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Su H, Ye T, Cao S, Hu C. Understanding the shift to compulsion in addiction: insights from personality traits, social factors, and neurobiology. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1416222. [PMID: 39315036 PMCID: PMC11416939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Compulsion stands as a central symptom of drug addiction; however, only a small fraction of individuals who use drugs exhibit compulsive characteristics. Differences observed in Sign-trackers (ST) and Goal-trackers (GT) during Pavlovian conditioning may shed light on individual variances in drug addiction. Here, we focus on the behavioral attributes, formation processes, and neural mechanisms underlying ST and how they drive addiction toward compulsivity in humans. We will explore addiction from three interconnected levels: individual personality traits, social factors, and neurobiology. Furthermore, we distinguish between the processes of sensitization and habituation within ST. These nuanced distinctions across various aspects of addiction will contribute to our understanding of the addiction development process and the formulation of targeted preventive strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haodong Su
- College of Humanities, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
- Psychological Education Research Department, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
| | - Tongtong Ye
- College of Humanities, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
- Psychological Education Research Department, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
| | - Songyan Cao
- College of Humanities, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
| | - Chunyan Hu
- College of Humanities, Anhui Science and Technology University, Chuzhou, China
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2
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Wilkinson CS, Luján MÁ, Hales C, Costa KM, Fiore VG, Knackstedt LA, Kober H. Listening to the Data: Computational Approaches to Addiction and Learning. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7547-7553. [PMID: 37940590 PMCID: PMC10634572 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1415-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational approaches hold great promise for identifying novel treatment targets and creating translational therapeutics for substance use disorders. From circuitries underlying decision-making to computationally derived neural markers of drug-cue reactivity, this review is a summary of the approaches to data presented at our 2023 Society for Neuroscience Mini-Symposium. Here, we highlight data- and hypothesis-driven computational approaches that recently afforded advancements in addiction and learning neuroscience. First, we discuss the value of hypothesis-driven algorithmic modeling approaches, which integrate behavioral, neural, and cognitive outputs to refine hypothesis testing. Then, we review the advantages of data-driven dimensionality reduction and machine learning methods for uncovering novel predictor variables and elucidating relationships in high-dimensional data. Overall, this review highlights recent breakthroughs in cognitive mapping, model-based analysis of behavior/risky decision-making, patterns of drug taking, relapse, and neuromarker discovery, and showcases the benefits of novel modeling techniques, across both preclinical and clinical data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Miguel Á Luján
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Claire Hales
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Kauê M Costa
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Vincenzo G Fiore
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York 10029
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611
| | - Hedy Kober
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
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3
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Luján MÁ, Oliver BL, Young-Morrison R, Engi SA, Zhang LY, Wenzel JM, Li Y, Zlebnik NE, Cheer JF. A multivariate regressor of patterned dopamine release predicts relapse to cocaine. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112553. [PMID: 37224011 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112553] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding mesolimbic dopamine adaptations underlying vulnerability to drug relapse is essential to inform prognostic tools for effective treatment strategies. However, technical limitations have hindered the direct measurement of sub-second dopamine release in vivo for prolonged periods of time, making it difficult to gauge the weight that these dopamine abnormalities have in determining future relapse incidence. Here, we use the fluorescent sensor GrabDA to record, with millisecond resolution, every single cocaine-evoked dopamine transient in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of freely moving mice during self-administration. We reveal low-dimensional features of patterned dopamine release that are strong predictors of cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Additionally, we report sex-specific differences in cocaine-related dopamine responses related to a greater resistance to extinction in males compared with females. These findings provide important insights into the sufficiency of NAc dopamine signaling dynamics-in interaction with sex-for recapitulating persistent cocaine seeking and future relapse vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Luján
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brandon L Oliver
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside, School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Reana Young-Morrison
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sheila A Engi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lan-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer M Wenzel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Natalie E Zlebnik
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California Riverside, School of Medicine, Riverside, CA, USA.
| | - Joseph F Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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4
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Grinchii D, Levin-Greenwald M, Lezmy N, Gordon T, Paliokha R, Khoury T, Racicky M, Herburg L, Grothe C, Dremencov E, Barak S. FGF2 activity regulates operant alcohol self-administration and mesolimbic dopamine transmission. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 248:109920. [PMID: 37224676 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is involved in the development and maintenance of the brain dopamine system. We previously showed that alcohol exposure alters the expression of FGF2 and its receptor, FGF receptor 1 (FGFR1) in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal brain regions, and that FGF2 is a positive regulator of alcohol drinking. Here, we determined the effects of FGF2 and of FGFR1 inhibition on alcohol consumption, seeking and relapse, using a rat operant self-administration paradigm. In addition, we characterized the effects of FGF2-FGFR1 activation and inhibition on mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine neuron activation using in vivo electrophysiology. We found that recombinant FGF2 (rFGF2) increased the firing rate and burst firing activity of dopaminergic neurons in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems and led to increased operant alcohol self-administration. In contrast, the FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074 suppressed the firing rate of these dopaminergic neurons, and reduced operant alcohol self-administration. Alcohol seeking behavior was not affected by PD173074, but this FGFR1 inhibitor reduced post-abstinence relapse to alcohol consumption, albeit only in male rats. The latter was paralleled by the increased potency and efficacy of PD173074 in inhibiting dopamine neuron firing. Together, our findings suggest that targeting the FGF2-FGFR1 pathway can reduce alcohol consumption, possibly via altering mesolimbic and nigrostriatal neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniil Grinchii
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Noa Lezmy
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Tamar Gordon
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel
| | - Ruslan Paliokha
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Talah Khoury
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Matej Racicky
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Leonie Herburg
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hanover30625, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hanover, Germany
| | - Claudia Grothe
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, Hanover30625, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN), Hanover, Germany
| | - Eliyahu Dremencov
- Institute of Molecular Physiology and Genetics, Center of Biosciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel; The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv69978, Israel.
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5
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Finkin-Groner E, Al-Kachak A, Agustinus A, Bastle R, Lepack A, Lyu Y, Maze I, David Y. Flexible and site-specific manipulation of histones in live animals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.19.533378. [PMID: 36993231 PMCID: PMC10055299 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.19.533378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in protein engineering have provided a wealth of methods that allow for the site-specific manipulation of proteins in vitro and in cells. However, the efforts to expand these toolkits for use in live animals has been limited. Here, we report a new method for the semi-synthesis of site-specifically modified and chemically defined proteins in live animals. Importantly, we illustrate the usefulness of this methodology in the context of a challenging, chromatin bound N-terminal histone tail within rodent postmitotic neurons located in ventral striatum (Nucleus Accumbens/NAc). This approach provides the field with a precise and broadly applicable methodology for manipulating histones in vivo, thereby serving as a unique template towards examining chromatin phenomena that may mediate transcriptomic and physiological plasticity within mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amni Al-Kachak
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Albert Agustinus
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - Ryan Bastle
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Ashley Lepack
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Yang Lyu
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Ian Maze
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Yael David
- Chemical Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
- Department of Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
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6
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Cell-type specific synaptic plasticity in dorsal striatum is associated with punishment-resistance compulsive-like cocaine self-administration in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:448-458. [PMID: 36071131 PMCID: PMC9852591 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01429-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Addiction-related compulsion-like behavior can be modeled in rodents with drug self-administration (SA) despite harmful consequences. Recent studies suggest that the potentiation of glutamatergic transmission at the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) to dorsal striatum (DS) synapses drives the transition from controlled to compulsion-like SA. However, the timing of the induction of this synaptic plasticity remains elusive. Here, mice were first allowed to intravenously self-administer cocaine. When mice had to endure a risk of electrical foot shock, only a fraction persevered in cocaine SA. In these persevering mice, we recorded high A/N ratios (AMPA-R/NMDA-R: α-amino-3hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) in both types of spiny projection neurons (i.e., D1 and D2 dopamine receptor-expressing SPNs). By contrast, when we prepared slices at the end of the acquisition period, in all mice, the A/N was high in D1R- but not D2R-SPNs. These results indicate that the transition to compulsion-like cocaine SA emerges during the punishment sessions, where synapses onto D2R-SPNs are strengthened. In renouncing individuals, the cocaine-evoked strengthening in D1R-SPNs is lost. Our study thus reveals the cell-type specific sequence of the induction of plasticity that eventually may cause compulsion-like SA.
