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El Daibani A, Madasu MK, Al-Hasani R, Che T. Limitations and potential of κOR biased agonists for pain and itch management. Neuropharmacology 2024; 258:110061. [PMID: 38960136 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The concept of ligand bias is based on the premise that different agonists can elicit distinct responses by selectively activating the same receptor. These responses often determine whether an agonist has therapeutic or undesirable effects. Therefore, it would be highly advantageous to have agonists that specifically trigger the therapeutic response. The last two decades have seen a growing trend towards the consideration of ligand bias in the development of ligands to target the κ-opioid receptor (κOR). Most of these ligands selectively favor G-protein signaling over β-arrestin signaling to potentially provide effective pain and itch relief without adverse side effects associated with κOR activation. Importantly, the specific role of β-arrestin 2 in mediating κOR agonist-induced side effects remains unknown, and similarly the therapeutic and side-effect profiles of G-protein-biased κOR agonists have not been established. Furthermore, some drugs previously labeled as G-protein-biased may not exhibit true bias but may instead be either low-intrinsic-efficacy or partial agonists. In this review, we discuss the established methods to test ligand bias, their limitations in measuring bias factors for κOR agonists, as well as recommend the consideration of other systematic factors to correlate the degree of bias signaling and pharmacological effects. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Ligand Bias".
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal El Daibani
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Manish K Madasu
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ream Al-Hasani
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Tao Che
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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2
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Lepreux G, Henricks AM, Wei G, Go BS, Erikson CM, Abella RM, Pham A, Walker BM. Kappa-opioid receptor antagonism in the nucleus accumbens shell distinguishes escalated alcohol consumption and negative affective-like behavior from physiological withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 243:173840. [PMID: 39096973 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disease that is deleterious at individual, familial, and societal levels. Although AUD is one of the highest preventable causes of death in the USA, therapies for the treatment of AUD are not sufficient given the heterogeneity of the disorder and the limited number of approved medications. To provide better pharmacological strategies, it is important to understand the neurological underpinnings of AUD. Evidence implicates the endogenous dynorphin (DYN)/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system recruitment in dysphoric and negative emotional states in AUD to promote maladaptive behavioral regulation. The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), mediating motivational and emotional processes that is a component of the mesolimbic dopamine system and the extended amygdala, is an important site related to alcohol's reinforcing actions (both positive and negative) and neuroadaptations in the AcbSh DYN/KOR system have been documented to induce maladaptive symptoms in AUD. We have previously shown that in other nodes of the extended amygdala, site-specific KOR antagonism can distinguish different symptoms of alcohol dependence and withdrawal. In the current study, we examined the role of the KOR signaling in the AcbSh of male Wistar rats in operant alcohol self-administration, measures of negative affective-like behavior, and physiological symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. To induce alcohol dependence, rats were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor for 14 h/day for three months, during which stable escalation of alcohol self-administration was achieved and pharmacological AcbSh KOR antagonism ensued. The results showed that AcbSh KOR antagonism significantly reduced escalated alcohol intake and negative affective-like states but did not alter somatic symptoms of withdrawal. Understanding the relative contribution of these different drivers is important to understand and inform therapeutic efficacy approaches in alcohol dependence and further emphasis the importance of the KOR/DYN system as a target for AUD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lepreux
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Angela M Henricks
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Bok Soon Go
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chloe M Erikson
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rachel M Abella
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Amy Pham
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; USF Neuroscience Institute, USF Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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3
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Flerlage WJ, Simmons SC, Thomas EH, Gouty S, Cox BM, Nugent FS. Dysregulation of kappa opioid receptor neuromodulation of lateral habenula synaptic function following a repetitive mild traumatic brain injury. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 243:173838. [PMID: 39067532 PMCID: PMC11344655 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173838] [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: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) increases the risk of affective disorders, anxiety and substance use disorder. The lateral habenula (LHb) plays an important role in pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Recently, we demonstrated a causal link between mTBI-induced LHb hyperactivity due to excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance and motivational deficits in male mice using a repetitive closed head injury mTBI model. A major neuromodulatory system that is responsive to traumatic brain injuries, influences affective states and also modulates LHb activity is the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (Dyn/KOR) system. However, the effects of mTBI on KOR neuromodulation of LHb function are unknown. Here, we first used retrograde tracing in male and female Cre mouse lines and identified several major KOR-expressing and two prominent Dyn-expressing inputs projecting to the mouse LHb, highlighting the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH) as the main LHb-projecting Dyn inputs that regulate KOR signaling to the LHb. We then functionally evaluated the effects of in vitro KOR modulation of spontaneous synaptic activity within the LHb of male and female sham and mTBI mice at 4 week post-injury. We observed sex-specific differences in spontaneous release of glutamate and GABA from presynaptic terminals onto LHb neurons with higher levels of presynaptic glutamate and GABA release in females compared to male mice. However, KOR effects on the spontaneous E/I ratios and synaptic drive ratio within the LHb did not differ between male and female sham and mTBI mice. KOR activation generally suppressed spontaneous glutamatergic transmission without altering GABAergic transmission, resulting in a significant but sex-similar reduction in net spontaneous E/I and synaptic drive ratios in LHb neurons of sham mice. Following mTBI, while responses to KOR activation at LHb glutamatergic synapses remained intact, LHb GABAergic synapses acquired an additional sensitivity to KOR-mediated inhibition where we observed a reduction in GABA release probability in response to KOR stimulation in LHb neurons of mTBI mice. Further analysis of percent change in spontaneous synaptic ratios induced by KOR activation revealed that independent of sex mTBI switches KOR-driven synaptic inhibition of LHb neurons (normally observed in sham mice) in a subset of mTBI mice toward synaptic excitation resulting in mTBI-induced divergence of KOR actions within the LHb. Overall, we uncovered the sources of major Dyn/KOR-expressing synaptic inputs projecting to the mouse LHb. We demonstrate that an engagement of intra-LHb Dyn/KOR signaling provides a global KOR-driven synaptic inhibition within the mouse LHb independent of sex. The additional engagement of KOR-mediated action on LHb GABAergic transmission by mTBI could contribute to the E/I imbalance after mTBI, with Dyn/KOR signaling serving as a disinhibitory mechanism for LHb neurons of a subset of mTBI mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Flerlage
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Sarah C Simmons
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Emily H Thomas
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Shawn Gouty
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Brian M Cox
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
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4
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. Neuron 2024; 112:2062-2078.e7. [PMID: 38614102 PMCID: PMC11250624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.015] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and maladaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Cole RH, Moussawi K, Joffe ME. Opioid modulation of prefrontal cortex cells and circuits. Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109891. [PMID: 38417545 PMCID: PMC10939756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Several neurochemical systems converge in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to regulate cognitive and motivated behaviors. A rich network of endogenous opioid peptides and receptors spans multiple PFC cell types and circuits, and this extensive opioid system has emerged as a key substrate underlying reward, motivation, affective behaviors, and adaptations to stress. Here, we review the current evidence for dysregulated cortical opioid signaling in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. We begin by providing an introduction to the basic anatomy and function of the cortical opioid system, followed by a discussion of endogenous and exogenous opioid modulation of PFC function at the behavioral, cellular, and synaptic level. Finally, we highlight the therapeutic potential of endogenous opioid targets in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, synthesizing clinical reports of altered opioid peptide and receptor expression and activity in human patients and summarizing new developments in opioid-based medications. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca H Cole
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Khaled Moussawi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Max E Joffe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA; Translational Neuroscience Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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6
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Flerlage WJ, Simmons SC, Thomas EH, Gouty S, Cox BM, Nugent FS. Dysregulation of Kappa Opioid Receptor Neuromodulation of Lateral Habenula Synaptic Function following a Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.01.592017. [PMID: 38746139 PMCID: PMC11092670 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.01.592017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) increases the risk of cognitive deficits, affective disorders, anxiety and substance use disorder in affected individuals. Substantial evidence suggests a critical role for the lateral habenula (LHb) in pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Recently, we demonstrated a causal link between persistent mTBI-induced LHb hyperactivity due to synaptic excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance and motivational deficits in self-care grooming behavior in young adult male mice using a repetitive closed head injury mTBI model. One of the major neuromodulatory systems that is responsive to traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, influences affective states and also modulates LHb activity is the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (Dyn/KOR) system. However, the effects of mTBI on KOR neuromodulation of LHb function is unknown. To address this, we first used retrograde tracing to anatomically verify that the mouse LHb indeed receives Dyn/KOR expressing projections. We identified several major KOR-expressing and Dyn-expressing synaptic inputs projecting to the mouse LHb. We then functionally evaluated the effects of in vitro KOR modulation of spontaneous synaptic activity within the LHb of male and female sham and mTBI mice at 4week post-injury using the repetitive closed head injury mTBI model. Similar to what we previously reported in the LHb of male mTBI mice, mTBI presynaptically diminished spontaneous synaptic activity onto LHb neurons, while shifting synaptic E/I toward excitation in female mouse LHb. Furthermore, KOR activation in either mouse male/female LHb generally suppressed spontaneous glutamatergic transmission without altering GABAergic transmission, resulting in a significant reduction in E/I ratios and decreased excitatory synaptic drive to LHb neurons of male and female sham mice. Interestingly following mTBI, while responses to KOR activation at LHb glutamatergic synapses were observed comparable to those of sham, LHb GABAergic synapses acquired an additional sensitivity to KOR-mediated inhibition. Thus, in contrast to sham LHb, we observed a reduction in GABA release probability in response to KOR stimulation in mTBI LHb, resulting in a chronic loss of KOR-mediated net synaptic inhibition within the LHb. Overall, our findings uncovered the previously unknown sources of major Dyn/KOR-expressing synaptic inputs projecting to the mouse LHb. Further, we demonstrate that an engagement of intra-LHb Dyn/KOR signaling provides a global suppression of excitatory synaptic drive to the mouse LHb which could act as an inhibitory braking mechanism to prevent LHb hyperexcitability. The additional engagement of KOR-mediated modulatory action on LHb GABAergic transmission by mTBI could contribute to the E/I imbalance after mTBI, with Dyn/KOR signaling serving as a disinhibitory mechanism for LHb neurons in male and female mTBI mice.
