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Maddern XJ, Walker LC, Anversa RG, Lawrence AJ, Campbell EJ. Understanding sex differences and the translational value of models of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107944. [PMID: 38825163 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Persistent substance use despite negative consequences is a key facet of substance use disorder. The last decade has seen the preclinical field adopt the use of punishment to model adverse consequences associated with substance use. This has largely involved the pairing of drug use with either electric foot shock or quinine, a bitter tastant. Whilst at face value, these punishers may model aspects of the physical and psychological consequences of substance use, such models are yet to assist the development of approved medications for treatment. This review discusses progress made with animal models of punishment to understand the behavioral consequences of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. We highlight the importance of examining sex differences, especially when the behavioral response to punishment changes following drug exposure. Finally, we critique the translational value these models provide for the substance use disorder field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier J Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Roberta G Anversa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
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Gancarz AM, Parmar R, Shwani T, Cobb MM, Crawford MN, Watson JR, Evans L, Kausch MA, Werner CT, Dietz DM. Adolescent exposure to sucrose increases cocaine-mediated behaviours in adulthood via Smad3. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13346. [PMID: 38017636 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence, a critical period of developmental period, is marked by neurobiological changes influenced by environmental factors. Here, we show how exposure to sucrose, which is ubiquitously available in modern diets, results in changes in behavioural response to cocaine as an adult. Rats were given daily access to either 10% sucrose or water during the adolescent period (PND28-42). Following this period, rats are left undisturbed until they reach adulthood. In adulthood, rats were tested for (i) acquisition of a low dose of cocaine, (ii) progressive ratio (PR) test, and (iii) resistance to punished cocaine taking. Sucrose exposure resulted in significant alterations in all behavioural measures. To determine the neurobiological mechanisms leading to such behavioural adaptations, we find that adolescent sucrose exposure results in an upregulation of the transcription factor Smad3 in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) when compared with water-exposed controls. Transiently blocking the active form of this transcription factor (HSV-dnSmad3) during adolescence mitigated the enhanced cocaine vulnerability-like behaviours observed in adulthood. These findings suggest that prior exposure to sucrose during adolescence can heighten the reinforcing effects of cocaine. Furthermore, they identify the TGF-beta pathway and Smad3 as playing a key role in mediating enduring and long-lasting adaptations that contribute to sucrose-induced susceptibility to cocaine. Taken together, these results have important implications for development and suggest that adolescent sucrose exposure may persistently enhance the susceptibility to substance abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Gancarz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Raveena Parmar
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Treefa Shwani
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Moriah M Cobb
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Michelle N Crawford
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Jacob R Watson
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Lisa Evans
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Michael A Kausch
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, California, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Craig T Werner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - David M Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Gancarz AM, Hagarty DP, Cobb MM, Kausch MA, Krieg B, Alammari N, Gilbert K, Russo J, Dietz DM. Operant novelty seeking predicts cue-induced reinstatement following cocaine but not water reinforcement in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2201-2215. [PMID: 37552291 PMCID: PMC10506955 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE An important facet of cocaine addiction is a high propensity to relapse, with increasing research investigating factors that predispose individuals toward uncontrolled drug use and relapse. A personality trait linked to drug addiction is high sensation seeking, i.e., a preference for novel sensations/experiences. In an animal model of sensation seeking, operant novelty seeking predicts the acquisition of drug self-administration. OBJECTIVE The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the hypothesis that sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of novel sensory stimuli predicts more intensive aspects of drug-taking behaviors, such as relapse. METHODS Rats were first tested for Operant Novelty Seeking, during which responses resulted in complex visual/auditory stimuli. Next, rats were trained to respond to water/cocaine reinforcers signaled by a cue light. Finally, rats were exposed to extinction in the absence of discrete cues and subsequently tested in a single session of cue-induced reinstatement, during which active responses resulted in cues previously paired with water/cocaine delivery. RESULTS The present study showed operant responses to produce novel sensory stimuli positively correlate with responding for cocaine during self-administration and during discrete cue-induced reinstatement, but no association with performance during extinction. A different pattern of associations was observed for a natural reward, in this case, water reinforcement. Here, the degree of novelty seeking also correlated with responding to water reinforcement and extinction responding; however, operant novelty seeking did not correlate with responding to water cues during testing of cue-induced reinstatement. Taken together, the incongruence of relationships indicates an underlying difference between natural and drug reinforcers. CONCLUSION In summary, we found a reinforcer-dependent relationship between operant novelty seeking (i.e., sensation seeking) and responsivity to extinction and discrete cues signaling availability for cocaine (i.e., craving), demonstrating the validity of the operant novelty seeking model to investigate drug seeking and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Gancarz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA.
