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Liu L, Wang C, Wang H, Miao L, Xie T, Tian Y, Li X, Huang Y, Zeng X, Zhu B. Identification of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network for treating methamphetamine-induced relapse and behavioral sensitization with cannabidiol. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14737. [PMID: 38702929 PMCID: PMC11069028 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS This study aims to investigate the pharmacological effects and the underlying mechanism of cannabidiol (CBD) on methamphetamine (METH)-induced relapse and behavioral sensitization in male mice. METHODS The conditioned place preference (CPP) test with a biased paradigm and open-field test were used to assess the effects of CBD on METH-induced relapse and behavioral sensitization in male mice. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis was employed to identify differential expressed (DE) circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of mice, and the interaction among them was predicted using competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network analysis. RESULTS Chronic administration of CBD (40 mg/kg) during the METH withdrawal phase alleviated METH (2 mg/kg)-induced CPP reinstatement and behavioral sensitization in mice, as well as mood and cognitive impairments following behavioral sensitization. Furthermore, 42 DEcircRNAs, 11 DEmiRNAs, and 40 DEmRNAs were identified in the NAc of mice. The circMeis2-miR-183-5p-Kcnj5 network in the NAc of mice is involved in the effects of CBD on METH-induced CPP reinstatement and behavioral sensitization. CONCLUSIONS This study constructed the ceRNAs network for the first time, revealing the potential mechanism of CBD in treating METH-induced CPP reinstatement and behavioral sensitization, thus advancing the application of CBD in METH use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Liu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi‐Omics for Precision IdentificationSchool of Forensic MedicineSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Chan Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Haowei Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Lin Miao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Tong Xie
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi‐Omics for Precision IdentificationSchool of Forensic MedicineSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
| | - Yunqing Tian
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Xiaodong Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Yizhen Huang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Xiaofeng Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction Medicine, School of Forensic MedicineKunming Medical UniversityKunmingYunnanChina
| | - Bofeng Zhu
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Forensic Multi‐Omics for Precision IdentificationSchool of Forensic MedicineSouthern Medical UniversityGuangzhouGuangdongChina
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Bernat N, Campbell RR, Nam H, Basu M, Odesser T, Elyasaf G, Engeln M, Chandra R, Golden S, Ament S, Lobo MK, Kupchik YM. Multimodal Interrogation of Ventral Pallidum Projections Reveals Projection-Specific Signatures and Effects on Cocaine Reward. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1469232024. [PMID: 38485256 PMCID: PMC11063828 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1469-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central hub in the reward circuitry with diverse projections that have different behavioral roles attributed mostly to the connectivity with the downstream target. However, different VP projections may represent, as in the striatum, separate neuronal populations that differ in more than just connectivity. In this study, we performed in mice of both sexes a multimodal dissection of four major projections of the VP-to the lateral hypothalamus (VP→LH), ventral tegmental area (VP→VTA), lateral habenula (VP→LHb), and mediodorsal thalamus (VP→MDT)-with physiological, anatomical, genetic, and behavioral tools. We also tested for physiological differences between VP neurons receiving input from nucleus accumbens medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that express either the D1 (D1-MSNs) or the D2 (D2-MSNs) dopamine receptor. We show that each VP projection (1) when inhibited during a cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) test affects performance differently, (2) receives a different pattern of inputs using rabies retrograde labeling, (3) shows differentially expressed genes using RNA sequencing, and (4) has projection-specific characteristics in excitability and synaptic input characteristics using whole-cell patch clamp. VP→LH and VP→VTA projections have different effects on CPP and show low overlap in circuit tracing experiments, as VP→VTA neurons receive more striatal input, while VP→LH neurons receive more olfactory input. Additionally, VP→VTA neurons are less excitable, while VP→LH neurons are more excitable than the average VP neuron, a difference driven mainly by D2-MSN-responding neurons. Thus, VP→VTA and VP→LH neurons may represent largely distinct populations of VP neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimrod Bernat
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
- IMRIC Center for Addiction Research (ICARe), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Rianne R Campbell
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Hyungwoo Nam
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Mahashweta Basu
- Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Tal Odesser
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Gal Elyasaf
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Michel Engeln
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Shana Golden
