicly available whole transcriptome datasets provides new insights into the molecular basis of addiction-like behaviors in PFC.
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Orihuel J, Gómez-Rubio L, Valverde C, Capellán R, Roura-Martínez D, Ucha M, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. Cocaine-induced Fos expression in the rat brain: Modulation by prior Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure during adolescence and sex-specific effects. Brain Res 2021; 1764:147480. [PMID: 33861997 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
It has been suggested that cannabis consumption during adolescence may be an initial step to cocaine use in adulthood. Indeed, previous preclinical data show that adolescent exposure to cannabinoids (both natural and synthetic) potentiates cocaine self-administration in rats. Here we aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the cellular activation patterns induced by cocaine as revealed by Fos imaging and how these patterns may change due to adolescent exposure to THC. Male and female Wistar rats were administered every other day THC (3 mg/kg i.p.) or vehicle from postnatal day 28-44. At adulthood (PND90) they were given an injection of cocaine (20 mg/kg i.p.) or saline and sacrificed 90 min later. Cocaine-induced Fos activation was measured by immunohistochemistry as an index of cellular activation. We found that cocaine-induced activation in the motor cortex was stronger in THC-exposed rats. Moreover, there was significant sex-dependent interaction between cocaine and adolescent THC exposure in the dorsal hypothalamus, suggesting that cocaine induced a more robust cellular activation in THC-exposed females but not in THC-treated males. Other THC- and cocaine-induced effects were also evident. These results add to the previous literature suggesting that the behavioral, cellular, molecular, and brain-activating actions of cocaine are modulated by early experience with cannabinoids and provide additional knowledge that may explain the enhanced actions of cocaine in rats exposed to cannabinoids during their adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain; International Graduate School at UNED (Escuela Internacional de Doctorado, UNED), Spain
| | - Laura Gómez-Rubio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudia Valverde
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Roura-Martínez
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Ucha
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
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LSD1-BDNF activity in lateral hypothalamus-medial forebrain bundle area is essential for reward seeking behavior. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 202:102048. [PMID: 33798614 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Reward induces activity-dependant gene expression and synaptic plasticity-related changes. Lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 (LSD1), a key enzyme driving histone modifications, regulates transcription in neural circuits of memory and emotional behavior. Herein, we focus on the role of LSD1 in modulating the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the master regulator of synaptic plasticity, in the lateral hypothalamus-medial forebrain bundle (LH-MFB) circuit during positive reinforcement. Rats, trained for intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) via an electrode-cannula assembly in the LH-MFB area, were assayed for lever press activity, epigenetic parameters and dendritic sprouting. LSD1 expression and markers of synaptic plasticity like BDNF and dendritic arborization in the LH, showed distinct increase in conditioned animals. H3K4me2 levels at Bdnf IV and Bdnf IX promoters were increased in ICSS-conditioned rats, but H3K9me2 was decreased. While intra LH-MFB treatment with pan Lsd1 siRNA inhibited lever press activity, analyses of LH tissue showed reduction in BDNF expression and levels of H3K4me2 and H3K9me2. However, co-administration of BDNF peptide restored lever press activity mitigated by Lsd1 siRNA. BDNF expression in LH, driven by LSD1 via histone demethylation, may play an important role in reshaping the reward pathway and hold the key to decode the molecular basis of addiction.