| | - Devin P Hagarty
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Moriah M Cobb
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Michael A Kausch
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Brandon Krieg
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Nora Alammari
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Kameron Gilbert
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Jacqueline Russo
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - David M Dietz
- Clinical and Research Institute On Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Towers EB, Williams IL, Qillawala EI, Rissman EF, Lynch WJ. Sex/Gender Differences in the Time-Course for the Development of Substance Use Disorder: A Focus on the Telescoping Effect. Pharmacol Rev 2023; 75:217-249. [PMID: 36781217 PMCID: PMC9969523 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000361] [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: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex/gender effects have been demonstrated for multiple aspects of addiction, with one of the most commonly cited examples being the "telescoping effect" where women meet criteria and/or seek treatment of substance use disorder (SUD) after fewer years of drug use as compared with men. This phenomenon has been reported for multiple drug classes including opioids, psychostimulants, alcohol, and cannabis, as well as nonpharmacological addictions, such as gambling. However, there are some inconsistent reports that show either no difference between men and women or opposite effects and a faster course to addiction in men than women. Thus, the goals of this review are to evaluate evidence for and against the telescoping effect in women and to determine the conditions/populations for which the telescoping effect is most relevant. We also discuss evidence from preclinical studies, which strongly support the validity of the telescoping effect and show that female animals develop addiction-like features (e.g., compulsive drug use, an enhanced motivation for the drug, and enhanced drug-craving/vulnerability to relapse) more readily than male animals. We also discuss biologic factors that may contribute to the telescoping effect, such as ovarian hormones, and its neurobiological basis focusing on the mesolimbic dopamine reward pathway and the corticomesolimbic glutamatergic pathway considering the critical roles these pathways play in the rewarding/reinforcing effects of addictive drugs and SUD. We conclude with future research directions, including intervention strategies to prevent the development of SUD in women. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: One of the most widely cited gender/sex differences in substance use disorder (SUD) is the "telescoping effect," which reflects an accelerated course in women versus men for the development and/or seeking treatment for SUD. This review evaluates evidence for and against a telescoping effect drawing upon data from both clinical and preclinical studies. We also discuss the contribution of biological factors and underlying neurobiological mechanisms and highlight potential targets to prevent the development of SUD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Ivy L Williams
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emaan I Qillawala
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
| | - Wendy J Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences (E.B.T., I.L.W., E.I.Q., W.J.L.) and Medical Scientist Training Program (E.B.T.), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Center for Human Health and the Environment and Program in Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina (E.F.R.)
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Towers EB, Kilgore M, Bakhti-Suroosh A, Pidaparthi L, Williams IL, Abel JM, Lynch WJ. Sex differences in the neuroadaptations associated with incubated cocaine-craving: A focus on the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1027310. [PMID: 36688133 PMCID: PMC9854116 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1027310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Women have a shorter course from initial cocaine use to meeting the criteria for cocaine use disorder as compared to men. Preclinical findings similarly indicate that females develop key features of an addiction-like phenotype faster than males, including an enhanced motivation for cocaine and compulsive use, indicating that this phenomenon is biologically based. The goals of this study were to determine whether cocaine-craving, another key feature of addiction, also develops sooner during withdrawal in females than males and to determine whether there are sex differences in the molecular mechanisms associated with its development focusing on markers known to mediate cocaine-craving in males (i.e., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, dmPFC, expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon-IV, Bdnf-IV, and NMDA receptor subunits, Grin2a, Grin2b, and Grin1). Methods Cocaine-craving was assessed following extended-access cocaine self-administration and 2, 7, or 14 days of withdrawal using an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure. Tissue was obtained from the dmPFC immediately after reinstatement testing and gene expression changes were analyzed using real-time qPCR. Results In males, cocaine-craving (total extinction and cue-induced reinstatement responding) progressively increased from early to later withdrawal time-points whereas in females, cocaine-craving was already elevated during early withdrawal (after 2 days) and did not further increase at later withdrawal time-points. Levels of cocaine-craving, however, were similar between the sexes. Gene expression changes differed markedly between the sexes such that males showed the expected relapse- and withdrawal-associated changes in Bdnf-IV, Grin2a, Grin2b, and Grin1 expression, but females only showed a modest increase Grin1 expression at the intermediate withdrawal timepoint. Discussion These findings indicate that cocaine-craving is similarly expressed in males and females although the time-course for its incubation appears to be accelerated in females; the molecular mechanisms also likely differ in females versus males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Madison Kilgore
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Lasyapriya Pidaparthi
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Ivy L. Williams
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Jean M. Abel
