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Flerlage WJ, Simmons SC, Thomas EH, Gouty S, Tsuda MC, Wu TJ, Armstrong RC, Cox BM, Nugent FS. Effects of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Modulation of Lateral Habenula Excitability and Motivated Behavior. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 38943284 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0184] [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: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant health burden due to mTBI-related chronic debilitating cognitive and psychiatric morbidities. Recent evidence from our laboratory suggests a possible dysregulation within reward/motivational circuit function at the level of a subcortical structure, the lateral habenula (LHb), where we demonstrated a causal role for hyperactive LHb in mTBI-induced motivational deficits in self-care grooming behavior in young adult male mice when exposed to mTBI during late adolescence (at ∼8 weeks old). In this study, we extended this observation by further characterizing neurobehavioral effects of this repetitive closed head injury model of mTBI in both young adult male and female mice on LHb excitability, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) modulation of LHb activity, and behavioral responses of motivation to self-care behavior and approach versus avoidance behavior in the presence of a social- or threat-related stimulus. We show that mTBI increases LHb spontaneous tonic activity in female mice similar to what we previously observed in male mice, as well as promoting LHb neuronal hyperexcitability and hyperpolarization-induced LHb bursting in both male and female mice. Interestingly, mTBI only increases LHb intrinsic excitability in male mice coincident with higher levels of the hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (HCN/Ih) and reduces levels of the M-type potassium currents while potentiating M-currents without altering intrinsic excitability in LHb neurons of female mice. Because persistent dysregulation of brain CRF systems is suggested to contribute to chronic psychiatric morbidities and that LHb neurons are highly responsive to CRF, we tested whether the LHb CRF subsystem becomes engaged following mTBI. We found that in vitro inhibition of CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) within the LHb reverses mTBI-induced enhancement of LHb tonic activity and hyperexcitability in both sexes, suggesting that an augmented intra-LHb CRF-CRFR1-mediated signaling contributes to the overall LHb hyperactivity following mTBI. Behaviorally, mTBI diminishes motivation for self-care grooming in female mice as in male mice. mTBI also alters defensive behaviors in the looming shadow task by shifting the innate defensive behaviors toward more passive action locking rather than escape behaviors in response to an aerial threat in both male and female mice, as well as prolonging the latency to escape responses in female mice. While this model of mTBI reduces social preference in male mice, it induces higher social novelty seeking during the novel social encounters in both male and female mice. Overall, our study provides further translational validity for the use of this pre-clinical model of mTBI for investigation of mTBI-related reward circuit dysfunction and mood/motivation-related behavioral deficits in both sexes while uncovering a few sexually dimorphic neurobehavioral effects of this model that may differentially affect young males and females when exposed to this type of mTBI during late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Flerlage
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah C Simmons
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Emily H Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Shawn Gouty
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Mumeko C Tsuda
- Preclinical Behavior and Modeling Core, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - T John Wu
- Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Regina C Armstrong
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian M Cox
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Fereshteh S Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Flerlage WJ, Simmons SC, Thomas EH, Gouty S, Tsuda MC, Wu TJ, Armstrong RC, Cox BM, Nugent FS. Effects of Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Modulation of Lateral Habenula Excitability and Motivated Behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.16.589760. [PMID: 38798343 PMCID: PMC11118357 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.16.589760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a significant health burden due to mTBI-related chronic debilitating cognitive and psychiatric morbidities. Recent evidence from our laboratory suggests a possible dysregulation within reward/motivational circuit function at the level of a subcortical structure, the lateral habenula (LHb), where we demonstrated a causal role for hyperactive LHb in mTBI-induced motivational deficits in self-care grooming behavior in young adult male mice when exposed to mTBI injury during late adolescence (at ~8 weeks old). Here we extended this observation by further characterizing neurobehavioral effects of this repetitive closed head injury model of mTBI in both young adult male and female mice on LHb excitability, corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) modulation of LHb activity, and behavioral responses of motivation to self-care behavior, and approach versus avoidance behavior in the presence of a social- or threat-related stimulus. We show that mTBI increases LHb spontaneous tonic activity in female mice similar to what we previously observed in male mice as well as promoting LHb neuronal