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7
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Estave PM, Albertson SE, Karkhanis AN, Jones SR. Co-targeting the kappa opioid receptor and dopamine transporter reduces motivation to self-administer cocaine and partially reverses dopamine system dysregulation. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6509. [PMID: 38499566 PMCID: PMC10948819 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53463-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine disrupts dopamine (DA) and kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system activity, with long-term exposure reducing inhibiton of DA uptake by cocaine and increasing KOR system function. Single treatment therapies have not been successful for cocaine use disorder; therefore, this study focuses on a combination therapy targeting the dopamine transporter (DAT) and KOR. Sprague Dawley rats self-administered 5 days of cocaine (1.5 mg/kg/inf, max 40 inf/day, FR1), followed by 14 days on a progressive ratio (PR) schedule (0.19 mg/kg/infusion). Behavioral effects of individual and combined administration of phenmetrazine and nBNI were then examined using PR. Additionally, ex vivo fast scan cyclic voltammetry was then used to assess alterations in DA and KOR system activity in the nucleus accumbens before and after treatments. Chronic administration of phenmetrazine as well as the combination of phenmetrazine and nBNI-but not nBNI alone-significantly reduced PR breakpoints. In addition, the combination of phenmetrazine and nBNI partially reversed cocaine-induced neurodysregulations of the KOR and DA systems, indicating therapeutic benefits of targeting the DA and KOR systems in tandem. These data highlight the potential benefits of the DAT and KOR as dual-cellular targets to reduce motivation to administer cocaine and reverse cocaine-induced alterations of the DA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige M Estave
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake University Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Steven E Albertson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake University Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake University Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
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8
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574700. [PMID: 38283686 PMCID: PMC10822088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and mal-adaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Current affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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9
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Wang YJ, Zan GY, Xu C, Li XP, Shu X, Yao SY, Xu XS, Qiu X, Chen Y, Jin K, Zhou QX, Ye JY, Wang Y, Xu L, Chen Z, Liu JG. The claustrum-prelimbic cortex circuit through dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor signaling underlies depression-like behaviors associated with social stress etiology. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7903. [PMID: 38036497 PMCID: PMC10689794 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ample evidence has suggested the stress etiology of depression, but the underlying mechanism is not fully understood yet. Here, we report that chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) attenuates the excitatory output of the claustrum (CLA) to the prelimbic cortex (PL) through the dynorphin/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) signaling, being critical for depression-related behaviors in male mice. The CSDS preferentially impairs the excitatory output from the CLA onto the parvalbumin (PV) of the PL, leading to PL micronetwork dysfunction by disinhibiting pyramidal neurons (PNs). Optogenetic activation or inhibition of this circuit suppresses or promotes depressive-like behaviors, which is reversed by chemogenetic inhibition or activation of the PV neurons. Notably, manipulating the dynorphin/KOR signaling in the CLA-PL projecting terminals controls depressive-like behaviors that is suppressed or promoted by optogenetic activation or inhibition of CLA-PL circuit. Thus, this study reveals both mechanism of the stress etiology of depression and possibly therapeutic interventions by targeting CLA-PL circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Jun Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, 264117, China
| | - Gui-Ying Zan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Cenglin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xue-Ping Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xuelian Shu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Song-Yu Yao
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiao-Shan Xu
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Xiaoyun Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yexiang Chen
- School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Kai Jin
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Qi-Xin Zhou
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, 650223, China
| | - Jia-Yu Ye
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, 650223, China.
| | - Zhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jing-Gen Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research and State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 555 Zuchongzhi Road, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19 A Yuquan Road, 100049, Beijing, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
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10
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Yarur HE, Casello SM, Tsai VS, Enriquez-Traba J, Kore R, Wang H, Arenivar M, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin / kappa-opioid receptor regulation of excitation-inhibition balance toggles afferent control of prefrontal cortical circuits in a pathway-specific manner. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4801-4813. [PMID: 37644172 PMCID: PMC10914606 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02226-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) controls behavior via connections with limbic excitatory afferents that engage various inhibitory motifs to shape mPFC circuit function. The dynorphin (Dyn) / kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system is highly enriched in the mPFC, and its dysregulation is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it is unclear how the Dyn / KOR system modulates excitatory and inhibitory circuits that are integral for mPFC information processing and behavioral control. Here, we provide a circuit-based framework wherein mPFC Dyn / KOR signaling regulates excitation-inhibition balance by toggling which afferents drive mPFC neurons. Dyn / KOR regulation of afferent inputs is pathway-specific. Dyn acting on presynaptic KORs inhibits glutamate release from afferent inputs to the mPFC, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA), paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, and contralateral cortex. The majority of excitatory synapses to mPFC neurons, including those from the ventral hippocampus (VH), do not express presynaptic KOR, rendering them insensitive to Dyn / KOR modulation. Dyn / KOR signaling also suppresses afferent-driven recruitment of specific inhibitory sub-networks, providing a basis for Dyn to disinhibit mPFC circuits. Specifically, Dyn / KOR signaling preferentially suppresses SST interneuron- relative to PV interneuron-mediated inhibition. Selective KOR action on afferents or within mPFC microcircuits gates how distinct limbic inputs drive spiking in mPFC neurons. Presynaptic Dyn / KOR signaling decreases KOR-positive input-driven (e.g. BLA) spiking of mPFC neurons. In contrast, KOR-negative input recruitment of mPFC neurons is enhanced by Dyn / KOR signaling via suppression of mPFC inhibitory microcircuits. Thus, by acting on distinct circuit elements, Dyn / KOR signaling shifts KOR-positive and negative afferent control of mPFC circuits, providing mechanistic insights into the role of neuropeptides in shaping mPFC function. Together, these findings highlight the utility of targeting the mPFC Dyn / KOR system as a means to treat neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by dysregulation in mPFC integration of long-range afferents with local inhibitory microcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector E Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Valerie S Tsai
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- NIH Graduate Partnership Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rufina Kore
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- NIH Graduate Partnership Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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11
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Ma Q, Wonnacott S, Bailey SJ, Bailey CP. Sex Differences in Brain Region-Specific Activation of c-Fos following Kappa Opioid Receptor Stimulation or Acute Stress in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15098. [PMID: 37894779 PMCID: PMC10606335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015098] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptors (KOPr) are involved in the response to stress. KOPr are also targets for the treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and addiction although effects of KOPr are often sex-dependent. Here we investigated c-Fos expression in a range of brain regions in male and female mice following an acute stressor, and a single injection of KOPr agonist. Using adult C57BL/6 c-Fos-GFP transgenic mice and quantitative fluorescence microscopy, we identified brain regions activated in response to a challenge with the KOPr agonist U50,488 (20 mg/kg) or an acute stress (15 min forced swim stress, FSS). In male mice, U50,488 increased expression of c-Fos in the prelimbic area of the prefrontal cortex (PFCx), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and basolateral nuclei of the amygdala (BLA). In contrast, in female mice U50,488 only activated the BLA but not the PFCx or the NAcc. FSS increased activation of PFCx, NAcc, and BLA in males while there was no activation of the PFCx in female mice. In both sexes, the KOPr antagonist norBNI significantly blocked U50,488-induced, but not stress-induced activation of brain regions. In separate experiments, activated cells were confirmed as non-GABAergic neurons in the PFCx and NAcc. Together these data demonstrate sex differences in activation of brain regions that are key components of the 'reward' circuitry. These differential responses may contribute to sex differences in stress-related psychiatric disorders and in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah J. Bailey
- Correspondence: (S.J.B.); (C.P.B.); Tel.: +44-(0)1225-383-935 (C.P.B.)