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Wendy J. Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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Honeycutt SC, Paladino MS, Camadine RD, Mukherjee A, Loney GC. Acute nicotine treatment enhances compulsive-like remifentanil self-administration that persists despite contextual punishment. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13170. [PMID: 35470562 PMCID: PMC9175303 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid-related deaths remain a significant public health crisis having reached epidemic status globally. OUDs are defined as chronic, relapsing conditions often characterized by compulsive drug seeking despite the deleterious consequences of drug taking. The use of nicotine-containing products has been linked to increased likelihood of prescription opioid misuse, and there exists a significant comorbidity between habitual nicotine use and opioid dependence. In rodent models, nicotine administration nearly doubles the amount of opioids taken in intravenous self-administration paradigms. Here, we examined the effect of acute systemic nicotine administration in male rats on responding for the synthetic opioid remifentanil (RMF) in a contextual punishment paradigm using either an exteroceptive punisher (foot-shock) or an interoceptive punisher (histamine). Nicotine administration, relative to saline, increased RMF intake in both unpunished and punished contexts, regardless of form of punishment, and resulted in significantly higher motivation to obtain RMF in the previously punished context, as measured by progressive ratio breakpoint. Additionally, regardless of context, nicotine-treated rats were slower to extinguish RMF responding following drug removal and displayed higher levels of cue-induced reinstatement than saline-treated controls. Furthermore, these data support that, compared with histamine adulteration, contingent foot-shock is a more potent form of punishment, as histamine punishment failed to support contextual discrimination between the unpunished and punished contexts. In contrast to RMF administration, augmentation of responding for an audiovisual cue by nicotine pretreatment was lost following contextual punishment. In conclusion, acute nicotine administration in adult male rats significantly enhances compulsive-like responding for RMF that persists despite contingent punishment of drug-directed responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C. Honeycutt
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology State University of New York, University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
| | - Morgan S. Paladino
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology State University of New York, University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
| | - Rece D. Camadine
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology State University of New York, University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
| | - Ashmita Mukherjee
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology State University of New York, University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
| | - Gregory C. Loney
- Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology State University of New York, University at Buffalo Buffalo New York USA
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Durand A, Girardeau P, Freese L, Ahmed SH. Increased responsiveness to punishment of cocaine self-administration after experience with high punishment. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:444-453. [PMID: 34429520 PMCID: PMC8674259 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01159-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
One behavioral feature of drug addiction is continued drug use despite awareness that this causes negative consequences. Attempts to model this feature in animals typically involve punishing drug self-administration with electrical footshock to identify individuals whose drug use is differently suppressed by punishment. Here we sought to further study individual responsiveness of drug use to punishment in rats self-administering intravenous cocaine. Rats were first trained during several weeks to self-administer cocaine under a fixed-ratio 3 schedule of reinforcement. Then, their self-administration behavior was punished with increasing intensity of footshock (i.e., from 0.1 mA to 0.9 mA, every 30 min). With increasing intensity of punishment, rats first continued to self-administer cocaine before eventually stopping near completely. When retested, however, drug use became more responsive to punishment and was suppressed by a low and initially ineffective footshock intensity (i.e., 0.1 mA). This increase in responsiveness to punishment was seen in all individuals tested, albeit with varying degrees, and was acquired after one single experience with an intensity of punishment that near completely suppressed drug self-administration. Mere passive, non-contingent exposure to the same intensity, however, had no such effect. Once acquired, increased responsiveness to punishment persisted during at least one month when rats were tested every week, but not every day. Finally, increased responsiveness to punishment was not observed after exposure to a non-painful form of punishment (i.e., histamine). Overall, this study reveals that initial responsiveness of drug use to punishment can change rapidly and persistently with experience. We discuss several possible mechanisms that may account for this change in punishment responsiveness and also draw some of the implications and future perspectives for research on animal models of compulsion-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Girardeau
- grid.412041.20000 0001 2106 639XUniversité de Bordeaux, UFR des Sciences Odontologiques, Bordeaux, France
| | - Luana Freese
- grid.412344.40000 0004 0444 6202Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | - Serge H. Ahmed
- grid.462010.1Université de Bordeaux, CNRS, IMN, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
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Mitra S, Gobira PH, Werner CT, Martin JA, Iida M, Thomas SA, Erias K, Miracle S, Lafargue C, An C, Dietz DM. A role for the endocannabinoid enzymes monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol lipases in cue-induced cocaine craving following prolonged abstinence. