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Ahmed R, Zyla S, Hammond N, Blum K, Thanos PK. The Role of Estrogen Signaling and Exercise in Drug Abuse: A Review. Clin Pract 2024; 14:148-163. [PMID: 38248436 PMCID: PMC10801537 DOI: 10.3390/clinpract14010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discovering how sex differences impact the efficacy of exercise regimens used for treating drug addiction is becoming increasingly important. Estrogen is a hormone believed to explain a large portion of sex differences observed during drug addiction, and why certain exercise regimens are not equally effective between sexes in treatment. Addiction is currently a global hindrance to millions, many of whom are suffering under the influence of their brain's intrinsic reward system coupled with external environmental factors. Substance abuse disorders in the U.S. alone cost billions of dollars annually. REVIEW SUMMARY Studies involving the manipulation of estrogen levels in female rodents, primarily via ovariectomy, highlight its impact regarding drug addiction. More specifically, female rodents with higher estrogen levels during the estrus phase increase cocaine consumption, whereas those in the non-estrus phase (low estrogen levels) decrease cocaine consumption. If estrogen is reintroduced, self-administration increases once again. Exercise has been proven to decrease relapse tendency, but its effect on estrogen levels is not fully understood. CONCLUSIONS Such findings and results discussed in this review suggest that estrogen influences the susceptibility of females to relapse. Therefore, to improve drug-abuse-related treatment, exercise regimens for females should be generated based on key sex differences with respect to males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rania Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Samuel Zyla
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Nikki Hammond
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Division of Addiction Research Education, Center for Sports, Exercise and Mental Health, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA;
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (S.Z.); (N.H.)
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Tyler J, Podaras M, Richardson B, Roeder N, Hammond N, Hamilton J, Blum K, Gold M, Baron DA, Thanos PK. High intensity interval training exercise increases dopamine D2 levels and modulates brain dopamine signaling. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1257629. [PMID: 38192549 PMCID: PMC10773799 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1257629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has outlined the health benefits of exercise including its therapeutic potential for substance use disorders (SUD). These data have already been utilized and it is now common to find exercise as part of SUD treatment and relapse prevention programs. However, we need to better understand different exercise regimens and determine which would be the most beneficial for SUDs. Recently, high intensity interval training (HIIT) has gained attention in comparison with aerobic and resistance exercise. Little is known regarding the neurobiological mechanisms of HIIT, including its effects on dopamine signaling and receptor levels in the brain. The present study examined the effects of chronic HIIT exercise on dopamine signaling as measured by dopamine type 1-like receptor (D1R)-like, dopamine type 2-like receptor (D2R)-like, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) quantification in the brains of male and female rats as measured by [3H] SCH 23390 and [3H] spiperone autoradiography, and TH-immunoreactive optical density values. Methods Rats were separated in two groups: sedentary and HIIT exercise. Exercise was on a treadmill for 30 min daily (10 3 min cycles) for six weeks with progressive speed increased up to 0.8 mph (21.5 m/min). Results Results showed for D2R-like binding, a significant effect across the ventral caudate putamen (V CPU) between sexes, such that mean D2R-like binding was 14% greater for males than females. In the nucleus accumbens shell (Nac Shell), the HIIT Exercise rats showed 16% greater D2R-like binding as compared to the sedentary rats. No significant effects of HIIT exercise were found across groups for brain D1R-like binding levels or TH expression. Conclusion These results suggest that HIIT exercise can modulate dopamine signaling by way of increased D2R. These findings support the premise that HIIT exercise plays an important role in dopamine signaling and, may provide a potential mechanism for how HIIT exercise can impact the brain and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tyler
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Madeline Podaras
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Department of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Brittany Richardson
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Nicole Roeder
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Nikki Hammond
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - John Hamilton
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Center for Sports, Exercsie and Mental Health, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Mark Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - David A. Baron
- Center for Sports, Exercsie and Mental Health, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Panayotis K. Thanos
- Behavioral Neuropharmacology and Neuroimaging Laboratory on Addictions (BNNLA), Research Institute on Addictions, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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Birmingham EA, Wickens MM, Kirkland JM, Knouse MC, McGrath AG, Briand LA. Circulating ovarian hormones interact with protein interacting with C kinase (PICK1) within the medial prefrontal cortex to influence cocaine seeking in female mice. Horm Behav 2023; 155:105408. [PMID: 37541099 PMCID: PMC10543586 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105408] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) is an AMPA receptor binding protein that works in conjunction with glutamate receptor interacting protein (GRIP) to balance the number of GluA2-containing AMPARs in the synapse. In male mice, disrupting PICK1 in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) leads to a decrease in cue-induced cocaine seeking and disrupting GRIP in the mPFC has the opposing effect, consistent with other evidence that removal of GluA2-containing AMPARs potentiates reinstatement. However, PICK1 does not seem to play the same role in female mice, as knockdown of either PICK1 or GRIP in the mPFC leads to similar increases in cue-induced cocaine seeking. These previous findings indicate that the role of PICK1 in the prefrontal cortex is sex specific. The goal of the current study was to examine whether ovarian hormones contribute to the effect of prefrontal PICK1 knockdown on reinstatement of cocaine seeking. While we replicated the increased cue-induced cocaine seeking in prefrontal PICK1 knockdown sham mice, we did not see any difference between the GFP control mice and PICK1 knockdowns following ovariectomy. However, this effect was driven primarily by an increase in cocaine seeking in ovariectomized GFP control mice while there was no effect ovariectomy in PICK1 knockdown mice. Taken together, these findings suggest that circulating ovarian hormones interact with the effects of PICK1 on cue-induced reinstatement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan M Wickens
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Julia M Kirkland
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Melissa C Knouse
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Anna G McGrath
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America; Neuroscience Program, Temple University, United States of America.
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Hersey M, Bartole MK, Jones CS, Newman AH, Tanda G. Are There Prevalent Sex Differences in Psychostimulant Use Disorder? A Focus on the Potential Therapeutic Efficacy of Atypical Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors. Molecules 2023; 28:5270. [PMID: 37446929 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28135270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant use disorders (PSUD) affect a growing number of men and women and exert sizable public health and economic burdens on our global society. Notably, there are some sex differences in the onset of dependence, relapse rates, and treatment success with PSUD observed in preclinical and clinical studies. The subtle sex differences observed in the behavioral aspects of PSUD may be associated with differences in the neurochemistry of the dopaminergic system between sexes. Preclinically, psychostimulants have been shown to increase synaptic dopamine (DA) levels and may downregulate the dopamine transporter (DAT). This effect is greatest in females during the high estradiol phase of the estrous cycle. Interestingly, women have been shown to be more likely to begin drug use at younger ages and report higher levels of desire to use cocaine than males. Even though there is currently no FDA-approved medication, modafinil, a DAT inhibitor approved for use in the treatment of narcolepsy and sleep disorders, has shown promise in the treatment of PSUD among specific populations of affected individuals. In this review, we highlight the therapeutic potential of modafinil and other atypical DAT inhibitors focusing on the lack of sex differences in the actions of these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda Hersey
- Medication Development Program, NIDA IRP, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | | | - Claire S Jones
- Medication Development Program, NIDA IRP, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Amy Hauck Newman
- Medication Development Program, NIDA IRP, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- Medication Development Program, NIDA IRP, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Towers EB, Setaro B, Lynch WJ. Estradiol Enhances the Development of Addiction-Like Features in a Female Rat Model of Opioid Use Disorder. Neuroendocrinology 2023; 113:1099-1111. [PMID: 36878201 PMCID: PMC10644281 DOI: 10.1159/000529997] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Women are more vulnerable than men in many aspects of opioid use disorder (OUD); a major theory of sex differences in substance use disorders is that these differences are due to ovarian hormones with estradiol enhancing vulnerability in females. However, most of this evidence is for psychostimulants and alcohol; evidence with opioids is sparse. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine the impact of estradiol on vulnerability in females in a rat model of OUD. METHOD Following self-administration training, ovariectomized (OVX) females with (E) or without (V) estradiol replacement were given extended (24 h/day), intermittent access (2, 5-min trials/h) to fentanyl for 10 days. Then, the development of three key features of OUD were assessed, including physical dependence, defined by the magnitude and time course of weight loss during withdrawal; an enhanced motivation for fentanyl, assessed using a progressive-ratio schedule; and relapse vulnerability, assessed using an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure. These later two characteristics were examined following 14 days of withdrawal when the phenotypes are known to be highly expressed. RESULTS OVX+E females self-administered markedly higher levels of fentanyl under extended, intermittent-access conditions and showed a longer time course of physical dependence, a greater increase in motivation for fentanyl, and an enhanced sensitivity to the reinstating effects of fentanyl-associated cues compared to OVX+V rats. Severe health complications were also observed in OVX+E, but not OVX+V females, during withdrawal. CONCLUSION These results indicate that, as with findings with psychostimulants and alcohol, estradiol enhances vulnerability in females to developing opioid addiction-like features and serious opioid-related health complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ben Setaro