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7
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Chitre AS, Hebda-Bauer EK, Blandino P, Bimschleger H, Nguyen KM, Maras P, Li F, Ozel AB, Pan Y, Polesskaya O, Cheng R, Flagel SB, Watson SJ, Li J, Akil H, Palmer AA. Genome-wide association study in a rat model of temperament identifies multiple loci for exploratory locomotion and anxiety-like traits. Front Genet 2023; 13:1003074. [PMID: 36712851 PMCID: PMC9873817 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1003074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Common genetic factors likely contribute to multiple psychiatric diseases including mood and substance use disorders. Certain stable, heritable traits reflecting temperament, termed externalizing or internalizing, play a large role in modulating vulnerability to these disorders. To model these heritable tendencies, we selectively bred rats for high and low exploration in a novel environment [bred High Responders (bHR) vs. Low Responders (bLR)]. To identify genes underlying the response to selection, we phenotyped and genotyped 538 rats from an F2 cross between bHR and bLR. Several behavioral traits show high heritability, including the selection trait: exploratory locomotion (EL) in a novel environment. There were significant phenotypic and genetic correlations between tests that capture facets of EL and anxiety. There were also correlations with Pavlovian conditioned approach (PavCA) behavior despite the lower heritability of that trait. Ten significant and conditionally independent loci for six behavioral traits were identified. Five of the six traits reflect different facets of EL that were captured by three behavioral tests. Distance traveled measures from the open field and the elevated plus maze map onto different loci, thus may represent different aspects of novelty-induced locomotor activity. The sixth behavioral trait, number of fecal boli, is the only anxiety-related trait mapping to a significant locus on chromosome 18 within which the Pik3c3 gene is located. There were no significant loci for PavCA. We identified a missense variant in the Plekhf1 gene on the chromosome 1:95 Mb QTL and Fancf and Gas2 as potential candidate genes that may drive the chromosome 1:107 Mb QTL for EL traits. The identification of a locomotor activity-related QTL on chromosome 7 encompassing the Pkhd1l1 and Trhr genes is consistent with our previous finding of these genes being differentially expressed in the hippocampus of bHR vs. bLR rats. The strong heritability coupled with identification of several loci associated with exploratory locomotion and emotionality provide compelling support for this selectively bred rat model in discovering relatively large effect causal variants tied to elements of internalizing and externalizing behaviors inherent to psychiatric and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apurva S. Chitre
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Elaine K. Hebda-Bauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Peter Blandino
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hannah Bimschleger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Khai-Minh Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Pamela Maras
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Fei Li
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - A. Bilge Ozel
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yanchao Pan
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Oksana Polesskaya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Riyan Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Shelly B. Flagel
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stanley J. Watson
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Abraham A. Palmer,
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8
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Kuhn BN, Cannella N, Crow AD, Roberts AT, Lunerti V, Allen C, Nall RW, Hardiman G, Woods LCS, Chung D, Ciccocioppo R, Kalivas PW. Novelty-induced locomotor behavior predicts heroin addiction vulnerability in male, but not female, rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3605-3620. [PMID: 36112154 PMCID: PMC9632364 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06235-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The ongoing rise in opioid use disorder (OUD) has made it imperative to better model the individual variation within the human population that contributes to OUD vulnerability. Using animal models that capture such variation can be a useful tool. Individual variation in novelty-induced locomotion is predictive of substance use disorder (SUD) propensity. In this model, rats are characterized as high-responders (HR) or low-responders (LR) using a median split based on distance travelled during a locomotor test, and HR rats are generally found to exhibit a more SUD vulnerable behavioral phenotype. OBJECTIVES The HR/LR model has commonly been used to assess behaviors in male rats using psychostimulants, with limited knowledge of the predictive efficacy of this model in females or the use of an opioid as the reward. In the current study, we assessed several behaviors across the different phases of drug addiction (heroin taking, refraining, and seeking) in over 500 male and female heterogeneous stock rats run at two geographically separate locations. Rats were characterized as HRs or LRs within each sex for analysis. RESULTS Overall, females exhibit a more OUD vulnerable phenotype relative to males. Additionally, the HR/LR model was predictive of OUD-like behaviors in male, but not female rats. Furthermore, phenotypes did not differ in anxiety-related behaviors, reacquisition of heroin-taking, or punished heroin-taking behavior in either sex. CONCLUSIONS These results emphasize the importance of assessing females in models of individual variation in SUD and highlight limitations in using the HR/LR model to assess OUD propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Kuhn
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | | | - Ayteria D Crow
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Analyse T Roberts
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | | | - Carter Allen
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rusty W Nall
- Department of Psychology, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL, USA
| | - Gary Hardiman
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
| | | | - Dongjun Chung
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | | | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, BSB 403-MSC 510, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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Expression of stable and reliable preference and aversion phenotypes following place conditioning with psychostimulants. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2593-2603. [PMID: 35482071 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES Drug-seeking behavior occurs more readily in some individuals than others. This phenomenon is considered in studies of drug self-administration in which high drug-seeking/taking individuals can be identified. In contrast, studies of conditioned place preference (CPP) often involve a random sample of drug-naïve rodents that includes phenotypes not considered relevant to addiction. The main objective of the current studies was to determine if a priori identification of different conditioning phenotypes could improve the validity and sensitivity of CPP expression as a preclinical test for vulnerability to addiction. METHODS AND RESULTS Analysis of cocaine place conditioning data from 443 Swiss-Webster mice revealed a trimodal distribution with peaks corresponding to means of k = 3 clusters. The cluster means occurred at high, low, or negative preference scores, the latter suggesting a phenotype acquiring conditioned place aversion (CPA). The same clusters were identified in mice conditioned with methamphetamine, MDPV, or amphetamine, and these clusters remained stable and reliable during three additional expression tests spaced at 24 h. A meta-analysis of effect sizes obtained from CPP literature revealed a positively skewed distribution affected by sample size, consistent with the existence of a CPA phenotype within the populations tested. A dopamine receptor antagonist, flupentixol, blocked cocaine CPP expression in a group containing all phenotypes, but sensitivity improved markedly when CPA phenotypes were excluded from the dataset. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest that taking phenotype into consideration when designing place conditioning studies will improve their application as a preclinical tool in addiction biology and drug discovery.
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10
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Anderson EM, Taniguchi M. Epigenetic Effects of Addictive Drugs in the Nucleus Accumbens. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:828055. [PMID: 35813068 PMCID: PMC9260254 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.828055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use induces long-lasting behavioral changes and drug craving. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic gene regulation contributes to the development and expression of these long-lasting behavioral alterations. Here we systematically review extensive evidence from rodent models of drug-induced changes in epigenetic regulation and epigenetic regulator proteins. We focus on histone acetylation and histone methylation in a brain region important for drug-related behaviors: the nucleus accumbens. We also discuss how experimentally altering these epigenetic regulators via systemically administered compounds or nucleus accumbens-specific manipulations demonstrate the importance of these proteins in the behavioral effects of drugs and suggest potential therapeutic value to treat people with substance use disorder. Finally, we discuss limitations and future directions for the field of epigenetic studies in the behavioral effects of addictive drugs and suggest how to use these insights to develop efficacious treatments.