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13007. [PMID: 33496035 PMCID: PMC11000690 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Following exposure to drugs of abuse, long-term neuroadaptations underlie persistent risk to relapse. Endocannabinoid signaling has been associated with drug-induced neuroadaptations, but the role of lipases that mediate endocannabinoid biosynthesis and metabolism in regulating relapse behaviors following prolonged periods of drug abstinence has not been examined. Here, we investigated how pharmacological manipulation of lipases involved in regulating the expression of the endocannabinoid 2-AG in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) influence cocaine relapse via discrete neuroadaptations. At prolonged abstinence (30 days) from cocaine self-administration, there is an increase in the NAc levels of diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL), the enzyme responsible for the synthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-AG, along with decreased levels of monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), which hydrolyzes 2-AG. Since endocannabinoid-mediated behavioral plasticity involves phosphatase dysregulation, we examined the phosphatase calcineurin after 30 days of abstinence and found decreased expression in the NAc, which we demonstrate is regulated through the transcription factor EGR1. Intra-NAc pharmacological manipulation of DAGL and MAGL with inhibitors DO-34 and URB-602, respectively, bidirectionally regulated cue-induced cocaine seeking and altered the phosphostatus of translational initiation factor, eIF2α. Finally, we found that cocaine seeking 30 days after abstinence leads to decreased phosphorylation of eIF2α and reduced expression of its downstream target NPAS4, a protein involved in experience-dependent neuronal plasticity. Together, our findings demonstrate that lipases that regulate 2-AG expression influence transcriptional and translational changes in the NAc related to drug relapse vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swarup Mitra
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Pedro H. Gobira
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Craig T. Werner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Madoka Iida
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Shruthi A. Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kyra Erias
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Sophia Miracle
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Charles Lafargue
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Chunna An
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - David M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Towers EB, Bakhti-Suroosh A, Lynch WJ. Females develop features of an addiction-like phenotype sooner during withdrawal than males. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:2213-2224. [PMID: 33907871 PMCID: PMC8295229 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05846-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Women meet criteria for substance use disorder after fewer years of drug use than men; this accelerated time course, or telescoping effect, has been observed for multiple drugs, including cocaine. Preclinical findings similarly indicate an enhanced vulnerability in females to developing an addiction-like phenotype; however, it is not yet known if this phenotype develops faster in females versus males. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to determine using a rat model whether two key features of addiction in humans, an enhanced motivation for cocaine and compulsive use, emerge sooner during withdrawal from extended access cocaine self-administration in females versus males. METHODS Motivation for cocaine, as assessed under a progressive-ratio reinforcement schedule, was determined prior to and following extended access cocaine self-administration (24 h/day, 96 infusions/day, 10 days) and after 7, 14, or 60 days of withdrawal. Compulsive use, or use despite punishment, was evaluated once progressive-ratio responding stabilized by adding histamine, an aversive stimulus, to the cocaine solutions. RESULTS Motivation for cocaine increased from baseline sooner during withdrawal in females than males (at 7 versus 14 days); motivation was also highest in the 60-day group. Histamine decreased progressive-ratio responding for cocaine in both sexes, although effects were greatest in males in the 7-day withdrawal group; males reached the female-level of resistance to histamine punishment by 14 days of withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Female rats developed addition-like features sooner during withdrawal than male rats indicating that the telescoping effect observed in humans is biologically based. Additionally, like drug-seeking/craving, motivation for cocaine and measures of compulsive use incubate over withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Blair Towers
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | | | - Wendy J Lynch
- Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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10
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Bakhti-Suroosh A, Towers EB, Lynch WJ. A buprenorphine-validated rat model of opioid use disorder optimized to study sex differences in vulnerability to relapse. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:1029-1046. [PMID: 33404740 PMCID: PMC7786148 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05750-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major epidemic in the USA. Despite evidence indicating that OUD may be particularly severe for women, preclinical models have yet to establish sex as a major factor in OUD. OBJECTIVES Here, we examined sex differences in vulnerability to relapse following intermittent access fentanyl self-administration and protracted abstinence and used buprenorphine, the FDA-approved treatment for OUD, to test the validity of our model. METHODS Following acquisition of fentanyl self-administration under one of two training conditions, male and female rats were given extended, 24-h/day access to fentanyl (0.25 μg/kg/infusion, 10 days) using an intermittent access procedure. Vulnerability to relapse was assessed using an extinction/cue-induced reinstatement procedure following 14 days of abstinence; buprenorphine (0 or 3 mg/kg/day) was administered throughout abstinence. RESULTS Levels of drug-seeking were high following extended-access fentanyl self-administration and abstinence; buprenorphine markedly decreased drug-seeking supporting the validity of our relapse model. Females self-administered more fentanyl and responded at higher levels during subsequent extinction testing. Buprenorphine was effective in both sexes and eliminated sex and estrous phase differences in drug-seeking. Interestingly, the inclusion of a time-out during training had a major impact on later fentanyl self-administration in females, but not males, indicating that the initial exposure conditions can persistently impact vulnerability in females. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate the utility of this rat model for determining sex and hormonal influences on the development and treatment of OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anousheh Bakhti-Suroosh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801402, Charlottesville, VA 22904 USA
| | - Eleanor Blair Towers
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801402, Charlottesville, VA 22904 USA
| | - Wendy J. Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 801402, Charlottesville, VA 22904 USA
