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Brown PL, Palacorolla H, Cobb-Lewis DE, Jhou TC, McMahon P, Bell D, Elmer GI, Shepard PD. Substantia Nigra Dopamine Neuronal Responses to Habenular Stimulation and Foot Shock Are Altered by Lesions of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus. Neuroscience 2024; 547:56-73. [PMID: 38636897 PMCID: PMC11144098 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.04.005] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area generally respond to aversive stimuli or the absence of expected rewards with transient inhibition of firing rates, which can be recapitulated with activation of the lateral habenula (LHb) and eliminated by lesioning the intermediating rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). However, a minority of DA neurons respond to aversive stimuli, such as foot shock, with a transient increase in firing rate, an outcome that rarely occurs with LHb stimulation. The degree to which individual neurons respond to these two stimulation modalities with the same response phenotype and the role of the RMTg is not known. Here, we record responses from single SN DA neurons to alternating activation of the LHb and foot shock in male rats. Lesions of the RMTg resulted in a shift away from inhibition to no response during both foot shock and LHb stimulation. Furthermore, lesions unmasked an excitatory response during LHb stimulation. The response correspondence within the same neuron between the two activation sources was no different from chance in sham controls, suggesting that external inputs rather than intrinsic DA neuronal properties are more important to response outcome. These findings contribute to a literature that shows a complex neurocircuitry underlies the regulation of DA activity and, by extension, behaviors related to learning, anhedonia, and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Leon Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA.
| | - Heather Palacorolla
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Dana E Cobb-Lewis
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 620 West Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Pat McMahon
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Dana Bell
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Greg I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
| | - Paul D Shepard
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 55 Wade Ave., Catonsville, MD 21228, USA
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Groos D, Helmchen F. The lateral habenula: A hub for value-guided behavior. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113968. [PMID: 38522071 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The habenula is an evolutionarily highly conserved diencephalic brain region divided into two major parts, medial and lateral. Over the past two decades, studies of the lateral habenula (LHb), in particular, have identified key functions in value-guided behavior in health and disease. In this review, we focus on recent insights into LHb connectivity and its functional relevance for different types of aversive and appetitive value-guided behavior. First, we give an overview of the anatomical organization of the LHb and its main cellular composition. Next, we elaborate on how distinct LHb neuronal subpopulations encode aversive and appetitive stimuli and on their involvement in more complex decision-making processes. Finally, we scrutinize the afferent and efferent connections of the LHb and discuss their functional implications for LHb-dependent behavior. A deepened understanding of distinct LHb circuit components will substantially contribute to our knowledge of value-guided behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Groos
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Fritjof Helmchen
- Laboratory of Neural Circuit Dynamics, Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program (URPP), Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Wilczkowski M, Karwowska K, Kielbinski M, Zajda K, Pradel K, Drwięga G, Rajfur Z, Blasiak T, Przewlocki R, Solecki WB. Recruitment of inhibitory neuronal pathways regulating dopaminergic activity for the control of cocaine seeking. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4487-4501. [PMID: 36479859 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15885] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drug seeking is associated with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic (DA) activity. Previously, we have shown that brief optogenetic inhibition of VTA DA neurons with 1 s pulses delivered every 9 s attenuates cocaine seeking under extinction conditions in rats without producing overt signs of dysphoria or locomotor sedation. Whether recruitment of neuronal pathways inhibiting VTA neuronal activity would suppress drug seeking remains unknown. Here, we asked if optogenetic stimulation of the lateral habenula (LHb) efferents in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) as well as RMTg efferents in VTA would reduce drug seeking. To investigate this, we measured how recruitment of elements of this inhibitory pathway affects cocaine seeking in male rats under extinction conditions. The effectiveness of brief optogenetic manipulations was confirmed electrophysiologically at the level of electrical activity of VTA DA neurons. Real-time conditioned place aversion (RT-CPA) and open field tests were performed to control for potential dysphoric/sedating effects of brief optogenetic stimulation of LHb-RMTg-VTA circuitry. Optogenetic stimulation of either RMTg or LHb inhibited VTA DAergic neuron firing, whereas similar stimulation of RMTg efferents in VTA or LHb efferents in RMTg reduced cocaine seeking under extinction conditions. Moreover, stimulation of LHb-RMTg efferents produced an effect that was maintained 24 h later, during cocaine seeking test without stimulation. This effect was specific, as brief optogenetic stimulation did not affect locomotor activity and was not aversive. Our results indicate that defined inhibitory pathways can be recruited to inhibit cocaine seeking, providing potential new targets for non-pharmacological treatment of drug craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Wilczkowski
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Department of Brain Biochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Karolina Karwowska
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Michal Kielbinski
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Zajda
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Kamil Pradel
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Gniewosz Drwięga
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Zenon Rajfur
- Department of Biosystems Physics, Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Blasiak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Ryszard Przewlocki
- Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland
| | - Wojciech B Solecki
- Department of Neurobiology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
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Esposito-Zapero C, Fernández-Rodríguez S, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Zornoza T, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Granero L. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus RMTg is not a critical site for ethanol-induced motor activation in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2071-2080. [PMID: 37474756 PMCID: PMC10506920 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06425-4] [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: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Opioid drugs indirectly activate dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through a disinhibition mechanism mediated by mu opioid receptors (MORs) present both on the GABA projection neurons located in the medial tegmental nucleus/tail of the VTA (RMTg/tVTA) and on the VTA GABA interneurons. It is well demonstrated that ethanol, like opioid drugs, provokes VTA DA neuron disinhibition by interacting (through its secondary metabolite, salsolinol) with MORs present in VTA GABA interneurons, but it is not known whether ethanol could disinhibit VTA DA neurons through the MORs present in the RMTg/tVTA. OBJECTIVES The objective of the present study was to determine whether ethanol, directly microinjected into the tVTA/RMTg, is also able to induce VTA DA neurons disinhibition. METHODS Disinhibition of VTA DA neurons was indirectly assessed through the analysis of the motor activity of rats. Cannulae were placed into the tVTA/RMTg to perform microinjections of DAMGO (0.13 nmol), ethanol (150 or 300 nmol) or acetaldehyde (250 nmol) in animals pre-treated with either aCSF or the irreversible antagonist of MORs, beta-funaltrexamine (beta-FNA; 2.5 nmol). After injections, spontaneous activity was monitored for 30 min. RESULTS Neither ethanol nor acetaldehyde directly administered into the RMTg/tVTA were able to increase the locomotor activity of rats at doses that, in previous studies performed in the posterior VTA, were effective in increasing motor activities. However, microinjections of 0.13 nmol of DAMGO into the tVTA/RMTg significantly increased the locomotor activity of rats. These activating effects were reduced by local pre-treatment of rats with beta-FNA (2.5 nmol). CONCLUSIONS The tVTA/RMTg does not appear to be a key brain region for the disinhibiting action of ethanol on VTA DA neurons. The absence of dopamine in the tVTA/RMTg extracellular medium, the lack of local ethanol metabolism or both could explain the present results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Esposito-Zapero
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Sandra Fernández-Rodríguez
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - María José Sánchez-Catalán
- Lab of Functional Neuroanatomy (NeuroFun-UJI-UV), Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Teodoro Zornoza
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain
| | - María José Cano-Cebrián
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Luis Granero
- Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Burjassot, Spain.