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11
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O’Connor SL, Aston-Jones G, James MH. Novelty preference does not predict trait cocaine behaviors in male rats. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100013. [PMID: 35425947 PMCID: PMC9004685 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Heightened novelty seeking is a risk factor for the initiation of drug use and development of substance use disorders. In rats, novelty seeking can be examined by assessing preference for a novel environment. Some evidence indicates that high novelty preferring (HNP) rats have higher drug intake compared to low novelty preferring (LNP) rats, although these data are mixed. Moreover, the extent to which the HNP phenotype can predict other initial drug behaviors, including economic demand for cocaine, has not been tested. Here, we screened a cohort (n=60) of male rats for novelty preference and several subsequent cocaine behaviors, including locomotor reactivity to a cocaine priming injection, acquisition of cocaine self-administration, as well as cocaine demand using a within-session behavioral economics procedure. Novelty preference did not correlate with cocaine behaviors, nor were there any differences between HNP and LNP rats identified using a median split strategy. Moreover, regression analyses indicated that novelty preference did not have predictive utility for any of the cocaine behaviors tested. Thus, the extent to which the novelty preference trait can predict initial cocaine-related behaviors in male rats may be limited. This is in contrast to the novel locomotor reactivity phenotype, which is strongly linked with initial cocaine intake, indicating that these traits are distinct and differentially predict cocaine behaviors in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayna L. O’Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Morgan H. James
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
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12
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Downs AM, McElligott ZA. Noradrenergic circuits and signaling in substance use disorders. Neuropharmacology 2022; 208:108997. [PMID: 35176286 PMCID: PMC9498225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The central noradrenergic system innervates almost all regions of the brain and, as such, is well positioned to modulate many neural circuits implicated in behaviors and physiology underlying substance use disorders. Ample pharmacological evidence demonstrates that α1, α2, and β adrenergic receptors may serve as therapeutic targets to reduce drug -seeking behavior and drug withdrawal symptoms. Further, norepinephrine is a key modulator of the stress response, and stress has been heavily implicated in reinstatement of drug taking. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of noradrenergic circuitry and noradrenergic receptor signaling in the context of opioid, alcohol, and psychostimulant use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M Downs
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Zoe A McElligott
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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13
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Chang SE, Krueger LD, Flagel SB. Investigating individual differences in opioid-taking and opioid-seeking behavior in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1065-1080. [PMID: 34981179 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06023-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Understanding the behavioral and neurobiological factors that render some individuals more susceptible than others to opioid addiction will be critical in combatting the opioid crisis. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to determine if behavioral traits associated with an increased likelihood to take and seek cocaine are the same traits that render one more susceptible to opioid-taking and opioid-seeking behavior. Individual differences in the acquisition of remifentanil self-administration and subsequent cue-induced reinstatement of remifentanil-seeking behavior were investigated using two animal models: the high-responder (HR)/low-responder (LR) and sign-tracker (ST)/goal-tracker (GT) models. Relative to LR rats, HR rats show increased novelty-induced locomotion or "sensation-seeking" behavior, and are more likely to acquire cocaine-taking behavior and do so at a faster rate. Relative to GT rats, ST rats attribute greater incentive motivational value to reward cues and are more likely to exhibit reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. RESULTS In contrast to previous work using cocaine, we did not observe individual differences with respect to the acquisition of remifentanil self-administration- or cue-induced reinstatement of remifentanil-seeking behavior within the context of either the HR/LR or ST/GT model. Thus, neither the sensation-seeking trait nor the propensity to attribute incentive motivational value to reward cues predicts remifentanil-taking or remifentanil-seeking behavior. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that different traits may confer the initiation of opioid- vs. cocaine-taking behavior, and the propensity to relapse to opioid- vs. cocaine-seeking. Additional studies are needed to identify which neurobehavioral constructs confer liability to opioid use and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen E Chang
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lauren D Krueger
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Office of Comparative Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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14
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Kuhn BN, Campus P, Klumpner MS, Chang SE, Iglesias AG, Flagel SB. Inhibition of a cortico-thalamic circuit attenuates cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in "relapse prone" male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:1035-1051. [PMID: 34181035 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05894-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Relapse often occurs when individuals are exposed to stimuli or cues previously associated with the drug-taking experience. The ability of drug cues to trigger relapse is believed to be a consequence of incentive salience attribution, a process by which the incentive value of reward is transferred to the reward-paired cue. Sign-tracker (ST) rats that attribute enhanced incentive value to reward cues are more prone to relapse compared to goal-tracker (GT) rats that primarily attribute predictive value to such cues. OBJECTIVES The neurobiological mechanisms underlying this individual variation in relapse propensity remains largely unexplored. The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been identified as a critical node in the regulation of cue-elicited behaviors in STs and GTs, including cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior. Here we used a chemogenetic approach to assess whether "top-down" cortical input from the prelimbic cortex (PrL) to the PVT plays a role in mediating individual differences in relapse propensity. RESULTS Chemogenetic inhibition of the PrL-PVT pathway selectively decreased cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in STs, without affecting behavior in GTs. In contrast, cocaine-primed drug-seeking behavior was not affected in either phenotype. Furthermore, when rats were characterized based on a different behavioral phenotype-locomotor response to novelty-inhibition of the PrL-PVT pathway had no effect on either cue- or drug-induced reinstatement. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight an important role for the PrL-PVT pathway in vulnerability to relapse that is consequent to individual differences in the propensity to attribute incentive salience to discrete reward cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany N Kuhn
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 4137 Undergraduate Science Building, 204 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Paolo Campus
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Marin S Klumpner
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Stephen E Chang
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Amanda G Iglesias
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 4137 Undergraduate Science Building, 204 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, 4137 Undergraduate Science Building, 204 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 205 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA.
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15
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Even‐Chen O, Herburg L, Kefalakes E, Urshansky N, Grothe C, Barak S. FGF2 is an endogenous regulator of alcohol reward and consumption. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13115. [PMID: 34796591 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing disorder, characterized by escalating alcohol drinking and loss of control, with very limited available treatments. We recently reported that the expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (Fgf2) is increased in the striatum of rodents following long-term excessive alcohol drinking and that the systemic or intra-striatal administration of recombinant FGF2 increases alcohol consumption. Here, we set out to determine whether the endogenous FGF2 plays a role in alcohol drinking and reward, by testing the behavioural phenotype of Fgf2 knockout mice. We found that Fgf2 deficiency resulted in decreased alcohol consumption when tested in two-bottle choice procedures with various alcohol concentrations. Importantly, these effects were specific for alcohol, as a natural reward (sucrose) or water consumption was not affected by Fgf2 deficiency. In addition, Fgf2 knockout mice failed to show alcohol-conditioned place preference (CPP) but showed normal fear conditioning, suggesting that deletion of the growth factor reduces alcohol's rewarding properties. Finally, Fgf2 knockout mice took longer to recover from the loss of righting reflex and showed higher blood alcohol concentrations when challenged with an intoxicating alcohol dose, suggesting that their ethanol metabolism might be affected. Together, our results show that the endogenous FGF2 plays a critical role in alcohol drinking and reward and indicate that FGF2 is a positive regulator of alcohol-drinking behaviours. Our findings suggest that FGF2 is a potential biomarker for problem alcohol drinking and is a potential target for pharmacotherapy development for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Even‐Chen
- School of Psychological Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Leonie Herburg
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology Hannover Medical School Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 Hanover 30625 Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) Hannover Germany
| | - Ekaterini Kefalakes
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology Hannover Medical School Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 Hanover 30625 Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) Hannover Germany
| | - Nataly Urshansky
- School of Psychological Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
| | - Claudia Grothe
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology Hannover Medical School Carl‐Neuberg‐Straße 1 Hanover 30625 Germany
- Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) Hannover Germany
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
- Department of Neurobiology, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv 69978 Israel
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16