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Seth Ament
- Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Yonatan M Kupchik
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
- IMRIC Center for Addiction Research (ICARe), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
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Boxer EE, Kim J, Dunn B, Aoto J. Ventral Subiculum Inputs to Nucleus Accumbens Medial Shell Preferentially Innervate D2R Medium Spiny Neurons and Contain Calcium Permeable AMPARs. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1166-1177. [PMID: 36609456 PMCID: PMC9962776 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1907-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ventral subiculum (vSUB) is the major output region of ventral hippocampus (vHIPP) and sends major projections to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS). Hyperactivity of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit is associated with substance use disorders and the modulation of vSUB activity alters drug seeking and drug reinstatement behavior in rodents. However, to the best of our knowledge, the cell type-specific connectivity and synaptic transmission properties of the vSUB-NAcMS circuit have never been directly examined. Instead, previous functional studies have focused on total ventral hippocampal (vHIPP) output to NAcMS without distinguishing vSUB from other subregions of vHIPP, including ventral CA1 (vCA1). Using ex vivo electrophysiology, we systematically characterized the vSUB-NAcMS circuit with cell type- and synapse-specific resolution in male and female mice and found that vSUB output to dopamine receptor type-1 (D1R) and type-2 (D2R) expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) displays a functional connectivity bias for D2R MSNs. Furthermore, we found that vSUB-D1R and vSUB-D2R MSN synapses contain calcium-permeable AMPA receptors in drug-naive mice. Finally, we find that, distinct from other glutamatergic inputs, cocaine exposure selectively induces plasticity at vSUB-D2R synapses. Importantly, we directly compared vSUB and vCA1 output to NAcMS and found that vSUB synapses are functionally distinct and that vCA1 output recapitulated the synaptic properties previously ascribed to vHIPP. Our work highlights the need to consider the contributions of individual subregions of vHIPP to substance use disorders and represents an important first step toward understanding how the vSUB-NAcMS circuit contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Inputs to nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine receptor type 1 (D1R) and D2R medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are critically involved in reward seeking behavior. Ventral subiculum (vSUB) provides robust synaptic input to nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMS) and activity of this circuit is linked to substance use disorders. Despite the importance of the vSUB to nucleus accumbens circuit, the functional connectivity and synaptic transmission properties have not been tested. Here, we systematically interrogated these properties and found that basal connectivity and drug-induced plasticity are biased for D2R medium spiny neurons. Overall, we demonstrate that this circuit is distinct from synaptic inputs from other brain regions, which helps to explain how vSUB dysfunction contributes to the etiologies that underlie substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E Boxer
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - JungMin Kim
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Brett Dunn
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Jason Aoto
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045
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Soares-Cunha C, Heinsbroek JA. Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1086053. [PMID: 36817646 PMCID: PMC9932340 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The interconnected nuclei of the ventral basal ganglia have long been identified as key regulators of motivated behavior, and dysfunction of this circuit is strongly implicated in mood and substance use disorders. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central node of the ventral basal ganglia, and recent studies have revealed complex VP cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of reward, aversion, motivation, and drug-seeking behaviors. Although the VP is canonically considered a relay and output structure for this circuit, emerging data indicate that the VP is a central hub in an extensive network for reward processing and the regulation of motivation that extends beyond classically defined basal ganglia borders. VP neurons respond temporally faster and show more advanced reward coding and prediction error processing than neurons in the upstream nucleus accumbens, and regulate the activity of the ventral mesencephalon dopamine system. This review will summarize recent findings in the literature and provide an update on the complex cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement by the VP with a specific focus on mood and substance use disorders. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which stress and drug exposure alter the functioning of the VP and produce susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Lastly, we will outline unanswered questions and identify future directions for studies necessary to further clarify the central role of VP neurons in the regulation of motivated behaviors. Significance: Research in the last decade has revealed a complex cell- and circuit-specific role for the VP in reward processing and the regulation of motivated behaviors. Novel insights obtained using cell- and circuit-specific interrogation strategies have led to a major shift in our understanding of this region. