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Kim J, Kim BK, Moh SH, Jang G, Ryu JY. Investigation of the General Molecular Mechanisms of Gallic Acid via Analyses of Its Transcriptome Profile. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2303. [PMID: 38396979 PMCID: PMC10888745 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Gallic acid (GA), a phenolic compound naturally found in many plants, exhibits potential preventive and therapeutic roles. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its diverse biological activities remain unclear. Here, we investigated possible mechanisms of GA function through a transcriptome-based analysis using LINCS L1000, a publicly available data resource. We compared the changes in the gene expression profiles induced by GA with those induced by FDA-approved drugs in three cancer cell lines (A549, PC3, and MCF7). The top 10 drugs exhibiting high similarity with GA in their expression patterns were identified by calculating the connectivity score in the three cell lines. We specified the known target proteins of these drugs, which could be potential targets of GA, and identified 19 potential targets. Next, we retrieved evidence in the literature that GA likely binds directly to DNA polymerase β and ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase. Although our results align with previous studies suggesting a direct and/or indirect connection between GA and the target proteins, further experimental investigations are required to fully understand the exact molecular mechanisms of GA. Our study provides insights into the therapeutic mechanisms of GA, introducing a new approach to characterizing therapeutic natural compounds using transcriptome-based analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeon Kim
- Laboratory of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and the Research Institute of Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea;
- Plant Cell Research Institute of BIO-FD&C Co., Ltd., Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea;
| | - Bo Kyung Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Duksung Women’s University, 33 Samyang-Ro 144-Gil, Dobong-gu, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sang Hyun Moh
- Plant Cell Research Institute of BIO-FD&C Co., Ltd., Incheon 21990, Republic of Korea;
| | - Goo Jang
- Laboratory of Theriogenology and Biotechnology, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, College of Veterinary Medicine and the Research Institute of Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jae Yong Ryu
- Department of Biotechnology, Duksung Women’s University, 33 Samyang-Ro 144-Gil, Dobong-gu, Seoul 01369, Republic of Korea;
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2
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Hitzemann R, Ozburn AR, Lockwood D, Phillips TJ. Modeling Brain Gene Expression in Alcohol Use Disorder with Genetic Animal Models. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 37982929 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Animal genetic models have and will continue to provide important new information about the behavioral and physiological adaptations associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD). This chapter focuses on two models, ethanol preference and drinking in the dark (DID), their usefulness in interrogating brain gene expression data and the relevance of the data obtained to interpret AUD-related GWAS and TWAS studies. Both the animal and human data point to the importance for AUD of changes in synaptic transmission (particularly glutamate and GABA transmission), of changes in the extracellular matrix (specifically including collagens, cadherins and protocadherins) and of changes in neuroimmune processes. The implementation of new technologies (e.g., cell type-specific gene expression) is expected to further enhance the value of genetic animal models in understanding AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hitzemann
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Denesa Lockwood
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tamara J Phillips
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
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3
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Dugan MP, Ferguson LB, Hertz NT, Chalkley RJ, Burlingame AL, Shokat KM, Parker PJ, Messing RO. Chemical Genetic Identification of PKC Epsilon Substrates in Mouse Brain. Mol Cell Proteomics 2023; 22:100522. [PMID: 36863607 PMCID: PMC10105488 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2023.100522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
PKC epsilon (PKCε) plays important roles in behavioral responses to alcohol and in anxiety-like behavior in rodents, making it a potential drug target for reducing alcohol consumption and anxiety. Identifying signals downstream of PKCε could reveal additional targets and strategies for interfering with PKCε signaling. We used a chemical genetic screen combined with mass spectrometry to identify direct substrates of PKCε in mouse brain and validated findings for 39 of them using peptide arrays and in vitro kinase assays. Prioritizing substrates with several public databases such as LINCS-L1000, STRING, GeneFriends, and GeneMAINA predicted interactions between these putative substrates and PKCε and identified substrates associated with alcohol-related behaviors, actions of benzodiazepines, and chronic stress. The 39 substrates could be broadly classified in three functional categories: cytoskeletal regulation, morphogenesis, and synaptic function. These results provide a list of brain PKCε substrates, many of which are novel, for future investigation to determine the role of PKCε signaling in alcohol responses, anxiety, responses to stress, and other related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Dugan
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Laura B Ferguson
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Nicholas T Hertz
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Robert J Chalkley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alma L Burlingame
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevan M Shokat
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Peter J Parker
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom; School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert O Messing
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.