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Parsegian A, García-Fuster MJ, Hebda-Bauer E, Watson SJ, Flagel SB, Akil H. Adolescent cocaine differentially impacts psychomotor sensitization and epigenetic profiles in adult male rats with divergent affective phenotypes. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1024617. [PMID: 36311521 PMCID: PMC9599748 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1024617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent drug use reliably predicts increased addiction liability in adulthood, but not all individuals are equally impacted. To explore the biological bases of this differential reactivity to early life drug experience, we used a genetic rat model of temperament and evaluated the impact of adolescent cocaine exposure on adult psychomotor sensitization. Relative to adult bred low-responder (bLR) rats, bred high-responders (bHR) are more sensitive to the psychomotor-activating effects of cocaine and reinstate drug-seeking behavior more readily following prolonged cocaine exposure and/or abstinence. We found that a 7-day sensitizing cocaine regimen (15 mg/kg/day) during either adolescence or adulthood produced psychomotor sensitization in bHRs only, while a dual cocaine exposure prevented further sensitization, suggesting limits on neuroplasticity. By contrast, adolescent cocaine in bLRs shifted their resilient phenotype, rendering them more responsive to cocaine in adulthood following adolescent cocaine. To begin to explore the neural correlates of these behavioral phenotypes, we assessed two functionally opposite epigenetic chromatin modifications implicated in addiction liability, permissive acetylation (ac) and repressive tri-methylation (me3) on Histone 3 Lysine 9 (H3K9), in four striatal sub-regions. In bHRs, decreased H3K9me3 and increased acH3K9 in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core associated with cocaine sensitization. In bLRs, the combination of cocaine exposure in adolescence and adulthood, which lead to an increased response to a cocaine challenge, also increased acH3K9 in the core. Thus, adolescent cocaine experience interacts with genetic background to elicit different behavioral profiles relevant to addiction in adulthood, with concurrent modifications in the epigenetic histone profiles in the NAc that associate with cocaine sensitization and with metaplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram Parsegian
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - M Julia García-Fuster
- IUNICS, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain.,Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands (IdISBa), Palma, Spain
| | - Elaine Hebda-Bauer
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Stanley J Watson
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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17
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Sørensen G, Rickhag M, Leo D, Lycas MD, Ridderstrøm PH, Weikop P, Lilja JH, Rifes P, Herborg F, Woldbye D, Wörtwein G, Gainetdinov RR, Fink-Jensen A, Gether U. Disruption of the PDZ domain-binding motif of the dopamine transporter uniquely alters nanoscale distribution, dopamine homeostasis, and reward motivation. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101361. [PMID: 34756883 PMCID: PMC8648841 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) is part of a presynaptic multiprotein network involving interactions with scaffold proteins via its C-terminal PDZ domain-binding sequence. Using a mouse model expressing DAT with mutated PDZ-binding sequence (DAT-AAA), we previously demonstrated the importance of this binding sequence for striatal expression of DAT. Here, we show by application of direct stochastic reconstruction microscopy not only that the striatal level of transporter is reduced in DAT-AAA mice but also that the nanoscale distribution of this transporter is altered with a higher propensity of DAT-AAA to localize to irregular nanodomains in dopaminergic terminals. In parallel, we observe mesostriatal DA adaptations and changes in DA-related behaviors distinct from those seen in other genetic DAT mouse models. DA levels in the striatum are reduced to ∼45% of that of WT, accompanied by elevated DA turnover. Nonetheless, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry recordings on striatal slices reveal a larger amplitude and prolonged clearance rate of evoked DA release in DAT-AAA mice compared with WT mice. Autoradiography and radioligand binding show reduced DA D2 receptor levels, whereas immunohistochemistry and autoradiography show unchanged DA D1 receptor levels. In behavioral experiments, we observe enhanced self-administration of liquid food under both a fixed ratio of one and progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement but a reduction compared with WT when using cocaine as reinforcer. In summary, our data demonstrate how disruption of PDZ domain interactions causes changes in DAT expression and its nanoscopic distribution that in turn alter DA clearance dynamics and related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Sørensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Mental Health Center & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mattias Rickhag
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Damiana Leo
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matthew D Lycas
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pernille Herrstedt Ridderstrøm
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Mental Health Center & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Weikop
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Mental Health Center & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jamila H Lilja
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pedro Rifes
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Freja Herborg
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Woldbye
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gitta Wörtwein
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Mental Health Center & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine and Saint-Petersburg University Hospital, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anders Fink-Jensen
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, Mental Health Center & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Gether
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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18
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Aslam M. Towards a reinforcement-sensitive multiple risk behavior change model. CURRENT RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crbeha.2021.100028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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19
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Duclot F, Kabbaj M. Epigenetics of Aggression. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:283-310. [PMID: 34595741 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex behavioral trait modulated by both genetic and environmental influences on gene expression. By controlling gene expression in a reversible yet potentially lasting manner in response to environmental stimulation, epigenetic mechanisms represent prime candidates in explaining both individual differences in aggression and the development of elevated aggressive behaviors following life adversity. In this manuscript, we review the evidence for an epigenetic basis in the development and expression of aggression in both humans and related preclinical animal models. In particular, we discuss reports linking DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, as well as non-coding RNA, to the regulation of a variety of genes implicated in the neurobiology of aggression including neuropeptides, the serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems, and stress response related systems. While clinical reports do reveal interesting patterns of DNA methylation underlying individual differences and experience-induced aggressive behaviors, they do, in general, face the challenge of linking peripheral observations to central nervous system regulations. Preclinical studies, on the other hand, provide detailed mechanistic insights into the epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression following life adversities. Although the functional link to aggression remains unclear in most, these studies together do highlight the involvement of epigenetic events driven by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA in the neuroadaptations underlying the development and expression of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Duclot
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
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20
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Aydin C, Frohmader K, Emery M, Blandino P, Akil H. Chronic stress in adolescence differentially affects cocaine vulnerability in adulthood in a selectively bred rat model of individual differences: role of accumbal dopamine signaling. Stress 2021; 24:251-260. [PMID: 32748678 PMCID: PMC7858685 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2020.1790520] [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] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress during adolescence has profound effects on the onset and severity of substance use later in life. However, not everyone with adverse experiences during this period will go on to develop a substance use disorder in adulthood, and the factors that alter susceptibility to substance use remain unknown. Here, we investigated individual differences in response to stress and drugs of abuse using our selectively bred high-responder (bHR) and low-responder (bLR) rats. These animals model extremes of temperamental tendencies and differ dramatically in both stress responsiveness and addiction-related traits. The present study investigated how environmental interventions in the form of a chronic variable stress (CVS) regimen in early adolescence interact with the bHR/bLR phenotype to alter behavioral sensitization to cocaine in adulthood. We also determined whether accumbal dopamine signaling is involved in the interaction of stress history and cocaine by assessing the mRNA levels of dopamine D1 (D1R) and D2 (D2R) receptors. Our results showed that CVS history alone had enduring and phenotype-specific effects on accumbal dopamine signaling. Importantly, adolescent stress had opposing effects in the two lines- decreasing the locomotor response to cocaine challenge in bHRs but increasing this measure in bLRs. Moreover, these opposing effects on cocaine sensitivity following adolescent CVS were accompanied by parallel effects in the accumbal dopamine system, with prior stress and cocaine exposure interacting to decrease D2R mRNA in bHRs but increase it in bLRs. Overall, these findings indicate that environmental challenges encountered in adolescence interact with genetic background to alter vulnerability to cocaine later in life.Lay SummaryStress experienced during adolescence affects the onset and severity of drug dependence later in life. However, not everyone with adverse experiences during this period will go on to develop SUD in adulthood. Using a rat model of innate differences in emotional reactivity, this study shows that the interplay between individual temperament and previous experience of adolescent stress/trauma determines whether an individual will be vulnerable or resilient to develop SUDs later in life. In addition, the present study shows that the dopamine D2 receptor in the brain's reward center, nucleus accumbens, may be implicated in this interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cigdem Aydin
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Karla Frohmader
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael Emery
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter Blandino
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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21