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Li W, Ren Z, Tang Y, Fu Y, Sun S, Ding R, Hou J, Mai Y, Zhan B, Zhu Y, Zuo W, Ye JH, Fu R. Rostromedial tegmental nucleus nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) signaling regulates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in alcohol withdrawn rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:908-919. [PMID: 36329156 PMCID: PMC10156713 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01482-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that stimulation of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) can drive a negative affective state and that nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) may play a role in affective disorders and drug addiction. The N/OFQ precursor prepronociceptin encoding genes Pnoc are situated in RMTg neurons. To determine whether N/OFQ signaling contributes to the changes in both behavior phenotypes and RMTg activity of alcohol withdrawn (Post-EtOH) rats, we trained adult male Long-Evans rats, randomly assigned into the ethanol and Naïve groups to consume either 20% ethanol or water-only under an intermittent-access procedure. Using the fluorescence in situ hybridization technique combined with retrograde tracing, we show that the ventral tegmental area projecting RMTg neurons express Pnoc and nociceptin opioid peptide (NOP) receptors encoding gene Oprl1. Also, using the laser capture microdissection technique combined with RT-qPCR, we detected a substantial decrease in Pnoc but an increase in Oprl1 mRNA levels in the RMTg of Post-EtOH rats. Moreover, RMTg cFos expression is increased in Post-EtOH rats, which display anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. Intra-RMTg infusion of the endogenous NOP agonist nociceptin attenuates the aversive behaviors in Post-EtOH rats without causing any notable change in Naïve rats. Conversely, intra-RMTg infusion of the NOP selective antagonist [Nphe1]nociceptin(1-13)NH2 elicits anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in Naïve but not Post-EtOH rats. Furthermore, intra-RMTg infusion of nociceptin significantly reduces alcohol consumption. Thus, our results show that the deficiency of RMTg NOP signaling during alcohol withdrawal mediates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. The intervention of NOP may help those individuals suffering from alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfu Li
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Zhiheng Ren
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Biology, School of Life Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, China
| | - Yixin Fu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Shizhu Sun
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Ruxuan Ding
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Jiawei Hou
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Yunlin Mai
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Bo Zhan
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Yingxin Zhu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China
| | - Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Rao Fu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518107, China.
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Yang SH, Yang E, Lee J, Kim JY, Yoo H, Park HS, Jung JT, Lee D, Chun S, Jo YS, Pyeon GH, Park JY, Lee HW, Kim H. Neural mechanism of acute stress regulation by trace aminergic signalling in the lateral habenula in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2435. [PMID: 37105975 PMCID: PMC10140019 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38180-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress management is necessary for vertebrate survival. Chronic stress drives depression by excitation of the lateral habenula (LHb), which silences dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) via GABAergic neuronal projection from the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). However, the effect of acute stress on this LHb-RMTg-VTA pathway is not clearly understood. Here, we used fluorescent in situ hybridisation and in vivo electrophysiology in mice to show that LHb aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase-expressing neurons (D-neurons) are activated by acute stressors and suppress RMTg GABAergic neurons via trace aminergic signalling, thus activating VTA dopaminergic neurons. We show that the LHb regulates RMTg GABAergic neurons biphasically under acute stress. This study, carried out on male mice, has elucidated a molecular mechanism in the efferent LHb-RMTg-VTA pathway whereby trace aminergic signalling enables the brain to manage acute stress by preventing the hypoactivity of VTA dopaminergic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Yang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Esther Yang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jaekwang Lee
- Division of Functional Food Research, Korea Food Research Institute, Wanju, 55365, South Korea
| | - Jin Yong Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Hyeijung Yoo
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Hyung Sun Park
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jin Taek Jung
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Dongmin Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Sungkun Chun
- Department of Physiology, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, 54907, South Korea
| | - Yong Sang Jo
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Gyeong Hee Pyeon
- School of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jae-Yong Park
- Department of Integrated Biomedical and Life Science, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
| | - Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea.
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Integrative Roles of Dopamine Pathway and Calcium Channels Reveal a Link between Schizophrenia and Opioid Use Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24044088. [PMID: 36835497 PMCID: PMC9966501 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044088] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of substance use in schizophrenia. Brain neurons pose a potential to provide novel insights into the association between opioid addiction, withdrawal, and schizophrenia. Thus, we exposed zebrafish larvae at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) to domperidone (DPM) and morphine, followed by morphine withdrawal. Drug-induced locomotion and social preference were assessed, while the level of dopamine and the number of dopaminergic neurons were quantified. In the brain tissue, the expression levels of genes associated with schizophrenia were measured. The effects of DMP and morphine were compared to vehicle control and MK-801, a positive control to mimic schizophrenia. Gene expression analysis revealed that α1C, α1Sa, α1Aa, drd2a, and th1 were up-regulated after 10 days of exposure to DMP and morphine, while th2 was down-regulated. These two drugs also increased the number of positive dopaminergic neurons and the total dopamine level but reduced the locomotion and social preference. The termination of morphine exposure led to the up-regulation of th2, drd2a, and c-fos during the withdrawal phase. Our integrated data implicate that the dopamine system plays a key role in the deficits in social behavior and locomotion that are common in the schizophrenia-like symptoms and opioid dependence.