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4
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Grigsby KB, Mangieri RA, Roberts AJ, Lopez MF, Firsick EJ, Townsley KG, Beneze A, Bess J, Eisenstein TK, Meissler JJ, Light JM, Miller J, Quello S, Shadan F, Skinner M, Aziz HC, Metten P, Morrisett RA, Crabbe JC, Roberto M, Becker HC, Mason BJ, Ozburn AR. Preclinical and clinical evidence for suppression of alcohol intake by apremilast. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e159103. [PMID: 36656645 PMCID: PMC10014105 DOI: 10.1172/jci159103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have minimally advanced since 2004, while the annual deaths and economic toll have increased alarmingly. Phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) is associated with alcohol and nicotine dependence. PDE4 inhibitors were identified as a potential AUD treatment using a bioinformatics approach. We prioritized a newer PDE4 inhibitor, apremilast, as ideal for repurposing (i.e., FDA approved for psoriasis, low incidence of adverse events, excellent safety profile) and tested it using multiple animal strains and models, as well as in a human phase IIa study. We found that apremilast reduced binge-like alcohol intake and behavioral measures of alcohol motivation in mouse models of genetic risk for drinking to intoxication. Apremilast also reduced excessive alcohol drinking in models of stress-facilitated drinking and alcohol dependence. Using site-directed drug infusions and electrophysiology, we uncovered that apremilast may act to lessen drinking in mice by increasing neural activity in the nucleus accumbens, a key brain region in the regulation of alcohol intake. Importantly, apremilast (90 mg/d) reduced excessive drinking in non-treatment-seeking individuals with AUD in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. These results demonstrate that apremilast suppresses excessive alcohol drinking across the spectrum of AUD severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolter B. Grigsby
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Regina A. Mangieri
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Amanda J. Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Marcelo F. Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Evan J. Firsick
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Kayla G. Townsley
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Alan Beneze
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jessica Bess
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Toby K. Eisenstein
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph J. Meissler
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Jenny Miller
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Susan Quello
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Farhad Shadan
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Michael Skinner
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Heather C. Aziz
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Richard A. Morrisett
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Howard C. Becker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- RHJ Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Barbara J. Mason
- Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research, Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon, USA
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5
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Ferguson LB, Mayfield RD, Messing RO. RNA biomarkers for alcohol use disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1032362. [PMID: 36407766 PMCID: PMC9673015 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1032362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent and one of the leading causes of disability in the US and around the world. There are some molecular biomarkers of heavy alcohol use and liver damage which can suggest AUD, but these are lacking in sensitivity and specificity. AUD treatment involves psychosocial interventions and medications for managing alcohol withdrawal, assisting in abstinence and reduced drinking (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram, and some off-label medications), and treating comorbid psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression and anxiety). It has been suggested that various patient groups within the heterogeneous AUD population would respond more favorably to specific treatment approaches. For example, there is some evidence that so-called reward-drinkers respond better to naltrexone than acamprosate. However, there are currently no objective molecular markers to separate patients into optimal treatment groups or any markers of treatment response. Objective molecular biomarkers could aid in AUD diagnosis and patient stratification, which could personalize treatment and improve outcomes through more targeted interventions. Biomarkers of treatment response could also improve AUD management and treatment development. Systems biology considers complex diseases and emergent behaviors as the outcome of interactions and crosstalk between biomolecular networks. A systems approach that uses transcriptomic (or other -omic data, e.g., methylome, proteome, metabolome) can capture genetic and environmental factors associated with AUD and potentially provide sensitive, specific, and objective biomarkers to guide patient stratification, prognosis of treatment response or relapse, and predict optimal treatments. This Review describes and highlights state-of-the-art research on employing transcriptomic data and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to serve as molecular biomarkers with the goal of improving the clinical management of AUD. Considerations about future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B. Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Laura B. Ferguson,
| | - R. Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Robert O. Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States,Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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6
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Anderson JQ, Darakjian P, Hitzemann R, Lockwood DR, Phillips TJ, Ozburn AR. Brain gene expression differences related to ethanol preference in the collaborative cross founder strains. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:992727. [PMID: 36212197 PMCID: PMC9539754 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.992727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The collaborative cross (CC) founder strains include five classical inbred laboratory strains [129S1/SvlmJ (S129), A/J (AJ), C57BL/6J (B6), NOD/ShiLtJ (NOD), and NZO/HILtJ (NZO)] and three wild-derived strains [CAST/EiJ (CAST), PWK/PhJ (PWK), and WSB/EiJ (WSB)]. These strains encompass 89% of the genetic diversity available in Mus musculus and ∼10-20 times more genetic diversity than found in Homo sapiens. For more than 60 years the B6 strain has been widely used as a genetic model for high ethanol preference and consumption. However, another of the CC founder strains, PWK, has been identified as a high ethanol preference/high consumption strain. The current study determined how the transcriptomes of the B6 and PWK strains differed from the 6 low preference CC strains across 3 nodes of the brain addiction circuit. RNA-Seq data were collected from the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) and the prelimbic cortex (PrL). Differential expression (DE) analysis was performed in each of these brain regions for all 28 possible pairwise comparisons of the CC founder strains. Unique genes for each strain were identified by selecting for genes that differed significantly [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05] from all other strains in the same direction. B6 was identified as the most distinct classical inbred laboratory strain, having the highest number of total differently expressed genes (DEGs) and DEGs with high log fold change, and unique genes compared to other CC strains. Less than 50 unique DEGs were identified in common between B6 and PWK within all three brain regions, indicating the strains potentially represent two distinct genetic signatures for risk for high ethanol-preference. 338 DEGs were found to be commonly different between B6, PWK and the average expression of the remaining CC strains within all three regions. The commonly different up-expressed genes were significantly enriched (FDR < 0.001) among genes associated with neuroimmune function. These data compliment findings showing that neuroimmune signaling is key to understanding alcohol use disorder (AUD) and support use of these 8 strains and the highly heterogeneous mouse populations derived from them to identify alcohol-related brain mechanisms and treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Q. Anderson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Priscila Darakjian
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Robert Hitzemann
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Denesa R. Lockwood
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Tamara J. Phillips
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
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7