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Wendy J. Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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Towers EB, Williams IL, Qillawala EI, Rissman EF, Lynch WJ. Sex/Gender Differences in the Time-Course for the Development of Substance Use Disorder: A Focus on the Telescoping Effect. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:217-249. [PMID: 36781217 PMCID: PMC9969523 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000361] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex/gender effects have been demonstrated for multiple aspects of addiction, with one of the most commonly cited examples being the "telescoping effect" where women meet criteria and/or seek treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) after fewer years of drug use as compared with men. This phenomenon has been reported for multiple drug classes including opioids, psychostimulants, alcohol, and cannabis, as well as nonpharmacological addictions, such as gambling. However, there are some inconsistent reports that show either no difference between men and women or opposite effects and a faster course to addiction in men than women. Thus, the goals of this review are to evaluate evidence for and against the telescoping effect in women and to determine the conditions/populations for which the telescoping effect is most relevant. We also discuss evidence from preclinical studies, which strongly support the validity of the telescoping effect and show that female animals develop addiction-like features (e.g., compulsive drug use, an enhanced motivation for the drug, and enhanced drug-craving/vulnerability to relapse) more readily than male animals. We also discuss biologic factors that may contribute to the telescoping effect, such as ovarian hormones, and its neurobiological basis focusing on the mesolimbic dopamine reward pathway and the corticomesolimbic glutamatergic pathway considering the critical roles these pathways play in the rewarding/reinforcing effects of addictive drugs and SUD. We conclude with future research directions, including intervention strategies to prevent the development of SUD in women. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: One of the most widely cited gender/sex differences in substance use disorder (SUD) is the "telescoping effect," which reflects an accelerated course in women versus men for the development and/or seeking treatment for SUD. This review evaluates evidence for and against a telescoping effect drawing upon data from both clinical and preclinical studies. We also discuss the contribution of biological factors and underlying neurobiological mechanisms and highlight potential targets to prevent the development of SUD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Ivy L Williams
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emaan I Qillawala
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
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Jensterle M, Rizzo M, Janež A. Semaglutide in Obesity: Unmet Needs in Men. Diabetes Ther 2023; 14:461-465. [PMID: 36609945 PMCID: PMC9981825 DOI: 10.1007/s13300-022-01360-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Jensterle
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Manfredi Rizzo
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (Promise), School of Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrej Janež
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Lenoir M, Navailles S, Vandaele Y, Vouillac-Mendoza C, Guillem K, Ahmed SH. Large-scale brain correlates of sweet versus cocaine reward in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:423-439. [PMID: 36453530 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine induces many supranormal changes in neuronal activity in the brain, notably in learning- and reward-related regions, in comparison with nondrug rewards-a difference that is thought to contribute to its relatively high addictive potential. However, when facing a choice between cocaine and a nondrug reward (e.g., water sweetened with saccharin), most rats do not choose cocaine, as one would expect from the extent and magnitude of its global activation of the brain, but instead choose the nondrug option. We recently showed that cocaine, though larger in magnitude, is also an inherently more delayed reward than sweet water, thereby explaining why it has less value during choice and why rats opt for the more immediate nondrug option. Here, we used a large-scale Fos brain mapping approach to measure brain responses to each option in saccharin-preferring rats, with the hope to identify brain regions whose activity may explain the preference for the nondrug option. In total, Fos expression was measured in 142 brain levels corresponding to 52 brain subregions and composing 5 brain macrosystems. Overall, our findings confirm in rats with a preference for saccharin that cocaine induces more global brain activation than the preferred nondrug option does. Only very few brain regions were uniquely activated by saccharin. They included regions involved in taste processing (i.e., anterior gustatory cortex) and also regions involved in processing reward delay and intertemporal choice (i.e., some components of the septohippocampal system and its connections with the lateral habenula).
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Affiliation(s)
- Magalie Lenoir
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Youna Vandaele
- INSERM, U-1084, Laboratoire des Neurosciences Expérimentales et Cliniques, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | | | - Karine Guillem
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
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Towers EB, Kilgore M, Bakhti-Suroosh A, Pidaparthi L, Williams IL, Abel JM, Lynch WJ. Sex differences in the neuroadaptations associated with incubated cocaine-craving: A focus on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1027310. [PMID: 36688133 PMCID: PMC9854116 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1027310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Women have a shorter course from initial cocaine use to meeting the criteria for cocaine use disorder as compared to men. Preclinical findings similarly indicate that females develop key features of an addiction-like phenotype faster than males, including an enhanced motivation for cocaine and compulsive use, indicating that this phenomenon is biologically based. The goals of this study were to determine whether cocaine-craving, another key feature of addiction, also develops sooner during withdrawal in females than males and to determine whether there are sex differences in the molecular mechanisms associated with its development focusing on markers known to mediate cocaine-craving in males (i.e., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dmPFC, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon-IV, Bdnf-IV, and NMDA receptor subunits, Grin2a, Grin2b, and Grin1). Methods Cocaine-craving was assessed following extended-access cocaine self-administration and 2, 7, or 14 days of withdrawal using an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure. Tissue was obtained from the dmPFC immediately after reinstatement testing and gene expression changes were analyzed using real-time qPCR. Results In males, cocaine-craving (total extinction and cue-induced reinstatement responding) progressively increased from early to later withdrawal time-points whereas in females, cocaine-craving was already elevated during early withdrawal (after 2 days) and did not further increase at later withdrawal time-points. Levels of cocaine-craving, however, were similar between the sexes. Gene expression changes differed markedly between the sexes such that males showed the expected relapse- and withdrawal-associated changes in Bdnf-IV, Grin2a, Grin2b, and Grin1 expression, but females only showed a modest increase Grin1 expression at the intermediate withdrawal timepoint. Discussion These findings indicate that cocaine-craving is similarly expressed in males and females although the time-course for its incubation appears to be accelerated in females; the molecular mechanisms also likely differ in females versus males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Madison Kilgore
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Lasyapriya Pidaparthi
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ivy L. Williams
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Jean M. Abel
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Wendy J. Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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10
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Hilz EN, Lee HJ. Estradiol and progesterone in female reward-learning, addiction, and therapeutic interventions. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 68:101043. [PMID: 36356909 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101043] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones like estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) guide the sexual organization and activation of the developing brain and control female reproductive behavior throughout the lifecycle; importantly, these hormones modulate functional activity of not just the endocrine system, but most of the nervous system including the brain reward system. The effects of E2 and P4 can be seen in the processing of and memory for rewarding stimuli and in the development of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors like those seen in substance use disorders. Women are at increased risk of developing substance use disorders; however, the origins of this sex difference are not well understood and therapeutic interventions targeting ovarian hormones have produced conflicting results. This article reviews the contribution of the E2 and P4 in females to functional modulation of the brain reward system, their possible roles in origins of addiction vulnerability, and the development and treatment of compulsive reward-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Hilz
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Pharmacology, USA.