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Salery M, Godino A, Nestler EJ. Drug-activated cells: From immediate early genes to neuronal ensembles in addiction. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2021; 90:173-216. [PMID: 33706932 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2020.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Beyond their rapid rewarding effects, drugs of abuse can durably alter an individual's response to their environment as illustrated by the compulsive drug seeking and risk of relapse triggered by drug-associated stimuli. The persistence of these associations even long after cessation of drug use demonstrates the enduring mark left by drugs on brain reward circuits. However, within these circuits, neuronal populations are differently affected by drug exposure and growing evidence indicates that relatively small subsets of neurons might be involved in the encoding and expression of drug-mediated associations. The identification of sparse neuronal populations recruited in response to drug exposure has benefited greatly from the study of immediate early genes (IEGs) whose induction is critical in initiating plasticity programs in recently activated neurons. In particular, the development of technologies to manipulate IEG-expressing cells has been fundamental to implicate broadly distributed neuronal ensembles coincidently activated by either drugs or drug-associated stimuli and to then causally establish their involvement in drug responses. In this review, we summarize the literature regarding IEG regulation in different learning paradigms and addiction models to highlight their role as a marker of activity and plasticity. As the exploration of neuronal ensembles in addiction improves our understanding of drug-associated memory encoding, it also raises several questions regarding the cellular and molecular characteristics of these discrete neuronal populations as they become incorporated in drug-associated neuronal ensembles. We review recent efforts towards this goal and discuss how they will offer a more comprehensive understanding of addiction pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Salery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
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Huang WL, Hsiung MH, Dai W, Hu SSJ. Rottlerin, BDNF, and the impairment of inhibitory avoidance memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:421-439. [PMID: 33146738 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05690-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE As a eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) inhibitor and a mitochondrial uncoupler, oncologists have extensively studied rottlerin. Neuroscientists, however, have accumulated scarce data on the role of rottlerin in affective and cognitive functions. Only two prior studies have, respectively, documented its antidepressant-like effect and how it impairs psychostimulant-supported memory. Whether or not rottlerin would affect aversive memory remains unknown. Hence, we sought to investigate the effects of rottlerin on aversive memory in the inhibitory avoidance (IA) task in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male C57BL/6J mice were trained to acquire the IA task. Rottlerin (5 mg/kg, i.p. or 3 μg bilaterally in the hippocampus) or the vehicle was administered before footshock training (acquisition), after footshock training (consolidation), after the memory reactivation (reconsolidation), and before the test (retrieval) in the IA task. RESULTS Systemic and intrahippocampal rottlerin impaired the acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval of IA memory, without affecting the reconsolidation process. Rottlerin (5 mg/kg, i.p.) induced a fast-onset and long-lasting increase in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in the mouse hippocampus. Systemic injection of 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF, 30 mg/kg), a BDNF tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) agonist impaired IA memory consolidation, and treatment with K252a (5 μg/kg), a Trk receptor antagonist, reversed the suppressing effect of rottlerin on IA memory consolidation. CONCLUSION Rottlerin impairs IA memory consolidation through the enhancement of BDNF signaling in the mouse hippocampus. Excessive brain BDNF levels can be detrimental to cognitive function. Rottlerin is likely to affect the original memory-associated neuroplasticity. Thus, it can be combined with exposure therapy to facilitate the forgetting of maladaptive aversive memory, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Ling Huang
- Cannabinoid Signaling Laboratory, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Heng Hsiung
- Cannabinoid Signaling Laboratory, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Wen Dai
- Cannabinoid Signaling Laboratory, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Sherry Shu-Jung Hu
- Cannabinoid Signaling Laboratory, Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.
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Bayazit H, Dulgeroglu D, Selek S. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Oxidative Stress in Cannabis Dependence. Neuropsychobiology 2021; 79:186-190. [PMID: 31779002 DOI: 10.1159/000504626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurotrophin levels and oxidative stress markers such as ceruloplasmin and free thiols have been shown to contribute to pathophysiology in several psychiatric disorders. OBJECTIVE Our aim is to evaluate whether those markers are altered in cannabis dependence. METHODS Forty-five cannabis-dependent patients diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria and 45 healthy controls matched according to sex, age, BMI, and smoking status were enrolled. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), ceruloplasmin, lipid hydroperoxide, and total free thiols were measured in both groups. Those who had psychiatric comorbidities were excluded before sampling. RESULTS We found significantly increased BDNF, ceruloplasmin, and lipid hydroperoxide, and decreased free thiol levels in patients with cannabis dependence. There is also a positive correlation between BDNF and lipid hydroperoxide (n = r = 0.472, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation between BDNF and total thiols (n = r = -0.412, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Increased BDNF might be a sign of impaired neuronal plasticity that is crucial for memory formation and adaptive response to drug addiction. Neuronal plasticity in the ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons was implied to play a role in substance addiction disorders, and these adaptations can be secondary to oxidative stress. Our findings, including increased lipid hydroperoxide, ceruloplasmin, and decreased free thiols, might support this hypothesis. In conclusion, cannabis dependency alters BDNF levels and increases oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Bayazit
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA,
| | - Dilruba Dulgeroglu
- Community-Based Treatment Team, Bagcilar Education and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Salih Selek