hyperexcitability and hyperpolarization-induced LHb bursting in both male and female mice. Interestingly, mTBI only increases LHb intrinsic excitability in male mice coincident with higher levels of the hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (HCN/Ih) and reduces levels of the M-type potassium currents while potentiating M-currents without altering intrinsic excitability in LHb neurons of female mice. Since persistent dysregulation of brain CRF systems is suggested to contribute to chronic psychiatric morbidities and that LHb neurons are highly responsive to CRF, we then tested whether LHb CRF subsystem becomes engaged following mTBI. We found that in vitro inhibition of CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) within the LHb normalizes mTBI-induced enhancement of LHb tonic activity and hyperexcitability in both sexes, suggesting that an augmented intra-LHb CRF-CRFR1-mediated signaling contributes to the overall LHb hyperactivity following mTBI. Behaviorally, mTBI diminishes motivation for self-care grooming in female mice as in male mice. mTBI also alters defensive behaviors in the looming shadow task by shifting the innate defensive behaviors towards more passive action-locking rather than escape behaviors in response to an aerial threat in both male and female mice as well as prolonging the latency to escape responses in female mice. While, this model of mTBI reduces social preference in male mice, it induces higher social novelty seeking during the novel social encounters in both male and female mice. Overall, our study provides further translational validity for the use of this preclinical model of mTBI for investigation of mTBI-related reward circuit dysfunction and mood/motivation-related behavioral deficits in both sexes while uncovering a few sexually dimorphic neurobehavioral effects of this model that may differentially affect young males and females when exposed to this type of mTBI injury during late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Flerlage
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Sarah C. Simmons
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Emily H. Thomas
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Shawn Gouty
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Mumeko C. Tsuda
- Preclinical Behavior and Modeling Core, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
| | - T. John Wu
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Gynecologic Surgery and Obstetrics, Bethesda, MD 20814
| | - Regina C. Armstrong
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Brian M. Cox
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
| | - Fereshteh S. Nugent
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
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3
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Xu X, Zheng S, Ren J, Li Z, Li J, Xu Z, Yuan F, Yang Q, Margetts AV, Pollock TA, Vilca SJ, Yang C, Chen G, Shen P, Li S, Xia J, Chen C, Zhou T, Zhu Y, Tuesta LM, Wang L, Kenny PJ, Liu XA, Chen Z. Hypothalamic CRF neurons facilitate brain reward function. Curr Biol 2024; 34:389-402.e5. [PMID: 38215742 PMCID: PMC10842365 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Aversive stimuli activate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVNCRF neurons) and other brain stress systems to facilitate avoidance behaviors. Appetitive stimuli also engage the brain stress systems, but their contributions to reward-related behaviors are less well understood. Here, we show that mice work vigorously to optically activate PVNCRF neurons in an operant chamber, indicating a reinforcing nature of these neurons. The reinforcing property of these neurons is not mediated by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. We found that PVNCRF neurons send direct projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and selective activation of these projections induced robust self-stimulation behaviors, without activation of the HPA axis. Similar to the PVNCRF cell bodies, self-stimulation of PVNCRF-VTA projection was dramatically attenuated by systemic pretreatment of CRF receptor 1 or dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) antagonist and augmented by corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone, but not altered by dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonist. Furthermore, we found that activation of PVNCRF-VTA projections increased c-Fos expression in the VTA dopamine neurons and rapidly triggered dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and microinfusion of D1R or D2R antagonist into the NAc decreased the self-stimulation of these projections. Together, our findings reveal an unappreciated role of PVNCRF neurons and their VTA projections in driving reward-related behaviors, independent of their core neuroendocrine functions. As activation of PVNCRF neurons is the final common path for many stress systems, our study suggests a novel mechanism underlying the positive reinforcing effect of stressful stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinli Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuidiao Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiayan Ren
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zixuan Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinyan Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhibin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Feng Yuan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qixing Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Alexander V Margetts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Tate A Pollock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Samara J Vilca