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Chee MJ. A fast motivated tale in the ventral tegmental area. J Physiol 2022; 600:2547-2548. [PMID: 35470455 DOI: 10.1113/jp283118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Chee
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Dai D, Li W, Chen A, Gao XF, Xiong L. Lateral Habenula and Its Potential Roles in Pain and Related Behaviors. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:1108-1118. [PMID: 35412792 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) is a tiny structure that acts as a hub, relaying signals from the limbic forebrain structures and basal ganglia to the brainstem modulatory area. Facilitated by updated knowledge and more precise manipulation of circuits, the progress in figuring out the neural circuits and functions of the LHb has increased dramatically over the past decade. Importantly, LHb is found to play an integrative role and has profound effects on a variety of behaviors associated with pain, including depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, antireward or aversion, aggression, defensive behavior, and substance use disorder. Thus, LHb is a potential target for improving pain management and related disorders. In this review, we focused on the functions, related circuits, and neurotransmissions of the LHb in pain processing and related behaviors. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the LHb and pain will help to find new pain treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Dai
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1481, Xinshi North Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
| | - Wanrong Li
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1481, Xinshi North Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
| | - Aiwen Chen
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1481, Xinshi North Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
| | - Xiao-Fei Gao
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1481, Xinshi North Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
| | - Lize Xiong
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1481, Xinshi North Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Clinical Research Center for Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, No. 1279, Sanmen Road, Shanghai 200434, China
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10
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Godfrey N, Qiao M, Borgland SL. Activation of LH GABAergic inputs counteracts fasting-induced changes in tVTA/RMTG neurons. J Physiol 2022; 600:2203-2224. [PMID: 35338656 DOI: 10.1113/jp282653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS While dopamine neuronal activity changes with motivational state, it is unknown if fasting influences tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons, a major inhibitory input to VTA dopamine neurons. In unfasted mice, there were sex differences in inhibitory synaptic transmission onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons. Activation of LH GABAergic neurons decreases firing of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons through a monosynaptic input. An acute fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons. An acute fast decreases inhibitory synaptic transmission of the LH GABA input to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in both male and female mice. ABSTRACT Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are strongly innervated by GABAergic neurons in the 'tail of the VTA' (tVTA), also known as the rostralmedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Disinhibition of dopamine neurons through firing of the GABAergic neurons projecting from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) leads to reward seeking and consumption through dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. VTA dopamine neurons respond to changes in motivational state, yet less is known of whether tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons or the LH GABAergic neurons that project to them are also affected by changes in motivational state, such as fasting. An acute 16 h overnight fast decreased the excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons of male and female mice. In addition, fasting decreased synaptic strength at LH GABA to tVTA/RMTg GABAergic synapses, indicated by reduced amplitude of optically evoked currents, decreased readily releasable pool (RRP) size and replenishment. Optical stimulation of LH GABA terminals suppressed evoked action potentials of tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons in unfasted mice, but this effect decreased following fasting. Furthermore, during fasting, LH GABA inputs to tVTA/RMTg neurons maintained functional connectivity during depolarization, as depolarization block was reduced following fasting. Taken together, inhibitory synaptic transmission from LH GABA inputs onto tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons decreases following fasting, however ability to functionally inhibit tVTA/RMTg GABAergic neurons is preserved, allowing for possible disinhibition of dopamine neurons and subsequent foraging. Abstract figure legend The inhibitory synaptic input is represented by the downward arrows. Following fasting, there was a decrease in inhibitory synaptic strength in both males and females. The action potentials represent the excitability, which also decreases in both males and females following fasting. Because both the LH GABA input and excitability of tVTA/RMTg GABA neurons have reduced activity following fasting, we predict that disinhibition of dopamine neurons with stimulation of LH inputs is preserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Godfrey
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
| | - Min Qiao
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- University of Calgary, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1
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11
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Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Barrot M. Fos response of the tail of the ventral tegmental area to food restriction entails a prediction error processing. Behav Brain Res 2022; 425:113826. [PMID: 35247487 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) or rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) receives lateral habenula inputs and projects heavily to midbrain dopamine neurons. Midbrain dopamine and lateral habenula neurons participate in learning processes predicting the outcomes of actions, placing the tVTA in a critical location into prediction error pathways. tVTA GABA neurons show electrophysiological inhibition or activation after reward and aversive stimuli, respectively, and their predictive cues. tVTA molecular recruitment, however, is not elicited by all aversive stimuli. Indeed, precipitated opioid withdrawal, repeated footshocks or food restriction raise tVTA Fos expression, whereas various other unpleasant, stressful or painful stimuli does not elicit that molecular response. However, the basis of that difference remains unknown. In the present study, we tried to disentangle whether the tVTA c-Fos induction observed after food restriction was due to the aversive state of food restriction or to procedure-related reward prediction error. To this end, male Sprague-Dawley rats were food-restricted for 7-8 days. During this period, animals were handled and weighed every day before feeding. On the test day, rats underwent several behavioral procedures to explore the impact of food restriction and food-predictive cue exposure on tVTA c-Fos expression. We showed that food restriction per se was not able to recruit c-Fos in the tVTA. On the contrary, the food-predicting cues induced c-Fos locally in the absence of feeding, whereas the food-predicting cues followed by feeding evoked lower c-Fos expression. Overall, our results support the proposed involvement of the tVTA in reward prediction error.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-José Sánchez-Catalán
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, F-67000 Strasbourg, France; Unitat Predepartamental de Medicina, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain.
| | - Michel Barrot
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
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12
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Bernanke A, Burnette E, Murphy J, Hernandez N, Zimmerman S, Walker QD, Wander R, Sette S, Reavis Z, Francis R, Armstrong C, Risher ML, Kuhn C. Behavior and Fos activation reveal that male and female rats differentially assess affective valence during CTA learning and expression. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260577. [PMID: 34898621 PMCID: PMC8668140 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Females are more affected by psychiatric illnesses including eating disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder than males. However, the neural mechanisms mediating these sex differences are poorly understood. Animal models can be useful in exploring such neural mechanisms. Conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is a behavioral task that assesses how animals process the competition between associated reinforcing and aversive stimuli in subsequent task performance, a process critical to healthy behavior in many domains. The purpose of the present study was to identify sex differences in this behavior and associated neural responses. We hypothesized that females would value the rewarding stimulus (Boost®) relative to the aversive stimulus (LiCl) more than males in performing CTA. We evaluated behavior (Boost® intake, LiCl-induced behaviors, ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), CTA performance) and Fos activation in relevant brain regions after the acute stimuli [acute Boost® (AB), acute LiCl (AL)] and the context-only task control (COT), Boost® only task (BOT) and Boost®-LiCl task (BLT). Acutely, females drank more Boost® than males but showed similar aversive behaviors after LiCl. Females and males performed CTA similarly. Both sexes produced 55 kHz USVs anticipating BOT and inhibited these calls in the BLT. However, more females emitted both 22 kHz and 55 kHz USVs in the BLT than males: the latter correlated with less CTA. Estrous cycle stage also influenced 55 kHz USVs. Fos responses were similar in males and females after AB or AL. Females engaged the gustatory cortex and ventral tegmental area (VTA) more than males during the BOT and males engaged the amygdala more than females in both the BOT and BLT. Network analysis of correlated Fos responses across brain regions identified two unique networks characterizing the BOT and BLT, in both of which the VTA played a central role. In situ hybridization with RNAscope identified a population of D1-receptor expressing cells in the CeA that responded to Boost® and D2 receptor-expressing cells that responded to LiCl. The present study suggests that males and females differentially process the affective valence of a stimulus to produce the same goal-directed behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Bernanke