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas University Health Science Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Liran M, Rahamim N, Ron D, Barak S. Growth Factors and Alcohol Use Disorder. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2020; 10:cshperspect.a039271. [PMID: 31964648 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophic growth factors were originally characterized for their support in neuronal differentiation, outgrowth, and survival during development. However, it has been acknowledged that they also play a vital role in the adult brain. Abnormalities in growth factors have been implicated in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). This work focuses on the interaction between alcohol and growth factors. We review literature suggesting that several growth factors play a unique role in the regulation of alcohol consumption, and that breakdown in these growth factor systems is linked to the development of AUD. Specifically, we focus on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1). We also review the literature on the potential role of midkine (MDK) and pleiotrophin (PTN) and their receptor, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), in AUD. We show that alcohol alters the expression of these growth factors or their receptors in brain regions previously implicated in addiction, and that manipulations on these growth factors and their downstream signaling can affect alcohol-drinking behaviors in animal models. We conclude that there is a need for translational and clinical research to assess the therapeutic potential of new pharmacotherapies targeting these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirit Liran
- Department of Neurobiology, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nofar Rahamim
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, California 94143-0663, USA
| | - Segev Barak
- Department of Neurobiology, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.,School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
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42
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Lucerne KE, Kiraly DD. The role of gut-immune-brain signaling in substance use disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 157:311-370. [PMID: 33648673 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are debilitating neuropsychiatric conditions that exact enormous costs in terms of loss of life and individual suffering. While much progress has been made defining the neurocircuitry and intracellular signaling cascades that contribute to SUDs, these studies have yielded limited effective treatment options. This has prompted greater exploration of non-traditional targets in addiction. Emerging data suggest inputs from peripheral systems, such as the immune system and the gut microbiome, impact multiple neuropsychiatric diseases, including SUDs. Until recently the gut microbiome, peripheral immune system, and the CNS have been studied independently; however, current work shows the gut microbiome and immune system critically interact to modulate brain function. Additionally, the gut microbiome and immune system intimately regulate one another via extensive bidirectional communication. Accumulating evidence suggests an important role for gut-immune-brain communication in the pathogenesis of substance use disorders. Thus, a better understanding of gut-immune-brain signaling could yield important insight to addiction pathology and potential treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Lucerne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Drew D Kiraly
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.
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43
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Rivera P, Aranda J, Alén F, Vargas A, Serrano A, Pavón FJ, Orio L, Rubio L, Moratalla R, de Fonseca FR, Suárez J. Sex-specific behavioral and neurogenic responses to cocaine in mice lacking and blocking dopamine D1 or dopamine D2 receptors. J Comp Neurol 2020; 529:1724-1742. [PMID: 33047300 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis in rodents is modulated by dopaminergic signaling and inhibited by cocaine. However, the sex-specific role of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors (D1R, D2R) in the deleterious effect of cocaine on adult neurogenesis has not been described yet. Here, we explored sex differences in (a) cell proliferation (5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine [BrdU]), (b) neural precursor (nestin), (c) neuronal phenotype (BrdU/β3-tubulin), and (d) neuronal maturity (NeuN) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and striatum of mice with genetic deletion (D1-/- , D2-/- ) or pharmacological blockage (SCH23390: 0.1 mg/kg/day/5 days; Raclopride: 0.3 mg/kg/day/5 days) of D1R and D2R, and treated (10 mg/kg/day/5 days) and then challenged (5 mg/kg, 48 hr later) with cocaine. Results indicated that hyperactivity responses to cocaine were absent in D1-/- mice and reduced in SCH23390-treated mice. Activity responses to cocaine were reduced in D2-/- males, but absent in D2-/- females and increased in Raclopride-treated females. D1R deletion blocked the deleterious effect of cocaine on SVZ cell proliferation in males. Cocaine-exposed D1-/- males also had reduced neuronal phenotype of SVZ newborn cells and increased striatal neuronal maturity. D2-/- mice had lower proliferative and neural precursor responses. Cocaine in D2-/- females or coadministered with Raclopride in wild-type females improved SVZ cell proliferation, an effect that positively correlated with plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentrations. In conclusion, the sex-specific D1R and D2R signaling on SVZ cell proliferation, neural progenitor and neuronal maturity is differentially perturbed by cocaine, and BDNF may be required to link D2R to neuroplasticity in cocaine addiction in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Rivera
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jesús Aranda
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Alén
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Vargas
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonia Serrano
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Pavón
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain.,CIBERCV, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; and UGC Corazón, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Laura Orio
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leticia Rubio
- Departamento de Anatomía Humana y Medicina Legal, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Rosario Moratalla
- Instituto Cajal de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científica, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Juan Suárez
- UGC Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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Intermittent but not continuous access to cocaine produces individual variability in addiction susceptibility in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:2929-2941. [PMID: 32556402 PMCID: PMC7529862 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a chronic disease defined by a complex set of characteristics, including loss of control over drug intake and persistent drug craving, which primarily affects a small percentage of people who try drugs. Although many models have been developed to study individual aspects of drug use, there is great translational value in having an animal model that encompasses multiple aspects of the human disease, including the variation in severity observed in humans. Here, we describe an intermittent access model of cocaine self-administration that produces a subset of rats that display many of the core features of addiction, including escalation of drug intake, a binge-like pattern of drug use, robust locomotor sensitization, and high levels of drug-seeking during cue-induced reinstatement. This group is compared with rats that have the same drug history but do not develop this pattern of drug-taking and drug-seeking, as well as rats that undergo a traditional continuous access paradigm. Finally, we observe that high levels of cocaine consumption produce long-term changes in intracellular calcium signaling in the dorsomedial striatum.