| | - Hongjoo J Lee
- The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, USA; The University of Texas at Austin, Institute for Neuroscience, USA
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11
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Vandaele Y, Augier E, Vouillac-Mendoza C, Ahmed SH. Cocaine falls into oblivion during volitional initiation of choice trials. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13235. [PMID: 36301214 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
When facing a choice, most animals quit drugs in favour of a variety of nondrug alternatives. We recently found, rather unexpectedly, that choice of the nondrug alternative is in fact inflexible and habitual. One possible contributing factor to habitual choice is the intermittency and uncontrollability of choice trials in previous studies. Here, we asked whether and to what extent volitional control over the occurrence of choice trials could change animals' preference by preventing habitual choice. To do so, rats were trained to nosepoke in a hole to trigger the presentation of two operant levers: one associated with cocaine, the other with saccharin. Rats were then free to choose among the two levers to obtain the corresponding reward, after which both levers retracted until rats self-initiated the next choice trial. Overall, we found that volitional control over choice trials did not change preference. Most rats preferred saccharin over cocaine and selected this option almost exclusively. Intriguingly, after repeated choice and consumption of saccharin, rats transiently lost interest in this option (i.e., due to sensory-specific satiety), but they did not switch to cocaine, preferring instead to pause during long periods of time before reinitiating a choice trial for saccharin. This finding suggests that during volitional initiation of a choice trial, rats fail to consider cocaine as an option. We discuss a possible associative mechanism to explain this perplexing behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youna Vandaele
- Université de Poitiers, Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences, INSERM U1084, Poitiers, France
| | - Eric Augier
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, BKV, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Caroline Vouillac-Mendoza
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR5287, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR5287, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR5287, Bordeaux, France
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12
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Jensterle M, Rizzo M, Janež A. Weight response to GLP-1 receptor agonists: Why women do it better? J Diabetes Complications 2022; 36:108310. [PMID: 36150366 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2022.108310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mojca Jensterle
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Manfredi Rizzo
- School of Medicine, Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (Promise), University of Palermo, Italy
| | - Andrej Janež
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disease, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloska 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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13
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Orsini CA, Truckenbrod LM, Wheeler AR. Regulation of sex differences in risk-based decision making by gonadal hormones: Insights from rodent models. Behav Processes 2022; 200:104663. [PMID: 35661794 PMCID: PMC9893517 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their ability to evaluate options that vary in their rewards and the risks that are associated with these outcomes. Most studies have shown that women are more risk averse than men and that gonadal hormones significantly contribute to this sex difference. Gonadal hormones can influence risk-based decision making (i.e., risk taking) by modulating the neurobiological substrates underlying this cognitive process. Indeed, estradiol, progesterone and testosterone modulate activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and nucleus accumbens associated with reward and risk-related information. The use of animal models of decision making has advanced our understanding of the intersection between the behavioral, neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying sex differences in risk taking. This review will outline the current state of this literature, identify the current gaps in knowledge and suggest the neurobiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate risky decision making. Collectively, this knowledge can be used to understand the potential consequences of significant hormonal changes, whether endogenously or exogenously induced, on risk-based decision making as well as the neuroendocrinological basis of neuropsychiatric diseases that are characterized by impaired risk taking, such as substance use disorder and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A. Orsini
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Correspondence to: Department of Psychology & Neurology, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, 108 E. Dean Keaton St., Stop A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (C.A. Orsini)
| | - Leah M. Truckenbrod
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA,Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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14
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Mineur YS, Garcia-Rivas V, Thomas MA, Soares AR, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Sex differences in stress-induced alcohol intake: a review of preclinical studies focused on amygdala and inflammatory pathways. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2041-2061. [PMID: 35359158 PMCID: PMC9704113 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that women are more likely than men to relapse to alcohol drinking in response to stress; however, the mechanisms underlying this sex difference are not well understood. A number of preclinical behavioral models have been used to study stress-induced alcohol intake. Here, we review paradigms used to study effects of stress on alcohol intake in rodents, focusing on findings relevant to sex differences. To date, studies of sex differences in stress-induced alcohol drinking have been somewhat limited; however, there is evidence that amygdala-centered circuits contribute to effects of stress on alcohol seeking. In addition, we present an overview of inflammatory pathways leading to microglial activation that may contribute to alcohol-dependent behaviors. We propose that sex differences in neuronal function and inflammatory signaling in circuits centered on the amygdala are involved in sex-dependent effects on stress-induced alcohol seeking and suggest that this is an important area for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Vernon Garcia-Rivas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Merrilee A Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA.
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15
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Effects of Early Life Exposure to Sex Hormones on Neurochemical and Behavioral Responses to Psychostimulants in Adulthood: Implications in Drug Addiction. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23126575. [PMID: 35743018 PMCID: PMC9223714 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126575] [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: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life exposure to sex hormones affects several brain areas involved in regulating locomotor and motivation behaviors. Our group has shown that neonatal exposure to testosterone propionate (TP) or estradiol valerate (EV) affected the brain dopamine (DA) system in adulthood. Here, we studied the long-lasting effects of neonatal exposure to sex hormones on behavioral and neurochemical responses to amphetamine (AMPH) and methylphenidate (MPD). Our results show that AMPH-induced locomotor activity was higher in female than male control rats. The conditioned place preference (CPP) to AMPH was only observed in EV male rats. In EV female rats, AMPH did not increase locomotor activity, but MPD-induced CPP was observed in control, EV and TP female rats. Using in vivo brain microdialysis, we observed that AMPH-induced extracellular DA levels were lower in nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of EV and TP female rats than control rats. In addition, MPD did not increase NAcc extracellular DA levels in EV rats. Using in vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in striatum, MPD-induced DA reuptake was higher in EV than control rats. In summary, our results show that early life exposure to sex hormones modulates mesolimbic and nigrostriatal DA neurons producing opposite neurochemical effects induced by psychostimulant drugs in NAcc or striatum.
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16
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Sex Differences in Psychostimulant Abuse: Implications for Estrogen Receptors and Histone Deacetylases. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13050892. [PMID: 35627277 PMCID: PMC9140379 DOI: 10.3390/genes13050892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance abuse is a chronic pathological disorder that negatively affects many health and neurological processes. A growing body of literature has revealed gender differences in substance use. Compared to men, women display distinct drug-use phenotypes accompanied by recovery and rehabilitation disparities. These observations have led to the notion that sex-dependent susceptibilities exist along the progression to addiction. Within this scope, neuroadaptations following psychostimulant exposure are thought to be distinct for each sex. This review summarizes clinical findings and animal research reporting sex differences in the subjective and behavioral responses to cocaine, methamphetamine, and nicotine. This discussion is followed by an examination of epigenetic and molecular alterations implicated in the addiction process. Special consideration is given to histone deacetylases and estrogen receptor-mediated gene expression.
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17
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Bagley JR, Khan AH, Smith DJ, Jentsch JD. Extreme phenotypic diversity in operant response to intravenous cocaine or saline infusion in the hybrid mouse diversity panel. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13162. [PMID: 35470554 PMCID: PMC9870574 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration is a complexly determined trait, with a substantial proportion of individual differences being determined by genetic variation. However, the relevant genetic variants that drive heritable differences in cocaine use remain undiscovered. Cocaine intravenous self-administration (IVSA) procedures in laboratory animals provide opportunities to prospectively investigate neurogenetic influences on the acquisition of voluntary cocaine use. Here, we provide information on cocaine (or saline-as a control) IVSA in 84 members of the hybrid mouse diversity panel (HMDP), an array of genetically distinct classical or recombinant inbred strains. We found cocaine IVSA to be substantially heritable in this population, with strain-level intake ranging for near 0 to >25 mg/kg/session. Though saline IVSA was also found to be heritable, a modest genetic correlation between cocaine and saline IVSA indicates that operant responding for the cocaine reinforcer was influenced, at least in part, by unique genetic variants. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of infusions earned in cocaine and saline groups revealed significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) on Chromosomes 3 and 14 for cocaine, but not saline, IVSA. Positional candidates were further prioritized through use of bulk RNA sequencing data that revealed genes with cis-eQTL and genetic correlation to number of infusions. Additionally, these data identify reference strains with extreme cocaine IVSA phenotypes, revealing them as polygenic models of risk and resilience to cocaine reinforcement. This work is part of an ongoing effort to characterize genetic variation that moderates cocaine IVSA that may, in turn, provide a more comprehensive understanding of cocaine risk genetics and neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared R. Bagley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Arshad H. Khan
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Desmond J. Smith
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - James D. Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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18
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Nall RW, Chalhoub RM, Kalivas PW. Drug versus non-drug behaviors: A dual-reward model of sex differences and neurobiological mechanisms in rats. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:457-471. [PMID: 35297047 PMCID: PMC10775707 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.752] [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: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) are an impactful problem characterized by chronic relapse and engagement in drug-related behaviors at the expense of non-drug behaviors. Brain regions implicated in drug and non-drug-related behaviors often overlap, complicating investigations of neurobiological mechanisms underlying SUDs. Here we presented a within-subject model for studying self-administration, reinforcer competition, extinction, and cued reinstatement of cocaine- and food-seeking in rats. Due to differences in cocaine- and food-reinforced behavior, we transformed data to proportions of baseline, revealing increased resistance to extinction and disproportionately greater cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking relative to food seeking. Consistent with previous reports, females showed greater preference for cocaine reinforcement than males, though these findings failed to reach statistical significance. To demonstrate the model's utility for investigating neurobiological mechanisms, we included proof-of-concept calcium imaging data demonstrating the utility of the behavioral model for detecting cellular activity patterns associated with cocaine- and food-seeking behaviors. Future studies utilizing this model should improve understanding of the development and expression of pathological behaviors characteristic of SUDs in humans, sex differences in these behaviors, and their neurobiological correlates. Thus, the model has utility for improving understanding of SUDs, leading to novel treatments to reduce the pathological behaviors associated with SUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusty W. Nall
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Jacksonville State University
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19
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Naltrexone alters cardiovascular function following acute forced swimming in mice. Cardiovasc Endocrinol Metab 2022; 11:e0263. [PMID: 35441130 PMCID: PMC9010118 DOI: 10.1097/xce.0000000000000263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Naltrexone (NTX) is an opioid antagonist that can reverse the physiological effects of opioid receptors when bound. Opioid receptors have been found to play a role in cardiovascular (CV) function, and thus, binding of NTX may alter CV activity at rest and in response to acute and chronic exercise (EX). We hypothesized that opioid receptor blockade will alter the typical CV responses following acute EX. Methods We assessed the effects of opioid receptor blockade on CV function via echocardiography in mice following an acute bout of forced swimming (FSw), a model of rodent EX. We administered opioid receptor antagonist, NTX, or saline in mice before FSw and in the absence of an FSw perturbation. Furthermore, we assessed how NTX can influence maximal EX capacity on a rodent treadmill. Results Our data shows that NTX administration does not decrease maximal EX capacity in mice (P > 0.05). However, NTX attenuated cardiac output following FSw (FSw = 52.5 ± 2.5 ml/min vs. FSw + NTX = 32.7 ± 5.2 ml/min; P < 0.05) when compared with saline control (33.5 ± 3.8 ml/min). Further, the administration of NTX in the non-EX condition significantly (P < 0.05) reduced ejection fraction. Conclusion These data suggest that normal opioid receptor activation is necessary for typical CV function following FSw.