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Burnette
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Justine Murphy
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel Hernandez
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Sara Zimmerman
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Q. David Walker
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Rylee Wander
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Samantha Sette
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Zackery Reavis
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Reynold Francis
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Christopher Armstrong
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Mary-Louise Risher
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, United States of America
| | - Cynthia Kuhn
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States of America
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13
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Chang S, Fan Y, Lee SM, Ryu Y, Lee BH, Kim SC, Bills KB, Steffensen SC, Yang CH, Kim HY. Acupuncture reduces cocaine psychomotor responses by activating the rostromedial tegmental nucleus. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13052. [PMID: 33969586 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a GABAergic afferent to midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, has emerged as an integral player in both rewarding and nociceptive responses. While previous studies have demonstrated that acupuncture modulates DA transmission in the mesolimbic reward system originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and can reduce drug self-administration, the central links between peripheral acupuncture signals and brain reward systems are not well-characterized. Thus, we hypothesised that acupuncture would elicit inhibitory signals from RMTg neurons to brain reward systems. Acupuncture reduced acute cocaine-induced locomotor activity and DA release in a point-specific manner, which was blocked by optogenetic silencing or chemical lesion of the RMTg. The acupuncture effect was mimicked by chemical activation of the RMTg. Acupuncture activated RMTg GABA neurons. In addition, the inhibitory effects of acupuncture on acute cocaine-induced locomotor activity were prevented by electrolytic lesions of the lateral habenula (LHb) or fasciculus retroflexus (FR), areas known to project to the RMTg. These findings suggest that acupuncture recruits the RMTg to reduce the psychomotor responses enhanced by acute cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchan Chang
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryolgy Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Soo Min Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
| | - Yeonhee Ryu
- Korean Medicine Fundamental Research Division Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Daejeon South Korea
| | - Bong Hyo Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
| | - Sang Chan Kim
- Medical Research Center, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Gyeongsan South Korea
| | - Kyle B. Bills
- Department of Biomedical Sciences Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine Provo Utah USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Scott C. Steffensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Brigham Young University Provo Utah USA
| | - Chae Ha Yang
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
| | - Hee Young Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Daegu South Korea
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14
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Parrilla-Carrero J, Eid M, Li H, Chao YS, Jhou TC. Synaptic Adaptations at the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Underlie Individual Differences in Cocaine Avoidance Behavior. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4620-4630. [PMID: 33753546 PMCID: PMC8260244 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1847-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although cocaine is powerfully rewarding, not all individuals are equally prone to abusing this drug. We postulate that these differences arise in part because some individuals exhibit stronger aversive responses to cocaine that protect them from cocaine seeking. Indeed, using conditioned place preference (CPP) and a runway operant cocaine self-administration task, we demonstrate that avoidance responses to cocaine vary greatly between individual high cocaine-avoider and low cocaine-avoider rats. These behavioral differences correlated with cocaine-induced activation of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), measured using both in vivo firing and c-fos, whereas slice electrophysiological recordings from ventral tegmental area (VTA)-projecting RMTg neurons showed that relative to low avoiders, high avoiders exhibited greater intrinsic excitability, greater transmission via calcium-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs), and higher presynaptic glutamate release. In behaving animals, blocking CP-AMPARs in the RMTg with NASPM reduced cocaine avoidance. Hence, cocaine addiction vulnerability may be linked to multiple coordinated synaptic differences in VTA-projecting RMTg neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although cocaine is highly addictive, not all individuals exposed to cocaine progress to chronic use for reasons that remain unclear. We find that cocaine's aversive effects, although less widely studied than its rewarding effects, show more individual variability, are predictive of subsequent propensity to seek cocaine, and are driven by variations in RMTg in response to cocaine that arise from distinct alterations in intrinsic excitability and glutamate transmission onto VTA-projecting RMTg neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Parrilla-Carrero
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Maya Eid
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Hao Li
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037
| | - Ying S Chao
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
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15
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Tapocik JD, Schank JR, Mitchell JR, Damazdic R, Mayo CL, Brady D, Pincus AB, King CE, Heilig M, Elmer GI. Live predator stress in adolescence results in distinct adult behavioral consequences and dorsal diencephalic brain activation patterns. Behav Brain Res 2021; 400:113028. [PMID: 33309751 PMCID: PMC8056471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to traumatic events during childhood increases the risk of adult psychopathology, including anxiety, depression, alcohol use disorders and their co-morbidity. Early life trauma also results in increased symptom complexity, treatment resistance and poor treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel rodent model of adolescent stress, based on an ethologically relevant life-threatening event, live predator exposure. Rats were exposed to a live predator for 10 min. at three different time points (postnatal day (PND)31, 46 and 61). Adult depression-, anxiety-like behaviors and ethanol consumption were characterized well past the last acute stress event (two weeks). Behavioral profiles across assessments were developed to characterize individual response to adolescent stress. CNS activation patterns in separate groups of subjects were characterized after the early (PND31) and last predator exposure (PND61). Subjects exposed to live-predator adolescent stress generally exhibited less exploratory behavior, less propensity to venture into open spaces, a decreased preference for sweet solutions and decreased ethanol consumption in a two-bottle preference test. Additional studies demonstrated blunted cortisol response and CNS activation patterns suggestive of habenula, rostromedial tegmental (RMTg), dorsal raphe and central amygdala involvement in mediating the adult consequences of adolescent stress. Thus, adolescent stress in the form of live-predator exposure results in significant adult behavioral and neurobiological disturbances. Childhood trauma, its impact on neurodevelopment and the subsequent development of mood disorders is a pervasive theme in mental illness. Improving animal models and our neurobiological understanding of the symptom domains impacted by trauma could significantly improve treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Tapocik
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - J R Schank
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - J R Mitchell
- Department of Psychology, Colby College, Waterville, ME, 04901, United States
| | - R Damazdic
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - C L Mayo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
| | - D Brady
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States
| | - A B Pincus
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - C E King
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - M Heilig
- Lab. of Clinical and Translational Studies, NIAAA, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20817, United States
| | - G I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21228, United States; Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States.
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16
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Galaj E, Xi ZX. Progress in opioid reward research: From a canonical two-neuron hypothesis to two neural circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 200:173072. [PMID: 33227308 PMCID: PMC7796909 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Opioid abuse and related overdose deaths continue to rise in the United States, contributing to the national opioid crisis in the USA. The neural mechanisms underlying opioid abuse and addiction are still not fully understood. This review discusses recent progress in basic research dissecting receptor mechanisms and circuitries underlying opioid reward and addiction. We first review the canonical GABA-dopamine neuron hypothesis that was upheld for half a century, followed by major findings challenging this hypothesis. We then focus on recent progress in research evaluating the role of the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine circuitries in opioid reward and relapse. Based on recent findings that activation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is equally rewarding and that GABA neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) and the substantia nigra pars reticula (SNr) are rich in mu opioid receptors and directly synapse onto midbrain DA neurons, we proposed that the RTMg→VTA → ventrostriatal and SNr → SNc → dorsostriatal pathways may act as the two major neural substrates underlying opioid reward and abuse. Lastly, we discuss possible integrations of these two pathways during initial opioid use, development of opioid abuse and maintenance of compulsive opioid seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States of America.