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O'Connor SL, Aston-Jones G, James MH. The sensation seeking trait confers a dormant susceptibility to addiction that is revealed by intermittent cocaine self-administration in rats. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108566. [PMID: 33862028 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Heightened sensation seeking is associated with an increased risk of substance use disorder in clinical populations. In rats, sensation seeking is often examined by measuring locomotor reactivity to a novel environment. So-called high responders (HR) acquire self-administration of psychostimulants more quickly and consume higher amounts of drug compared to low responder (LR) rats, indicating that the HR trait might confer a stronger addiction propensity. However, studies of addiction-like behaviors in HR vs LR rats have typically utilized self-administration paradigms that do not dissociate individual differences in the hedonic/reinforcing and motivational properties of a drug. Moreover, little attention has been given to whether HR rats are more susceptible to drug-access conditions that promote a state-dependent addiction phenotype. We report that on a behavioral economics task, HR rats have higher preferred brain-cocaine levels compared to LR rats but do not differ with respect to their demand elasticity for cocaine. In contrast, when tested on an intermittent access schedule of cocaine self-administration, which has been shown to promote several addiction-related endophenotypes, HR rats exhibit greater escalation of intake and more drastic reductions in cocaine demand elasticity. Together, these data indicate that the HR trait does not confer higher extant addiction behavior, but rather that this phenotype is associated with a propensity for addiction that remains dormant until it is actuated by intermittent drug intake. These findings reveal a 'trait' (HR) by 'state' (intermittent drug intake) interaction that produces a strong addiction-like phenotype. This article is part of the special issue on 'Vulnerabilities to Substance Abuse'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayna L O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Morgan H James
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA; Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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22
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Bravo-Rivera H, Rubio Arzola P, Caban-Murillo A, Vélez-Avilés AN, Ayala-Rosario SN, Quirk GJ. Characterizing Different Strategies for Resolving Approach-Avoidance Conflict. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:608922. [PMID: 33716644 PMCID: PMC7947632 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.608922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of animals to maximize benefits and minimize costs during approach-avoidance conflicts is an important evolutionary tool, but little is known about the emergence of specific strategies for conflict resolution. Accordingly, we developed a simple approach-avoidance conflict task in rats that pits the motivation to press a lever for sucrose against the motivation to step onto a distant platform to avoid a footshock delivered at the end of a 30 s tone (sucrose is available only during the tone). Rats received conflict training for 16 days to give them a chance to optimize their strategy by learning to properly time the expression of both behaviors across the tone. Rats unexpectedly separated into three distinct subgroups: those pressing early in the tone and avoiding later (Timers, 49%); those avoiding throughout the tone (Avoidance-preferring, 32%); and those pressing throughout the tone (Approach-preferring, 19%). The immediate early gene cFos revealed that Timers showed increased activity in the ventral striatum and midline thalamus relative to the other two subgroups, Avoidance-preferring rats showed increased activity in the amygdala, and Approach-preferring rats showed decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex. This pattern is consistent with low fear and high behavioral flexibility in Timers, suggesting the potential of this task to reveal the neural mechanisms of conflict resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Patricia Rubio Arzola
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Albit Caban-Murillo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Adriana N. Vélez-Avilés
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Shantée N. Ayala-Rosario
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
| | - Gregory J. Quirk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
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23
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Clinton SM, Shupe EA, Glover ME, Unroe KA, McCoy CR, Cohen JL, Kerman IA. Modeling heritability of temperamental differences, stress reactivity, and risk for anxiety and depression: Relevance to research domain criteria (RDoC). Eur J Neurosci 2021; 55:2076-2107. [PMID: 33629390 PMCID: PMC8382785 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Animal models provide important tools to study biological and environmental factors that shape brain function and behavior. These models can be effectively leveraged by drawing on concepts from the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Initiative, which aims to delineate molecular pathways and neural circuits that underpin behavioral anomalies that transcend psychiatric conditions. To study factors that contribute to individual differences in emotionality and stress reactivity, our laboratory utilized Sprague-Dawley rats that were selectively bred for differences in novelty exploration. Selective breeding for low versus high locomotor response to novelty produced rat lines that differ in behavioral domains relevant to anxiety and depression, particularly the RDoC Negative Valence domains, including acute threat, potential threat, and loss. Bred Low Novelty Responder (LR) rats, relative to their High Responder (HR) counterparts, display high levels of behavioral inhibition, conditioned and unconditioned fear, avoidance, passive stress coping, anhedonia, and psychomotor retardation. The HR/LR traits are heritable, emerge in the first weeks of life, and appear to be driven by alterations in the developing amygdala and hippocampus. Epigenomic and transcriptomic profiling in the developing and adult HR/LR brain suggest that DNA methylation and microRNAs, as well as differences in monoaminergic transmission (dopamine and serotonin in particular), contribute to their distinct behavioral phenotypes. This work exemplifies ways that animal models such as the HR/LR rats can be effectively used to study neural and molecular factors driving emotional behavior, which may pave the way toward improved understanding the neurobiological mechanisms involved in emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Clinton
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Shupe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Matthew E Glover
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Keaton A Unroe
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Chelsea R McCoy
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Joshua L Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ilan A Kerman
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Behavioral Health Service Line, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Komorowski A, Weidenauer A, Murgaš M, Sauerzopf U, Wadsak W, Mitterhauser M, Bauer M, Hacker M, Praschak-Rieder N, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R, Willeit M. Association of dopamine D 2/3 receptor binding potential measured using PET and [ 11C]-(+)-PHNO with post-mortem DRD 2/3 gene expression in the human brain. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117270. [PMID: 32818617 PMCID: PMC7610745 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Open access post-mortem transcriptome atlases such as the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) can inform us about mRNA expression of numerous proteins of interest across the whole brain, while in vivo protein binding in the human brain can be quantified by means of neuroreceptor positron emission tomography (PET). By combining both modalities, the association between regional gene expression and receptor distribution in the living brain can be approximated. Here, we compare the characteristics of D2 and D3 dopamine receptor distribution by applying the dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist radioligand [11C]-(+)-PHNO and human gene expression data. Since [11C]-(+)-PHNO has a higher affinity for D3 compared to D2 receptors, we hypothesized that there is a stronger relationship between D2/3 non-displaceable binding potentials (BPND) and D3 mRNA expression. To investigate the relationship between D2/3 BPND and mRNA expression of DRD2 and DRD3 we performed [11C]-(+)-PHNO PET scans in 27 healthy subjects (12 females) and extracted gene expression data from the AHBA. We also calculated D2/D3 mRNA expression ratios to imitate the mixed D2/3 signal of [11C]-(+)-PHNO. In accordance with our a priori hypothesis, a strong correlation between [11C]-(+)-PHNO and DRD3 expression was found. However, there was no significant correlation with DRD2 expression. Calculated D2/D3 mRNA expression ratios also showed a positive correlation with [11C]-(+)-PHNO binding, reflecting the mixed D2/3 signal of the radioligand. Our study supports the usefulness of combining gene expression data from open access brain atlases with in vivo imaging data in order to gain more detailed knowledge on neurotransmitter signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiusz Komorowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ana Weidenauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Murgaš
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrich Sauerzopf
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine (CBmed), Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Mitterhauser
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Applied Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Bauer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicole Praschak-Rieder
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Matthäus Willeit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Division of General Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Chen R, Ferris MJ, Wang S. Dopamine D2 autoreceptor interactome: Targeting the receptor complex as a strategy for treatment of substance use disorder. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 213:107583. [PMID: 32473160 PMCID: PMC7434700 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine D2 autoreceptors (D2ARs), located in somatodendritic and axon terminal compartments of dopamine (DA) neurons, function to provide a negative feedback regulatory control on DA neuron firing, DA synthesis, reuptake and release. Dysregulation of D2AR-mediated DA signaling is implicated in vulnerability to substance use disorder (SUD). Due to the extreme low abundance of D2ARs compared to postsynaptic D2 receptors (D2PRs) and the lack of experimental tools to differentiate the signaling of D2ARs from D2PRs, the regulation of D2ARs by drugs of abuse is poorly understood. The recent availability of conditional D2AR knockout mice and newly developed virus-mediated gene delivery approaches have provided means to specifically study the function of D2ARs at the molecular, cellular and behavioral levels. There is a growing revelation of novel mechanisms and new proteins that mediate D2AR activity, suggesting that D2ARs act cooperatively with an array of membrane and intracellular proteins to tightly control DA transmission. This review highlights D2AR-interacting partners including transporters, G-protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, intracellular signaling modulators, and protein kinases. The complexity of the D2AR interaction network illustrates the functional divergence of D2ARs. Pharmacological targeting of multiple D2AR-interacting partners may be more effective to restore disrupted DA homeostasis by drugs of abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Chen
- Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States of America; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction Treatment, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States of America.