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Savarese AM, Metten P, Phillips TJ, Jensen BE, Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR. Midazolam, methamphetamine, morphine and nicotine intake in high‐drinking‐in‐the‐dark mice. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13212. [PMID: 36001437 PMCID: PMC9677807 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The high-drinking-in-the-dark (HDID) lines of mice were selectively bred for achieving high blood alcohol levels in the drinking-in-the-dark (DID) task and have served as a unique genetic risk model for binge-like alcohol intake. However, little is known about their willingness to consume other addictive drugs. Here, we examined (a) whether the HDID-1 and HDID-2 lines of mice would voluntarily consume midazolam, methamphetamine, morphine and nicotine in a DID test and (b) whether the HDID lines differ from their founders, heterogeneous stock/Northport (HS/NPT), in consumption levels of these drugs at the concentrations tested. Separate groups of HDID-1, HDID-2 and HS/NPT mice were given 4 days of access to each drug, using the single-bottle, limited-access DID paradigm. Male and female mice of both HDID lines consumed all four offered drugs. We observed no genotype differences in 40 μg/ml methamphetamine intake, but significant differences in nicotine, midazolam and morphine intake. Both HDID lines drank significantly more (150 μg/ml) midazolam than their founders, providing strong support for a shared genetic contribution to binge ethanol and midazolam intake. HDID-2 mice, but not HDID-1 mice, consumed more morphine (700 μg/ml) and more nicotine across a range of concentrations than HS/NPT mice. These results demonstrate that the HDID mice can be utilized for tests of voluntary drug consumption other than ethanol and highlight potentially important differences between HDID lines in risk for elevated drug intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia M. Savarese
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
- VA Portland Health Care System Portland USA
| | - Tamara J. Phillips
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
- VA Portland Health Care System Portland USA
| | - Bryan E. Jensen
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
- VA Portland Health Care System Portland USA
| | - John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
- VA Portland Health Care System Portland USA
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Oregon Health & Science University Portland USA
- VA Portland Health Care System Portland USA
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8
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Savarese AM, Grigsby KB, Jensen BE, Borrego MB, Finn DA, Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR. Corticosterone Levels and Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Expression in High Drinking in the Dark Mice and Their Heterogeneous Stock (HS/NPT) Founder Line. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:821859. [PMID: 35645743 PMCID: PMC9135139 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.821859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) line of mice has been selectively bred for achieving high blood alcohol levels (BALs) in the Drinking in the Dark task, a model of binge-like drinking. Recently, we determined that glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonism with either mifepristone or CORT113176 (a selective GR antagonist) reduced binge-like ethanol intake in the HDID-1 mice, but not in their founder line, HS/NPT. Here, we examined whether the selection process may have altered glucocorticoid functioning by measuring (1) plasma corticosterone levels and (2) expression of the genes encoding GR (Nr3c1) and two of its chaperone proteins FKBP51 and FKBP52 (Fkbp5 and Fkbp4) in the brains (nucleus accumbens, NAc) of HDID-1 and HS/NPT mice. We observed no genotype differences in baseline circulating corticosterone levels. However, HDID-1 mice exhibited a greater stimulated peak corticosterone response to an IP injection (of either ethanol or saline) relative to their founder line. We further observed reduced basal expression of Fkbp4 and Nr3c1 in the NAc of HDID-1 mice relative to HS/NPT mice. Finally, HDID-1 mice exhibited reduced Fkbp5 expression in the NAc relative to HS/NPT mice following an injection of 2 g/kg ethanol. Together, these data suggest that selective breeding for high BALs may have altered stress signaling in the HDID-1 mice, which may contribute to the observed selective efficacy of GR antagonism in reducing binge-like ethanol intake in HDID-1, but not HS/NPT mice. These data have important implications for the role that stress signaling plays in the genetic risk for binge drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia M. Savarese
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- *Correspondence: Antonia M. Savarese,
| | - Kolter B. Grigsby
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Bryan E. Jensen
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Marissa B. Borrego
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Deborah A. Finn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, United States
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9
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Crabbe JC, Hack WR, Ozburn AR, Savarese AM, Metten P. Long-term alcohol drinking in High Drinking in the Dark mice is stable for many months and does not show alcohol deprivation effects. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13074. [PMID: 34227188 PMCID: PMC8720065 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We have modelled genetic risk for binge-like drinking by selectively breeding High Drinking in the Dark-1 and -2 (HDID-1 and HDID-2) mice for their propensity to reach intoxicating blood alcohol levels (BALs) after binge-like drinking in a single bottle, limited access paradigm. Interestingly, in standard two-bottle choice (2BC) tests for continuously available alcohol versus water, HDID mice show modest levels of preference. This indicates some degree of independence of the genetic contributions to risk for binge-like and sustained, continuous access drinking. We had few data where the drinking in the dark (DID) tests of binge-like drinking had been repeatedly performed, so we serially offered multiple DID tests to see whether binge-like drinking escalated. It did not. We also asked whether HDID mice would escalate their voluntary intake with prolonged exposure to alcohol 2BC. They did not. Lastly, we assessed whether an alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) developed. ADE is a temporary elevation in drinking typically observed after a period of abstinence from sustained access to alcohol choice. With repetition, these periods of ADE sometimes have led to more sustained elevations in drinking. We therefore asked whether repeated ADE episodes would elevate choice drinking in HDID mice. They did not. After nearly 500 days of alcohol access, the intake of HDID mice remained stable. We conclude that a genetically-enhanced high risk for binge-like drinking is not sufficient to yield alterations in long-term alcohol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Wyatt R Hack
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Antonia M Savarese
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D 12), Portland, Oregon, USA
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10
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Grimm SL, Mendez EF, Stertz L, Meyer TD, Fries GR, Gandhi T, Kanchi R, Selvaraj S, Teixeira AL, Kosten TR, Gunaratne P, Coarfa C, Walss-Bass C. MicroRNA-mRNA networks are dysregulated in opioid use disorder postmortem brain: Further evidence for opioid-induced neurovascular alterations. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1025346. [PMID: 36713930 PMCID: PMC9878702 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1025346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION To understand mechanisms and identify potential targets for intervention in the current crisis of opioid use disorder (OUD), postmortem brains represent an under-utilized resource. To refine previously reported gene signatures of neurobiological alterations in OUD from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Area 9, BA9), we explored the role of microRNAs (miRNA) as powerful epigenetic regulators of gene function. METHODS Building on the growing appreciation that miRNAs can cross the blood-brain barrier, we carried out miRNA profiling in same-subject postmortem samples from BA9 and blood tissues. RESULTS miRNA-mRNA network analysis showed that even though miRNAs identified in BA9 and blood were fairly distinct, their target genes and corresponding enriched pathways overlapped strongly. Among the dominant enriched biological processes were tissue development and morphogenesis, and MAPK signaling pathways. These findings point to robust, redundant, and systemic opioid-induced miRNA dysregulation with a potential functional impact on transcriptomic changes. Further, using correlation network analysis, we identified cell-type specific miRNA targets, specifically in astrocytes, neurons, and endothelial cells, associated with OUD transcriptomic dysregulation. Finally, leveraging a collection of control brain transcriptomes from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, we identified a correlation of OUD miRNA targets with TGF beta, hypoxia, angiogenesis, coagulation, immune system, and inflammatory pathways. DISCUSSION These findings support previous reports of neurovascular and immune system alterations as a consequence of opioid abuse and shed new light on miRNA network regulators of cellular response to opioid drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Grimm
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Emily F Mendez
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Laura Stertz
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Thomas D Meyer
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gabriel R Fries
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Tanmay Gandhi
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Rupa Kanchi