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17
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Lin YH, Yamahashi Y, Kuroda K, Faruk MO, Zhang X, Yamada K, Yamanaka A, Nagai T, Kaibuchi K. Accumbal D2R-medium spiny neurons regulate aversive behaviors through PKA-Rap1 pathway. Neurochem Int 2020; 143:104935. [PMID: 33301817 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a crucial role in various mental activities, including positive and negative reinforcement. We previously hypothesized that a balance between dopamine (DA) and adenosine signals regulates the PKA-Rap1 pathway in medium spiny neurons expressing DA D1 receptors (D1R-MSNs) or D2 receptors (D2R-MSNs) and demonstrated that the PKA-Rap1 pathway in D1R-MSNs is responsible for positive reinforcement. Here, we show the role of the PKA-Rap1 pathway in accumbal D2R-MSNs in negative reinforcement. Mice were exposed to electric foot shock as an aversive stimulus. We monitored the phosphorylation level of Rap1gap S563, which leads to the activation of Rap1. Electric foot shocks increased the phosphorylation level of GluN1 S897 and Rap1gap S563 in the NAc. The aversive stimulus-evoked phosphorylation of Rap1gap S563 was detected in accumbal D2R-MSNs and inhibited by pretreatment with adenosine A2a receptor (A2aR) antagonist. A2aR antagonist-treated mice showed impaired aversive memory in passive avoidance tests. AAV-mediated inhibition of PKA, Rap1, or MEK1 in accumbal D2R-MSNs impaired aversive memory in passive avoidance tests, whereas activation of this pathway potentiated aversive memory. Optogenetic inactivation of mesolimbic DAergic neurons induced place aversion in real-time place aversion tests. Aversive response was attenuated by inhibition of PKA-Rap1 signaling in accumbal D2R-MSNs. These results suggested that accumbal D2R-MSNs regulate aversive behaviors through the A2aR-PKA-Rap1-MEK pathway. Our findings provide a novel molecular mechanism for regulating negative reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- You-Hsin Lin
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Yukie Yamahashi
- Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1129, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kuroda
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Md Omar Faruk
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Xinjian Zhang
- Division of Behavioral Neuropharmacology, Project Office for Neuropsychological Research Center, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1129, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8601, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Division of Behavioral Neuropharmacology, Project Office for Neuropsychological Research Center, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1129, Japan.
| | - Kozo Kaibuchi
- Department of Cell Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan; Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1129, Japan.
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18
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Durieux L, Mathis V, Herbeaux K, Muller M, Barbelivien A, Mathis C, Schlichter R, Hugel S, Majchrzak M, Lecourtier L. Involvement of the lateral habenula in fear memory. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:2029-2044. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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19
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Interactions between prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala contribute to morphine-induced conditioned taste aversion in conditioning and extinction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 172:107248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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20
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Faivre F, Sánchez-Catalán MJ, Dovero S, Bido S, Joshi A, Bezard E, Barrot M. Ablation of the tail of the ventral tegmental area compensates symptoms in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 139:104818. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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21
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Hu H, Cui Y, Yang Y. Circuits and functions of the lateral habenula in health and in disease. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:277-295. [PMID: 32269316 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0292-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed exponentially growing interest in the lateral habenula (LHb) owing to new discoveries relating to its critical role in regulating negatively motivated behaviour and its implication in major depression. The LHb, sometimes referred to as the brain's 'antireward centre', receives inputs from diverse limbic forebrain and basal ganglia structures, and targets essentially all midbrain neuromodulatory systems, including the noradrenergic, serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. Its unique anatomical position enables the LHb to act as a hub that integrates value-based, sensory and experience-dependent information to regulate various motivational, cognitive and motor processes. Dysfunction of the LHb may contribute to the pathophysiology of several psychiatric disorders, especially major depression. Recently, exciting progress has been made in identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms in the LHb that underlie negative emotional state in animal models of drug withdrawal and major depression. A future challenge is to translate these advances into effective clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China. .,The MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, China. .,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Mental Health Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. .,Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, China. .,Fountain-Valley Institute for Life Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Yihui Cui
- The MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan Yang
- The MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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22
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Yee M, Maal-Bared G, Ting-A-Kee R, Chwalek M, Mackay-Clackett I, Bergamini M, Grieder TE, van der Kooy D. Segregation of caffeine reward and aversion in the rat nucleus accumbens shell versus core. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3074-3086. [PMID: 32150654 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Caffeine, the most commonly consumed psychoactive drug in the world, is readily available in dietary sources, including soft drinks, chocolate, tea and coffee. However, little is known about the neural substrates that underlie caffeine's rewarding and aversive properties and what ultimately leads us to seek or avoid caffeine consumption. Using male Wistar rats in a place conditioning procedure, we show that systemic caffeine at a low intraperitoneal dose of 2 mg/kg (or 100 µM injected directly into the rostral, but not caudal, portion of the ventral tegmental area) produced conditioned place preferences. By contrast, high doses of systemic caffeine at 10 and 30 mg/kg produced conditioned place aversions. These aversions were not recapitulated by a caffeine analog restricted to the periphery. Both caffeine reward and aversion were blocked by systemic D1-like receptor antagonism using SCH23390, while systemic D2-like receptor antagonism with eticlopride had smaller effects on caffeine motivation. Most important, we demonstrated that pharmacological blockade of dopamine receptors using α-flupenthixol injected into the nucleus accumbens shell, but not core, blocked caffeine-conditioned place preferences. Conversely, α-flupenthixol injected into the nucleus accumbens core, but not shell, blocked caffeine-conditioned place aversions. Thus, our findings reveal two dopamine-dependent and functionally dissociable mechanisms for processing caffeine motivation, which are segregated between nucleus accumbens subregions. These data provide novel evidence for the roles of the nucleus accumbens subregions in mediating approach and avoidance behaviours for caffeine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandy Yee
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Geith Maal-Bared
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ryan Ting-A-Kee
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michal Chwalek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Michael Bergamini
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Taryn E Grieder
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Center for the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Derek van der Kooy
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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23
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Abstract
This paper is the fortieth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2017 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, CUNY, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY, 11367, United States.