| | - Mark J Ferris
- Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States of America; Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction Treatment, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States of America
| | - Shiyu Wang
- Dept. of Physiology & Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC 27157, United States of America
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Emery MA, Akil H. Endogenous Opioids at the Intersection of Opioid Addiction, Pain, and Depression: The Search for a Precision Medicine Approach. Annu Rev Neurosci 2020; 43:355-374. [PMID: 32109184 PMCID: PMC7646290 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-110719-095912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Opioid addiction and overdose are at record levels in the United States. This is driven, in part, by their widespread prescription for the treatment of pain, which also increased opportunity for diversion by sensation-seeking users. Despite considerable research on the neurobiology of addiction, treatment options for opioid abuse remain limited. Mood disorders, particularly depression, are often comorbid with both pain disorders and opioid abuse. The endogenous opioid system, a complex neuromodulatory system, sits at the neurobiological convergence point of these three comorbid disease states. We review evidence for dysregulation of the endogenous opioid system as a mechanism for the development of opioid addiction and/or mood disorder. Specifically, individual differences in opioid system function may underlie differences in vulnerability to opioid addiction and mood disorders. We also review novel research, which promises to provide more detailed understanding of individual differences in endogenous opioid neurobiology and its contribution to opioid addiction susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Emery
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
| | - Huda Akil
- Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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27
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Sandoval-Sierra JV, Salgado García FI, Brooks JH, Derefinko KJ, Mozhui K. Effect of short-term prescription opioids on DNA methylation of the OPRM1 promoter. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:76. [PMID: 32493461 PMCID: PMC7268244 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00868-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A long-term opioid use has been associated with hypermethylation of the opioid receptor mu 1 (OPRM1) promoter. Very little is currently known about the early epigenetic response to therapeutic opioids. Here, we examine whether we can detect DNA methylation changes associated with a few days’ use of prescribed opioids. Genome-wide DNA methylation was assayed in a cohort of 33 opioid-naïve participants who underwent standard dental surgery followed by opioid self-administration. Saliva samples were collected before surgery (visit 1), and at two postsurgery visits at 2.7 ± 1.5 days (visit 2), and 39 ± 10 days (visit 3) after the discontinuation of opioid analgesics. Results The perioperative methylome underwent significant changes over the three visits that were primarily due to postoperative inflammatory response and cell heterogeneity. To specifically examine the effect of opioids, we started with a candidate gene approach and evaluated 10 CpGs located in the OPRM1 promoter. There was a significant cross-sectional variability in opioid use, and for participants who self-administered the prescribed drugs, the total dosage ranged from 5–210 morphine milligram equivalent (MME). Participants were categorized by cumulative dosage into three groups: < 25 MME, 25–90 MME, and ≥ 90 MME. Using mixed-effects modeling, 4 CpGs had significant positive associations with opioid dose at two-tailed p value < 0.05, and overall, 9 of the 10 OPRM1 promoter CpGs showed the predicted higher methylation in the higher dose groups relative to the lowest dose group. After adjustment for age, cellular heterogeneity, and past tobacco use, the promoter mean methylation also had positive associations with cumulative MME (regression coefficient = 0.0002, one-tailed p value = 0.02) and duration of opioid use (regression coefficient = 0.003, one-tailed p value = 0.001), but this effect was significant only for visit 3. A preliminary epigenome-wide association study identified a significant CpG in the promoter of the RAS-related signaling gene, RASL10A, that may be predictive of opioid dosage. Conclusion The present study provides evidence that the hypermethylation of the OPRM1 promoter is in response to opioid use and that epigenetic differences in OPRM1 and other sites are associated with a short-term use of therapeutic opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Vladimir Sandoval-Sierra
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Francisco I Salgado García
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Brooks
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Karen J Derefinko
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Khyobeni Mozhui
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
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Colaizzi JM, Flagel SB, Joyner MA, Gearhardt AN, Stewart JL, Paulus MP. Mapping sign-tracking and goal-tracking onto human behaviors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 111:84-94. [PMID: 31972203 PMCID: PMC8087151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
As evidenced through classic Pavlovian learning mechanisms, environmental cues can become incentivized and influence behavior. These stimulus-outcome associations are relevant in everyday life but may be particularly important for the development of impulse control disorders including addiction. Rodent studies have elucidated specific learning profiles termed 'sign-tracking' and 'goal-tracking' which map onto individual differences in impulsivity and other behaviors associated with impulse control disorders' etiology, course, and relapse. Whereas goal-trackers are biased toward the outcome, sign-trackers fixate on features that are associated with but not necessary for achieving an outcome; a pattern of behavior that often leads to escalation of reward-seeking that can be maladaptive. The vast majority of the sign- and goal-tracking research has been conducted using rodent models and very few have bridged this concept into the domain of human behavior. In this review, we discuss the attributes of sign- and goal-tracking profiles, how these are manifested neurobiologically, and how these distinct learning styles could be an important tool for clinical interventions in human addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna M Colaizzi
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA.
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- University of Michigan Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, 205 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michelle A Joyner
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ashley N Gearhardt
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | | | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK, USA
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29
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Kuhn BN, Kalivas PW, Bobadilla AC. Understanding Addiction Using Animal Models. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:262. [PMID: 31849622 PMCID: PMC6895146 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a neuropsychiatric disorder with grave personal consequences that has an extraordinary global economic impact. Despite decades of research, the options available to treat addiction are often ineffective because our rudimentary understanding of drug-induced pathology in brain circuits and synaptic physiology inhibits the rational design of successful therapies. This understanding will arise first from animal models of addiction where experimentation at the level of circuits and molecular biology is possible. We will review the most common preclinical models of addictive behavior and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. This includes non-contingent models in which animals are passively exposed to rewarding substances, as well as widely used contingent models such as drug self-administration and relapse. For the latter, we elaborate on the different ways of mimicking craving and relapse, which include using acute stress, drug administration or exposure to cues and contexts previously paired with drug self-administration. We further describe paradigms where drug-taking is challenged by alternative rewards, such as appetitive foods or social interaction. In an attempt to better model the individual vulnerability to drug abuse that characterizes human addiction, the field has also established preclinical paradigms in which drug-induced behaviors are ranked by various criteria of drug use in the presence of negative consequences. Separation of more vulnerable animals according to these criteria, along with other innate predispositions including goal- or sign-tracking, sensation-seeking behavior or impulsivity, has established individual genetic susceptibilities to developing drug addiction and relapse vulnerability. We further examine current models of behavioral addictions such as gambling, a disorder included in the DSM-5, and exercise, mentioned in the DSM-5 but not included yet due to insufficient peer-reviewed evidence. Finally, after reviewing the face validity of the aforementioned models, we consider the most common standardized tests used by pharmaceutical companies to assess the addictive potential of a drug during clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter W. Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
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30
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Even-Chen O, Barak S. Inhibition of FGF Receptor-1 Suppresses Alcohol Consumption: Role of PI3 Kinase Signaling in Dorsomedial Striatum. J Neurosci 2019; 39:7947-7957. [PMID: 31375540 PMCID: PMC6774404 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0805-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 07/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol intake leads to mesostriatal neuroadaptations, and to addiction phenotypes. We recently found in rodents that alcohol increases fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) expression in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), which promotes alcohol consumption. Here, we show that systemic or intra-DMS blockade of the FGF2 receptor, FGF receptor-1 (FGFR1), suppresses alcohol consumption, and that the effects of FGF2-FGFR1 on alcohol drinking are mediated via the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. Specifically, we found that sub-chronic alcohol treatment (7 d × 2.5 g/kg, i.p.) increased Fgfr1 mRNA expression in the dorsal hippocampus and dorsal striatum. However, prolonged and excessive voluntary alcohol consumption in a two-bottle choice procedure increased Fgfr1 expression selectively in DMS. Importantly, systemic administration of the FGFR1 inhibitor PD173074 to mice, as well as its infusion into the DMS of rats, decreased alcohol consumption and preference, with no effects on natural reward consumption. Finally, inhibition of the PI3K, but not of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, blocked the effects of FGF2 on alcohol intake and preference. Our results suggest that activation of FGFR1 by FGF2 in the DMS leads to activation of the PI3K signaling pathway, which promotes excessive alcohol consumption, and that inhibition of FGFR1 may provide a novel therapeutic target for alcohol use disorder.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Long-term alcohol consumption causes neuroadaptations in the mesostriatal reward system, leading to addiction-related behaviors. We recently showed that alcohol upregulates the expression of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) in dorsomedial striatum (DMS) or rats and mice, and in turn, FGF2 increases alcohol consumption. Here, we show that long-term alcohol intake also increases the expression of the FGF2 receptor, FGFR1 in the DMS. Importantly, inhibition of FGFR1 activity by a selective receptor antagonist reduces alcohol drinking, when given systemically or directly into the DMS. We further show that the effects of FGF2-FGFR1 on alcohol drinking are mediated via activation of the PI3K intracellular signaling pathway, providing an insight on the mechanism for this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences, and