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11
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Luo YX, Huang D, Guo C, Ma YY. Limited versus extended cocaine intravenous self-administration: Behavioral effects and electrophysiological changes in insular cortex. CNS Neurosci Ther 2020; 27:196-205. [PMID: 33118700 PMCID: PMC7816201 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Limited vs extended drug exposure has been proposed as one of the key factors in determining the risk of relapse, which is the primary characteristic of addiction behaviors. The current studies were designed to explore the related behavioral effects and neuronal alterations in the insular cortex (IC), an important brain region involved in addiction. Methods Experiments started with rats at the age of 35 days, a typical adolescent stage when initial drug exposure occurs often in humans. The drug‐seeking/taking behaviors, and membrane properties and intrinsic excitability of IC pyramidal neurons were measured on withdrawal day (WD) 1 and WD 45‐48 after limited vs extended cocaine intravenous self‐administration (IVSA). Results We found higher cocaine‐taking behaviors at the late withdrawal period after limited vs extended cocaine IVSA. We also found minor but significant effects of limited but not extended cocaine exposure on the kinetics and amplitude of action potentials on WD 45, in IC pyramidal neurons. Conclusion Our results indicate potential high risks of relapse in young rats with limited but not extended drug exposure, although the adaptations detected in the IC may not be sufficient to explain the neural changes of higher drug‐taking behaviors induced by limited cocaine IVSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xiao Luo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Donald Huang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Changyong Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yao-Ying Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.,Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA.,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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12
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Neuroadaptations in the dorsal hippocampus underlie cocaine seeking during prolonged abstinence. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:26460-26469. [PMID: 33020308 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006133117] [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] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Relapse vulnerability in substance use disorder is attributed to persistent cue-induced drug seeking that intensifies (or "incubates") during drug abstinence. Incubated cocaine seeking has been observed in both humans with cocaine use disorder and in preclinical relapse models. This persistent relapse vulnerability is mediated by neuroadaptations in brain regions involved in reward and motivation. The dorsal hippocampus (DH) is involved in context-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking but the role of the DH in cocaine seeking during prolonged abstinence has not been investigated. Here we found that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily member activin A is increased in the DH on abstinence day (AD) 30 but not AD1 following extended-access cocaine self-administration compared to saline controls. Moreover, activin A does not affect cocaine seeking on AD1 but regulates cocaine seeking on AD30 in a bidirectional manner. Next, we found that activin A regulates phosphorylation of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunit GluN2B and that GluN2B-containing NMDARs also regulate expression of cocaine seeking on AD30. Activin A and GluN2B-containing NMDARs have both previously been implicated in hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Therefore, we examined synaptic strength in the DH during prolonged abstinence and observed an increase in moderate long-term potentiation (LTP) in cocaine-treated rats compared to saline controls. Lastly, we examined the role of DH projections to the lateral septum (LS), a brain region implicated in cocaine seeking and found that DH projections to the LS govern cocaine seeking on AD30. Taken together, this study demonstrates a role for the DH in relapse behavior following prolonged abstinence from cocaine self-administration.
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13
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Lamontagne SJ, Wilkin MM, Menard JL, Olmstead MC. Mid-adolescent stress differentially affects binge-like intake of sucrose across estrous cycles in female rats ✰. Physiol Behav 2020; 228:113194. [PMID: 33011230 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Binge eating disorder (BED), characterized by excessive food consumption within a discrete period of time, is the most prevalent of all eating disorders, with higher rates in women than men. Chronic stress, particularly during adolescence, is a significant risk factor for BED in women, but the mechanism underlying this relationship remains elusive. We investigated the phenomenon by testing the impact of mid-adolescent intermittent physical stress (IPS) on binge-like intake of sucrose in adult female rats, assessing how the behavior changed across reproductive cycles. One hundred and nineteen Long-Evans rats were exposed to IPS (n = 59) or no stress (NS; n = 60) for 12 days during mid-adolescence (PD35-46). Binge-like eating was induced in adult animals using an intermittent access protocol: animals were provided with 12 h or 24 h access to sucrose, 12 h access to saccharin, or 12 h access to food over 28 days. After 1- or 28-day abstinence, compulsive responding for sucrose was measured using a conditioned suppression paradigm. Rats given 12 h access to sucrose developed binge-like intake, measured as increased consumption during the first hour; the effect was magnified in IPS animals and most pronounced during proestrous. Solution intake in IPS rats was predicted by open arm entries in the elevated plus maze, suggesting that increased risk-taking behavior is associated with greater binge-like eating. IPS blocked conditioned suppression after 28 days of abstinence, pointing to a role of mid-adolescent stress in compulsivity. Collectively, these findings emphasize the impact of stress on the emergence of binge eating in females and suggest that intervention programs for women with a history of adolescent adversity should be investigated as a means to reduce risk for BED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Lamontagne
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Meaghan M Wilkin
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Janet L Menard
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6; Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6; Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6.