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Metzger M, Souza R, Lima LB, Bueno D, Gonçalves L, Sego C, Donato J, Shammah-Lagnado SJ. Habenular connections with the dopaminergic and serotonergic system and their role in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 53:65-88. [PMID: 31833616 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a phylogenetically old epithalamic structure differentiated into two nuclear complexes, the medial (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb). After decades of search for a great unifying function, interest in the Hb resurged when it was demonstrated that LHb plays a major role in the encoding of aversive stimuli ranging from noxious stimuli to the loss of predicted rewards. Consistent with a role as an anti-reward center, aberrant LHb activity has now been identified as a key factor in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder. Moreover, both MHb and LHb emerged as new players in the reward circuitry by primarily mediating the aversive properties of distinct drugs of abuse. Anatomically, the Hb serves as a bridge that links basal forebrain structures with monoaminergic nuclei in the mid- and hindbrain. So far, research on Hb has focused on the role of the LHb in regulating midbrain dopamine release. However, LHb/MHb are also interconnected with the dorsal (DR) and median (MnR) raphe nucleus. Hence, it is conceivable that some of the habenular functions are at least partly mediated by the complex network that links MHb/LHb with pontomesencephalic monoaminergic nuclei. Here, we summarize research about the topography and transmitter phenotype of the reciprocal connections between the LHb and ventral tegmental area-nigra complex, as well as those between the LHb and DR/MnR. Indirect MHb outputs via interpeduncular nucleus to state-setting neuromodulatory networks will also be commented. Finally, we discuss the role of specific LHb-VTA and LHb/MHb-raphe circuits in anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Metzger
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rudieri Souza
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Leandro B Lima
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Debora Bueno
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciano Gonçalves
- Department of Human Anatomy, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba, Brazil
| | - Chemutai Sego
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose Donato
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sara J Shammah-Lagnado
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Zuo W, Wu L, Mei Q, Zuo Q, Zhou Z, Fu R, Li W, Wu W, Matthew L, Ye JH. Adaptation in 5-HT 2 receptors-CaMKII signaling in lateral habenula underlies increased nociceptive-sensitivity in ethanol-withdrawn rats. Neuropharmacology 2019; 158:107747. [PMID: 31445991 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Alcoholics often experience hyperalgesia, especially during abstinence, yet the underlying cellular and molecular bases are unclear. Recent evidence suggests that 5-HT type 2 receptors (5-HT2Rs) at glutamatergic synapses on lateral habenula (LHb) neurons may play a critical role. We, therefore, measured paw withdrawal responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli, and alcohol intake in a rat model of intermittent drinking paradigm, as well as spontaneous glutamatergic transmission (sEPSCs), and firing of LHb neurons in brain slices. Here, we report that nociceptive sensitivity was higher in rats at 24 h withdrawal from chronic alcohol consumption than that of alcohol-naive counterparts. The basal frequency of sEPSCs and firings was higher in slices of withdrawn rats than that of Naïve rats, and 5-HT2R antagonists attenuated the enhancement. Also, an acute ethanol-induced increase of sEPSCs and firings was smaller in withdrawal than in Naïve rats; it was attenuated by 5-HT2R antagonists but mimicked by 5-HT2R agonists. Importantly, intra-LHb infusion of 5-HT2R agonists increased nociceptive sensitivity in Naïve rats, while antagonists or 5-HT reuptake blocker decreased nociceptive sensitivity and alcohol intake in withdrawn rats. Additionally, KN-62, a CaMKII inhibitor, attenuated the enhancement of EPSCs and firing induced by acute alcohol and by 5-HT2R agonist. Furthermore, intra-LHb KN-62 reduced nociceptive sensitivity and alcohol intake. Quantitative real-time PCR assay detected mRNA of 5-HT2A and 2C in the LHb. Thus adaptation in 5-HT2R-CaMKII signaling pathway contributes to the hyper-glutamatergic state, the hyperactivity of LHb neurons as well as the higher nociceptive sensitivity in rats withdrawn from chronic alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Liangzhi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qinghua Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Qikang Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Zhongyang Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Rao Fu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Wenting Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Leberer Matthew
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, USA.
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Bobzean SAM, Kokane SS, Butler BD, Perrotti LI. Sex differences in the expression of morphine withdrawal symptoms and associated activity in the tail of the ventral tegmental area. Neurosci Lett 2019; 705:124-130. [PMID: 31042569 PMCID: PMC6662583 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies, in male rodents, have begun to elucidate a role for the GABAergic neurons in the tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) in morphine withdrawal. To date, the mechanisms underlying morphine withdrawal have been studied almost exclusively in male animals. As a result, there is a considerable gap in our current understanding of the processes underlying sex differences in morphine withdrawal behaviors and its effects on cellular activity in the tVTA in females. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of sex on the expression and duration of spontaneous somatic morphine withdrawal syndrome, and to characterize the relationship between spontaneous somatic withdrawal symptoms and cellular activation (measured as phosphorylated CREB; pCREB), in the GABAergic tVTA in male and female rats. Morphine-dependent adult male and female Long Evans rats underwent 72 h of spontaneous withdrawal, and somatic withdrawal symptoms were assessed every 12 h. Male morphine-dependent rats expressed more severe symptoms during the early phases of withdrawal compared to females. Although, females demonstrated lower overall symptom severity, their symptoms persisted for a longer period of time, thus demonstrating higher withdrawal-symptom severity than males during late withdrawal. pCREB activity in the tVTA was elevated in morphine-withdrawn rats and was positively correlated with the severity of withdrawal symptoms. These results demonstrate sex differences in the timing of the expression of somatic withdrawal. Our data add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating a role for the tVTA in morphine withdrawal and begin to establish a sex-dependent behavioral and molecular profile within this brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara A M Bobzean
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Saurabh S Kokane
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Brandon D Butler
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Linda I Perrotti
- Department of Psychology, College of Science, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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Fu R, Zuo W, Shiwalkar N, Mei Q, Fan Q, Chen X, Li J, Bekker A, Ye JH. Alcohol withdrawal drives depressive behaviors by activating neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:1464-1475. [PMID: 30928995 PMCID: PMC6784902 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0378-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [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: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) GABA neurons exert a primary inhibitory drive onto midbrain dopamine neurons and are excited by a variety of aversive stimuli. There is, however, little evidence that the RMTg-ventral tegmental area (VTA)-nucleus accumbens shell (Acb) circuit plays a role in the aversive consequences of alcohol withdrawal. This study was performed in adult male Long-Evans rats at 48-h withdrawal from chronic alcohol drinking in the intermittent schedule. These rats displayed clear anhedonia and depression-like behaviors, as measured with the sucrose preference, and forced swimming tests. These aberrant behaviors were accompanied by a substantial increase in cFos expression in the VTA-projecting RMTg neurons, identified by a combination of immunohistochemistry and retrograde-tracing techniques. Pharmacological or chemogenetic inhibition of RMTg neurons mitigated the anhedonia and depression-like behaviors. Ex vivo electrophysiological data showed that chemogenetic inactivation of RMTg neurons reduced GABA release and accelerated spontaneous firings of VTA dopamine neurons. Finally, using a functional hemispheric disconnection procedure, we demonstrated that inhibition of unilateral RMTg, when combined with activation of D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in the contralateral (but not ipsilateral) Acb, mitigated the anhedonia and depression-like behaviors in alcohol-withdrawal rats. These data show that the integrity in the RMTg-VTA-Acb pathway in a single hemisphere is sufficient to elicit depression-like behavior during ethanol-withdrawal. Overall, the present results reveal that the RMTg-VTA-Acb pathway plays a crucial role in the depression-like behavior in animals undergoing alcohol withdrawal, further advocating the RMTg as a potential therapeutic target for alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rao Fu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Nimisha Shiwalkar
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Qinghua Mei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Qing Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Xuejun Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Alex Bekker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
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Li H, Pullmann D, Cho JY, Eid M, Jhou TC. Generality and opponency of rostromedial tegmental (RMTg) roles in valence processing. eLife 2019; 8:41542. [PMID: 30667358 PMCID: PMC6361585 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a GABAergic afferent to midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, has been hypothesized to be broadly activated by aversive stimuli. However, this encoding pattern has only been demonstrated for a limited number of stimuli, and the RMTg influence on ventral tegmental (VTA) responses to aversive stimuli is untested. Here, we found that RMTg neurons are broadly excited by aversive stimuli of different sensory modalities and inhibited by reward-related stimuli. These stimuli include visual, auditory, somatosensory and chemical aversive stimuli, as well as “opponent” motivational states induced by removal of sustained rewarding or aversive stimuli. These patterns are consistent with broad encoding of negative valence in a subset of RMTg neurons. We further found that valence-encoding RMTg neurons preferentially project to the DA-rich VTA versus other targets, and excitotoxic RMTg lesions greatly reduce aversive stimulus-induced inhibitions in VTA neurons, particularly putative DA neurons, while also impairing conditioned place aversion to multiple aversive stimuli. Together, our findings indicate a broad RMTg role in encoding aversion and driving VTA responses and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