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12
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van de Wetering R, Ewald A, Welsh S, Kornberger L, Williamson SE, McElroy BD, Butelman ER, Prisinzano TE, Kivell BM. The Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonist 16-Bromo Salvinorin A Has Anti-Cocaine Effects without Significant Effects on Locomotion, Food Reward, Learning and Memory, or Anxiety and Depressive-like Behaviors. Molecules 2023; 28:4848. [PMID: 37375403 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists have preclinical antipsychostimulant effects; however, adverse side effects have limited their therapeutic development. In this preclinical study, conducted in Sprague Dawley rats, B6-SJL mice, and non-human primates (NHPs), we evaluated the G-protein-biased analogue of salvinorin A (SalA), 16-bromo salvinorin A (16-BrSalA), for its anticocaine effects, side effects, and activation of cellular signaling pathways. 16-BrSalA dose-dependently decreased the cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in a KOR-dependent manner. It also decreased cocaine-induced hyperactivity, but had no effect on responding for cocaine on a progressive ratio schedule. Compared to SalA, 16-BrSalA had an improved side effect profile, with no significant effects in the elevated plus maze, light-dark test, forced swim test, sucrose self-administration, or novel object recognition; however, it did exhibit conditioned aversive effects. 16-BrSalA increased dopamine transporter (DAT) activity in HEK-293 cells coexpressing DAT and KOR, as well as in rat nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatal tissue. 16-BrSalA also increased the early phase activation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, as well as p38 in a KOR-dependent manner. In NHPs, 16-BrSalA caused dose-dependent increases in the neuroendocrine biomarker prolactin, similar to other KOR agonists, at doses without robust sedative effects. These findings highlight that G-protein-biased structural analogues of SalA can have improved pharmacokinetic profiles and fewer side effects while maintaining their anticocaine effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross van de Wetering
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Amy Ewald
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Susan Welsh
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
| | - Lindsay Kornberger
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Samuel E Williamson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Bryan D McElroy
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eduardo R Butelman
- Laboratory on the Biology of Addictive Diseases, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Thomas E Prisinzano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Bronwyn M Kivell
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6012, New Zealand
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13
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Neugebauer V, Presto P, Yakhnitsa V, Antenucci N, Mendoza B, Ji G. Pain-related cortico-limbic plasticity and opioid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109510. [PMID: 36944393 PMCID: PMC10585936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in cortico-limbic circuits has been implicated in pain persistence and pain modulation in clinical and preclinical studies. The amygdala has emerged as a key player in the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Reciprocal interactions with medial prefrontal cortical regions undergo changes in pain conditions. Other limbic and paralimbic regions have been implicated in pain modulation as well. The cortico-limbic system is rich in opioids and opioid receptors. Preclinical evidence for their pain modulatory effects in different regions of this highly interactive system, potentially opposing functions of different opioid receptors, and knowledge gaps will be described here. There is little information about cell type- and circuit-specific functions of opioid receptor subtypes related to pain processing and pain-related plasticity in the cortico-limbic system. The important role of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala in MOR-dependent analgesia is most well-established, and MOR actions in the mesolimbic system appear to be similar but remain to be determined in mPFC regions other than ACC. Evidence also suggests that KOR signaling generally serves opposing functions whereas DOR signaling in the ACC has similar, if not synergistic effects, to MOR. A unifying picture of pain-related neuronal mechanisms of opioid signaling in different elements of the cortico-limbic circuitry has yet to emerge. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nico Antenucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brianna Mendoza
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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14
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Hosseinzadeh Sahafi O, Sardari M, Alijanpour S, Rezayof A. Shared Mechanisms of GABAergic and Opioidergic Transmission Regulate Corticolimbic Reward Systems and Cognitive Aspects of Motivational Behaviors. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050815. [PMID: 37239287 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The functional interplay between the corticolimbic GABAergic and opioidergic systems plays a crucial role in regulating the reward system and cognitive aspects of motivational behaviors leading to the development of addictive behaviors and disorders. This review provides a summary of the shared mechanisms of GABAergic and opioidergic transmission, which modulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the central hub of the reward mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the neuroanatomical and neurobiological aspects of corticolimbic inhibitory neurons that express opioid receptors, which act as modulators of corticolimbic GABAergic transmission. The presence of opioid and GABA receptors on the same neurons allows for the modulation of the activity of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, which plays a key role in the reward mechanisms of the brain. This colocalization of receptors and their immunochemical markers can provide a comprehensive understanding for clinicians and researchers, revealing the neuronal circuits that contribute to the reward system. Moreover, this review highlights the importance of GABAergic transmission-induced neuroplasticity under the modulation of opioid receptors. It discusses their interactive role in reinforcement learning, network oscillation, aversive behaviors, and local feedback or feedforward inhibitions in reward mechanisms. Understanding the shared mechanisms of these systems may lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches for addiction, reward-related disorders, and drug-induced cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Maryam Sardari
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
| | - Sakineh Alijanpour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous 4971799151, Iran
| | - Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6465, Iran
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15
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Abdulmalek S, Hardiman G. Genetic and epigenetic studies of opioid abuse disorder - the potential for future diagnostics. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2023; 23:361-373. [PMID: 37078260 PMCID: PMC10257799 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2023.2190022] [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: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a global problem that often begins with prescribed medications. The available treatment and maintenance plans offer solutions for the consumption rate by individuals leaving the outstanding problem of relapse, which is a major factor hindering the long-term efficacy of treatments. AREAS COVERED Understanding the neurobiology of addiction and relapse would help identifying the core causes of relapse and distinguish vulnerable from resilient individuals, which would lead to more targeted and effective treatment and provide diagnostics to screen individuals who have a propensity to OUD. In this review, we cover the neurobiology of the reward system highlighting the role of multiple brain regions and opioid receptors in the development of the disorder. We also review the current knowledge of the epigenetics of addiction and the available screening tools for aberrant use of opioids. EXPERT OPINION Relapse remains an anticipated limitation in the way of recovery even after long period of abstinence. This highlights the need for diagnostic tools that identify vulnerable patients and prevent the cycle of addiction. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the available screening tools and propose possible solutions for the discovery of addiction diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Abdulmalek
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, NI, UK
| | - Gary Hardiman
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, NI, UK
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 135 Cannon Street, Charleston, SC 29425
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16
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Lepreux G, Shinn GE, Wei G, Suko A, Concepcion G, Sirohi S, Soon Go B, Bruchas MR, Walker BM. Recapitulating phenotypes of alcohol dependence via overexpression of Oprk1 in the ventral tegmental area of non-dependent TH::Cre rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 228:109457. [PMID: 36764577 PMCID: PMC10034863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system is involved in dysphoria and negative emotional states. Dysregulation of KOR function promotes maladaptive behavioral regulation during withdrawal associated with alcohol dependence. Mesolimbic dopaminergic (DA) projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) innervate the extended amygdala circuitry and presynaptic KORs attenuate DA in these regions leading to an excessive alcohol consumption and negative affective-like behavior, whereas mesocortical KOR-regulated DA projections have been implicated in executive function and decision-making. Thus, the neuroadaptations occurring in DYN/KOR systems are important aspects to consider for the development of personalized therapeutic solutions. Herein, we study the contribution of the VTA DA neuron Oprk1 (KOR gene) in excessive alcohol consumption, negative emotional state, and executive function. To do so, Oprk1 mRNA expression and KOR function were characterized to confirm alcohol dependence-induced dysregulation in the VTA. Then, a transgenic Cre-Lox rat model (male and female TH::Cre rats) was used to allow for conditional and inducible overexpression of Oprk1 in VTA DA neurons. The effect of this overexpression was evaluated on operant alcohol self-administration, negative emotional states, and executive function. We found that VTA Oprk1 overexpression recapitulates some phenotypes of alcohol dependence including escalated alcohol self-administration and depressive-like behavior. However, working memory performance was not impacted following VTA Oprk1 overexpression in TH::Cre rats. This supports the hypothesis that dysregulated KOR signaling within the mesolimbic DA system is an important contributor to symptoms of alcohol dependence and shows that understanding Oprk1-mediated contributions to alcohol use disorder (AUD) should be an important future goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lepreux
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Grace E Shinn
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Azra Suko
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - George Concepcion
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Sunil Sirohi
- Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Bok Soon Go
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Seattle, WA, USA; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA; USF Health Neuroscience Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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17
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El Daibani A, Paggi JM, Kim K, Laloudakis YD, Popov P, Bernhard SM, Krumm BE, Olsen RHJ, Diberto J, Carroll FI, Katritch V, Wünsch B, Dror RO, Che T. Molecular mechanism of biased signaling at the kappa opioid receptor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1338. [PMID: 36906681 PMCID: PMC10008561 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37041-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The κ-opioid receptor (KOR) has emerged as an attractive drug target for pain management without addiction, and biased signaling through particular pathways of KOR may be key to maintaining this benefit while minimizing side-effect liabilities. As for most G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), however, the molecular mechanisms of ligand-specific signaling at KOR have remained unclear. To better understand the molecular determinants of KOR signaling bias, we apply structure determination, atomic-level molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and functional assays. We determine a crystal structure of KOR bound to the G protein-biased agonist nalfurafine, the first approved KOR-targeting drug. We also identify an arrestin-biased KOR agonist, WMS-X600. Using MD simulations of KOR bound to nalfurafine, WMS-X600, and a balanced agonist U50,488, we identify three active-state receptor conformations, including one that appears to favor arrestin signaling over G protein signaling and another that appears to favor G protein signaling over arrestin signaling. These results, combined with mutagenesis validation, provide a molecular explanation of how agonists achieve biased signaling at KOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal El Daibani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joseph M Paggi
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kuglae Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Petr Popov
- iMolecule, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sarah M Bernhard
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Brian E Krumm
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Reid H J Olsen
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jeffrey Diberto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - F Ivy Carroll
- Research Triangle Institute, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Vsevolod Katritch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bernhard Wünsch
- Institut für Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie, Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 48, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Ron O Dror
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Departments of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Tao Che
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy and Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
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18