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14
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Abstract
Alternative reinforcement-based treatments are among the most effective for reducing substance abuse. However, relapse often occurs when alternative reinforcement ends. Relapse following the loss of alternative reinforcement is called resurgence. An animal model has been used to study basic factors that may ultimately reduce resurgence but uses drug unavailability (i.e., extinction) to reduce drug seeking. In humans, drug abstinence is thought to be a product of aversive consequences associated with drug use rather than extinction. This discrepancy is important because the environmental and neurobiological factors involved in relapse may differ between punished and extinguished behavior. Experiment 1 evaluated resurgence of previously punished cocaine seeking. In Phase 1, rats earned cocaine for pressing levers. In Phase 2, cocaine remained available, but lever pressing also produced mild foot shocks while an alternative response produced food pellets for 1 group but not for another group. In Phase 3, alternative reinforcement and punishment were removed and resurgence of cocaine seeking occurred only in rats previously exposed to alternative reinforcement. In Experiment 2, resurgence was evaluated similarly, except that consequences of cocaine seeking (i.e., punishment and cocaine) remained available during Phase 3. Resurgence did not occur in either group during Experiment 2. The animal models of resurgence developed herein could increase translational utility and improve examination of the environmental and neurobiological factors underlying resurgence of drug seeking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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15
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Liu J, Johnson B, Wu R, Seaman R, Vu J, Zhu Q, Zhang Y, Li JX. TAAR1 agonists attenuate extended-access cocaine self-administration and yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:3403-3414. [PMID: 32246467 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) negatively modulates dopamine transmission. Our previous studies demonstrated that TAAR1 agonists attenuated cue- and drug-induced cocaine-seeking and increased the elasticity of the cocaine demand curve, in the short-access cocaine self-administration model. Compulsive use of cocaine, which is an essential criterion of cocaine use disorder, can be induced by extended access to cocaine self-administration. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH To characterize the role of TAAR1 in compulsive cocaine use, we evaluated the effects of activation of TAAR1 on cocaine intake, cocaine binge and cue-induced cocaine-seeking using the extended-access cocaine self-administration model in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. We also investigated the role of TAAR1 in stress-triggered cocaine relapse by using the α2 -adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking. KEY RESULTS The selective TAAR1 partial agonist RO5263397 attenuated cocaine intake and did not develop tolerance during the 10-day extended-access cocaine self-administration. RO5263397 reduced a 12-h binge intake of cocaine after forced abstinence. RO5263397 also decreased cue-induced cocaine-seeking after prolonged abstinence from extended-access cocaine self-administration. Furthermore, RO5263397 and the selective TAAR1 full agonist RO5166017 reduced yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Activation of TAAR1 attenuated extended-access cocaine self-administration and stress-induced cocaine reinstatement. These results suggest that TAAR1 agonists are promising pharmacological interventions to treat cocaine use disorder and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Bernard Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Ruyan Wu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.,School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Robert Seaman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jimmy Vu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Qing Zhu
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jun-Xu Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
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16
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Werner CT, Mitra S, Martin JA, Stewart AF, Lepack AE, Ramakrishnan A, Gobira PH, Wang ZJ, Neve RL, Gancarz AM, Shen L, Maze I, Dietz DM. Ubiquitin-proteasomal regulation of chromatin remodeler INO80 in the nucleus accumbens mediates persistent cocaine craving. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaay0351. [PMID: 31633032 PMCID: PMC6785264 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroadaptations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlie cue-induced cocaine craving that intensifies ("incubates") during abstinence and is believed to contribute to persistent relapse vulnerability. Changes in gene expression often govern perpetual behavioral abnormalities, but epigenetic plasticity during prolonged abstinence from drug exposure is poorly understood. We examined how E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM3 dysregulates chromatin remodeler INO80 to mediate cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence. We found that INO80 expression increased in the NAc on abstinence day 30 (AD30) but not on AD1 following cocaine self-administration. Furthermore, TRIM3, which mediates degradation of INO80, was reduced on AD30, along with TRIM3-INO80 interaction. Viral-mediated gene transfer of INO80 or TRIM3 governed cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence. Lastly, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by massively parallel DNA sequencing identified INO80-mediated transcriptional regulation of predicted pathways associated with cocaine plasticity. Together, these results demonstrate a novel ubiquitin-proteasomal-epigenetic mechanism by which TRIM3-INO80 mediates cocaine craving during prolonged abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. T. Werner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - S. Mitra
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - J. A. Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - A. F. Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - A. E. Lepack
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - A. Ramakrishnan
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - P. H. Gobira
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Z.-J. Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - R. L. Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - A. M. Gancarz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, USA
| | - L. Shen
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - I. Maze
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - D. M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Program in Neuroscience, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Corresponding author.