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20
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Vandaele Y, Ahmed SH. Choosing between cocaine and sucrose under the influence: testing the effect of cocaine tolerance. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1053-1063. [PMID: 34596725 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05987-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Cocaine use not only depends on the reinforcing properties of the drug, but also on its pharmacological effects on alternative nondrug activities. In animal models investigating choice between cocaine and alternative sweet rewards, the latter influence can have a dramatic impact on choice outcomes. When choosing under cocaine influence is prevented by imposing sufficiently long intervals between choice trials, animals typically prefer the sweet reward. However, when choosing under the drug influence is permitted, animals shift their preference in favor of cocaine. OBJECTIVES We previously hypothesized that this preference shift is mainly due to a direct suppression of responding for sweet reward by cocaine pharmacological effects. Here we tested this hypothesis by making rats tolerant to this drug-induced behavioral suppression. RESULTS Contrary to our expectation, tolerance did not prevent rats from shifting their preference to cocaine when choosing under the influence. CONCLUSION Thus, other mechanisms must be invoked to explain the influence of cocaine intoxication on choice outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S H Ahmed
- Institut Des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.,Institut Des Maladies Neurodégénératives, CNRS, Bordeaux, France
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21
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Kaplan G, Xu H, Abreu K, Feng J. DNA Epigenetics in Addiction Susceptibility. Front Genet 2022; 13:806685. [PMID: 35145550 PMCID: PMC8821887 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.806685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a chronically relapsing neuropsychiatric disease that occurs in some, but not all, individuals who use substances of abuse. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms which contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to addiction. Neural gene expression regulation underlies the pathogenesis of addiction, which is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA modifications. A growing body of work has demonstrated distinct DNA epigenetic signatures in brain reward regions that may be associated with addiction susceptibility. Furthermore, factors that influence addiction susceptibility are also known to have a DNA epigenetic basis. In the present review, we discuss the notion that addiction susceptibility has an underlying DNA epigenetic basis. We focus on major phenotypes of addiction susceptibility and review evidence of cell type-specific, time dependent, and sex biased effects of drug use. We highlight the role of DNA epigenetics in these diverse processes and propose its contribution to addiction susceptibility differences. Given the prevalence and lack of effective treatments for addiction, elucidating the DNA epigenetic mechanism of addiction vulnerability may represent an expeditious approach to relieving the addiction disease burden.
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22
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Arunogiri S, Crossin R, Rizzo D, Walker L, Ridley K, Gurvich C. A systematic review of the effect of ovarian sex hormones on stimulant use in females. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13079. [PMID: 34374475 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13079] [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: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Stimulant use disorder is associated with significant global health burden. Despite evidence for sex differences in the development and maintenance of stimulant use disorder, few studies have focused on mechanisms underpinning distinct trajectories in females versus males, including the effect of the ovarian sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. This review aimed to identify and synthesise the existing preclinical and clinical literature on the effect of ovarian sex hormones on stimulant consumption in females. A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature identified 1593 articles, screened using the following inclusion criteria: (1) adult female humans or animals, (2) using stimulant drugs, (3) ovarian sex hormones were administered exogenously OR were measured in a validated manner and (4) with stimulant consumption as an outcome measure. A total of 50 studies (3 clinical and 47 preclinical) met inclusion criteria. High-estrogen (low progesterone) phases of the menstrual/estrus cycle were associated with increased stimulant use in preclinical studies, while there were no clinical studies examining estrogen and stimulant consumption. Consistent preclinical evidence supported progesterone use reducing stimulant consumption, which was also identified in one clinical study. The review was limited by inconsistent data reporting across studies and different protocols across preclinical laboratory paradigms. Importantly, almost all studies examined cocaine use, with impact on methamphetamine use a significant gap in the existing evidence. Given the safety and tolerability profile of progesterone, further research is urgently needed to address this gap, to explore the potential therapeutic utility of progesterone as a treatment for stimulant use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Arunogiri
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Richmond Victoria Australia
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University and the Alfred Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Rose Crossin
- Department of Population Health University of Otago Christchurch New Zealand
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Davinia Rizzo
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University Richmond Victoria Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health Richmond Victoria Australia
| | - Leigh Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Kelly Ridley
- West Australian Country Health Service Albany Western Australia Australia
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Central Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Monash University and the Alfred Hospital Melbourne Victoria Australia
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23
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Vanderschuren LJMJ, Ahmed SH. Animal Models of the Behavioral Symptoms of Substance Use Disorders. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:cshperspect.a040287. [PMID: 32513674 PMCID: PMC8327824 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a040287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
To more effectively manage substance use disorders, it is imperative to understand the neural, genetic, and psychological underpinnings of addictive behavior. To contribute to this understanding, considerable efforts have been made to develop translational animal models that capture key behavioral characteristics of addiction on the basis of DSM5 criteria of substance use disorders. In this review, we summarize empirical evidence for the occurrence of addiction-like behavior in animals. These symptoms include escalation of drug use, neurocognitive deficits, resistance to extinction, exaggerated motivation for drugs, increased reinstatement of drug seeking after extinction, preference for drugs over nondrug rewards, and resistance to punishment. The occurrence of addiction-like behavior in laboratory animals has opened the opportunity to investigate the neural, genetic, and psychological background of key aspects of addiction, which may ultimately contribute to the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux Neurocampus, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, CNRS UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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24
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Knouse MC, Briand LA. Behavioral sex differences in cocaine and opioid use disorders: The role of gonadal hormones. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:358-366. [PMID: 34214512 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Females are more vulnerable than males to many aspects of cocaine use disorder. This vulnerability also translates to opioid use disorder, with females exhibiting stronger behavioral responses than males to drugs such as heroin and morphine. While there is evidence for many overlapping neural mechanisms underlying cocaine and opioid abuse, there is also a breadth of evidence indicating divergent effects of the drugs on synaptic plasticity. This makes it unclear whether the behavioral sex differences seen in substance use disorder across different drugs of abuse rely on the same mechanisms. Ovarian hormones have consistently been implicated as drivers of the behavioral sex differences in cocaine taking and seeking. While there are far fewer studies on the role of ovarian hormones in opioid use disorder, the existing data suggest that ovarian hormones may not drive these behavioral effects in the same manner as in cocaine use disorder. This review highlights evidence that behavioral sex differences in substance use disorder might be driven by different mechanisms depending on drug class.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, United States; Neuroscience Program, Temple University, United States.
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25
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Townsend EA, Schwienteck KL, Robinson HL, Lawson ST, Banks ML. A drug-vs-food "choice" self-administration procedure in rats to investigate pharmacological and environmental mechanisms of substance use disorders. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 354:109110. [PMID: 33705855 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical drug self-administration procedures are commonly used to investigate expression, mechanisms, and treatment of substance use disorders. NEW METHOD The aims were to back-translate an intravenous drug-vs-food choice procedure primarily utilized in monkeys to male and female rats and to develop a surgical method for sustained intravenous catheter patency suitable for long-term drug-choice studies. RESULTS The surgical protocol resulted in a median intravenous jugular catheter patency in male and female rats of 126 days (range: 25-365 days). Drug-vs-food choice was established with opioids (fentanyl and heroin), psychostimulants (cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamine), and an opioid/psychostimulant mixture (fentanyl + methamphetamine). The average time from catheter implantation to stable choice behavior across all drugs was 27 sessions (range: 16-44 sessions). Choice behavior stabilized more quickly for cocaine and fentanyl than for other drugs. Manipulations of both environmental variables (e.g., response requirement or food reinforcer magnitude) and pharmacological variables (e.g., extended access drug self-administration or continuous buprenorphine treatment via osmotic pump) significantly shifted opioid-vs-food choice consistent with previous monkey studies. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Duration of intravenous catheter patency in rats was suitable for long-term, within-subject drug choice studies. Effects of environmental and pharmacological manipulations in rats confirmed and extended previous results from monkeys. CONCLUSIONS The concordance of behavioral results between rats and monkeys using the present drug-vs-food choice procedure supports its utility to improve our basic understanding of the expression and mechanisms of substance use disorders towards to development of more effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Andrew Townsend
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
| | - Kathryn L Schwienteck
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Hannah L Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Stephen T Lawson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.