| | - Dominika Pullmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
| | - Jennifer Y Cho
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
| | - Maya Eid
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, United States
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29
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Ostroumov A, Dani JA. Inhibitory Plasticity of Mesocorticolimbic Circuits in Addiction and Mental Illness. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:898-910. [PMID: 30149979 PMCID: PMC6252277 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral adaptations occur through remodeling of brain circuits, as arising, for instance, from experience-dependent synaptic plasticity. Drugs of abuse and aversive stimuli, such as stress, act on the mesocorticolimbic system, dysregulating adaptive mechanisms and leading to a variety of aberrant behaviors associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Until recently, research in the field has commonly focused on experience-dependent synaptic plasticity at excitatory synapses. However, there is growing evidence that synaptic plasticity within inhibitory circuits is an important contributor to maladaptive behaviors. We speculate that restoring normal inhibitory synaptic transmission is a promising therapeutic target for correcting some of the circuit abnormalities underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Ostroumov
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - John A Dani
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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30
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Fonzo GA. Diminished positive affect and traumatic stress: A biobehavioral review and commentary on trauma affective neuroscience. Neurobiol Stress 2018; 9:214-230. [PMID: 30450386 PMCID: PMC6234277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress manifests in disturbed affect and emotion, including exaggerated severity and frequency of negative valence emotions, e.g., fear, anxiety, anger, shame, and guilt. However, another core feature of common post-trauma psychopathologies, i.e. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression, is diminished positive affect, or reduced frequency and intensity of positive emotions and affective states such as happiness, joy, love, interest, and desire/capacity for interpersonal affiliation. There remains a stark imbalance in the degree to which the neuroscience of each affective domain has been probed and characterized in PTSD, with our knowledge of post-trauma diminished positive affect remaining comparatively underdeveloped. This remains a prominent barrier to realizing the clinical breakthroughs likely to be afforded by the increasing availability of neuroscience assessment and intervention tools. In this review and commentary, the author summarizes the modest extant neuroimaging literature that has probed diminished positive affect in PTSD using reward processing behavioral paradigms, first briefly reviewing and outlining the neurocircuitry implicated in reward and positive emotion and its interrelationship with negative emotion and negative valence circuitry. Specific research guidelines are then offered to best and most efficiently develop the knowledge base in this area in a way that is clinically translatable and will exert a positive impact on routine clinical care. The author concludes with the prediction that the development of an integrated, bivalent theoretical and predictive model of how trauma impacts affective neurocircuitry to promote post-trauma psychopathology will ultimately lead to breakthroughs in how trauma treatments are conceptualized mechanistically and developed pragmatically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A. Fonzo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, 401 Quarry Road, MC 5722, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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31
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Gene expression and neurochemical characterization of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) in rats and mice. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:219-238. [PMID: 30302539 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1761-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), also known as the tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA), is a GABAergic structure identified in 2009 that receives strong inputs from the lateral habenula and other sources, sends dense inhibitory projections to midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, and plays increasingly recognized roles in aversive learning, addiction, and other motivated behaviors. In general, little is known about the genetic identity of these neurons. However, recent work has identified the transcription factor FoxP1 as enhanced in the mouse RMTg (Lahti et al. in Development 143(3):516-529, 2016). Hence, in the current study, we used RNA sequencing to identify genes significantly enhanced in the rat RMTg as compared to adjacent VTA, and then examined the detailed distribution of two genes in particular, prepronociceptin (Pnoc) and FoxP1. In rats and mice, both Pnoc and FoxP1 were expressed at high levels in the RMTg and colocalized strongly with previously established RMTg markers. FoxP1 was particularly selective for RMTg neurons, as it was absent in most adjacent brain regions. We used these gene expression patterns to refine the anatomic characterization of RMTg in rats, extend this characterization to mice, and show that optogenetic manipulation of RMTg in mice bidirectionally modulates real-time place preference. Hence, RMTg neurons in both rats and mice exhibit distinct genetic profiles that correlate with their distinct connectivity and function.
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Elmer GI, Palacorolla H, Mayo CL, Brown PL, Jhou TC, Brady D, Shepard PD. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus modulates the development of stress-induced helpless behavior. Behav Brain Res 2018; 359:950-957. [PMID: 29932954 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of clinical and preclinical research suggests that structural and functional changes in the habenula, a component of the epithalamus, are associated with major depressive disorder. A major excitatory, efferent projection from the habenula targets the rostromedial tegmentum (RMTg), a mesopontine region that provides significant input to the ventral tegmentum and raphe nuclei. While the RMTg contributes to monoaminergic responses to aversive events, its role in stress-based animal models of depression has yet to be determined. In the present study, we test the hypothesis that the RMTg is a component of the circuitry mediating the development of a maladaptive behavior in which rats repeatedly exposed to inescapable footshock, fail to avoid or escape the same stressor when subsequently given the opportunity to do so. Excitotoxic lesions of the RMTg significantly diminished the frequency of these escape failures 24 h after exposure to inescapable footshock. Conversely, electrical stimulation of the Hb during the initial uncontrollable aversive event, a manipulation that enhances excitatory input to the RMTg, increased the number of trials in which subjects failed to escape an aversive stimulus when presented the option 24 h later. These complementary results provide evidence supporting a role for the RMTg in the expression of stress-induced helpless phenotype and are an important step in understanding the contribution made by this region to the development of depression-related maladaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- G I Elmer
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States.
| | - H Palacorolla
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - C L Mayo
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - P L Brown
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - T C Jhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, United States
| | - D Brady
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
| | - P D Shepard
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21228, United States
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Fakhoury M. The tail of the ventral tegmental area in behavioral processes and in the effect of psychostimulants and drugs of abuse. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:30-38. [PMID: 29421265 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The tail of the ventral tegmental area (tVTA) is a recently identified structure that exerts a major inhibitory drive onto midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. Also referred to as the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), the tVTA is a cluster of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons that starts within the posterior end of the VTA, where it is restricted dorsolateral to the caudal part of the interpeduncular nucleus, and extends into the pons. First identified in the rat, the tVTA has been described in many species, including mice and monkeys, as a region exhibiting similar anatomical and behavioral properties; it receives strong excitatory inputs from the lateral habenula (LHb), conveys negative reward-related information, and inhibits midbrain DA neuron activity. As an important inhibitory afferent to midbrain DA neurons, the tVTA is also implicated in drug abuse and in the complex interplay between reward and aversion processes. The overarching goal of this review is to provide the current state of knowledge on the anatomy and connectivity of the tVTA and to discuss recent evidence implicating this structure in reward-related processes and in the effect of psychostimulants and drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Opioid-induced rewards, locomotion, and dopamine activation: A proposed model for control by mesopontine and rostromedial tegmental neurons. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:72-82. [PMID: 28951251 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Revised: 08/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Opioids, such as morphine or heroin, increase forebrain dopamine (DA) release and locomotion, and support the acquisition of conditioned place preference (CPP) or self-administration. The most sensitive sites for these opioid effects in rodents are in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Opioid inhibition of GABA neurons in these sites is hypothesized to lead to arousing and rewarding effects through disinhibition of VTA DA neurons. We review findings that the laterodorsal tegmental (LDTg) and pedunculopontine tegmental (PPTg) nuclei, which each contain cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic cells, are important for these effects. LDTg and/or PPTg cholinergic inputs to VTA mediate opioid-induced locomotion and DA activation via VTA M5 muscarinic receptors. LDTg and/or PPTg cholinergic inputs to RMTg also modulate opioid-induced locomotion. Lesions or inhibition of LDTg or PPTg neurons reduce morphine-induced increases in forebrain DA release, acquisition of morphine CPP or self-administration. We propose a circuit model that links VTA and RMTg GABA with LDTg and PPTg neurons critical for DA-dependent opioid effects in drug-naïve rodents.