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Canyu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Gaowei Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Peilei Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shupeng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianxun Xia
- Yunkang School of Medicine and Health, Nanfang College, Guangzhou 510970, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuyun Chen
- The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510130, Guangdong, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Luis M Tuesta
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Liping Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Xin-An Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behavior, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Zuxin Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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4
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Birnie MT, Short AK, de Carvalho GB, Taniguchi L, Gunn BG, Pham AL, Itoga CA, Xu X, Chen LY, Mahler SV, Chen Y, Baram TZ. Stress-induced plasticity of a CRH/GABA projection disrupts reward behaviors in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1088. [PMID: 36841826 PMCID: PMC9968307 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36780-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupted operations of the reward circuit underlie major emotional disorders, including depression, which commonly arise following early life stress / adversity (ELA). However, how ELA enduringly impacts reward circuit functions remains unclear. We characterize a stress-sensitive projection connecting basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) that co-expresses GABA and the stress-reactive neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). We identify a crucial role for this projection in executing disrupted reward behaviors provoked by ELA: chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of the projection in control male mice suppresses several reward behaviors, recapitulating deficits resulting from ELA and demonstrating the pathway's contributions to normal reward behaviors. In adult ELA mice, inhibiting-but not stimulating-the projection, restores typical reward behaviors yet has little effect in controls, indicating ELA-induced maladaptive plasticity of this reward-circuit component. Thus, we discover a stress-sensitive, reward inhibiting BLA → NAc projection with unique molecular features, which may provide intervention targets for disabling mental illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Birnie
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annabel K Short
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gregory B de Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lara Taniguchi
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin G Gunn
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Aidan L Pham
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Christy A Itoga
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Xiangmin Xu
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lulu Y Chen
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yuncai Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
| | - Tallie Z Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Anatomy/Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
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5
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Nugent FS, Kirkwood A, Lupica CR, Sjöström PJ. Editorial: The synaptic basis of neuropathology. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:1043480. [PMID: 36311440 PMCID: PMC9608123 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.1043480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Fereshteh S. Nugent
- F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alfredo Kirkwood
- Department of Neuroscience, Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Carl R. Lupica
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Carl R. Lupica
| | - P. Jesper Sjöström
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Centre for Research in Neuroscience, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada,P. Jesper Sjöström
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6
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Baumgartner HM, Granillo M, Schulkin J, Berridge KC. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) systems: Promoting cocaine pursuit without distress via incentive motivation. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267345. [PMID: 35503756 PMCID: PMC9064096 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) systems in limbic structures are posited to mediate stress-induced relapse in addiction, traditionally by generating distress states that spur drug consumption as attempts at hedonic self-medication. Yet evidence suggests that activating CRF-expressing neurons in the central amygdala (CeA) or nucleus accumbens (NAc) can magnify incentive motivation in absence of distress, at least for sucrose rewards. However, traditional CRF hypotheses in addiction neuroscience are primarily directed toward drug rewards. The question remains open whether CRF systems can similarly act via incentive motivation mechanisms to promote pursuit of drug rewards, such as cocaine. Here we tested whether optogenetic excitation of CRF-containing neurons in either NAc medial shell, lateral CeA, or dorsolateral BNST of transgenic Crh-Cre+ rats would spur preference and pursuit of a particular laser-paired cocaine reward over an alternative cocaine reward, and whether excitation served as a positively-valenced incentive itself, through laser self-stimulation tests. We report that excitation of CRF-containing neurons in either NAc or CeA recruited mesocorticolimbic circuitry to amplify incentive motivation to pursue the laser-paired cocaine: focusing preference on the laser-paired cocaine reward in a two-choice task, and spurred pursuit as doubled breakpoint in a progressive ratio task. Crucially indicating positive-valence, excitation of CRF neurons in NAc and CeA also was actively sought after by most rats in self-stimulation tasks. Conversely, CRF neuronal activation in BNST was never self-stimulated, but failed to enhance cocaine consumption. Collectively, we find that NAc and CeA CRF-containing neurons can amplify pursuit and consumption of cocaine by positively-valenced incentive mechanisms, without any aversive distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Baumgartner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United Started of America