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26
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Orsini CA, Blaes SL, Hernandez CM, Betzhold SM, Perera H, Wheeler AR, Ten Eyck TW, Garman TS, Bizon JL, Setlow B. Regulation of risky decision making by gonadal hormones in males and females. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:603-613. [PMID: 32919406 PMCID: PMC8027379 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00827-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric diseases characterized by dysregulated risky decision making are differentially represented in males and females. The factors that govern such sex differences, however, remain poorly understood. Using a task in which rats make discrete trial choices between a small, "safe" food reward and a large food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of footshock punishment, we recently showed that females are more risk averse than males. The objective of the current experiments was to test the extent to which these sex differences in risky decision making are mediated by gonadal hormones. Male and female rats were trained in the risky decision-making task, followed by ovariectomy (OVX), orchiectomy (ORX), or sham surgery. Rats were then retested in the task, under both baseline conditions and following administration of estradiol and/or testosterone. OVX increased choice of the large, risky reward (increased risky choice), an effect that was attenuated by estradiol administration. In contrast, ORX decreased risky choice, but testosterone administration was without effect in either ORX or sham males. Estradiol, however, decreased risky choice in both groups of males. Importantly, none of the effects of hormonal manipulation on risky choice were due to altered shock sensitivity or food motivation. These data show that gonadal hormones are required for maintaining sex-typical profiles of risk-taking behavior in both males and females, and that estradiol is sufficient to promote risk aversion in both sexes. The findings provide novel information about the mechanisms supporting sex differences in risk taking and may prove useful in understanding sex differences in the prevalence of psychiatric diseases associated with altered risk taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin A Orsini
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Shelby L Blaes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Caesar M Hernandez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Sara M Betzhold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Hassan Perera
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Alexa-Rae Wheeler
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Tyler W Ten Eyck
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Tyler S Garman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jennifer L Bizon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Barry Setlow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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Negus SS, Banks ML. Learning from lorcaserin: lessons from the negative clinical trial of lorcaserin to treat cocaine use disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1967-1973. [PMID: 32839526 PMCID: PMC7547654 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00815-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Stevens Negus
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
| | - Matthew L. Banks
- grid.224260.00000 0004 0458 8737Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298 USA
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Gunawan T, Hachiga Y, Tripoli CS, Silberberg A, Kearns DN. Heroin choice depends on income level and economy type. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1447-1457. [PMID: 31993695 PMCID: PMC7196508 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05471-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE In a previous study, investigating choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative in animals and reductions in income (i.e., choices/day) caused the percentage of income spent on heroin to progressively decrease. In contrast, another study found that humans with opioid use disorder spent the majority of their income on heroin even though they had little income. Comparison of these two studies suggests that the seemingly conflicting results could be explained by differences in the underlying economy types of the choice alternatives. OBJECTIVE The present experiment tested the hypothesis that the effect of income changes on choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative depends on economy type. METHODS Rats chose between heroin and saccharin under three income levels. For the Closed group, the choice session was the only opportunity to obtain these reinforcers. For the Heroin Open group and the Saccharin Open group, choice sessions were followed by 3-h periods of unlimited access to heroin or saccharin, respectively. RESULTS As income decreased, the Closed and Heroin Open groups, but not the Saccharin Open group, spent an increasingly greater percentage of income on saccharin than on heroin. The Saccharin Open group, compared to the other groups, spent a greater percentage of income on heroin as income decreased. CONCLUSIONS Results confirm that the effects of income and economy type can interact and this may explain the apparently discrepant results of earlier studies. More generally, findings suggest that situations where heroin choice has little consequence for consumption of non-drug alternatives may promote heroin use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy Gunawan
- Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA
| | - Yosuke Hachiga
- Center for Decision Research, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christopher S Tripoli
- Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA
| | - Alan Silberberg
- Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA
| | - David N Kearns
- Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA.
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Distinct relationships between risky decision making and cocaine self-administration under short- and long-access conditions. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 98:109791. [PMID: 31676462 PMCID: PMC7375467 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Substance use is strongly associated with impaired decision making, with cocaine use particularly linked to elevated risky and impulsive choice. It is not clear, however, whether such maladaptive decision making is a consequence of cocaine use or instead precedes and predisposes individuals to cocaine use. The current study was designed to specifically address the latter possibility with respect to risky choice in both male and female rats. Rats were first trained in a "Risky Decision-making Task" (RDT), in which they made discrete choices between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by increasing probabilities of mild footshock punishment. After reaching stable performance, rats underwent jugular catheter surgery followed by either short-access cocaine self-administration sessions (2 h, 0.5 mg/kg/infusion) for 5 days or long-access cocaine self-administration sessions (6 h, 0.5 mg/kg/infusion) for 14 days. Under short-access conditions, there was no relationship between risk preference and changes in cocaine intake over time, but greater risk aversion in females predicted greater overall cocaine intake. Under long-access conditions, heightened risk taking predicted greater escalation of cocaine intake over the course of self-administration, supporting the notion that pre-existing risk-taking behavior predicts cocaine intake. Collectively, results from these experiments have implications for understanding and identifying pre-existing vulnerabilities to substance use, which may lead to strategies to prevent development of substance use disorders.
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Ahmed SH, Badiani A, Miczek KA, Müller CP. Non-pharmacological factors that determine drug use and addiction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 110:3-27. [PMID: 30179633 PMCID: PMC6395570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Based on their pharmacological properties, psychoactive drugs are supposed to take control of the natural reward system to finally drive compulsory drug seeking and consumption. However, psychoactive drugs are not used in an arbitrary way as pure pharmacological reinforcement would suggest, but rather in a highly specific manner depending on non-pharmacological factors. While pharmacological effects of psychoactive drugs are well studied, neurobiological mechanisms of non-pharmacological factors are less well understood. Here we review the emerging neurobiological mechanisms beyond pharmacological reinforcement which determine drug effects and use frequency. Important progress was made on the understanding of how the character of an environment and social stress determine drug self-administration. This is expanded by new evidence on how behavioral alternatives and opportunities for drug instrumentalization generate different patterns of drug choice. Emerging evidence suggests that the neurobiology of non-pharmacological factors strongly determines pharmacological and behavioral drug action and may, thus, give rise for an expanded system's approach of psychoactive drug use and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Aldo Badiani
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Sussex Addiction Research and Intervention Centre (SARIC), School of Psychology, University of Sussex, BN1 9RH Brighton, UK
| | - Klaus A Miczek
- Psychology Department, Tufts University, Bacon Hall, 530 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Christian P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
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Bakhti-Suroosh A, Nesil T, Lynch WJ. Tamoxifen Blocks the Development of Motivational Features of an Addiction-Like Phenotype in Female Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:253. [PMID: 31780909 PMCID: PMC6856674 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Women become addicted sooner after initiating cocaine use as compared to men. Preclinical studies reveal a similar vulnerability in females, with findings from ovariectomized rats suggesting that estradiol mediates the enhanced vulnerability. However, since ovariectomy depletes not only estradiol, but all ovarian hormones, its role in a physiological context is not clear. Thus, the goal of this study was to determine the role of estradiol in the development of an addiction-like phenotype in ovary-intact females treated chronically with the selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator tamoxifen. We hypothesized that tamoxifen, by antagonizing ERs, would block the development of an addiction-like phenotype as defined by an enhanced motivation for cocaine (assessed under a progressive-ratio schedule), and a heightened vulnerability to relapse (assessed under an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure). Effects were examined following extended access cocaine self-administration (24-h/day; 4-discrete trials/h; 1.5 mg/kg/infusion) and 14-days of abstinence, conditions optimized for inducing an addiction-like phenotype. As predicted, motivation for cocaine was increased following extended-access self-administration and protracted abstinence in the vehicle (sesame oil) and no-injection control groups, but not in the tamoxifen group indicating that ER signaling is critical for the development of this feature of an addiction-like phenotype. Surprisingly, the increase in motivation for cocaine following abstinence was also attenuated in the vehicle group as compared to no-injection controls suggesting that oil/injections also affected its development. Contrary to our hypothesis, tamoxifen did not decrease vulnerability to relapse as this group responded at similar levels during initial extinction sessions and cue-induced reinstatement testing as compared to controls. Tamoxifen did, however, impair extinction learning as this group took longer to extinguish as compared to controls. Taken together, these findings indicate that estradiol is critical for the extinction of drug-associated cues and the development of motivational features of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Tanseli Nesil
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Townsend EA, Negus SS, Caine SB, Thomsen M, Banks ML. Sex differences in opioid reinforcement under a fentanyl vs. food choice procedure in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2022-2029. [PMID: 30818323 PMCID: PMC6898628 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0356-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Clinical evidence suggest that men are more sensitive than women to the abuse-related effects of mu-opioid agonists. In contrast, preclinical studies suggest the opposite sex difference. The aim of the present study was to clarify this discrepancy using a fentanyl vs. diluted Ensure® choice procedure to assess sex differences in opioid reinforcement. Sex differences in intravenous (IV) fentanyl self-administration were examined under a fixed-ratio (FR5) schedule, a multi-day progressive-ratio (PR) schedule for behavioral economic analysis, and a concurrent (choice) schedule of fentanyl and diluted Ensure® reinforcement in Sprague-Dawley male and female rats. The fentanyl dose-effect function under the FR5 schedule was significantly shifted upward in females compared to males. Similarly, the reinforcing effectiveness of both fentanyl (3.2 and 10 µg/kg per injection, IV) and diluted Ensure® (18 and 56%) were greater in females than in males as assessed using behavioral economic analysis, irrespective of dose or concentration. However, under a fentanyl vs. foodchoice procedure, males chose 3.2 µg/kg per injection fentanyl injections over 18%, but not 56%, diluted Ensure® at a higher percentage compared to females. Overall, these results suggest that the expression of sex differences in opioid reinforcement depends upon the schedule of reinforcement and that preclinical opioid vs. food choice procedures provide a translationally relevant measure (i.e., behavioral allocation) consistent with the direction of sex differences reported in the clinical literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Andrew Townsend