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McLaughlin I, Dani JA, De Biasi M. The medial habenula and interpeduncular nucleus circuitry is critical in addiction, anxiety, and mood regulation. J Neurochem 2017; 142 Suppl 2:130-143. [PMID: 28791703 PMCID: PMC6740332 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstinence from chronic use of addictive drugs triggers an aversive withdrawal syndrome that compels relapse and deters abstinence. Many features of this syndrome are common across multiple drugs, involving both affective and physical symptoms. Some of the network signaling underlying withdrawal symptoms overlaps with activity that is associated with aversive mood states, including anxiety and depression. Given these shared features, it is not surprising that a particular circuit, the dorsal diencephalic conduction system, and the medial habenula (MHb) and interpeduncular nucleus (IPN), in particular, have been identified as critical to the emergence of aversive states that arise both as a result and, independently, of drug addiction. As the features of this circuit continue to be characterized, the MHb-IPN axis is emerging as a viable target for therapeutics to aid in the treatment of addiction to multiple drugs of abuse as well as mood-associated disorders. This is an article for the special issue XVth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian McLaughlin
- Department of Psychiatry, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department Neuroscience Graduate Group, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - John A. Dani
- Department Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mariella De Biasi
- Department of Psychiatry, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Department Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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The Lateral Habenula Circuitry: Reward Processing and Cognitive Control. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11482-11488. [PMID: 27911751 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2350-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a growing interest in understanding the role of the lateral habenula (LHb) in reward processing, affect regulation, and goal-directed behaviors. The LHb gets major inputs from the habenula-projecting globus pallidus and the mPFC, sending its efferents to the dopaminergic VTA and SNc, serotonergic dorsal raphe nuclei, and the GABAergic rostromedial tegmental nucleus. Recent studies have made advances in our understanding of the LHb circuit organization, yet the precise mechanisms of its involvement in complex behaviors are largely unknown. To begin to address this unresolved question, we present here emerging cross-species perspectives with a goal to provide a more refined understanding of the role of the LHb circuits in reward and cognition. We begin by highlighting recent findings from rodent experiments using optogenetics, electrophysiology, molecular, pharmacology, and tracing techniques that reveal diverse neural phenotypes in the LHb circuits that may underlie previously undescribed behavioral functions. We then discuss results from electrophysiological studies in macaques that suggest that the LHb cooperates with the anterior cingulate cortex to monitor action outcomes and signal behavioral adjustment. Finally, we provide an integrated summary of cross-species findings and discuss how further research on the connectivity, neural signaling, and physiology of the LHb circuits can deepen our understanding of the role of the LHb in normal and maladaptive behaviors associated with mental illnesses and drug abuse.
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Molas S, DeGroot SR, Zhao-Shea R, Tapper AR. Anxiety and Nicotine Dependence: Emerging Role of the Habenulo-Interpeduncular Axis. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2017; 38:169-180. [PMID: 27890353 PMCID: PMC5258775 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
While innovative modern neuroscience approaches have aided in discerning brain circuitry underlying negative emotional behaviors including fear and anxiety responses, how these circuits are recruited in normal and pathological conditions remains poorly understood. Recently, genetic tools that selectively manipulate single neuronal populations have uncovered an understudied circuit, the medial habenula (mHb)-interpeduncular (IPN) axis, that modulates basal negative emotional responses. Interestingly, the mHb-IPN pathway also represents an essential circuit that signals heightened anxiety induced by nicotine withdrawal. Insights into how this circuit interconnects with regions more classically associated with anxiety, and how chronic nicotine exposure induces neuroadaptations resulting in an anxiogenic state, may thereby provide novel strategies and molecular targets for therapies that facilitate smoking cessation, as well as for anxiety relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Molas
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Steven R DeGroot
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Rubing Zhao-Shea
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Andrew R Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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Brown PL, Palacorolla H, Brady D, Riegger K, Elmer GI, Shepard PD. Habenula-Induced Inhibition of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Is Diminished by Lesions of the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus. J Neurosci 2017; 37:217-225. [PMID: 28053043 PMCID: PMC5214632 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1353-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the lateral habenula (LHb) are transiently activated by aversive events and have been implicated in associative learning. Functional changes associated with tonic and phasic activation of the LHb are often attributed to a corresponding inhibition of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons. Activation of GABAergic neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a region that receives dense projections from the LHb and projects strongly to midbrain monoaminergic nuclei, is believed to underlie the transient inhibition of DA neurons attributed to activation of the LHb. To test this premise, the effects of axon-sparing lesions of the RMTg were assessed on LHb-induced inhibition of midbrain DA cell firing in anesthetized rats. Quinolinic acid lesions decreased the number of NeuN-positive neurons in the RMTg significantly while largely sparing cells in neighboring regions. Lesions of the RMTg reduced both the number of DA neurons inhibited by, and the duration of inhibition resulting from, LHb stimulation. Although the firing rate was not altered, the regularity of DA cell firing was increased in RMTg-lesioned rats. Locomotor activity in an open field was also elevated. These results are the first to show that RMTg neurons contribute directly to LHb-induced inhibition of DA cell activity and support the widely held proposition that GABAergic neurons in the mesopontine tegmentum are an important component of a pathway that enables midbrain DA neurons to encode the negative valence associated with failed expectations and aversive stimuli. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Phasic changes in the activity of midbrain dopamine cells motivate and guide future behavior. Activation of the lateral habenula by aversive events inhibits dopamine neurons transiently, providing a neurobiological representation of learning models that incorporate negative reward prediction errors. Anatomical evidence suggests that this inhibition occurs via the rostromedial tegmental nucleus, but this hypothesis has yet to be tested directly. Here, we show that axon-sparing lesions of the rostromedial tegmentum attenuate habenula-induced inhibition of dopamine neurons significantly. These data support a substantial role for the rostromedial tegmentum in habenula-induced feedforward inhibition of dopamine neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Leon Brown
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
| | - Heather Palacorolla
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
| | - Dana Brady
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
| | - Katelyn Riegger
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
| | - Greg I Elmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
| | - Paul D Shepard
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21204
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