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Zagrebelsky M, Tacke C, Korte M. BDNF signaling during the lifetime of dendritic spines. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 382:185-199. [PMID: 32537724 PMCID: PMC7529616 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are tiny membrane specialization forming the postsynaptic part of most excitatory synapses. They have been suggested to play a crucial role in regulating synaptic transmission during development and in adult learning processes. Changes in their number, size, and shape are correlated with processes of structural synaptic plasticity and learning and memory and also with neurodegenerative diseases, when spines are lost. Thus, their alterations can correlate with neuronal homeostasis, but also with dysfunction in several neurological disorders characterized by cognitive impairment. Therefore, it is important to understand how different stages in the life of a dendritic spine, including formation, maturation, and plasticity, are strictly regulated. In this context, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), belonging to the NGF-neurotrophin family, is among the most intensively investigated molecule. This review would like to report the current knowledge regarding the role of BDNF in regulating dendritic spine number, structure, and plasticity concentrating especially on its signaling via its two often functionally antagonistic receptors, TrkB and p75NTR. In addition, we point out a series of open points in which, while the role of BDNF signaling is extremely likely conclusive, evidence is still missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zagrebelsky
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstr. 7, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Charlotte Tacke
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Korte
- Division of Cellular Neurobiology, Zoological Institute, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstr 7, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, AG NIND, Inhoffenstr. 7, D-38124, Braunschweig, Germany.
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The potential rewarding and reinforcing effects of the substituted benzofurans 2-EAPB and 5-EAPB in rodents. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 885:173527. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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47
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Environmental enrichment during forced abstinence from cocaine self-administration opposes gene network expression changes associated with the incubation effect. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11291. [PMID: 32647308 PMCID: PMC7347882 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67966-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is a robust intervention for reducing cocaine-seeking behaviors in animals when given during forced abstinence. However, the mechanisms that underlie these effects are not well-established. We investigated the adult male rat transcriptome using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) following differential housing during forced abstinence from cocaine self-administration for either 1 or 21 days. Enriched, 21-day forced abstinence rats displayed a significant reduction in cocaine-seeking behavior compared to rats housed in isolation. RNA-seq of the nucleus accumbens shell revealed hundreds of differentially regulated transcripts between rats of different forced abstinence length and housing environment, as well as within specific contrasts such as enrichment (isolated 21 days vs. enriched 21 days) or incubation (isolated 1 day vs. isolated 21 days). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis affirmed several pathways as differentially enriched based on housing condition and forced abstinence length including RELN, the Eif2 signaling pathway, synaptogenesis and neurogenesis pathways. Numerous pathways showed upregulation with incubation, but downregulation with EE, suggesting that EE may prevent or reverse changes in gene expression associated with protracted forced abstinence. The findings reveal novel candidate mechanisms involved in the protective effects of EE against cocaine seeking, which may inform efforts to develop pharmacological and gene therapies for treating cocaine use disorders. Furthermore, the finding that EE opposes multiple pathway changes associated with incubation of cocaine seeking strongly supports EE as a therapeutic intervention and suggests EE is capable of preventing or reversing the widespread dysregulation of signaling pathways that occurs during cocaine forced abstinence.