- 0000 0004 0458 8737grid.224260.0Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - S. Stevens Negus
- 0000 0004 0458 8737grid.224260.0Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
| | - S. Barak Caine
- 0000 0000 8795 072Xgrid.240206.2McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA USA
| | - Morgane Thomsen
- 0000 0004 0631 4836grid.466916.aPsychiatric Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthew L. Banks
- 0000 0004 0458 8737grid.224260.0Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA USA
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Incubation of Cocaine Craving After Intermittent-Access Self-administration: Sex Differences and Estrous Cycle. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:915-924. [PMID: 30846301 PMCID: PMC6534474 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies using continuous-access drug self-administration showed that cocaine seeking increases during abstinence (incubation of cocaine craving). Recently, studies using intermittent-access self-administration showed increased motivation to self-administer and seek cocaine. We examined whether intermittent cocaine self-administration would potentiate incubation of craving in male and female rats and examined the estrous cycle's role in this incubation. METHODS In experiment 1, male and female rats self-administered cocaine either continuously (8 hours/day) or intermittently (5 minutes ON, 25 minutes OFF × 16) for 12 days, followed by relapse tests after 2 or 29 days. In experiments 2 and 3, female rats self-administered cocaine intermittently for six, 12, or 18 sessions. In experiment 4, female rats self-administered cocaine continuously followed by relapse tests after 2 or 29 days. In experiments 3 and 4, the estrous cycle was measured using a vaginal smear test. RESULTS Incubation of cocaine craving was observed in both sexes after either intermittent or continuous drug self-administration. Independent of access condition and abstinence day, cocaine seeking was higher in female rats than in male rats. In both sexes, cocaine seeking on both abstinence days was higher after intermittent drug access than after continuous drug access. In female rats, incubation of craving after either intermittent or continuous drug access was significantly higher during estrus than during non-estrus; for intermittent drug access, this effect was independent of the training duration. CONCLUSIONS In both sexes, intermittent cocaine access caused time-independent increases in drug seeking during abstinence. In female rats, the time-dependent increase in drug seeking (incubation) is critically dependent on the estrous cycle phase.
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Guillem K, Ahmed SH. Preference for Cocaine is Represented in the Orbitofrontal Cortex by an Increased Proportion of Cocaine Use-Coding Neurons. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:819-832. [PMID: 28057724 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a harmful preference for drug use over and at the expense of other nondrug-related activities. Here we identify in the rat orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) a mechanism that explains individual preferences between cocaine use and an alternative, nondrug action. OFC neuronal activity was recorded while rats performed each of these 2 actions separately or while they chose between them. First, we found that these actions are encoded by 2 nonoverlapping neuronal populations and that the relative size of the cocaine population represented individual preferences. A larger relative size was only observed in cocaine-preferring individuals. Second, OFC neurons encoding a given individual's preferred action progressively fired more than other action-coding neurons few seconds before the preferred action was actually chosen, suggesting a prechoice neuronal competition for action selection. In cocaine-preferring rats, this manifested by a prechoice ramping-up activity in favor of the cocaine population. Finally, pharmacological manipulation of prechoice activity in favor of the cocaine population caused nondrug-preferring rats to shift their choice to cocaine. Overall, this study suggests that an individual preference for cocaine is represented in the OFC by a population size bias that systematically advantages cocaine use-coding neurons during prechoice competition for action selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Guillem
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
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35
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Velásquez VB, Zamorano GA, Martínez-Pinto J, Bonansco C, Jara P, Torres GE, Renard GM, Sotomayor-Zárate R. Programming of Dopaminergic Neurons by Early Exposure to Sex Hormones: Effects on Morphine-Induced Accumbens Dopamine Release, Reward, and Locomotor Behavior in Male and Female Rats. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:295. [PMID: 30971928 PMCID: PMC6443923 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neonatal programming with sex hormones produces long-term functional changes in various tissues, including the brain. Previously, we demonstrated a higher content of dopamine and an increase in potassium-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of adult rats exposed to estradiol valerate. On the other hand, sex hormones also affect the opioid system increasing the expression of the μ opioid receptor and β-endorphins. Here, we investigated if neonatal programming with sex hormones alters the response to morphine during adulthood in rats and predispose them to neurochemical, rewarding and behavioral activating effects. We examined the effects of neonatal exposure to a single dose of estradiol valerate or testosterone propionate on morphine-induced (5 mg/kg, i.v.) dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens and morphine-induced (3 mg/kg, s.c.) locomotor activity and conditioned place preference when these rats were adults. Our results showed a significant increase in morphine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of rats that were exposed neonatally to estradiol compared with control rats. This effect was correlated with higher place preference and locomotor activity induced by morphine in adult rats neonatally exposed to estradiol valerate. However, the effect of morphine on dopamine release and behaviors was similar in rats treated with testosterone compared to control rats. Additionally, the expression of mu (μ) opioid receptor, dopamine receptor type 1 (D1) and dopamine receptor type 2 (D2) in the nucleus accumbens of adult rats was not different after treatment with sex hormones. Taken together, our results demonstrated an enhancement of pharmacological effects produced by morphine in rats neonatally programmed with estradiol valerate, suggesting that early exposure to sex hormones could represent a vulnerability factor in the development of addiction to opioid drugs such as morphine and heroin in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Christian Bonansco
- Laboratorio de Neurofisiología, Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Pablo Jara
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo E Torres
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Georgina M Renard
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Ahmed SH. Trying to make sense of rodents' drug choice behavior. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:3-10. [PMID: 28965843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Since the first experimental hint for the existence of "an actual desire or striving for the drug" in nonhuman animals by Sidney Spragg in the late 1930s, much effort has been expended by lab researchers to try to model in a valid manner the key behavioral aspects and signs of addiction in animals, typically in rodents (i.e., mainly rats and, to a lesser extent, mice). Despite much advances, there still remains a lingering doubt about the disordered status of drug use in rodents. This is mainly because drug use occurs in a particular setting where animals have access to a drug for self-administration but without access to other valuable behavioral options that could compete with and divert from drug use. Here I review evidence showing that enriching the drug setting with other behavioral options can dramatically influence the pattern of drug choices in rodents. Overall, access to other options during drug access can divert the vast majority of rats from continued drug use. Only few individuals continue to engage in drug use despite access to and at the expense of other options. However, there exist certain high-risk settings in which virtually all animals are vulnerable to develop a harmful pattern of exclusive drug use that can even become fatal in the long run if not discontinued by an outside intervention. Paradoxically, it appears that the behavioral trait that is hypothesized to uniquely render rodents vulnerable to the latter settings (i.e., a narrow focus on the local, current choice, with no consideration of the global pattern of choice) would also protect most of them from using drugs in other choice settings. I conclude with an attempt to make sense of this peculiar setting-specific behavior and with some general propositions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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Flores-Ramirez FJ, Garcia-Carachure I, Sanchez DO, Gonzalez C, Castillo SA, Arenivar MA, Themann A, Lira O, Rodriguez M, Preciado-Piña J, Iñiguez SD. Fluoxetine exposure in adolescent and adult female mice decreases cocaine and sucrose preference later in life. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 33:269881118805488. [PMID: 30334670 PMCID: PMC6472984 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118805488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preclinical evidence from male subjects indicates that exposure to psychotropic medications, during early development, results in long-lasting altered responses to reward-related stimuli. However, it is not known if exposure to the antidepressant fluoxetine, in female subjects specifically, changes sensitivity to natural and drug rewards, later in life. AIMS The aim of this work was to investigate if exposure to fluoxetine mediates enduring changes in sensitivity to the rewarding properties of cocaine and sucrose, using female mice as a model system. METHODS We exposed C57BL/6 female mice to fluoxetine (250 mg/L in their drinking water) for 15 consecutive days, either during adolescence (postnatal day 35-49) or adulthood (postnatal day 70-84). Twenty-one days later, mice were examined on their behavioral reactivity to cocaine (0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 mg/kg) using the conditioned place preference paradigm, or assessed on the two-bottle sucrose (1%) test. RESULTS We found that regardless of age of antidepressant exposure, female mice pre-exposed to fluoxetine displayed reliable conditioning to the cocaine-paired compartment. However, when compared to respective age-matched controls, antidepressant pre-exposure decreased the magnitude of conditioning at the 5 and 7.5 mg/kg cocaine doses. Furthermore, fluoxetine pre-exposure reduced sucrose preference without altering total liquid intake. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that pre-exposure to fluoxetine, during adolescence or adulthood, results in a prolonged decrease in sensitivity to the rewarding properties of both natural and drug rewards in female C57BL/6 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David O Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, USA
| | - Celene Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, USA
| | - Samuel A Castillo
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
| | - Miguel A Arenivar
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
| | - Anapaula Themann
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
| | - Omar Lira
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
| | - Minerva Rodriguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
| | | | - Sergio D Iñiguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, USA
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Krolick KN, Zhu Q, Shi H. Effects of Estrogens on Central Nervous System Neurotransmission: Implications for Sex Differences in Mental Disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2018; 160:105-171. [PMID: 30470289 PMCID: PMC6737530 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nearly one of every five US individuals aged 12 years old or older lives with certain types of mental disorders. Men are more likely to use various types of substances, while women tend to be more susceptible to mood disorders, addiction, and eating disorders, all of which are risks associated with suicidal attempts. Fundamental sex differences exist in multiple aspects of the functions and activities of neurotransmitter-mediated neural circuits in the central nervous system (CNS). Dysregulation of these neural circuits leads to various types of mental disorders. The potential mechanisms of sex differences in the CNS neural circuitry regulating mood, reward, and motivation are only beginning to be understood, although they have been largely attributed to the effects of sex hormones on CNS neurotransmission pathways. Understanding this topic is important for developing prevention and treatment of mental disorders that should be tailored differently for men and women. Studies using animal models have provided important insights into pathogenesis, mechanisms, and new therapeutic approaches of human diseases, but some concerns remain to be addressed. The purpose of this chapter is to integrate human and animal studies involving the effects of the sex hormones, estrogens, on CNS neurotransmission, reward processing, and associated mental disorders. We provide an overview of existing evidence for the physiological, behavioral, cellular, and molecular actions of estrogens in the context of controlling neurotransmission in the CNS circuits regulating mood, reward, and motivation and discuss related pathology that leads to mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen N Krolick
- Center for Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Qi Zhu
- Center for Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Haifei Shi
- Center for Physiology and Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States; Cellular, Molecular and Structural Biology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States.