| | - Madeliene Granillo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United Started of America
| | - Jay Schulkin
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Kent C. Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United Started of America
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Zalachoras I, Astori S, Meijer M, Grosse J, Zanoletti O, de Suduiraut IG, Deussing JM, Sandi C. Opposite effects of stress on effortful motivation in high and low anxiety are mediated by CRHR1 in the VTA. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj9019. [PMID: 35319997 PMCID: PMC8942367 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Individuals frequently differ in their behavioral and cognitive responses to stress. However, whether motivation is differently affected by acute stress in different individuals remains to be established. By exploiting natural variation in trait anxiety in outbred Wistar rats, we show that acute stress facilitates effort-related motivation in low anxious animals, while dampening effort in high anxious ones. This model allowed us to address the mechanisms underlying acute stress-induced differences in motivated behavior. We show that CRHR1 expression levels in dopamine neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-a neuronal type implicated in the regulation of motivation-depend on animals' anxiety, and these differences in CRHR1 expression levels explain the divergent effects of stress on both effortful behavior and the functioning of mesolimbic DA neurons. These findings highlight CRHR1 in VTA DA neurons-whose levels vary with individuals' anxiety-as a switching mechanism determining whether acute stress facilitates or dampens motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Zalachoras
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
| | - Simone Astori
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
| | - Mandy Meijer
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jocelyn Grosse
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivia Zanoletti
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Guillot de Suduiraut
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan M. Deussing
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry/Molecular Neurogenetics, Munich, Germany
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. (C.S.); (I.Z.); (S.A.)
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8
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Baumgartner HM, Schulkin J, Berridge KC. Activating Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Systems in the Nucleus Accumbens, Amygdala, and Bed Nucleus of Stria Terminalis: Incentive Motivation or Aversive Motivation? Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1162-1175. [PMID: 33726937 PMCID: PMC8178165 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neural systems are important stress mechanisms in the central amygdala (CeA), bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), nucleus accumbens (NAc), and related structures. CRF-containing neural systems are traditionally posited to generate aversive distress states that motivate overconsumption of rewards and relapse in addiction. However, CRF-containing systems may alternatively promote incentive motivation to increase reward pursuit and consumption without requiring aversive states. METHODS We optogenetically stimulated CRF-expressing neurons in the CeA, BNST, or NAc using Crh-Cre+ rats (n = 37 female, n = 34 male) to investigate roles in incentive motivation versus aversive motivation. We paired CRF-expressing neuronal stimulations with earning sucrose rewards in two-choice and progressive ratio tasks and investigated recruitment of distributed limbic circuitry. We further assessed valence with CRF-containing neuron laser self-stimulation tasks. RESULTS Channelrhodopsin excitation of CRF-containing neurons in the CeA and NAc amplified and focused incentive motivation and recruited activation of mesocorticolimbic reward circuitry. CRF systems in both the CeA and NAc supported laser self-stimulation, amplified incentive motivation for sucrose in a breakpoint test, and focused "wanting" on laser-paired sucrose over a sucrose alternative in a two-choice test. Conversely, stimulation of CRF-containing neurons in the BNST produced negative valence or aversive effects and recruited distress-related circuitry, as stimulation was avoided and suppressed motivation for sucrose. CONCLUSIONS CRF-containing systems in the NAc and CeA can promote reward consumption by increasing incentive motivation without involving aversion. In contrast, stimulation of CRF-containing systems in the BNST is aversive but suppresses sucrose reward pursuit and consumption rather than increase, as predicted by traditional hedonic self-medication hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Kent C Berridge
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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