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48
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Xu L, Nan J, Lan Y. The Nucleus Accumbens: A Common Target in the Comorbidity of Depression and Addiction. Front Neural Circuits 2020; 14:37. [PMID: 32694984 PMCID: PMC7338554 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2020.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The comorbidity of depression and addiction has become a serious public health issue, and the relationship between these two disorders and their potential mechanisms has attracted extensive attention. Numerous studies have suggested that depression and addiction share common mechanisms and anatomical pathways. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has long been considered a key brain region for regulating many behaviors, especially those related to depression and addiction. In this review article, we focus on the association between addiction and depression, highlighting the potential mediating role of the NAc in this comorbidity via the regulation of changes in the neural circuits and molecular signaling. To clarify the mechanisms underlying this association, we summarize evidence from overlapping reward neurocircuitry, the resemblance of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and common treatments. Understanding the interplay between these disorders should help guide clinical comorbidity prevention and the search for a new target for comorbidity treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University School of Medicine, Yanji City, China
| | - Jun Nan
- Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, Yanji City, China
| | - Yan Lan
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University School of Medicine, Yanji City, China
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49
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Cole RD, Zimmerman M, Matchanova A, Kutlu MG, Gould TJ, Parikh V. Cognitive rigidity and BDNF-mediated frontostriatal glutamate neuroadaptations during spontaneous nicotine withdrawal. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:866-876. [PMID: 31752015 PMCID: PMC7075915 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0574-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility is the ability to switch strategic responses adaptively in changing environments. Cognitive rigidity imposed by neural circuit adaptations during nicotine abstinence may foster maladaptive nicotine taking in addicts. We systematically examined the effects of spontaneous withdrawal in mice exposed to either nicotine (6.3 or 18 mg/kg/day) or saline for 14 days on cognitive flexibility using an operant strategy set-shifting task. Because frontostriatal circuits are critical for cognitive flexibility and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates glutamate plasticity in these circuits, we also explored the effects of nicotine withdrawal on these neurochemical substrates. Mice undergoing nicotine withdrawal required more trials to attain strategy-switching criterion. Error analysis show that animals withdrawn from both nicotine doses committed higher perseverative errors, which correlated with measures of anxiety. However, animals treated with the higher nicotine dose also displayed more strategy maintenance errors that remained independent of negative affect. BDNF mRNA expression increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) following nicotine withdrawal. Surprisingly, BDNF protein declined in mPFC but was elevated in dorsal striatum (DS). DS BDNF protein positively correlated with perseverative and maintenance errors, suggesting mPFC-DS overflow of BDNF during withdrawal. BDNF-evoked glutamate release and synapsin phosphorylation was attenuated within DS synapses, but enhanced in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting a dichotomous role of BDNF signaling in striatal regions. Taken together, these data suggest that spontaneous nicotine withdrawal impairs distinct components of cognitive set-shifting and these deficits may be linked to BDNF-mediated alterations in glutamate signaling dynamics in discrete frontostriatal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D. Cole
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Matty Zimmerman
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Anastasia Matchanova
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| | - Munir Gunes Kutlu
- 0000 0001 2097 4281grid.29857.31Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Thomas J. Gould
- 0000 0001 2097 4281grid.29857.31Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA.
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50
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Browne CJ, Godino A, Salery M, Nestler EJ. Epigenetic Mechanisms of Opioid Addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:22-33. [PMID: 31477236 PMCID: PMC6898774 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Opioid use kills tens of thousands of Americans each year, devastates families and entire communities, and cripples the health care system. Exposure to opioids causes long-term changes to brain regions involved in reward processing and motivation, leading vulnerable individuals to engage in pathological drug seeking and drug taking that can remain a lifelong struggle. The persistence of these neuroadaptations is mediated in part by epigenetic remodeling of gene expression programs in discrete brain regions. Although the majority of work examining how epigenetic modifications contribute to addiction has focused on psychostimulants such as cocaine, research into opioid-induced changes to the epigenetic landscape is emerging. This review summarizes our knowledge of opioid-induced epigenetic modifications and their consequential changes to gene expression. Current evidence points toward opioids promoting higher levels of permissive histone acetylation and lower levels of repressive histone methylation as well as alterations to DNA methylation patterns and noncoding RNA expression throughout the brain's reward circuitry. Additionally, studies manipulating epigenetic enzymes in specific brain regions are beginning to build causal links between these epigenetic modifications and changes in addiction-related behavior. Moving forward, studies must leverage advanced chromatin analysis and next-generation sequencing approaches combined with bioinformatics pipelines to identify novel gene networks regulated by particular epigenetic modifications. Improved translational relevance also requires increased focus on volitional drug-intake models and standardization of opioid exposure paradigms. Such work will significantly advance our understanding of how opioids cause persistent changes to brain function and will provide a platform on which to develop interventions for treating opioid addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marine Salery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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