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Zhou S, Yin Y, Sheets PL. Mouse models of surgical and neuropathic pain produce distinct functional alterations to prodynorphin expressing neurons in the prelimbic cortex. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 13:100121. [PMID: 36864928 PMCID: PMC9971546 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) consists of a heterogeneous population of neurons that respond to painful stimuli, and our understanding of how different pain models alter these specific mPFC cell types remains incomplete. A distinct subpopulation of mPFC neurons express prodynorphin (Pdyn+), the endogenous peptide agonist for kappa opioid receptors (KORs). Here, we used whole cell patch clamp for studying excitability changes to Pdyn expressing neurons in the prelimbic region of the mPFC (PLPdyn+ neurons) in mouse models of surgical and neuropathic pain. Our recordings revealed that PLPdyn+ neurons consist of both pyramidal and inhibitory cell types. We find that the plantar incision model (PIM) of surgical pain increases intrinsic excitability only in pyramidal PLPdyn+ neurons one day after incision. Following recovery from incision, excitability of pyramidal PLPdyn+ neurons did not differ between male PIM and sham mice, but was decreased in PIM female mice. Moreover, the excitability of inhibitory PLPdyn+ neurons was increased in male PIM mice, but was with no difference between female sham and PIM mice. In the spared nerve injury model (SNI), pyramidal PLPdyn+ neurons were hyperexcitable at both 3 days and 14 days after SNI. However, inhibitory PLPdyn+ neurons were hypoexcitable at 3 days but hyperexcitable at 14 days after SNI. Our findings suggest different subtypes of PLPdyn+ neurons manifest distinct alterations in the development of different pain modalities and are regulated by surgical pain in a sex-specific manner. Our study provides information on a specific neuronal population that is affected by surgical and neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudi Zhou
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yuexi Yin
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Patrick L. Sheets
- Medical Neurosciences Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA,Corresponding author at: Indiana University School of Medicine, Neuroscience Research Building 400 D, 320 West 15th St, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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19
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Kołosowska K, Lehner M, Skórzewska A, Gawryluk A, Tomczuk F, Sobolewska A, Turzyńska D, Liguz-Lęcznar M, Bednarska-Makaruk M, Maciejak P, Wisłowska-Stanek A. Molecular pattern of a decrease in the rewarding effect of cocaine after an escalating-dose drug regimen. Pharmacol Rep 2023; 75:85-98. [PMID: 36586075 PMCID: PMC9889529 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-022-00443-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term cocaine exposure leads to dysregulation of the reward system and initiates processes that ultimately weaken its rewarding effects. Here, we studied the influence of an escalating-dose cocaine regimen on drug-associated appetitive behavior after a withdrawal period, along with corresponding molecular changes in plasma and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS We applied a 5 day escalating-dose cocaine regimen in rats. We assessed anxiety-like behavior at the beginning of the withdrawal period in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test. The reinforcement properties of cocaine were evaluated in the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) test along with ultrasonic vocalization (USV) in the appetitive range in a drug-associated context. We assessed corticosterone, proopiomelanocortin (POMC), β-endorphin, CART 55-102 levels in plasma (by ELISA), along with mRNA levels for D2 dopaminergic receptor (D2R), κ-receptor (KOR), orexin 1 receptor (OX1R), CART 55-102, and potential markers of cocaine abuse: miRNA-124 and miRNA-137 levels in the PFC (by PCR). RESULTS Rats subjected to the escalating-dose cocaine binge regimen spent less time in the cocaine-paired compartment, and presented a lower number of appetitive USV episodes. These changes were accompanied by a decrease in corticosterone and CART levels, an increase in POMC and β-endorphin levels in plasma, and an increase in the mRNA for D2R and miRNA-124 levels, but a decrease in the mRNA levels for KOR, OX1R, and CART 55-102 in the PFC. CONCLUSIONS The presented data reflect a part of a bigger picture of a multilevel interplay between neurotransmitter systems and neuromodulators underlying processes associated with cocaine abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Kołosowska
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Lehner
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Skórzewska
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Gawryluk
- grid.419305.a0000 0001 1943 2944Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Filip Tomczuk
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alicja Sobolewska
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Danuta Turzyńska
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Monika Liguz-Lęcznar
- grid.419305.a0000 0001 1943 2944Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bednarska-Makaruk
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Genetics, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Maciejak
- grid.418955.40000 0001 2237 2890Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego Street, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Wisłowska-Stanek
- grid.13339.3b0000000113287408Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Centre for Preclinical Research and Technology (CePT), 1B Banacha Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
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20
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Wallace TL, Martin WJ, Arnsten AF. Kappa opioid receptor antagonism protects working memory performance from mild stress exposure in Rhesus macaques. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100493. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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21
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Higginbotham JA, Markovic T, Massaly N, Morón JA. Endogenous opioid systems alterations in pain and opioid use disorder. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1014768. [PMID: 36341476 PMCID: PMC9628214 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1014768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research advances have established a central role for endogenous opioid systems in regulating reward processing, mood, motivation, learning and memory, gastrointestinal function, and pain relief. Endogenous opioid systems are present ubiquitously throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. They are composed of four families, namely the μ (MOPR), κ (KOPR), δ (DOPR), and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOPR) opioid receptors systems. These receptors signal through the action of their endogenous opioid peptides β-endorphins, dynorphins, enkephalins, and nociceptins, respectfully, to maintain homeostasis under normal physiological states. Due to their prominent role in pain regulation, exogenous opioids-primarily targeting the MOPR, have been historically used in medicine as analgesics, but their ability to produce euphoric effects also present high risks for abuse. The ability of pain and opioid use to perturb endogenous opioid system function, particularly within the central nervous system, may increase the likelihood of developing opioid use disorder (OUD). Today, the opioid crisis represents a major social, economic, and public health concern. In this review, we summarize the current state of the literature on the function, expression, pharmacology, and regulation of endogenous opioid systems in pain. Additionally, we discuss the adaptations in the endogenous opioid systems upon use of exogenous opioids which contribute to the development of OUD. Finally, we describe the intricate relationship between pain, endogenous opioid systems, and the proclivity for opioid misuse, as well as potential advances in generating safer and more efficient pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Higginbotham
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jose A. Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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22
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Limoges A, Yarur HE, Tejeda HA. Dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor system regulation on amygdaloid circuitry: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:963691. [PMID: 36276608 PMCID: PMC9579273 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.963691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amygdaloid circuits are involved in a variety of emotional and motivation-related behaviors and are impacted by stress. The amygdala expresses several neuromodulatory systems, including opioid peptides and their receptors. The Dynorphin (Dyn)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of emotional and stress-related information and is expressed in brain areas involved in stress and motivation. Dysregulation of the Dyn/KOR system has also been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, there is limited information about the role of the Dyn/KOR system in regulating amygdala circuitry. Here, we review the literature on the (1) basic anatomy of the amygdala, (2) functional regulation of synaptic transmission by the Dyn/KOR system, (3) anatomical architecture and function of the Dyn/KOR system in the amygdala, (4) regulation of amygdala-dependent behaviors by the Dyn/KOR system, and (5) future directions for the field. Future work investigating how the Dyn/KOR system shapes a wide range of amygdala-related behaviors will be required to increase our understanding of underlying circuitry modulation by the Dyn/KOR system. We anticipate that continued focus on the amygdala Dyn/KOR system will also elucidate novel ways to target the Dyn/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Limoges
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- NIH-Columbia University Individual Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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23
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Casello SM, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Wang H, Awanyai M, Arenivar MA, Jaime-Lara RB, Bravo-Rivera H, Tejeda HA. Neuropeptide System Regulation of Prefrontal Cortex Circuitry: Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:796443. [PMID: 35800635 PMCID: PMC9255232 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.796443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides, a diverse class of signaling molecules in the nervous system, modulate various biological effects including membrane excitability, synaptic transmission and synaptogenesis, gene expression, and glial cell architecture and function. To date, most of what is known about neuropeptide action is limited to subcortical brain structures and tissue outside of the central nervous system. Thus, there is a knowledge gap in our understanding of neuropeptide function within cortical circuits. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of various families of neuropeptides and their cognate receptors that are expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Specifically, we highlight dynorphin, enkephalin, corticotropin-releasing factor, cholecystokinin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and vasoactive intestinal peptide. Further, we review the implication of neuropeptide signaling in prefrontal cortical circuit function and use as potential therapeutic targets. Together, this review summarizes established knowledge and highlights unknowns of neuropeptide modulation of neural function underlying various biological effects while offering insights for future research. An increased emphasis in this area of study is necessary to elucidate basic principles of the diverse signaling molecules used in cortical circuits beyond fast excitatory and inhibitory transmitters as well as consider components of neuropeptide action in the PFC as a potential therapeutic target for neurological disorders. Therefore, this review not only sheds light on the importance of cortical neuropeptide studies, but also provides a comprehensive overview of neuropeptide action in the PFC to serve as a roadmap for future studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne M. Casello
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Monique Awanyai
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Miguel A. Arenivar
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rosario B. Jaime-Lara
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Hugo A. Tejeda,
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24
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Reeves KC, Shah N, Muñoz B, Atwood BK. Opioid Receptor-Mediated Regulation of Neurotransmission in the Brain. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:919773. [PMID: 35782382 PMCID: PMC9242007 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.919773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids mediate their effects via opioid receptors: mu, delta, and kappa. At the neuronal level, opioid receptors are generally inhibitory, presynaptically reducing neurotransmitter release and postsynaptically hyperpolarizing neurons. However, opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neuronal function and synaptic transmission is not uniform in expression pattern and mechanism across the brain. The localization of receptors within specific cell types and neurocircuits determine the effects that endogenous and exogenous opioids have on brain function. In this review we will explore the similarities and differences in opioid receptor-mediated regulation of neurotransmission across different brain regions. We discuss how future studies can consider potential cell-type, regional, and neural pathway-specific effects of opioid receptors in order to better understand how opioid receptors modulate brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin C. Reeves
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Nikhil Shah
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Braulio Muñoz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Brady K. Atwood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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25
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Brice-Tutt AC, Eans SO, Yakovlev D, Aldrich JV, McLaughlin JP. An analog of [d-Trp]CJ-15,208 exhibits kappa opioid receptor antagonism following oral administration and prevents stress-induced reinstatement of extinguished morphine conditioned place preference. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 217:173405. [PMID: 35584724 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173405] [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: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) relapse rates are discouragingly high, underscoring the need for new treatment options. The macrocyclic tetrapeptide natural product CJ-15,208 and its stereoisomer [d-Trp]CJ-15,208 demonstrate kappa opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist activity upon oral administration which prevents stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. In order to further explore the structure-activity relationships and expand the potential therapeutic applications of KOR antagonism for the treatment of OUD, we screened a series of 24 analogs of [d-Trp]CJ-15,208 with the goal of enhancing KOR antagonist activity. From this screening, analog 22 arose as a compound of interest, demonstrating dose-dependent KOR antagonism after central and oral administration lasting at least 2.5 h. In further oral testing, analog 22 lacked respiratory, locomotor, or reinforcing effects, consistent with the absence of opioid agonism. Pretreatment with analog 22 (30 mg/kg, p.o.) prevented stress-induced reinstatement of extinguished morphine conditioned place preference and reduced some signs of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in mice physically dependent on morphine. Collectively, these data support the therapeutic potential of KOR antagonists to support abstinence in OUD and ameliorate opioid withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariana C Brice-Tutt
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Shainnel O Eans
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Dmitry Yakovlev
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Jane V Aldrich
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America
| | - Jay P McLaughlin
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States of America.