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17
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Maracle AC, Normandeau CP, Dumont ÉC, Olmstead MC. Dopamine in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis contributes to compulsive responding for sucrose in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:381-389. [PMID: 30030542 PMCID: PMC6300551 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0149-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by periods of excessive food intake combined with subjective feelings of loss of control. We examined whether sucrose bingeing itself leads to uncontrolled or compulsive responding and whether this effect is magnified following a period of abstinence. We then assessed dopamine (DA) modulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission in the oval bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (ovBNST) as a neural correlate of compulsive responding and whether this behavioral effect could be disrupted by DA blockade in the ovBNST. Over 28 days, male Long-Evans rats (n = 8-16 per group) had access to 10% sucrose and food (12 or 24 h), 0.1% saccharin and food (12 h), or food alone (12 h). Compulsive responding was assessed following 1 or 28 days of sucrose abstinence using a conditioned suppression paradigm. Only rats given 12 h access to sucrose developed binge-like intake, manifested as copious intake within the first hour; compulsive responding was significantly elevated in this group following 28 days of abstinence. In parallel, the effect of DA on ovBNST inhibitory transmission switched from a reduction to a potentiation; the effect, although observable after 1 day, was more pronounced and sustained following 28 days of abstinence. Intra-ovBNST infusions of a DA D1 receptor antagonist (0.8 µg/µl SCH-23390) reversed the blockade of conditioned suppression, thereby confirming the causal relationship between ovBNST DA modulation of γ-aminobutyric acid transmission and alterations in conditioned suppression following binge-like intake of sucrose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Maracle
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Catherine P Normandeau
- Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Éric C Dumont
- Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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18
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Abstract
An increasing emphasis has been placed on the development and use of animal models of addiction that capture defining features of human drug addiction, including escalation/binge drug use, enhanced motivation for the drug, preference for the drug over other reward options, use despite negative consequences, and enhanced drug-seeking/relapse vulnerability. The need to examine behavior in both males and females has also become apparent given evidence demonstrating that the addiction process occurs differently in males and females. This review discusses the procedures that are used to model features of addiction in animals, as well as factors that influence their development. Individual differences are also discussed, with a particular focus on sex differences. While no one procedure consistently produces all characteristics, different models have been developed to focus on certain characteristics. A history of escalating/binge patterns of use appears to be critical for producing other features characteristic of addiction, including an enhanced motivation for the drug, enhanced drug seeking, and use despite negative consequences. These characteristics tend to emerge over abstinence, and appear to increase rather than decrease in magnitude over time. In females, these characteristics develop sooner during abstinence and/or following less drug exposure as compared to males, and for psychostimulant addiction, may require estradiol. Although preference for the drug over other reward options has been demonstrated in non-human primates, it has been more difficult to establish in rats. Future research is needed to define the parameters that optimally induce each of these features of addiction in the majority of animals. Such models are essential for advancing our understanding of human drug addiction and its treatment in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J Lynch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
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19
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Wang ZJ, Martin JA, Gancarz AM, Adank DN, Sim FJ, Dietz DM. Activin A is increased in the nucleus accumbens following a cocaine binge. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43658. [PMID: 28272550 PMCID: PMC5341561 DOI: 10.1038/srep43658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a long-lasting disease characterized by compulsive drug intake mediated in part by neuronal and biological adaptations in key brain areas, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc). While we previously demonstrated involvement of the activin 2a receptor in drug taking, the role of its ligand, activin A, in cocaine relapse is unknown. Activin A levels in the NAc were assessed via ELISA and immunohistochemistry (in neurons, astrocytes, and microglia) following a cocaine binge paradigm. Cocaine exposure significantly increased the levels of activin A in the NAc of animals that had self-administered cocaine prior to the 14-day withdrawal compared with levels in saline controls. This was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of IBA1+ microglia in the NAc that were immunopositive for activin A. In contrast, the proportions of NeuN+ neurons and GFAP+ astrocytes that were immunopositive for activin A remained unaltered. In conclusion, these data suggest that increased secretion of activin A, particularly from microglia, in the NAc represents a novel potential target for the treatment of cocaine relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Amy M. Gancarz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, California State University Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, USA
| | - Danielle N. Adank
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Fraser J. Sim
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - David M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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20
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Aarde SM, Taffe MA. Predicting the Abuse Liability of Entactogen-Class, New and Emerging Psychoactive Substances via Preclinical Models of Drug Self-administration. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 32:145-164. [PMID: 27909988 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of drug self-administration are currently the gold standard for making predictions regarding the relative likelihood that a recreational drug substance will lead to continued use and addiction. Such models have been found to have high predictive accuracy and discriminative validity for a number of drug classes including ethanol, nicotine, opioids, and psychostimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine. Members of the entactogen class of psychostimulants (drugs that produce an "open mind state" including feelings of interpersonal closeness, intimacy and empathy) have been less frequently studied in self-administration models. The prototypical entactogen 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; "Ecstasy") supports self-administration but not with the same consistency nor with the same efficacy as structurally related drugs amphetamine or methamphetamine. Consistent with these observations, MDMA use is more episodic in the majority of those who use it frequently. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of MDMA users will meet the criteria for substance dependence at some point in their use history. This review examines the currently available evidence from rodent self-administration studies of MDMA and two of the new and emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) that produce entactogen type neuropharmacological responses - mephedrone (4-methylmethcathinone; 4MMC; "meow meow") and methylone (3,4-methylenedioxymethcathinone). Overall, the current evidence predicts that these NPS entactogens have enhanced abuse liability compared with MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn M Aarde
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michael A Taffe
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders Mailcode SP30-2400, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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21
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Chesworth R, Corbit LH. Recent developments in the behavioural and pharmacological enhancement of extinction of drug seeking. Addict Biol 2017; 22:3-43. [PMID: 26687226 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the principal barriers to overcoming addiction is the propensity to relapse, even after months or years of abstinence. Relapse can be precipitated by cues and contexts associated with drug use; thus, decreasing the conditioned properties of these cues and contexts may assist in preventing relapse. The predictive power of drug cues and contexts can be reduced by repeatedly presenting them in the absence of the drug reinforcer, a process known as extinction. The potential of extinction to limit relapse has generated considerable interest and research over the past few decades. While pre-clinical animal models suggest extinction learning assists relapse prevention, treatment efficacy is often lacking when extinction learning principles are translated into clinical trials. Conklin and Tiffany (Addiction, 2002) suggest the lack of efficacy in clinical practice may be due to limited translation of procedures demonstrated through animal research and propose several methodological improvements to enhance extinction learning for drug addiction. This review will examine recent advances in the behavioural and pharmacological manipulation of extinction learning, based on research from pre-clinical models. In addition, the translation of pre-clinical findings-both those suggested by Conklin and Tiffany () and novel demonstrations from the past 13 years-into clinical trials and the efficacy of these methods in reducing craving and relapse, where available, will be discussed. Finally, we highlight areas where promising pre-clinical models have not yet been integrated into current clinical practice but, if applied, could improve upon existing behavioural and pharmacological methods.