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the VP in which we integrate novel findings with the existing literature and highlight the emerging role of the VP as a linchpin of the neural systems that regulate motivation, reward, and aversion. In addition, we discuss the dysfunction of the VP in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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Domi A, Lucente E, Cadeddu D, Adermark L. Nicotine but not saline self-administering or yoked control conditions produces sustained neuroadaptations in the accumbens shell. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1105388. [PMID: 36760603 PMCID: PMC9907443 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1105388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Using yoked animals as the control when monitoring operant drug-self-administration is considered the golden standard. However, instrumental learning per se recruits several neurocircuits that may produce distinct or overlapping neuroadaptations with drugs of abuse. The aim of this project was to assess if contingent responding for nicotine or saline in the presence of a light stimulus as a conditioned reinforcer is associated with sustained neurophysiological adaptations in the nucleus accumbens shell (nAcS), a brain region repeatedly associated with reward related behaviors. Methods To this end, nicotine-or saline-administrating rats and yoked-saline stimulus-unpaired training conditions were assessed in operant boxes over four consecutive weeks. After four additional weeks of home cage forced abstinence and subsequent cue reinforced responding under extinction conditions, ex vivo electrophysiology was performed in the nAcS medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Results Whole cell recordings conducted in voltage and current-clamp mode showed that excitatory synapses in the nAcS were altered after prolonged forced abstinence from nicotine self-administration. We observed an increase in sEPSC amplitude in animals with a history of contingent nicotine SA potentially indicating higher excitability of accumbal MSNs, which was further supported by current clamp recordings. Interestingly no sustained neuroadaptations were elicited in saline exposed rats from nicotine associated visual cues compared to the yoked controls. Conclusion The data presented here indicate that nicotine self-administration produces sustained neuroadaptations in the nAcS while operant responding driven by nicotine visual stimuli has no long-term effects on MSNs in nAcS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Domi
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,*Correspondence: Ana Domi, ✉
| | - Erika Lucente
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Davide Cadeddu
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Louise Adermark
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden,Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Engeln M, Fox ME, Chandra R, Choi EY, Nam H, Qadir H, Thomas SS, Rhodes VM, Turner MD, Herman RJ, Calarco CA, Lobo MK. Transcriptome profiling of the ventral pallidum reveals a role for pallido-thalamic neurons in cocaine reward. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3980-3991. [PMID: 35764708 PMCID: PMC9722585 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01668-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Psychostimulant exposure alters the activity of ventral pallidum (VP) projection neurons. However, the molecular underpinnings of these circuit dysfunctions are unclear. We used RNA-sequencing to reveal alterations in the transcriptional landscape of the VP that are induced by cocaine self-administration in mice. We then probed gene expression in select VP neuronal subpopulations to isolate a circuit associated with cocaine intake. Finally, we used both overexpression and CRISPR-mediated knockdown to test the role of a gene target on cocaine-mediated behaviors as well as dendritic spine density. Our results showed that a large proportion (55%) of genes associated with structural plasticity were changed 24 h following cocaine intake. Among them, the transcription factor Nr4a1 (Nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 1, or Nur77) showed high expression levels. We found that the VP to mediodorsal thalamus (VP → MDT) projection neurons specifically were recapitulating this increase in Nr4a1 expression. Overexpressing Nr4a1 in VP → MDT neurons enhanced drug-seeking and drug-induced reinstatement, while Nr4a1 knockdown prevented self-administration acquisition and subsequent cocaine-mediated behaviors. Moreover, we showed that Nr4a1 negatively regulated spine dynamics in this specific cell subpopulation. Together, our study identifies for the first time the transcriptional mechanisms occurring in VP in drug exposure. Our study provides further understanding on the role of Nr4a1 in cocaine-related behaviors and identifies the crucial role of the VP → MDT circuit in drug intake and relapse-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Engeln
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Megan E Fox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric Y Choi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hyungwoo Nam
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Houman Qadir
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shavin S Thomas
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Victoria M Rhodes
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Makeda D Turner
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rae J Herman
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cali A Calarco
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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