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26
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Leconte C, Mongeau R, Noble F. Traumatic Stress-Induced Vulnerability to Addiction: Critical Role of the Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor System. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:856672. [PMID: 35571111 PMCID: PMC9091501 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.856672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUD) may emerge from an individual’s attempt to limit negative affective states and symptoms linked to stress. Indeed, SUD is highly comorbid with chronic stress, traumatic stress, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and treatments approved for each pathology individually often failed to have a therapeutic efficiency in such comorbid patients. The kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand dynorphin (DYN), seem to play a key role in the occurrence of this comorbidity. The DYN/KOR function is increased either in traumatic stress or during drug use, dependence acquisition and DYN is released during stress. The behavioural effects of stress related to the DYN/KOR system include anxiety, dissociative and depressive symptoms, as well as increased conditioned fear response. Furthermore, the DYN/KOR system is implicated in negative reinforcement after the euphoric effects of a drug of abuse ends. During chronic drug consumption DYN/KOR functions increase and facilitate tolerance and dependence. The drug-seeking behaviour induced by KOR activation can be retrieved either during the development of an addictive behaviour, or during relapse after withdrawal. DYN is known to be one of the most powerful negative modulators of dopamine signalling, notably in brain structures implicated in both reward and fear circuitries. KOR are also acting as inhibitory heteroreceptors on serotonin neurons. Moreover, the DYN/KOR system cross-regulate with corticotropin-releasing factor in the brain. The sexual dimorphism of the DYN/KOR system could be the cause of the gender differences observed in patients with SUD or/and traumatic stress-related pathologies. This review underlies experimental and clinical results emphasizing the DYN/KOR system as common mechanisms shared by SUD or/and traumatic stress-related pathologies, and suggests KOR antagonist as a new pharmacological strategy to treat this comorbidity.
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27
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Wei G, Sirohi S, Walker BM. Dysregulated kappa-opioid receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex contribute to working memory deficits in alcohol dependence. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13138. [PMID: 35138672 PMCID: PMC8829053 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Impaired working memory is one symptom contributing to compromised executive function in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Dysregulation of cortical dynorphin (DYN) and κ-opioid receptors (KORs) has been implicated in alcohol dependence-induced impairment in executive function. The present experiments test the hypothesis that dysregulated medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) KORs contribute to impaired working memory in alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence was induced in male Wistar rats via 4 months of intermittent ethanol vapor exposure prior to training/testing in an mPFC-dependent working memory task (delayed nonmatching-to-sample task; DNMST). mPFC KOR function in alcohol-naïve rats was compared with that of alcohol-dependent and nondependent rats using a DYN A-stimulated [35S ]GTPγS coupling assay. A functional role for mPFC KORs in the regulation of working memory was assessed via intra-mPFC infusions of a KOR agonist prior to assessment in the DNMST, and the contribution of mPFC KORs to compromised working memory in dependence was assessed via mPFC infusions of the KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (nor-BNI). In alcohol-dependent rats, impaired performance in the DNMST confirmed compromised working memory. Furthermore, DYN A-stimulated mPFC KOR function was pathologically increased in alcohol-dependent rats compared with nondependent and alcohol-naïve rats. Additionally, mPFC KOR involvement in working memory was functionally confirmed by intra-mPFC KOR agonist-induced deficits in DNMST performance. Importantly, alcohol dependence-induced impairment in the DNMST was ameliorated by intra-mPFC KOR antagonism. Regulation of working memory by mPFC KORs and alcohol dependence-induced dysregulation of mPFC KOR function identify a novel therapeutic target to treat AUD-related symptoms of working memory impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengze Wei
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Sunil Sirohi
- Laboratory of Endocrine and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Division of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, New Orleans, LA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.,Correspondence: Brendan M. Walker, Ph.D., Laboratory of Alcoholism and Addictions Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, 3515 E. Fletcher, Tampa, FL 33613, 813-974-3715 (office),
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28
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Abraham AD, Casello SM, Land BB, Chavkin C. Optogenetic stimulation of dynorphinergic neurons within the dorsal raphe activate kappa opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area and ablation of dorsal raphe prodynorphin or kappa receptors in dopamine neurons blocks stress potentiation of cocaine reward. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 1. [PMID: 36176476 PMCID: PMC9518814 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral stress exposure increases the risk of drug-taking in individuals with substance use disorders by mechanisms involving the dynorphins, which are the endogenous neuropeptides for the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). KOR agonists have been shown to encode dysphoria, aversion, and changes in reward valuation, and kappa opioid antagonists are in clinical development for treating substance use disorders. In this study, we confirmed that KORs were expressed in dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of male C57BL6/J mice. Genetic ablation of KORs from dopamine neurons blocked the potentiating effects of repeated forced swim stress on cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP). KOR activation inhibited dopamine neuron GCaMP6m calcium activity in VTA during swim stress and caused a rebound enhancement during the period after stress exposure. Transient optogenetic inhibition of VTA dopamine neurons with AAV5-DIO-SwiChR was acutely aversive in a real time place preference assay and blunted cocaine CPP when inhibition was administered concurrently with cocaine conditioning. However, when inhibition preceded cocaine conditioning by 30 min, cocaine CPP was enhanced. Retrograde tracing with CAV2-DIO-ZsGreen identified a population of prodynorphinCre neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) projecting to the VTA. Optogenetic stimulation of dynorphinergic neurons within the DRN by Channelrhodopsin2 activated KOR in VTA and ablation of prodynorphin blocked stress potentiation of cocaine CPP. Together, these studies demonstrate the presence of a dynorphin/KOR midbrain circuit that projects from the DRN to VTA and is involved in altering the dynamic response of dopamine neuron activity to enhance drug reward learning.