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
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31
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Serrano-Barroso A, Vargas JP, Diaz E, O’Donnell P, López JC. Sign and goal tracker rats process differently the incentive salience of a conditioned stimulus. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223109. [PMID: 31568533 PMCID: PMC6768469 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sign and goal tracker animals show different behavioral patterns in response to conditioned stimuli, which may be driven by different neural circuits involved in processing stimuli. Here, we explored whether sign and goal-tracker profiles implicated different brain regions and responses to incentive salience of stimuli. We performed three experiments using male Wistar rats. Experiment 1 showed that lesioning the medial prefrontal cortex increased the prevalence of the goal-tracker phenotype. Experiment 2 assessed the developmental trajectory of the salience incentive attribution to a conditioned stimulus, showing that increased incentive salience of stimuli increased the prevalence of the sign-tracker phenotype in mature, but not preadolescent rats. In experiment 3, the functional impact of the medial prefrontal cortex circuits was analyzed with a latent inhibition procedure. Sign tracker rats showed a reduced latent inhibition to stimuli previously exposed when compared to goal tracker or intermediate rats. The overall results of this study highlight a key role of the medial prefrontal cortex for sign tracking behavior. The expression of sign and goal tracker phenotypes changed after lesion to the medial prefrontal cortex (experiment 1), differed across development (experiment 2), and showed differences in the attentional processes to previously exposed stimuli, as preexposure to CS was ineffective in sign tracker animals (experiment 3). These data indicate that the responses to the incentive salience of stimuli in sign tracker and goal tracker profiles are likely driven by different neural circuitry, with a different role of prefrontal cortical function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Pedro Vargas
- Departamento de Psicología Experimental, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Estrella Diaz
- Departamento de Psicología Experimental, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Patricio O’Donnell
- Translational Research and Experimental Medicine, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Juan Carlos López
- Departamento de Psicología Experimental, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
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Stringfield SJ, Madayag AC, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Sex differences in nicotine-enhanced Pavlovian conditioned approach in rats. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:37. [PMID: 31315660 PMCID: PMC6637589 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Nicotine exposure enhances Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA), or the learned approach to reward-predictive cues. While females show elevated approach to conditioned stimuli compared to males, potentially indicating heightened addiction vulnerability, it is unknown how sex may interact with nicotine to influence approach behavior. Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels can be altered significantly after repeated nicotine exposure, suggesting a potential mechanism contributing to nicotine-induced behavioral phenotypes. The present study investigated the role of sex on nicotine-induced changes to stimulus-response behavior and associated BDNF protein levels. Methods Male and female rats were exposed to nicotine (0.4 mg/kg, subcutaneously) or saline 15 min prior to each PCA session. PCA training consisted of 29 sessions of 15 trials, in which a 30-s cue presentation ended concurrently with a sucrose reward (20% w/v in water, 100 μL), and a 120-s variable intertrial interval occurred between trials. Approach behavior to the cue and reward receptacle was recorded. Preference toward the reward receptacle indicated a goal-tracking phenotype, and preference toward the cue indicated a sign-tracking phenotype, demonstrating that the cue had gained incentive salience. Twenty-four hours after the last PCA session, brain tissue was collected and BDNF levels were measured in the basolateral amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens using Western blot analysis. Results Nicotine exposure enhanced both sign- and goal-tracking conditioned approach, and females showed elevated sign-tracking compared to males. There were no sex-by-drug interactions on conditioned approach. Day-to-day variability in conditioned approach was similar between sexes. In contrast to prior studies, neither repeated exposure to nicotine nor sex significantly affected BDNF expression. Conclusions Drug-naïve females exhibited heightened sign-tracking compared to males, and nicotine enhanced conditioned approach similarly in males and females. Further, non-significant changes to BDNF expression in brain regions highly associated with PCA indicate that BDNF is unlikely to drive nicotine-enhanced conditioned behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra J Stringfield
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aric C Madayag
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7178, USA. .,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Exploratory locomotion, a predictor of addiction vulnerability, is oligogenic in rats selected for this phenotype. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:13107-13115. [PMID: 31182603 PMCID: PMC6600920 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820410116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificially selected model organisms can reveal hidden features of the genetic architecture of the complex disorders that they model. Addictions are disease phenotypes caused by different intermediate phenotypes and pathways and thereby are potentially highly polygenic. High responder (bHR) and low responder (bLR) rat lines have been selectively bred (b) for exploratory locomotion (EL), a behavioral phenotype correlated with novelty-seeking, impulsive response to reward, and vulnerability to addiction, and is inversely correlated with spontaneous anxiety and depression-like behaviors. The rapid response to selection indicates loci of large effect for EL. Using exome sequencing of HR and LR rats, we identified alleles in gene-coding regions that segregate between the two lines. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis in F2 rats derived from a bHR × bLR intercross confirmed that these regions harbored genes affecting EL. The combined effects of the seven genome-wide significant QTLs accounted for approximately one-third of the total variance in EL, and two-thirds of the variance attributable to genetic factors, consistent with an oligogenic architecture of EL estimated both from the phenotypic distribution of F2 animals and rapid response to selection. Genetic association in humans linked APBA2, the ortholog of the gene at the center of the strongest QTL, with substance use disorders and related behavioral phenotypes. Our finding is also convergent with molecular and animal behavioral studies implicating Apba2 in locomotion. These results provide multilevel evidence for genes/loci influencing EL. They shed light on the genetic architecture of oligogenicity in animals artificially selected for a phenotype modeling a more complex disorder in humans.
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Yaw AM, Prosser RA, Jones PC, Garcia BJ, Jacobson DA, Glass JD. Epigenetic effects of paternal cocaine on reward stimulus behavior and accumbens gene expression in mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 367:68-81. [PMID: 30910707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Paternal cocaine use causes phenotypic alterations in offspring behavior and associated neural processing. In rodents, changes in first generation (F1) offspring include drug reward behavior, circadian timing, and anxiety responses. This study, utilizing a murine (C57BL/6J) oral cocaine model, examines the effects of paternal cocaine exposure on fundamental characteristics of offspring reward responses, including: 1) the extent of cocaine-induced effects after different durations of sire drug withdrawal; 2) sex- and drug-dependent differences in F1 reward preference; 3) effects on second generation (F2) cocaine preference; and 4) corresponding changes in reward area (nucleus accumbens) mRNA expression. We demonstrate that paternal cocaine intake over a single ˜40-day spermatogenic cycle significantly decreased cocaine (but not ethanol or sucrose) preference in a sex-specific manner in F1 mice from sires mated 24 h after drug withdrawal. However, F1 offspring of sires bred 4 months after withdrawal did not exhibit altered cocaine preference. Altered cocaine preference also was not observed in F2's. RNASeq analyses of F1 accumbens tissue revealed changes in gene expression in male offspring of cocaine-exposed sires, including many genes not previously linked to cocaine addiction. Enrichment analyses highlight genes linked to CNS development, synaptic signaling, extracellular matrix, and immune function. Expression correlation analyses identified a novel target, Fam19a4, that may negatively regulate many genes in the accumbens, including genes already identified in addiction. Collectively, these results reveal that paternal cocaine effects in F1 offspring may involve temporally limited epigenetic germline effects and identify new genetic targets for addiction research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Yaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, OH, 44242, United States
| | - Rebecca A Prosser
- Dept. of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; NeuroNET Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - Piet C Jones
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States; Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - Benjamin J Garcia
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States
| | - Daniel A Jacobson
- NeuroNET Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States; Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - J David Glass
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, OH, 44242, United States.