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sudhakar Selvaraj
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Antonio L Teixeira
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Thomas R Kosten
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Preethi Gunaratne
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States
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11
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Huggett SB, Hatfield JS, Walters JD, McGeary JE, Welsh JW, Mackay TFC, Anholt RRH, Palmer RHC. Ibrutinib as a potential therapeutic for cocaine use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:623. [PMID: 34880215 PMCID: PMC8654982 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01737-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cocaine use presents a worldwide public health problem with high socioeconomic cost. No current pharmacologic treatments are available for cocaine use disorder (CUD) or cocaine toxicity. To explore pharmaceutical treatments for tthis disorder and its sequelae we analyzed gene expression data from post-mortem brain tissue of individuals with CUD who died from cocaine-related causes with matched cocaine-free controls (n = 71, Mage = 39.9, 100% male, 49% with CUD, 3 samples/brain regions). To match molecular signatures from brain pathology with potential therapeutics, we leveraged the L1000 database honing in on neuronal mRNA profiles of 825 repurposable compounds (e.g., FDA approved). We identified 16 compounds that were negatively associated with CUD gene expression patterns across all brain regions (padj < 0.05), all of which outperformed current targets undergoing clinical trials for CUD (all padj > 0.05). An additional 43 compounds were positively associated with CUD expression. We performed an in silico follow-up potential therapeutics using independent transcriptome-wide in vitro (neuronal cocaine exposure; n = 18) and in vivo (mouse cocaine self-administration; n = 12-15) datasets to prioritize candidates for experimental validation. Among these medications, ibrutinib was consistently linked with the molecular profiles of both neuronal cocaine exposure and mouse cocaine self-administration. We assessed the therapeutic efficacy of ibrutinib using the Drosophila melanogaster model. Ibrutinib reduced cocaine-induced startle response and cocaine-induced seizures (n = 61-142 per group; sex: 51% female), despite increasing cocaine consumption. Our results suggest that ibrutinib could be used for the treatment of cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer B Huggett
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey S Hatfield
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC, USA
| | - Joshua D Walters
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC, USA
| | - John E McGeary
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Justine W Welsh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Trudy F C Mackay
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC, USA
| | - Robert R H Anholt
- Department of Genetics and Biochemistry and Center for Human Genetics, Clemson University, Greenwood, SC, USA
| | - Rohan H C Palmer
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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12
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Meredith LR, Burnette EM, Grodin EN, Irwin MR, Ray LA. Immune treatments for alcohol use disorder: A translational framework. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 97:349-364. [PMID: 34343618 PMCID: PMC9044974 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
While the immune system is essential for survival, an excessive or prolonged inflammatory response, such as that resulting from sustained heavy alcohol use, can damage the host and contribute to psychiatric disorders. A growing body of literature indicates that the immune system plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). As such, there is enthusiasm for treatments that can restore healthy levels of inflammation as a mechanism to reduce drinking and promote recovery. In this qualitative literature review, we provide a conceptual rationale for immune therapies and discuss progress in medications development for AUD focused on the immune system as a treatment target. This review is organized into sections based on primary signaling pathways targeted by the candidate therapies, namely: (a) toll-like receptors, (b) phosphodiesterase inhibitors, (c) peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, (d) microglia and astrocytes, (e) other immune pharmacotherapies, and (f) behavioral therapies. As relevant within each section, we examine the basic biological mechanisms of each class of therapy and evaluate preclinical research testing the role of the therapy on mitigating alcohol-related behaviors in animal models. To the extent available, translational findings are reviewed with discussion of completed and ongoing randomized clinical trials and their findings to date. An applied and clinically focused approach is taken to identify the potential clinical applications of the various treatments reviewed. We conclude by delineating the most promising candidate treatments and discussing future directions by considering opportunities for immune treatment development and personalized medicine for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Burnette
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica N Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael R Irwin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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13
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Evaluation of connectivity map shows limited reproducibility in drug repositioning. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17624. [PMID: 34475469 PMCID: PMC8413422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97005-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The Connectivity Map (CMap) is a popular resource designed for data-driven drug repositioning using a large transcriptomic compendium. However, evaluations of its performance are limited. We used two iterations of CMap (CMap 1 and 2) to assess their comparability and reliability. We queried CMap 2 with CMap 1-derived signatures, expecting CMap 2 would highly prioritize the queried compounds; the success rate was 17%. Analysis of previously published prioritizations yielded similar results. Low recall is caused by low differential expression (DE) reproducibility both between CMaps and within each CMap. DE strength was predictive of reproducibility, and is influenced by compound concentration and cell-line responsiveness. Reproducibility of CMap 2 sample expression levels was also lower than expected. We attempted to identify the "better" CMap by comparison with a third dataset, but they were mutually discordant. Our findings have implications for CMap usage and we suggest steps for investigators to limit false positives.
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14
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Kisby BR, Farris SP, McManus MM, Varodayan FP, Roberto M, Harris RA, Ponomarev I. Alcohol Dependence in Rats Is Associated with Global Changes in Gene Expression in the Central Amygdala. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11091149. [PMID: 34573170 PMCID: PMC8468792 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is associated with adverse consequences of alcohol (ethanol) use and is evident in most severe cases of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) plays a critical role in the development of alcohol dependence and escalation of alcohol consumption in dependent subjects. Molecular mechanisms underlying the CeA-driven behavioral changes are not well understood. Here, we examined the effects of alcohol on global gene expression in the CeA using a chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor model in rats and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The CIE procedure resulted in robust changes in CeA gene expression during intoxication, as the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was significantly greater than those expected by chance. Over-representation analysis of cell types, functional groups and molecular pathways revealed biological categories potentially important for the development of alcohol dependence in our model. Genes specific for astrocytes, myelinating oligodendrocytes, and endothelial cells were over-represented in the DEG category, suggesting that these cell types were particularly affected by the CIE procedure. The majority of the over-represented functional groups and molecular pathways were directly related to the functions of glial and endothelial cells, including extracellular matrix (ECM) organization, myelination, and the regulation of innate immune response. A coordinated regulation of several ECM metalloproteinases (e.g., Mmp2; Mmp14), their substrates (e.g., multiple collagen genes and myelin basic protein; Mbp), and a metalloproteinase inhibitor, Reck, suggests a specific mechanism for ECM re-organization in response to chronic alcohol, which may modulate neuronal activity and result in behavioral changes, such as an escalation of alcohol drinking. Our results highlight the importance of glial and endothelial cells in the effects of chronic alcohol exposure on the CeA, and demonstrate further insight into the molecular mechanisms of alcohol dependence in rats. These molecular targets may be used in future studies to develop therapeutics to treat AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent R. Kisby
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (B.R.K.); (M.M.M.)
| | - Sean P. Farris
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78715, USA; (S.P.F.); (R.A.H.)