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Ko MC, Husbands SM. Pleiotropic Effects of Kappa Opioid Receptor-Related Ligands in Non-human Primates. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2022; 271:435-452. [PMID: 33274403 PMCID: PMC8175454 DOI: 10.1007/164_2020_419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The kappa opioid receptor (KOR)-related ligands have been demonstrated in preclinical studies for several therapeutic potentials. This chapter highlights (1) how non-human primates (NHP) studies facilitate the research and development of ligands targeting the KOR, (2) effects of the endogenous opioid peptide, dynorphin A-(1-17), and its analogs in NHP, and (3) pleiotropic effects and therapeutic applications of KOR-related ligands. In particular, synthetic ligands targeting the KOR have been extensively studied in NHP in three therapeutic areas, i.e., the treatment for itch, pain, and substance use disorders. As the KORs are widely expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems, pleiotropic effects of KOR-related ligands, such as discriminative stimulus effects, neuroendocrine effects (e.g., prolactin release and stimulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), and diuresis, in NHP are discussed. Centrally acting KOR agonists are known to produce adverse effects including dysphoria, hallucination, and sedation. Nonetheless, with strategic advances in medicinal chemistry, three classes of KOR-related agonists, i.e., peripherally restricted KOR agonists, mixed KOR/mu opioid receptor partial agonists, and G protein-biased KOR agonists, warrant additional NHP studies to improve our understanding of their functional efficacy, selectivity, and tolerability. Pharmacological studies in NHP which carry high translational significance will facilitate future development of KOR-based medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Chuan Ko
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Abraham AD, Casello SM, Schattauer SS, Wong BA, Mizuno GO, Mahe K, Tian L, Land BB, Chavkin C. Release of endogenous dynorphin opioids in the prefrontal cortex disrupts cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:2330-2339. [PMID: 34545197 PMCID: PMC8580977 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01168-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Following repeated opioid use, some dependent individuals experience persistent cognitive deficits that contribute to relapse of drug-taking behaviors, and one component of this response may be mediated by the endogenous dynorphin/kappa opioid system in neocortex. In C57BL/6 male mice, we find that acute morphine withdrawal evokes dynorphin release in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and disrupts cognitive function by activation of local kappa opioid receptors (KORs). Immunohistochemical analyses using a phospho-KOR antibody confirmed that both withdrawal-induced and optically evoked dynorphin release activated KOR in PFC. Using a genetically encoded sensor based on inert KOR (kLight1.2a), we revealed the in vivo dynamics of endogenous dynorphin release in the PFC. Local activation of KOR in PFC produced multi-phasic disruptions of memory processing in an operant-delayed alternation behavioral task, which manifest as reductions in response number and accuracy during early and late phases of an operant session. Local pretreatment in PFC with the selective KOR antagonist norbinaltorphimine (norBNI) blocked the disruptive effect of systemic KOR activation during both early and late phases of the session. The early, but not late phase disruption was blocked by viral excision of PFC KORs, suggesting an anatomically dissociable contribution of pre- and postsynaptic KORs. Naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in morphine-dependent mice or optical stimulation of pdynCre neurons using Channelrhodopsin-2 disrupted delayed alternation performance, and the dynorphin-induced effect was blocked by local norBNI. Our findings describe a mechanism for control of cortical function during opioid dependence and suggest that KOR antagonism could promote abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony D. Abraham
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Selena S. Schattauer
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Brenden A. Wong
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Grace O. Mizuno
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Karan Mahe
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Lin Tian
- grid.27860.3b0000 0004 1936 9684Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Benjamin B. Land
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA ,grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Charles Chavkin
- Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Data-driven analysis of kappa opioid receptor binding in major depressive disorder measured by positron emission tomography. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:602. [PMID: 34839360 PMCID: PMC8627509 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01729-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical studies have implicated kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in stress responses and depression-related behaviors, but evidence from human studies is limited. Here we present results of a secondary analysis of data acquired using positron emission tomography (PET) with the KOR radiotracer [11C]GR103545 in 10 unmedicated, currently depressed individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD; 32.6 ± 6.5 years, 5 women) and 13 healthy volunteers (34.8 ± 10 years, 6 women). Independent component analysis was performed to identify spatial patterns of coherent variance in KOR binding (tracer volume of distribution, VT) across all subjects. Expression of each component was compared between groups and relationships to symptoms were explored using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Three components of variation in KOR availability across ROIs were identified, spatially characterized by [11C]GR103545 VT in (1) bilateral frontal lobe; (2) occipital and parietal cortices, right hippocampus, and putamen; and (3) right anterior cingulate, right superior frontal gyrus and insula, coupled to negative loading in left middle cingulate. In MDD patients, component 3 was negatively associated with symptom severity on the HDRS (r = -0.85, p = 0.0021). There were no group-wise differences in expression of any component between patients and controls. These preliminary findings suggest that KOR signaling in cortical regions relevant to depression, particularly right anterior cingulate, could reflect MDD pathophysiology.
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Bonaventura J, Lam S, Carlton M, Boehm M, Gomez JL, Solís O, Sánchez-Soto M, Morris PJ, Fredriksson I, Thomas CJ, Sibley DR, Shaham Y, Zarate CA, Michaelides M. Pharmacological and behavioral divergence of ketamine enantiomers: implications for abuse liability. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6704-6722. [PMID: 33859356 PMCID: PMC8517038 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01093-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Ketamine, a racemic mixture of (S)-ketamine and (R)-ketamine enantiomers, has been used as an anesthetic, analgesic and more recently, as an antidepressant. However, ketamine has known abuse liability (the tendency of a drug to be used in non-medical situations due to its psychoactive effects), which raises concerns for its therapeutic use. (S)-ketamine was recently approved by the United States' FDA for treatment-resistant depression. Recent studies showed that (R)-ketamine has greater efficacy than (S)-ketamine in preclinical models of depression, but its clinical antidepressant efficacy has not been established. The behavioral effects of racemic ketamine have been studied extensively in preclinical models predictive of abuse liability in humans (self-administration and conditioned place preference [CPP]). In contrast, the behavioral effects of each enantiomer in these models are unknown. We show here that in the intravenous drug self-administration model, the gold standard procedure to assess potential abuse liability of drugs in humans, rats self-administered (S)-ketamine but not (R)-ketamine. Subanesthetic, antidepressant-like doses of (S)-ketamine, but not of (R)-ketamine, induced locomotor activity (in an opioid receptor-dependent manner), induced psychomotor sensitization, induced CPP in mice, and selectively increased metabolic activity and dopamine tone in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats. Pharmacological screening across thousands of human proteins and at biological targets known to interact with ketamine yielded divergent binding and functional enantiomer profiles, including selective mu and kappa opioid receptor activation by (S)-ketamine in mPFC. Our results demonstrate divergence in the pharmacological, functional, and behavioral effects of ketamine enantiomers, and suggest that racemic ketamine's abuse liability in humans is primarily due to the pharmacological effects of its (S)-enantiomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Bonaventura
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Sherry Lam
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Meghan Carlton
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Matthew Boehm
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Juan L. Gomez
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Oscar Solís
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224
| | - Marta Sánchez-Soto
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Patrick J. Morris
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Rockville, MD, 20850
| | - Ida Fredriksson
- Neurobiology of Relapse Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 212245
| | - Craig J. Thomas
- Division of Preclinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Rockville, MD, 20850
| | - David R. Sibley
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Neurobiology of Relapse Section, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 212245
| | - Carlos A. Zarate
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, 20892
| | - Michael Michaelides
- Biobehavioral Imaging and Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Dao NC, Brockway DF, Suresh Nair M, Sicher AR, Crowley NA. Somatostatin neurons control an alcohol binge drinking prelimbic microcircuit in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1906-1917. [PMID: 34112959 PMCID: PMC8429551 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01050-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Somatostatin (SST) neurons have been implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, but their role in substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD), is not fully characterized. Here, we found that repeated cycles of alcohol binge drinking via the Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) model led to hypoactivity of SST neurons in the prelimbic (PL) cortex by diminishing their action potential firing capacity and excitatory/inhibitory transmission dynamic. We examined their role in regulating alcohol consumption via bidirectional chemogenetic manipulation. Both hM3Dq-induced excitation and KORD-induced silencing of PL SST neurons reduced alcohol binge drinking in males and females, with no effect on sucrose consumption. Alcohol binge drinking disinhibited pyramidal neurons by augmenting SST neurons-mediated GABA release and synaptic strength onto other GABAergic populations and reducing spontaneous inhibitory transmission onto pyramidal neurons. Pyramidal neurons additionally displayed increased intrinsic excitability. Direct inhibition of PL pyramidal neurons via hM4Di was sufficient to reduce alcohol binge drinking. Together these data revealed an SST-mediated microcircuit in the PL that modulates the inhibitory dynamics of pyramidal neurons, a major source of output to subcortical targets to drive reward-seeking behaviors and emotional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel C Dao
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Dakota F Brockway
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Malini Suresh Nair
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Avery R Sicher
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nicole A Crowley
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Mannangatti P, Ragu Varman D, Ramamoorthy S, Jayanthi LD. Neurokinin-1 Antagonism Distinguishes the Role of Norepinephrine Transporter from Dopamine Transporter in Mediating Amphetamine Behaviors. Pharmacology 2021; 106:597-605. [PMID: 34515205 DOI: 10.1159/000518033] [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: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amphetamine (AMPH) and other psychostimulants act on the norepinephrine (NE) transporter (NET) and the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) and enhance NE and DA signaling. Both NET and DAT share anatomical and functional characteristics and are regulated similarly by psychostimulants and receptor-linked signaling pathways. We and others have demonstrated that NET and DAT are downregulated by AMPH and substance P/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R)-mediated protein kinase C pathway. OBJECTIVES Since both NET and DAT are downregulated by AMPH and NK1R activation and share high sequence homology, the objective of the study was to determine the catecholamine transporter specificity in NK1R modulation of AMPH-induced behaviors. METHODS The effect of NK1R antagonism on AMPH-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) as well as AMPH-induced NET and DAT downregulation was examined using NET and DAT knockout mice (NET-KO and DAT-KO) along with their wild-type littermates. RESULTS Aprepitant (5 mg/kg i.p.) significantly attenuated AMPH (2 mg/kg i.p.)-induced CPP in the wild-type and DAT-KO but not in the NET-KO. Locomotor activity measured during the post-conditioning test (in the absence of AMPH) showed higher locomotor activity in DAT-KO compared to wild-type or NET-KO. However, the locomotor activity of all 3 genotypes remained unchanged following aprepitant. Additionally, in the ventral striatum of wild-type, the AMPH-induced downregulation of NET function and surface expression but not that of DAT was attenuated by aprepitant. CONCLUSIONS The results from the current study demonstrate that aprepitant attenuates the expression of AMPH-induced CPP in DAT-KO mice but not in NET-KO mice suggesting a role for NK1R-mediated NET regulation in AMPH-induced behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padmanabhan Mannangatti
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Durairaj Ragu Varman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Sammanda Ramamoorthy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Lankupalle D Jayanthi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Cameron CM, Nieto S, Bosler L, Wong M, Bishop I, Mooney L, Cahill CM. Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-Suicidal Treatment Potential of Buprenorphine. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2021; 1. [PMID: 35265942 PMCID: PMC8903193 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2021.10009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Death by suicide is a global epidemic with over 800 K suicidal deaths worlwide in 2012. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death among Americans and more than 44 K people died by suicide in 2019 in the United States. Patients with chronic pain, including, but not limited to, those with substance use disorders, are particularly vulnerable. Chronic pain patients have twice the risk of death by suicide compared to those without pain, and 50% of chronic pain patients report that they have considered suicide at some point due to their pain. The kappa opioid system is implicated in negative mood states including dysphoria, depression, and anxiety, and recent evidence shows that chronic pain increases the function of this system in limbic brain regions important for affect and motivation. Additionally, dynorphin, the endogenous ligand that activates the kappa opioid receptor is increased in the caudate putamen of human suicide victims. A potential treatment for reducing suicidal ideation and suicidal attempts is buprenorphine. Buprenorphine, a partial mu opioid agonist with kappa opioid antagonist properties, reduced suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients with and without an opioid use disorder. This review will highlight the clinical and preclinical evidence to support the use of buprenorphine in mitigating pain-induced negative affective states and suicidal thoughts, where these effects are at least partially mediated via its kappa antagonist properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney M. Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Steven Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucienne Bosler
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Megan Wong
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Isabel Bishop
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Larissa Mooney
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Catherine M. Cahill
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Correspondence: Catherine M. Cahill,
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Abstract
Nanobodies have emerged as useful tools to study G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) structure, dynamic, and subcellular localization. Initially, several nanobodies have been developed as chaperones to facilitate GPCR crystallization. To explore their potential as biosensors to monitor receptor activation and dynamics, we here described protocols to characterize nanobody's interaction with GPCRs and their application as probes for protein identification and visualization on the cellular level. We also introduced a chimeric approach to enable a kappa-opioid receptor derived nanobody to bind to other GPCRs, including orphan GPCRs whose endogenous ligand or intracellular transducers are unknown. This approach provides a reporter assay to identify tool molecules to study the function of orphan GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amal El Daibani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Tao Che
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States; Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.