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Perez PD, Hall G, Zubcevic J, Febo M. Cocaine differentially affects synaptic activity in memory and midbrain areas of female and male rats: an in vivo MEMRI study. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:201-216. [PMID: 28236167 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9691-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) has been previously used to determine the effect of acute cocaine on calcium-dependent synaptic activity in male rats. However, there have been no MEMRI studies examining sex differences in the functional neural circuits affected by repeated cocaine. In the present study, we used MEMRI to investigate the effects of repeated cocaine on brain activation in female and male rats. Adult female and male rats were scanned at 4.7 Tesla three days after final treatment with saline, a single cocaine injection (15 mg kg-1, i.p. × 1 day) or repeated cocaine injections (15 mg kg-1, i.p. × 10 days). A day before imaging rats were provided with an i.p. injection of manganese chloride (70 mg kg-1). Cocaine produced effects on MEMRI activity that were dependent on sex. In females, we observed that a single cocaine injection reduced MEMRI activity in hippocampal CA3, ventral tegmental area (VTA), and median Raphé, whereas repeated cocaine increased MEMRI activity in dentate gyrus and interpeduncular nucleus. In males, repeated cocaine reduced MEMRI activity in VTA. Overall, it appeared that female rats showed a general trend towards increase MEMRI activity with single cocaine and reduced activity with repeated exposure, while male rats showed a trend towards opposite effects. Our results provide evidence for sex differences in the in vivo neural response to cocaine, which involves primarily hippocampal, amygdala and midbrain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo D Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Gabrielle Hall
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jasenka Zubcevic
- Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Marcelo Febo
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Center for Addiction Research and Education (CARE), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Freese L, Durand A, Guillem K, Ahmed SH. Pre-trial cocaine biases choice toward cocaine through suppression of the nondrug option. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 173:65-73. [PMID: 30056175 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Being under the influence during choice between drug and nondrug options can have a dramatic effect on choice outcomes. When rats face a choice between cocaine and sweet water and are not under the influence, they prefer sweet water. In contrast, when they are under the influence of cocaine, this causes them to shift their choice to cocaine nearly exclusively. Here we sought to characterize the behavioral mechanisms underlying the influence of cocaine on choice. In theory, rats under the influence of cocaine should be in a mixed motivational state, at least temporarily, with both their motivation for cocaine and their motivation for the nondrug option suppressed by the drug satiating and anorexic effects of cocaine, respectively. For this mixed state to shift choice to cocaine, the satiated motivation for cocaine should recover before the suppressed motivation for the preferred nondrug option. The goal of the present study was to test this prediction in rats that expressed a preference for sweet water after extended access to cocaine self-administration. We measured their choice and response latencies to each option after pre-trial, passive administration of cocaine to estimate the duration of its drug satiating and anorexic effects. As expected, pre-trial cocaine caused most rats to shift their choice to cocaine. Though this shift was not simply due to a longer latency to respond for sweet water than for cocaine after pre-trial cocaine, it nevertheless occurred while rats' motivation for the nondrug option was still partially suppressed. Thus, cocaine seems to bias choice toward more cocaine mainly via suppression of the nondrug option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Freese
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Audrey Durand
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Karine Guillem
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge H Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, 146 rue Léo-Saignat, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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41
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Contributions of medial prefrontal cortex to decision making involving risk of punishment. Neuropharmacology 2018; 139:205-216. [PMID: 30009836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in several forms of cost-benefit decision making. Its contributions to decision making under risk of explicit punishment, however, are not well understood. A rat model was used to investigate the role of the medial PFC (mPFC) and its monoaminergic innervation in a Risky Decision-making Task (RDT), in which rats chose between a small, "safe" food reward and a large, "risky" food reward accompanied by varying probabilities of mild footshock punishment. Inactivation of mPFC increased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability increased across the session ("ascending RDT"), but decreased choice of the large, risky reward when the punishment probability decreased across the session ("descending RDT"). In contrast, enhancement of monoamine availability via intra-mPFC amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward only in the descending RDT. Systemic administration of amphetamine reduced choice of the large, risky reward in both the ascending and descending RDT; however, this reduction was not attenuated by concurrent mPFC inactivation, indicating that mPFC is not a critical locus of amphetamine's effects on risk taking. These findings suggest that mPFC plays an important role in adapting choice behavior in response to shifting risk contingencies, but not necessarily in risk-taking behavior per se.