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, USA
| | - Michelle M. McManus
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (B.R.K.); (M.M.M.)
| | - Florence P. Varodayan
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA;
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - R. Adron Harris
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78715, USA; (S.P.F.); (R.A.H.)
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78741, USA
| | - Igor Ponomarev
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; (B.R.K.); (M.M.M.)
- Correspondence:
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15
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Savarese AM, Ozburn AR, Barkley-Levenson AM, Metten P, Crabbe JC. The impact of Drinking in the Dark (DID) procedural manipulations on ethanol intake in High Drinking in the Dark (HDID) mice. Alcohol 2021; 93:45-56. [PMID: 33556460 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The High Drinking in the Dark mouse lines (HDID-1 and HDID-2) were selectively bred to achieve high blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) in the Drinking in the Dark (DID) task, a widely used model of binge-like intake of 20% ethanol. There are several components that differentiate DID from other animal models of ethanol intake: time of day of testing, length of ethanol access, single-bottle access, and individual housing. Here, we sought to determine how some of these individual factors contribute to the high ethanol intake observed in HDID mice. HDID-1, HDID-2, and non-selected HS/NPT mice were tested in a series of DID experiments where one of the following factors was manipulated: length of ethanol access, fluid choice, number of ethanol bottles, and housing condition. We observed that 1) HDID mice achieve intoxicating BECs in DID, even when they are group-housed; 2) HDID mice continue to show elevated ethanol intake relative to HS/NPT mice during an extended access session, but this is most apparent during the first 4 h of access; and 3) offering a water choice during DID prevents elevated intake in the HDID-1 mice, but not necessarily in HDID-2 mice. Together, these results suggest that the lack of choice in the DID paradigm, together with the length of ethanol access, are important factors contributing to elevated ethanol intake in the HDID mice. These results further suggest important differences between the HDID lines in response to procedural manipulations of housing condition and ethanol bottle number in the DID paradigm, highlighting the distinct characteristics that each of these lines possess, despite being selectively bred for the same phenotype.
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16
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Sex Differences in the Brain Transcriptome Related to Alcohol Effects and Alcohol Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 91:43-52. [PMID: 34274109 PMCID: PMC8558111 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is compelling evidence that sex and gender have crucial roles in excessive alcohol (ethanol) consumption. Here, we review some of the data from the perspective of brain transcriptional differences between males and females, focusing on rodent animal models. A key emerging transcriptional feature is the role of neuroimmune processes. Microglia are the resident neuroimmune cells in the brain and exhibit substantial functional differences between males and females. Selective breeding for binge ethanol consumption and the impacts of chronic ethanol consumption and withdrawal from chronic ethanol exposure all demonstrate sex-dependent neuroimmune signatures. A focus is on resolving sex-dependent differences in transcriptional responses to ethanol at the neurocircuitry level. Sex-dependent transcriptional differences are found in the extended amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. Telescoping of ethanol consumption is found in some, but not all, studies to be more prevalent in females. Recent transcriptional studies suggest that some sex differences may be due to female-dependent remodeling of the primary cilium. An interesting theme appears to be developing: at least from the animal model perspective, even when males and females are phenotypically similar, they differ significantly at the level of the transcriptome.
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17
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Jensen BE, Townsley KG, Grigsby KB, Metten P, Chand M, Uzoekwe M, Tran A, Firsick E, LeBlanc K, Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR. Ethanol-Related Behaviors in Mouse Lines Selectively Bred for Drinking to Intoxication. Brain Sci 2021; 11:189. [PMID: 33557285 PMCID: PMC7915226 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11020189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a devastating psychiatric disorder that has significant wide-reaching effects on individuals and society. Selectively bred mouse lines are an effective means of exploring the genetic and neuronal mechanisms underlying AUD and such studies are translationally important for identifying treatment options. Here, we report on behavioral characterization of two replicate lines of mice that drink to intoxication, the High Drinking in the Dark (HDID)-1 and -2 mice, which have been selectively bred (20+ generations) for the primary phenotype of reaching high blood alcohol levels (BALs) during the drinking in the dark (DID) task, a binge-like drinking assay. Along with their genetically heterogenous progenitor line, Hs/Npt, we tested these mice on: DID and drinking in the light (DIL); temporal drinking patterns; ethanol sensitivity, through loss of righting reflex (LORR); and operant self-administration, including fixed ratio (FR1), fixed ratio 3:1 (FR3), extinction/reinstatement, and progressive ratio (PR). All mice consumed more ethanol during the dark than the light and both HDID lines consumed more ethanol than Hs/Npt during DIL and DID. In the dark, we found that the HDID lines achieved high blood alcohol levels early into a drinking session, suggesting that they exhibit front loading like drinking behavior in the absence of the chronicity usually required for such behavior. Surprisingly, HDID-1 (female and male) and HDID-2 (male) mice were more sensitive to the intoxicating effects of ethanol during the dark (as determined by LORR), while Hs/Npt (female and male) and HDID-2 (female) mice appeared less sensitive. We observed lower HDID-1 ethanol intake compared to either HDID-2 or Hs/Npt during operant ethanol self-administration. There were no genotype differences for either progressive ratio responding, or cue-induced ethanol reinstatement, though the latter is complicated by a lack of extinguished responding behavior. Taken together, these findings suggest that genes affecting one AUD-related behavior do not necessarily affect other AUD-related behaviors. Moreover, these findings highlight that alcohol-related behaviors can also differ between lines selectively bred for the same phenotype, and even between sexes within those same line.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (B.E.J.); (K.G.T.); (K.B.G.); (P.M.); (M.C.); (M.U.); (A.T.); (E.F.); (K.L.); (J.C.C.)