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22
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Wang ZJ, Martin JA, Mueller LE, Caccamise A, Werner CT, Neve RL, Gancarz AM, Li JX, Dietz DM. BRG1 in the Nucleus Accumbens Regulates Cocaine-Seeking Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 80:652-660. [PMID: 27422367 PMCID: PMC5050080 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug addiction is defined as a chronic disease characterized by compulsive drug seeking and episodes of relapse despite prolonged periods of drug abstinence. Neurobiological adaptations, including transcriptional and epigenetic alterations in the nucleus accumbens, are thought to contribute to this life-long disease state. We previously demonstrated that the transcription factor SMAD3 is increased after 7 days of withdrawal from cocaine self-administration. However, it is still unknown which additional factors participate in the process of chromatin remodeling and facilitate the binding of SMAD3 to promoter regions of target genes. Here, we examined the possible interaction of BRG1-also known as SMARCA4, an adenosine triphosphatase-containing chromatin remodeler-and SMAD3 in response to cocaine exposure. METHODS The expression of BRG1, as well as its binding to SMAD3 and target gene promoter regions, was evaluated in the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum of rats using western blotting, co-immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation following abstinence from cocaine self-administration. Rats were assessed for cocaine-seeking behaviors after either intra-accumbal injections of the BRG1 inhibitor PFI3 or viral-mediated overexpression of BRG1. RESULTS After withdrawal from cocaine self-administration, BRG1 expression and complex formation with SMAD3 are increased in the nucleus accumbens, resulting in increased binding of BRG1 to the promoter regions of Ctnnb1, Mef2d, and Dbn1. Intra-accumbal infusion of PFI3 attenuated, whereas viral overexpression of Brg1 enhanced, cocaine-reinstatement behavior. CONCLUSIONS BRG1 is a key mediator of the SMAD3-dependent regulation of cellular and behavioral plasticity that mediates cocaine seeking after a period of withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Jennifer A Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Lauren E Mueller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Aaron Caccamise
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Craig T Werner
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Amy M Gancarz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - Jun-Xu Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
| | - David M Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York; Department of Psychology, California State University Bakersfield, Bakersfield, California.
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23
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Abstract
Although it is challenging for individuals with cocaine addiction to achieve abstinence, the greatest difficulty is avoiding relapse to drug taking, which is often triggered by cues associated with prior cocaine use. This vulnerability to relapse persists for long periods (months to years) after abstinence is achieved. Here, I discuss rodent studies of cue-induced cocaine craving during abstinence, with a focus on neuronal plasticity in the reward circuitry that maintains high levels of craving. Such work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets and to further our understanding of experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain under normal circumstances and in the context of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Wolf
- The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA
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24
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Gancarz AM, Wang ZJ, Schroeder GL, Damez-Werno D, Braunscheidel K, Mueller LE, Humby MS, Caccamise A, Martin JA, Dietz KC, Neve RL, Dietz DM. Activin receptor signaling regulates cocaine-primed behavioral and morphological plasticity. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:959-61. [PMID: 26030849 PMCID: PMC4599345 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Activin receptor signaling, including the transcription factor Smad3, was upregulated in the rat nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell following withdrawal from cocaine. Direct genetic and pharmacological manipulations of this pathway bidirectionally altered cocaine seeking while governing morphological plasticity in NAc neurons. Thus, Activin/Smad3 signaling is induced following withdrawal from cocaine, and such regulation may be a key molecular mechanism underlying behavioral and cellular plasticity in the brain following cocaine self-administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Gancarz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Zi-Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Gabrielle L. Schroeder
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Diane Damez-Werno
- Department of Neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Kevin Braunscheidel
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Lauren E. Mueller
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Monica S. Humby
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Aaron Caccamise
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Jennifer A. Martin
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | - Karen C. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
| | | | - David M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Research Institute on Addictions; Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
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