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Guillem K, Brenot V, Durand A, Ahmed SH. Neuronal representation of individual heroin choices in the orbitofrontal cortex. Addict Biol 2018; 23:880-888. [PMID: 28703355 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a harmful preference for drug use over and at the expense of other non-drug-related activities. We previously identified in the rat orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) a mechanism that influences individual preferences between cocaine use and an alternative action rewarded by a non-drug reward (i.e. sweet water). Here, we sought to test the generality of this mechanism to a different addictive drug, heroin. OFC neuronal activity was recorded while rats responded for heroin or the alternative non-drug reward separately or while they chose between the two. First, we found that heroin-rewarded and sweet water-rewarded actions were encoded by two non-overlapping OFC neuronal populations and that the relative size of the heroin population represented individual drug choices. Second, OFC neurons encoding the preferred action-which was the non-drug action in the large majority of individuals-progressively fired more than non-preferred action-coding neurons 1 second after the onset of choice trials and around 1 second before the preferred action was actually chosen, suggesting a pre-choice neuronal competition for action selection. Together with a previous study on cocaine choice, the present study on heroin choice reveals important commonalities in how OFC neurons encode individual drug choices and preferences across different classes of drugs. It also reveals some drug-specific differences in OFC encoding activity. Notably, the proportion of neurons that non-selectively encode both the drug and the non-drug reward was higher when the drug was heroin (present study) than when it was cocaine (previous study). We will discuss the potential functional significance of these commonalities and differences in OFC neuronal activity across different drugs for understanding drug choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Guillem
- Université de Bordeaux; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
- CNRS; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
| | - Viridiana Brenot
- Université de Bordeaux; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
| | - Audrey Durand
- Université de Bordeaux; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
- CNRS; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
| | - Serge H. Ahmed
- Université de Bordeaux; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
- CNRS; Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives; France
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43
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Ahmed SH. Individual decision-making in the causal pathway to addiction: contributions and limitations of rodent models. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 164:22-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Becker JB, McClellan ML, Reed BG. Sex differences, gender and addiction. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:136-147. [PMID: 27870394 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 318] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This review discusses alcohol and other forms of drug addiction as both a sociocultural and biological phenomenon. Sex differences and gender are not solely determined by biology, nor are they entirely sociocultural. The interactions among biological, environmental, sociocultural, and developmental influences result in phenotypes that may be more masculine or more feminine. These gender-related sex differences in the brain can influence the responses to drugs of abuse, progressive changes in the brain after exposure to drugs of abuse and whether addiction results from drug-taking experiences. In addition, the basic laboratory evidence for sex differences is discussed within the context of four types of sex/gender differences. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Becker
- Department of Psychology and the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Michele L McClellan
- Department of History and the Residential College, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
| | - Beth Glover Reed
- School of Social Work and the Department of Women's Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
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Kearns DN, Kim JS, Tunstall BJ, Silberberg A. Essential values of cocaine and non-drug alternatives predict the choice between them. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1501-1514. [PMID: 27623729 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between reinforcer value and choice between cocaine and two non-drug alternative reinforcers in rats. The essential value (EV, a behavioral economic measure based on elasticity of demand) of intravenous cocaine and food (Experiment 1) or saccharin (Experiment 2) was determined in the first phase of each experiment. Food had higher EV than cocaine, whereas the EVs of cocaine and saccharin did not differ. In the second phase of each experiment, rats were allowed to make mutually exclusive choices between cocaine and the non-drug alternative reinforcer. The main findings were that the EV of cocaine was a positive predictor of cocaine preference and the EV of food or saccharin was a negative predictor of cocaine preference. An analysis of within-session patterns of choice behavior revealed sequential dependencies, whereby rats were more likely to choose cocaine on a particular trial after having chosen the non-drug alternative on previous trials. When the time between choices was increased, these sequential dependencies disappeared. The results of these experiments are consistent with the suggestion that addiction-like behavior involves both overvaluation of drug reinforcers and undervaluation of non-drug reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. Kearns
- Psychology Department; American University; Washington DC USA
| | - Jung S. Kim
- Psychology Department; American University; Washington DC USA
| | - Brendan J. Tunstall
- Intramural Research Program; National Institute on Drug Abuse; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Alan Silberberg
- Psychology Department; American University; Washington DC USA
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Estradiol increases choice of cocaine over food in male rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 203:18-24. [PMID: 29056351 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Estradiol modulates the rewarding and reinforcing properties of cocaine in females, including an increase in selection of cocaine over alternative reinforcers. However, the effects of estradiol on male cocaine self-administration behavior are less studied despite equivalent levels of estradiol in the brains of adult males and females, estradiol effects on motivated behaviors in males that share underlying neural substrates with cocaine reinforcement as well as expression of estrogen receptors in the male brain. Therefore, we sought to characterize the effects of estradiol in males on choice between concurrently-available cocaine and food reinforcement as well as responding for cocaine or food in isolation. Male castrated rats (n=46) were treated daily with estradiol benzoate (EB) (5μg/0.1, S.C.) or vehicle (peanut oil) throughout operant acquisition of cocaine (1mg/kg, IV; FI20 sec) and food (3×45mg; FI20 sec) responding, choice during concurrent access and cocaine and food reinforcement under progressive ratio (PR) schedules. EB increased cocaine choice, both in terms of percent of trials on which cocaine was selected and the proportion of rats exhibiting a cocaine preference as well as increased cocaine, but not food, intake under PR. Additionally, within the EB treated group, cocaine-preferring rats exhibited enhanced acquisition of cocaine, but not food, reinforcement whereas no acquisition differences were observed across preferences in the vehicle treated group. These findings demonstrate that estradiol increases cocaine choice in males similarly to what is observed in females.
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Thomas MB, Becker JB. Sex differences in prenatal stress effects on cocaine pursuit in rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 203:3-9. [PMID: 29055747 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Disruption of early-life ontogeny has severe and persistent consequences for the health of the developing organism. Both clinical and preclinical findings indicate that such interference can be caused by maternal stress during the gestation period (prenatal stress [PS]). In rats, PS facilitates the rewarding and neurochemical-stimulating effects of drugs, suggesting that PS may represent a risk factor for drug abuse in humans. Very little, however, is known about its effects in females, even though sex differences in drug susceptibility have been well documented in no PS (NPS) controls. Thus, we tested for independent effects and interactions between maternal restraint stress during the last week of gestation and sex on drug use with an extended regimen of drug self-administration. Male and female rats were provided daily access to a large but controlled amount of cocaine for seven weeks. Drug pursuit during the final week was used to indicate susceptibility to developing an addiction-like phenotype, based on reports that drug use becomes increasingly compulsive-like after weeks of testing. Overall, females satisfied more addiction-like criteria than males, and the same was true for PS rats when compared to NPS controls. In addition, sex and PS interacted to disproportionately promote drug pursuit of females with a history of PS. These results indicate that sex differences in drug susceptibility persist with continued drug exposure, and that PS widens this difference by more severely affecting females. In all, PS may be a risk factor for drug addiction in humans, and to a greater extent in women vs. men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B Thomas
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Sciformix, 1500 West Park Drive, Westborough, MA, United States
| | - Jill B Becker
- Psychology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Neuroscience Program, Psychiatry Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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Westenbroek C, Perry AN, Jagannathan L, Becker JB. Effect of social housing and oxytocin on the motivation to self-administer methamphetamine in female rats. Physiol Behav 2017; 203:10-17. [PMID: 29055749 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Social housing has been shown to attenuate the motivation for cocaine in female, but not male rats. Here we investigate the potential mechanisms mediating the effect of social housing on the response to methamphetamine (METH). Female rats were individually or socially (pair) housed. The dopamine (DA) response to an acute METH infusion (0.3mg/kg, i.v.) was investigated using in vivo microdialysis in the nucleus accumbens with or without oxytocin (OT; 0.3mg/kg, i.p.) 30min prior to METH. The effects of social housing and OT on self-administered METH (0.06mg/kg/inf) was investigated. The METH-induced DA response was higher in individually housed compared to socially-housed females. On the other hand, individually housed females had a significantly higher breaking point (BP) than socially-housed females. Two weeks of OT treatment reduced BP in both groups. Reinstatement to METH was more pronounced in isolates compared to socially-housed females. More of the socially-housed females had very low BP than did the individually housed females. OT was most effective in reducing BP in females with moderate to high BP, irrespective of housing conditions. These data show that social housing attenuates escalation of METH intake and reinstatement of METH seeking in female rats, and that chronic OT treatment can reduce motivation for METH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christel Westenbroek
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Adam N Perry
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lakshmikripa Jagannathan
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jill B Becker
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Abstract
Women exhibit more rapid escalation from casual drug taking to addiction, exhibit a greater withdrawal response with abstinence, and tend to exhibit greater vulnerability than men in terms of treatment outcome. In rodents, short-term estradiol intake in female rats enhances acquisition and escalation of drug taking, motivation for drugs of abuse, and relapse-like behaviors. There is also a sex difference in the dopamine response in the nucleus accumbens. Ovariectomized female rats exhibit a smaller initial dopamine increase after cocaine treatment than castrated males. Estradiol treatment of ovariectomized female rats enhances stimulated dopamine release in the dorsolateral striatum, but not in the nucleus accumbens, resulting in a sex difference in the balance between these two dopaminergic projections. In the situation where drug-taking behavior becomes habitual, dopamine release has been reported to be enhanced in the dorsolateral striatum and attenuated in the nucleus accumbens. The sex difference in the balance between these neural systems is proposed to underlie sex differences in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill B Becker
- Department of Psychology, Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan
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50
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Several recent studies have investigated the choice between heroin and a non-drug alternative reinforcer in rats. A common finding in these studies is that there are large individual differences in preference, with some rats preferring heroin and some preferring the non-drug alternative. The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in how heroin or saccharin is valued, based on demand analysis, predicts choice. METHODS Rats lever-pressed for heroin infusions and saccharin reinforcers on fixed-ratio schedules. The essential value of each reinforcer was obtained from resulting demand curves. Rats were then trained on a mutually exclusive choice procedure where pressing one lever resulted in heroin and pressing another resulted in saccharin. After seven sessions of increased access to heroin or saccharin, rats were reexposed to the demand and choice procedures. RESULTS Demand for heroin was more elastic than demand for saccharin (i.e., heroin had lower essential value than saccharin). When allowed to choose, most rats preferred saccharin. The essential value of heroin, but not saccharin, predicted preference. The essential value of both heroin and saccharin increased following a week of increased access to heroin, but similar saccharin exposure had no effect on essential value. Preference was unchanged after increased access to either reinforcer. CONCLUSION Heroin-preferring rats differed from saccharin-preferring rats in how they valued heroin, but not saccharin. To the extent that choice models addiction-related behavior, these results suggest that overvaluation of opioids specifically, rather than undervaluation of non-drug alternatives, could identify susceptible individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jung S. Kim
- Psychology Department, American University, Washington, DC
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