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18
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Shukla R, Henkel ND, Alganem K, Hamoud AR, Reigle J, Alnafisah RS, Eby HM, Imami AS, Creeden JF, Miruzzi SA, Meller J, Mccullumsmith RE. Signature-based approaches for informed drug repurposing: targeting CNS disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:116-130. [PMID: 32604402 PMCID: PMC7688959 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0752-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CNS disorders, and in particular psychiatric illnesses, lack definitive disease-altering therapeutics. The limited understanding of the mechanisms driving these illnesses with the slow pace and high cost of drug development exacerbates this issue. For these reasons, drug repurposing - both a less expensive and time-efficient practice compared to de novo drug development - has been a promising strategy to overcome the paucity of treatments available for these debilitating disorders. While empirical drug-repurposing has been a routine practice in clinical psychiatry, innovative, informed, and cost-effective repurposing efforts using big data ("omics") have been designed to characterize drugs by structural and transcriptomic signatures. These strategies, in conjunction with ontological integration, provide an important opportunity to address knowledge-based challenges associated with drug development for CNS disorders. In this review, we discuss various signature-based in silico approaches to drug repurposing, its integration with multiple omics platforms, and how this data can be used for clinically relevant, evidence-based drug repurposing. These tools provide an exciting translational avenue to merge omics-based drug discovery platforms with patient-specific disease signatures, ultimately facilitating the identification of new therapies for numerous psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rammohan Shukla
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
| | | | - Khaled Alganem
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | | | - James Reigle
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Hunter M Eby
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Ali S Imami
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Justin F Creeden
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Scott A Miruzzi
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
| | - Jaroslaw Meller
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing Systems, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland
| | - Robert E Mccullumsmith
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
- Neurosciences Institute, ProMedica, Toledo, OH, USA
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19
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Grigsby KB, Savarese AM, Metten P, Mason BJ, Blednov YA, Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR. Effects of Tacrolimus and Other Immune Targeting Compounds on Binge-Like Ethanol Drinking in High Drinking in the Dark Mice. Neurosci Insights 2020; 15:2633105520975412. [PMID: 33294845 PMCID: PMC7705291 DOI: 10.1177/2633105520975412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice represent a unique genetic risk model of binge-like drinking and a novel means of screening potential pharmacotherapies to treat alcohol use disorders (AUDs). We tested the effects of tacrolimus (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg), sirolimus (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA; 0, 75, 150, and 225 mg/kg), and secukinumab (0, 5, 20, and 60 mg/kg) on binge-like ethanol intake (2-day, "Drinking in the Dark" [DID]) and blood alcohol levels (BALs) in HDID-1 mice. Tacrolimus reduced ethanol intake and BALs. Tacrolimus had no effect on water intake, but reduced saccharin intake. There was no effect of sirolimus, PEA, or secukinumab on ethanol intake or BALs. These results compare and contrast with previous work addressing these compounds or their targeted mechanisms of action on ethanol drinking, highlighting the importance of screening a wide range of models and genotypes to inform the role of neuroimmune signaling in AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolter B Grigsby
- Portland Alcohol Research Center,
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University and VA
Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Antonia M Savarese
- Portland Alcohol Research Center,
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University and VA
Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center,
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University and VA
Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Barbara J Mason
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yuri A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcoholism and
Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - John C Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center,
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University and VA
Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center,
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health and Science University and VA
Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA
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20
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Crabbe JC, Ozburn AR, Hitzemann RJ, Spence SE, Hack WR, Schlumbohm JP, Metten P. Tetracycline derivatives reduce binge alcohol consumption in High Drinking in the Dark mice. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 4:100061. [PMID: 34589846 PMCID: PMC8474687 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are prevalent, and are characterized by binge-like drinking, defined by patterns of focused drinking where dosages ingested in 2-4 h reach intoxicating blood alcohol levels (BALs). Current medications are few and compliance with the relatively rare prescribed usage is low. Hence, novel and more effective medications are needed. We developed a mouse model of genetic risk for binge drinking (HDID: High Drinking in the Dark mice) by selectively breeding for high BALs after binge drinking. A transcriptional analysis of HDID brain tissue with RNA-Seq implicated neuroinflammatory mechanisms, and, more specifically extracellular matrix genes, including those encoding matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Prior experiments from other groups have shown that the tetracycline derivatives doxycycline, minocycline, and tigecycline, reduce binge drinking in inbred C57BL/6J mice. We tested these three compounds in female and male HDID mice and found that all three reduced DID and BAL. They had drug-specific effects on intake of water or saccharin in the DID assay. Thus, our results show that the effectiveness of synthetic tetracycline derivatives as potential therapeutic agents for AUDs is not limited to the single C57BL/6J genotype previously targeted, but extends to a mouse model of a population at high risk for AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C. Crabbe
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Robert J. Hitzemann
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Stephanie E. Spence
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Wyatt R. Hack
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jason P. Schlumbohm
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Pamela Metten
- Portland Alcohol Research Center, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University and Portland VA Health Care System (R&D 12), 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
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21
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Savarese AM, Ozburn AR, Metten P, Schlumbohm JP, Hack WR, LeMoine K, Hunt H, Hausch F, Bauder M, Crabbe JC. Targeting the Glucocorticoid Receptor Reduces Binge-Like Drinking in High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) Mice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1025-1036. [PMID: 32154593 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol exposure can alter glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function in some brain areas that promotes escalated and compulsive-like alcohol intake. GR antagonism can prevent dependence-induced escalation in drinking, but very little is known about the role of GR in regulating high-risk nondependent alcohol intake. Here, we investigate the role of GR in regulating binge-like drinking and aversive responses to alcohol in the High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1) mice, which have been selectively bred for high blood ethanol (EtOH) concentrations (BECs) in the Drinking in the Dark (DID) test, and in their founder line, the HS/NPT. METHODS In separate experiments, male and female HDID-1 mice were administered one of several compounds that inhibited GR or its negative regulator, FKBP51 (mifepristone [12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/kg], CORT113176 [20, 40, 80 mg/kg], and SAFit2 [10, 20, 40 mg/kg]) during a 2-day DID task. EtOH consumption and BECs were measured. EtOH conditioned taste and place aversion (CTA and CPA, respectively) were measured in separate HDID-1 mice after mifepristone administration to assess GR's role in regulating the conditioned aversive effects of EtOH. Lastly, HS/NPT mice were administered CORT113176 during DID to assess whether dissimilar effects from those of HDID-1 would be observed, which could suggest that selective breeding had altered sensitivity to the effects of GR antagonism on binge-like drinking. RESULTS GR antagonism (with both mifepristone and CORT113176) selectively reduced binge-like EtOH intake and BECs in the HDID-1 mice, while inhibition of FKBP51 did not alter intake or BECs. In contrast, GR antagonism had no effect on EtOH intake or BECs in the HS/NPT mice. Although HDID-1 mice exhibit attenuated EtOH CTA, mifepristone administration did not enhance the aversive effects of EtOH in either a CTA or CPA task. CONCLUSION These data suggest that the selection process increased sensitivity to GR antagonism on EtOH intake in the HDID-1 mice, and support a role for the GR as a genetic risk factor for high-risk alcohol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia M Savarese