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Kappa Opioid Receptor Mediated Differential Regulation of Serotonin and Dopamine Transporters in Mood and Substance Use Disorder. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 271:97-112. [PMID: 34136961 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Dynorphin (DYN) is an endogenous neurosecretory peptide which exerts its activity by binding to the family of G protein-coupled receptors, namely the kappa opioid receptor (KOR). Opioids are associated with pain, analgesia, and drug abuse, which play a central role in mood disorders with monoamine neurotransmitter interactions. Growing evidence demonstrates the cellular signaling cascades linked to KOR-mediated monoamine transporters regulation in cell models and native brain tissues. This chapter will review DYN/KOR role in mood and addiction in relevance to dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmissions. Also, we discuss the recent findings on KOR-mediated differential regulation of serotonin and dopamine transporters (SERT and DAT). These findings led to a better understanding of the role of DYN/KOR system in aminergic neurotransmission via its modulatory effect on both amine release and clearance. Detailed knowledge of these processes at the molecular level enables designing novel pharmacological reagents to target transporter motifs to treat mood and addiction and reduce unwanted side effects such as aversion, dysphoria, sedation, and psychomimesis.
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Abstract
After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Identify the effects of dysregulated opioid signalling in depression• Evaluate the use of opioid compounds and ketamine in patients with depression ABSTRACT: Major depressive disorder (MDD) remains one of the leading causes of disability and functional impairment worldwide. Current antidepressant therapeutics require weeks to months of treatment prior to the onset of clinical efficacy on depressed mood but remain ineffective in treating suicidal ideation and cognitive impairment. Moreover, 30%-40% of individuals fail to respond to currently available antidepressant medications. MDD is a heterogeneous disorder with an unknown etiology; novel strategies must be developed to treat MDD more effectively. Emerging evidence suggests that targeting one or more of the four opioid receptors-mu (MOR), kappa (KOR), delta (DOR), and the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor (NOP)-may yield effective therapeutics for stress-related psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the effects of the rapidly acting antidepressant ketamine may involve opioid receptors. This review highlights dysregulated opioid signaling in depression, evaluates clinical trials with opioid compounds, and considers the role of opioid mechanisms in rapidly acting antidepressants.
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Ji MJ, Yang J, Gao ZQ, Zhang L, Liu C. The Role of the Kappa Opioid System in Comorbid Pain and Psychiatric Disorders: Function and Implications. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:642493. [PMID: 33716658 PMCID: PMC7943636 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.642493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Both pain and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, significantly impact quality of life for the sufferer. The two also share a strong pathological link: chronic pain-induced negative affect drives vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, while patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders tend to experience exacerbated pain. However, the mechanisms responsible for the comorbidity of pain and psychiatric disorders remain unclear. It is well established that the kappa opioid system contributes to depressive and dysphoric states. Emerging studies of chronic pain have revealed the role and mechanisms of the kappa opioid system in pain processing and, in particular, in the associated pathological alteration of affection. Here, we discuss the key findings and summarize compounds acting on the kappa opioid system that are potential candidates for therapeutic strategies against comorbid pain and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Jin Ji
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jiao Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Gao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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Tejeda HA, Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE. Dynorphin/Kappa-Opioid Receptor System Modulation of Cortical Circuitry. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2021; 271:223-253. [PMID: 33580392 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cortical circuits control a plethora of behaviors, from sensation to cognition. The cortex is enriched with neuropeptides and receptors that play a role in information processing, including opioid peptides and their cognate receptors. The dynorphin (DYN)/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system has been implicated in the processing of sensory and motivationally-charged emotional information and is highly expressed in cortical circuits. This is important as dysregulation of DYN/KOR signaling in limbic and cortical circuits has been implicated in promoting negative affect and cognitive deficits in various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, research investigating the role of this system in controlling cortical circuits and computations therein is limited. Here, we review the (1) basic anatomy of cortical circuits, (2) anatomical architecture of the cortical DYN/KOR system, (3) functional regulation of cortical synaptic transmission and microcircuit function by the DYN/KOR system, (4) regulation of behavior by the cortical DYN/KOR system, (5) implications for the DYN/KOR system for human health and disease, and (6) future directions and unanswered questions for the field. Further work elucidating the role of the DYN/KOR system in controlling cortical information processing and associated behaviors will be of importance to increasing our understanding of principles underlying neuropeptide modulation of cortical circuits, mechanisms underlying sensation and perception, motivated and emotional behavior, and cognition. Increased emphasis in this area of study will also aid in the identification of novel ways to target the DYN/KOR system to treat neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A Tejeda
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Huikun Wang
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Abstract
Pain is complex and is a unique experience for individuals in that no two people will have exactly the same physiological and emotional response to the same noxious stimulus or injury. Pain is composed of two essential processes: a sensory component that allows for discrimination of the intensity and location of a painful stimulus and an emotional component that underlies the affective, motivational, unpleasant, and aversive response to a painful stimulus. Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) activation in the periphery and throughout the neuroaxis modulates both of these components of the pain experience. In this chapter we focus on recent findings that KORs contribute to the emotional, aversive nature of chronic pain, including how expression in the limbic circuitry contributes to anhedonic states and components of opioid misuse disorder. While the primary focus is on preclinical pain models, we also highlight clinical or human research where there is strong evidence for KOR involvement in negative affective states associated with chronic pain and opioid misuse.
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Schmidhammer H, Erli F, Guerrieri E, Spetea M. Development of Diphenethylamines as Selective Kappa Opioid Receptor Ligands and Their Pharmacological Activities. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215092. [PMID: 33147885 PMCID: PMC7663249 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the opioid receptors, the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) has been gaining substantial attention as a promising molecular target for the treatment of numerous human disorders, including pain, pruritus, affective disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety), drug addiction, and neurological diseases (i.e., epilepsy). Particularly, the knowledge that activation of the KOR, opposite to the mu opioid receptor (MOR), does not produce euphoria or leads to respiratory depression or overdose, has stimulated the interest in discovering ligands targeting the KOR as novel pharmacotherapeutics. However, the KOR mediates the negative side effects of dysphoria/aversion, sedation, and psychotomimesis, with the therapeutic promise of biased agonism (i.e., selective activation of beneficial over deleterious signaling pathways) for designing safer KOR therapeutics without the liabilities of conventional KOR agonists. In this review, the development of new KOR ligands from the class of diphenethylamines is presented. Specifically, we describe the design strategies, synthesis, and pharmacological activities of differently substituted diphenethylamines, where structure–activity relationships have been extensively studied. Ligands with distinct profiles as potent and selective agonists, G protein-biased agonists, and selective antagonists, and their potential use as therapeutic agents (i.e., pain treatment) and research tools are described.