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Pamela Metten
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jason P Schlumbohm
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Wyatt R Hack
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Kathryn LeMoine
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Hazel Hunt
- Corcept Therapeutics, Menlo Park, California
| | - Felix Hausch
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Bauder
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - John C Crabbe
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
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22
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Pozhidayeva DY, Farris SP, Goeke CM, Firsick EJ, Townsley KG, Guizzetti M, Ozburn AR. Chronic Chemogenetic Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens Produces Lasting Reductions in Binge Drinking and Ameliorates Alcohol-Related Morphological and Transcriptional Changes. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E109. [PMID: 32085427 PMCID: PMC7071376 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10020109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Binge drinking is a dangerous pattern of behavior. We tested whether chronically manipulating nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity (via clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) and Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD)) could produce lasting effects on ethanol binge-like drinking in mice selectively bred to drink to intoxication. We found chronically increasing NAc activity (4 weeks, via CNO and the excitatory DREADD, hM3Dq) decreased binge-like drinking, but did not observe CNO-induced changes in drinking with the inhibitory DREADD, hM4Di. The CNO/hM3Dq-induced reduction in ethanol drinking persisted for at least one week, suggesting adaptive neuroplasticity via transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms. Therefore, we defined this plasticity at the morphological and transcriptomic levels. We found that chronic binge drinking (6 weeks) altered neuronal morphology in the NAc, an effect that was ameliorated with CNO/hM3Dq. Moreover, we detected significant changes in expression of several plasticity-related genes with binge drinking that were ameliorated with CNO treatment (e.g., Hdac4). Lastly, we found that LMK235, an HDAC4/5 inhibitor, reduced binge-like drinking. Thus, we were able to target specific molecular pathways using pharmacology to mimic the behavioral effects of DREADDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dar’ya Y. Pozhidayeva
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (D.Y.P.); (C.M.G.); (K.G.T.); (M.G.)
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
- Chemistry Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA
| | - Sean P. Farris
- College of Natural Sciences, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX 78712, USA;
| | - Calla M. Goeke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (D.Y.P.); (C.M.G.); (K.G.T.); (M.G.)
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Evan J. Firsick
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Kayla G. Townsley
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (D.Y.P.); (C.M.G.); (K.G.T.); (M.G.)
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Marina Guizzetti
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (D.Y.P.); (C.M.G.); (K.G.T.); (M.G.)
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Angela R. Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; (D.Y.P.); (C.M.G.); (K.G.T.); (M.G.)
- Research & Development, VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
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23
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Ozburn AR, Metten P, Potretzke S, Townsley KG, Blednov YA, Crabbe JC. Effects of Pharmacologically Targeting Neuroimmune Pathways on Alcohol Drinking in Mice Selectively Bred to Drink to Intoxication. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:553-566. [PMID: 31853996 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent models of high alcohol drinking offer opportunities to better understand factors for alcohol use disorders (AUD) and test potential treatments. Selective breeding was carried out to create 2 unique High Drinking in the Dark (HDID-1, HDID-2) mouse lines that represent models of genetic risk for binge-like drinking. A number of studies have indicated that neuroimmune genes are important for regulation of alcohol drinking. We tested whether compounds shown to reduce drinking in other models also reduce alcohol intake in these unique genetic lines. METHODS We report tests of gabapentin, tesaglitazar, fenofibrate, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), ibrutinib, and rolipram. Although these compounds have different mechanisms of action, they have all been shown to reduce inflammatory responses. We evaluated effects of these compounds on alcohol intake. In order to facilitate comparison with previously published findings for some compounds, we employed similar schedules that were previously used for that compound. RESULTS Gabapentin increased ethanol (EtOH) binge-like alcohol drinking in female HDID-1 and HS/NPT mice. Tesaglitazar and fenofibrate did not alter 2-bottle choice (2BC) drinking in male HDID-1 or HS/NPT mice. However, tesaglitazar had no effect on DID EtOH intake but reduced blood alcohol levels (BAL), and fenofibrate increased DID intake with no effects on BAL. CAPE had no effect on EtOH intake. Ibrutinib reduced intake in female HDID-1 in initial testing, but did not reduce intake in a second week of testing. Rolipram reduced DID intake and BALs in male and female HDID-1, HDID-2, and HS/NPT mice. CONCLUSIONS A number of compounds shown to reduce EtOH drinking in other models, and genotypes are not effective in HDID mice or their genetically heterogeneous founders, HS/NPT. The most promising compound was the PDE4 inhibitor, rolipram. These results highlight the importance of assessing generalizability when rigorously testing compounds for therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Ozburn
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Pamela Metten
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Sheena Potretzke
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Kayla G Townsley
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Yuri A Blednov
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - John C Crabbe
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Portland Alcohol Research Center, VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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24
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Ferguson LB, Patil S, Moskowitz BA, Ponomarev I, Harris RA, Mayfield RD, Messing RO. A Pathway-Based Genomic Approach to Identify Medications: Application to Alcohol Use Disorder. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9120381. [PMID: 31888299 PMCID: PMC6956180 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9120381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic, excessive alcohol use alters brain gene expression patterns, which could be important for initiating, maintaining, or progressing the addicted state. It has been proposed that pharmaceuticals with opposing effects on gene expression could treat alcohol use disorder (AUD). Computational strategies comparing gene expression signatures of disease to those of pharmaceuticals show promise for nominating novel treatments. We reasoned that it may be sufficient for a treatment to target the biological pathway rather than lists of individual genes perturbed by AUD. We analyzed published and unpublished transcriptomic data using gene set enrichment of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways to identify biological pathways disrupted in AUD brain and by compounds in the Library of Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS L1000) and Connectivity Map (CMap) databases. Several pathways were consistently disrupted in AUD brain, including an up-regulation of genes within the Complement and Coagulation Cascade, Focal Adhesion, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, and MAPK signaling, and a down-regulation of genes within the Oxidative Phosphorylation pathway, strengthening evidence for their importance in AUD. Over 200 compounds targeted genes within those pathways in an opposing manner, more than twenty of which have already been shown to affect alcohol consumption, providing confidence in our approach. We created a user-friendly web-interface that researchers can use to identify drugs that target pathways of interest or nominate mechanism of action for drugs. This study demonstrates a unique systems pharmacology approach that can nominate pharmaceuticals that target pathways disrupted in disease states such as AUD and identify compounds that could be repurposed for AUD if sufficient evidence is attained in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B. Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Shruti Patil
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Bailey A. Moskowitz
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Igor Ponomarev
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA;
| | - Robert A. Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Roy D. Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Robert O. Messing
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; (L.B.F.); (S.P.); (B.A.M.); (R.A.H.); (R.D.M.)
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Department of Neurology, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-512-471-1735
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25
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Litten RZ, Falk DE, Ryan ML, Fertig J, Leggio L. Five Priority Areas for Improving Medications Development for Alcohol Use Disorder and Promoting Their Routine Use in Clinical Practice. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 44:23-35. [PMID: 31803968 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raye Z Litten
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Daniel E Falk
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Megan L Ryan
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Joanne Fertig
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.,Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland.,Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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26
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Grantham EK, Farris SP. Bioinformatic and biological avenues for understanding alcohol use disorder. Alcohol 2019; 74:65-71. [PMID: 30144960 PMCID: PMC8939236 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2018.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a multifarious psychiatric condition resulting from complex relationships between genetics, gene expression, neuroadaptations, and environmental influences. Understanding these complex relationships is essential to uncovering the mechanisms involved in the development and progression of AUD, with the ultimate goal of devising effective behavioral and therapeutic interventions. Technical advances in the fields of omics-based research and bioinformatics have yielded insights into gene interactions, biological networks, and cellular responses across humans and animal models. This review highlights several of the newly developed sequencing methodologies and resultant discoveries in neuroscience, as well as the importance of a multi-faceted and integrative approach for determining causal factors in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Grantham
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1095, United States
| | - Sean P Farris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1095, United States.
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27
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Mayfield RD, Harris RA. Persistence of Drug Memories: Melting Transcriptomes. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:860-861. [PMID: 30466505 PMCID: PMC6338210 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
| | - R Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
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28
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Fries GR, Khan S, Stamatovich S, Dyukova E, Walss-Bass C, Lane SD, Schmitz JM, Wardle MC. Anhedonia in cocaine use disorder is associated with inflammatory gene expression. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207231. [PMID: 30408130 PMCID: PMC6224118 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatments for Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) are variably effective, and there are no FDA-approved medications. One approach to developing new treatments for CUD may be to investigate and target poor prognostic signs. One such sign is anhedonia (i.e. a loss of pleasure or interest in non-drug rewards), which predicts worse outcomes in existing CUD treatments. Inflammation is thought to underlie anhedonia in many other disorders, but the relationship between anhedonia and inflammation has not been investigated in CUD. Therefore, we assessed peripheral genome-wide gene expression in n = 48 individuals with CUD with high (n = 24) vs. low (n = 24) levels of anhedonia, defined by a median split of self-reported anhedonia. Our hypothesis was that individuals with high anhedonia would show differential gene expression in inflammatory pathways. No individual genes were significantly different between the low and high anhedonia groups when using t-tests with a stringent false discovery rate correction (FDR-corrected p < 0.05). However, an exploratory analysis identified 166 loci where t-tests suggested group differences at a nominal p < 0.05. We used DAVID, a bioinformatics tool that provides functional interpretations of complex lists of genes, to examine representation of this gene list in known pathways. It confirmed that mechanisms related to immunity were the top significant associations with anhedonia in the sample. Further, the two top differentially expressed genes in our sample, IRF1 and GBP5, both have primary inflammation and immune functions, and were significantly negatively correlated with total scores on our self-report of anhedonia across all 48 subjects. These results suggest that prioritizing development of anti-inflammatory medications for CUD may pay dividends, particularly in combination with treatment-matching strategies using either phenotypic measures of anhedonia or biomarkers of inflammatory gene expression to individualize treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Rodrigo Fries
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Sarwar Khan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Sydney Stamatovich
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Elena Dyukova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Consuelo Walss-Bass
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Scott D. Lane
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Joy M. Schmitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Margaret C. Wardle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
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29
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Ferguson LB, Harris RA, Mayfield RD. From gene networks to drugs: systems pharmacology approaches for AUD. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1635-1662. [PMID: 29497781 PMCID: PMC6298603 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4855-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The alcohol research field has amassed an impressive number of gene expression datasets spanning key brain areas for addiction, species (humans as well as multiple animal models), and stages in the addiction cycle (binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative effect, and preoccupation/anticipation). These data have improved our understanding of the molecular adaptations that eventually lead to dysregulation of brain function and the chronic, relapsing disorder of addiction. Identification of new medications to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) will likely benefit from the integration of genetic, genomic, and behavioral information included in these important datasets. Systems pharmacology considers drug effects as the outcome of the complex network of interactions a drug has rather than a single drug-molecule interaction. Computational strategies based on this principle that integrate gene expression signatures of pharmaceuticals and disease states have shown promise for identifying treatments that ameliorate disease symptoms (called in silico gene mapping or connectivity mapping). In this review, we suggest that gene expression profiling for in silico mapping is critical to improve drug repurposing and discovery for AUD and other psychiatric illnesses. We highlight studies that successfully apply gene mapping computational approaches to identify or repurpose pharmaceutical treatments for psychiatric illnesses. Furthermore, we address important challenges that must be overcome to maximize the potential of these strategies to translate to the clinic and improve healthcare outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Ferguson
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A4800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Intitute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - R Adron Harris
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A4800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Roy Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A4800, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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