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MESH Headings
- Analgesics, Opioid/chemistry
- Analgesics, Opioid/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Ligands
- Pain/drug therapy
- Pain/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/chemistry
- Receptors, Opioid, kappa/metabolism
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/agonists
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/chemistry
- Receptors, Opioid, mu/metabolism
- Structure-Activity Relationship
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Yarur HE, Zegers J, Vega-Quiroga I, Novoa J, Ciruela F, Andres ME, Gysling K. Functional Interplay of Type-2 Corticotrophin Releasing Factor and Dopamine Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala-Medial Prefrontal Cortex Circuitry. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 24:221-228. [PMID: 33125479 PMCID: PMC7968619 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Basolateral amygdala (BLA) excitatory projections to medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) play a key role controlling stress behavior, pain, and fear. Indeed, stressful events block synaptic plasticity at the BLA-PFC circuit. The stress responses involve the action of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) through type 1 and type 2 CRF receptors (CRF1 and CRF2). Interestingly, it has been described that dopamine receptor 1 (D1R) and CRF peptide have a modulatory role of BLA-PFC transmission. However, the participation of CRF1 and CRF2 receptors in BLA-PFC synaptic transmission still is unclear. METHODS We used in vivo microdialysis to determine dopamine and glutamate (GLU) extracellular levels in PFC after BLA stimulation. Immunofluorescence anatomical studies in rat PFC synaptosomes devoid of postsynaptic elements were performed to determine the presence of D1R and CRF2 receptors in synaptical nerve endings. RESULTS Here, we provide direct evidence of the opposite role that CRF receptors exert over dopamine extracellular levels in the PFC. We also show that D1R colocalizes with CRF2 receptors in PFC nerve terminals. Intra-PFC infusion of antisauvagine-30, a CRF2 receptor antagonist, increased PFC GLU extracellular levels induced by BLA activation. Interestingly, the increase in GLU release observed in the presence of antisauvagine-30 was significantly reduced by incubation with SCH23390, a D1R antagonist. CONCLUSION PFC CRF2 receptor unmasks D1R effect over glutamatergic transmission of the BLA-PFC circuit. Overall, CRF2 receptor emerges as a new modulator of BLA to PFC glutamatergic transmission, thus playing a potential role in emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- H E Yarur
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J Zegers
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - I Vega-Quiroga
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J Novoa
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - F Ciruela
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Departament Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, IDIBELL, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M E Andres
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - K Gysling
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Correspondence: Katia Gysling, PhD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8331150 Santiago, Chile ()
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Babwah AV. The wonderful and masterful G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR): A focus on signaling mechanisms and the neuroendocrine control of fertility. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 515:110886. [PMID: 32574585 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human GnRH deficiency, both clinically and genetically, is a heterogeneous disorder comprising of congenital GnRH deficiency with anosmia (Kallmann syndrome), or with normal olfaction [normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH)], and adult-onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying GnRH secretion and GnRH signaling continues to increase at a rapid rate and strikingly, the heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) continue to emerge as essential players in these processes. GPCRs were once viewed as binary on-off switches, where in the "on" state they are bound to their Gα protein, but now we understand that view is overly simplistic and does not adequately characterize GPCRs. Instead, GPCRs have emerged as masterful signaling molecules exploiting different physical conformational states of itself to elicit an array of downstream signaling events via their G proteins and the β-arrestins. The "one receptor-multiple signaling conformations" model is likely an evolved strategy that can be used to our advantage as researchers have shown that targeting specific receptor conformations via biased ligands is proving to be a powerful tool in the effective treatment of human diseases. Can biased ligands be used to selectively modulate signaling by GPCR regulators of the neuroendocrine axis in the treatment of IHH? As discussed in this review, the grand possibility exists. However, while we are still very far from developing these treatments, this exciting likelihood can happen through a much greater mechanistic understanding of how GPCRs signal within the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy V Babwah
- Department of Pediatrics, Laboratory of Human Growth and Reproductive Development, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States; Child Health Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.
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Selective kappa-opioid antagonism ameliorates anhedonic behavior: evidence from the Fast-fail Trial in Mood and Anxiety Spectrum Disorders (FAST-MAS). Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1656-1663. [PMID: 32544925 PMCID: PMC7419512 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Anhedonia remains a major clinical issue for which there is few effective interventions. Untreated or poorly controlled anhedonia has been linked to worse disease course and increased suicidal behavior across disorders. Taking a proof-of-mechanism approach under the auspices of the National Institute of Mental Health FAST-FAIL initiative, we were the first to show that, in a transdiagnostic sample screened for elevated self-reported anhedonia, 8 weeks of treatment with a kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) antagonist resulted in significantly higher reward-related activation in one of the core hubs of the brain reward system (the ventral striatum), better reward learning in the Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT), and lower anhedonic symptoms, relative to 8 weeks of placebo. Here, we performed secondary analyses of the PRT data to investigate the putative effects of KOR antagonism on anhedonic behavior with more precision by using trial-level model-based Bayesian computational modeling and probability analyses. We found that, relative to placebo, KOR antagonism resulted in significantly higher learning rate (i.e., ability to learn from reward feedback) and a more sustained preference toward the more frequently rewarded stimulus, but unaltered reward sensitivity (i.e., the hedonic response to reward feedback). Collectively, these findings provide novel evidence that in a transdiagnostic sample characterized by elevated anhedonia, KOR antagonism improved the ability to modulate behavior as a function of prior rewards. Together with confirmation of target engagement in the primary report (Krystal et al., Nat Med, 2020), the current findings suggest that further transdiagnostic investigation of KOR antagonism for anhedonia is warranted.
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Llorca-Torralba M, Pilar-Cuéllar F, da Silva Borges G, Mico JA, Berrocoso E. Opioid receptors mRNAs expression and opioids agonist-dependent G-protein activation in the rat brain following neuropathy. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109857. [PMID: 31904442 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Potent opioid-based therapies are often unsuccessful in promoting satisfactory analgesia in neuropathic pain. Moreover, the side effects associated with opioid therapy are still manifested in neuropathy-like diseases, including tolerance, abuse, addiction and hyperalgesia, although the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Studies in the spinal cord and periphery indicate that neuropathy alters the expression of mu-[MOP], delta-[DOP] or kappa-[KOP] opioid receptors, interfering with their activity. However, there is no consensus as to the supraspinal opioidergic modulation provoked by neuropathy, the structures where the sensory and affective-related pain components are processed. In this study we explored the effect of chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve (CCI) over 7 and 30 days (CCI-7d and CCI-30d, respectively) on MOP, DOP and KOP mRNAs expression, using in situ hybridization, and the efficacy of G-protein stimulation by DAMGO, DPDPE and U-69593 (MOP, DOP and KOP specific agonists, respectively), using [35S]GTPγS binding, within opioid-sensitive brain structures. After CCI-7d, CCI-30d or both, opioid receptor mRNAs expression was altered throughout the brain: MOP - in the paracentral/centrolateral thalamic nuclei, ventral posteromedial thalamic nuclei, superior olivary complex, parabrachial nucleus [PB] and posterodorsal tegmental nucleus; DOP - in the somatosensory cortex [SSC], ventral tegmental area, caudate putamen [CPu], nucleus accumbens [NAcc], raphe magnus [RMg] and PB; and KOP - in the locus coeruleus. Agonist-stimulated [35S]GTPγS binding was altered following CCI: MOP - CPu and RMg; DOP - prefrontal cortex [PFC], SSC, RMg and NAcc; and KOP - PFC and SSC. Thus, this study shows that several opioidergic circuits in the brain are recruited and modified following neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Llorca-Torralba
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Fuencisla Pilar-Cuéllar
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, IBBTEC (Universidad de Cantabria, CSIC, SODERCAN), Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | | | - Juan A Mico
- Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Esther Berrocoso
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA) Research Unit, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.
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Individual variation in the attribution of incentive salience to social cues. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2583. [PMID: 32054901 PMCID: PMC7018846 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59378-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the attribution of incentive salience to drug cues has furthered our understanding of drug self-administration in animals and addiction in humans. The influence of social cues on drug-seeking behavior has garnered attention recently, but few studies have investigated how social cues gain incentive-motivational value. In the present study, a Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA) procedure was used to identify rats that are more (sign-trackers; STs) or less (goal-trackers; GTs) prone to attribute incentive salience to food reward cues. In Experiment 1, a novel procedure employed social ‘peers’ to compare the tendency of STs and GTs to attribute incentive salience to social reward cues as well as form a social-conditioned place preference. In Experiment 2, social behavior of STs and GTs was compared using social interaction and choice tests. Finally, in Experiment 3, levels of plasma oxytocin were measured in STs and GTs seven days after the last PCA training session, because oxytocin is known to modulate the mesolimbic reward system and social behavior. Compared to GTs, STs attributed more incentive salience to social-related cues and exhibited prosocial behaviors (e.g., social-conditioned place preference, increased social interaction, and social novelty-seeking). No group differences were observed in plasma oxytocin levels. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate individual variation in the attribution of incentive salience to both food- and social-related cues, which has important implications for the pathophysiology of addiction.
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Jacobson ML, Browne CA, Lucki I. Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonists as Potential Therapeutics for Stress-Related Disorders. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2020; 60:615-636. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010919-023317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to stressful stimuli activates kappa opioid receptor (KOR) signaling, a process known to produce aversion and dysphoria in humans and other species. This endogenous opioid system is dysregulated in stress-related disorders, specifically in major depressive disorder (MDD). These findings serve as the foundation for a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of KOR antagonists as novel antidepressants. In this review, data supporting the hypothesis of dysregulated KOR function in MDD are considered. The clinical data demonstrating the therapeutic efficacy and safety of selective and mixed opioid antagonists are then presented. Finally, the preclinical evidence illustrating the induction of behaviors relevant to the endophenotypes of MDD and KOR antagonist activity in stress-naïve and stress-exposed animals is evaluated. Overall, this review highlights the emergent literature supporting the pursuit of KOR antagonists as novel therapeutics for MDD and other stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah L. Jacobson
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Caroline A. Browne
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Irwin Lucki
- Department of Pharmacology & Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
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Puryear CB, Brooks J, Tan L, Smith K, Li Y, Cunningham J, Todtenkopf MS, Dean RL, Sanchez C. Opioid receptor modulation of neural circuits in depression: What can be learned from preclinical data? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:658-678. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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50
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Shekhar A. Role of Kappa Opioid Receptors in Symptoms of Schizophrenia: What Is the Neurobiology? Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:494-496. [PMID: 31521206 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anantha Shekhar
- Department of Psychiatry, Stark Neurosciences Institute, and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.
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