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James MH, Bowrey HE, Stopper CM, Aston-Jones G. Demand elasticity predicts addiction endophenotypes and the therapeutic efficacy of an orexin/hypocretin-1 receptor antagonist in rats. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2602-2612. [PMID: 30240516 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economics is a powerful, translational approach for measuring drug demand in both humans and animals. Here, we asked if demand for cocaine in rats with limited drug experience could be used to identify individuals most at risk of expressing an addiction phenotype following either long- or intermittent access self-administration schedules, both of which model the transition to uncontrolled drug-seeking. Because the orexin-1 receptor antagonist SB-334867 (SB) is particularly effective at reducing drug-seeking in highly motivated individuals, we also asked whether demand measured after prolonged drug experience could predict SB efficacy. Demand elasticity (α) measured immediately following acquisition of cocaine self-administration ('baseline α') was positively correlated with α assessed after 2w of long- or intermittent access. Baseline α also predicted the magnitude of compulsive responding for cocaine, drug-seeking in initial abstinence and cued reinstatement following long-, intermittent- or standard short access. When demand was measured after these differential access conditions, α predicted the same addiction endophenotypes predicted by baseline α, as well as primed reinstatement and the emergence of negative emotional mood behavior following abstinence. α also predicted the efficacy of SB, such that high demand rats showed greater reductions in motivation for cocaine following SB compared to low demand rats. Together, these findings indicate that α might serve as a behavioral biomarker to predict individuals most likely to progress from controlled to uncontrolled drug use, and to identify individuals most likely to benefit from orexin-based therapies for the treatment of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan H James
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.,The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Hannah E Bowrey
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.,Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Colin M Stopper
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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36
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Even-Chen O, Barak S. The role of fibroblast growth factor 2 in drug addiction. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2552-2561. [PMID: 30144335 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a member of the FGF-family, which consists of 22 members, with four known FGF receptors (five in humans). Over the last 30 years, FGF2 has been extensively studied for its role in cell proliferation, differentiation, growth, survival and angiogenesis during development, as well as for its role in adult neurogenesis and regenerative plasticity. Over the past decade, FGF2 has been implicated in learning and memory, as well as in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including anxiety, stress, depression and drug addiction. In this review, we present accumulating evidence indicating the involvement of FGF2 in neuroadaptations caused by drugs of abuse, namely, amphetamine, cocaine, nicotine and alcohol. Moreover, evidence suggests that FGF2 is a positive regulator of alcohol and drug-related behaviors. Thus, although additional studies are yet required, we suggest that reducing FGF2 activity may provide a novel therapeutic approach for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oren Even-Chen
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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37
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Doncheck EM, Hafenbreidel M, Ruder SA, Fitzgerald MK, Torres L, Mueller D. bFGF expression is differentially regulated by cocaine seeking versus extinction in learning-related brain regions. Learn Mem 2018; 25:361-368. [PMID: 30012881 PMCID: PMC6049391 DOI: 10.1101/lm.047530.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In cocaine use disorder, relapse can be elicited by drug-associated cues despite long periods of abstinence. The persistence of drug-associated cues in eliciting drug seeking suggests enduring changes in structural and functional plasticity, which may be mediated by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF, FGF2). Stimulant drug use increases bFGF expression in reward- and learning-related brain regions, such as the infralimbic medial-prefrontal cortex (IL-mPFC), and we previously found that this increase was reversed by extinction. However, whether bFGF expression is similarly modified in other brain regions is unknown. Therefore, we used the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm to assess bFGF expression following cocaine-associated CPP or extinction of that CPP within the mPFC, nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus (Hipp), and basolateral amygdala (BLA). bFGF expression was increased in IL-mPFC and NAc-Core and -Shell following a cocaine-associated CPP, an effect reversed by extinction. Conversely, bFGF expression was increased in BLA following extinction, but no significant changes were observed in PL-mPFC or either dorsal or ventral Hipp. These results demonstrate differential regulation of bFGF following cocaine-associated CPP or extinction of that CPP in discrete brain regions. Changes in bFGF expression may regulate long-lasting drug-induced plasticity that underlies persistent drug-associated memories, and therefore present potential prophylactic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0413, USA
| | - Madalyn Hafenbreidel
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0413, USA
| | - Sarah A Ruder
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0413, USA
| | - Michael K Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0413, USA
| | - Lilith Torres
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University-School of Medicine/Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 00732, USA
| | - Devin Mueller
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0413, USA
- Department of Basic Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University-School of Medicine/Ponce Research Institute, Ponce, Puerto Rico, 00732, USA
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38
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Pierce RC, Fant B, Swinford-Jackson SE, Heller EA, Berrettini WH, Wimmer ME. Environmental, genetic and epigenetic contributions to cocaine addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1471-1480. [PMID: 29453446 PMCID: PMC5983541 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Decades of research on cocaine has produced volumes of data that have answered many important questions about the nature of this highly addictive drug. Sadly, none of this information has translated into the development of effective therapies for the treatment of cocaine addiction. This review endeavors to assess the current state of cocaine research in an attempt to identify novel pathways for therapeutic development. For example, risk of cocaine addiction is highly heritable but genome-wide analyses comparing cocaine-dependent individuals to controls have not resulted in promising targets for drug development. Is this because the genetics of addiction is too complex or because the existing research methodologies are inadequate? Likewise, animal studies have revealed dozens of enduring changes in gene expression following prolonged exposure to cocaine, none of which have translated into therapeutics either because the resulting compounds were ineffective or produced intolerable side-effects. Recently, attention has focused on epigenetic modifications resulting from repeated cocaine intake, some of which appear to be heritable through changes in the germline. While epigenetic changes represent new vistas for therapeutic development, selective manipulation of epigenetic marks is currently challenging even in animals such that translational potential is a distant prospect. This review will reveal that despite the enormous progress made in understanding the molecular and physiological bases of cocaine addiction, there is much that remains a mystery. Continued advances in genetics and molecular biology hold potential for revealing multiple pathways toward the development of treatments for the continuing scourge of cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Christopher Pierce
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Bruno Fant
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sarah E. Swinford-Jackson
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Heller
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Wade H. Berrettini
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
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Mabrouk OS, Han JL, Wong JMT, Akil H, Kennedy RT, Flagel SB. The in Vivo Neurochemical Profile of Selectively Bred High-Responder and Low-Responder Rats Reveals Baseline, Cocaine-Evoked, and Novelty-Evoked Differences in Monoaminergic Systems. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:715-724. [PMID: 29161023 PMCID: PMC5906149 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Relative to bred low-responder (bLR) rats, bred high-responder (bHR) rats have an exaggerated locomotor response to a novel environment, take more risks, are more impulsive, and more likely to exhibit compulsive drug-seeking behaviors. These phenotypic differences in addiction-related behaviors and temperament have previously been associated with differences in neurotransmitter signaling, including the mesolimbic dopamine system. In this study, we applied advanced in vivo microdialysis sampling in the nucleus accumbens of bHRs and bLRs to assess differences in basal and stimulated neurochemical efflux more broadly. We used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements of dialysate samples to quantify a panel of 17 neurochemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, histamine, glutamate, GABA, acetylcholine, adenosine, DOPAC, 3-MT, HVA, 5-HIAA, normetanephrine, taurine, serine, aspartate, and glycine. We also applied a stable isotope labeling technique to assess absolute baseline concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine in the nucleus accumbens. Finally, we investigated the role of norepinephrine tone in the nucleus accumbens on the bHR phenotype. Our findings show that bHRs have elevated basal and cocaine-evoked dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the nucleus accumbens compared to those of bLRs. Furthermore, norepinephrine signaling in the nucleus accumbens appeared to be an important contributor to the bHR phenotype because bilateral perfusion of the α1 adrenergic receptor antagonist terazosin (10 μM) into the nucleus accumbens abolished the response of bHRs to novelty. These findings are the first to demonstrate a role for norepinephrine in the bHR phenotype. They reveal a positive relationship between dopamine and norepinephrine signaling in the nucleus accumbens in mediating the exaggerated response to novelty and point to norepinephrine signaling as a potential target in the treatment of impulse control disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar S. Mabrouk
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - John L. Han
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Huda Akil
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Robert T. Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Shelly B. Flagel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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40
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Transient inactivation of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus enhances cue-induced reinstatement in goal-trackers, but not sign-trackers. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:999-1014. [PMID: 29285634 PMCID: PMC5871598 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4816-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been shown to mediate cue-motivated behaviors, such as sign- and goal-tracking, as well as reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior. However, the role of the PVT in mediating individual variation in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior remains unknown. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to determine if inactivation of the PVT differentially mediates cue-induced drug-seeking behavior in sign-trackers and goal-trackers. METHODS Rats were characterized as sign-trackers (STs) or goal-trackers (GTs) based on their Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior. Rats were then exposed to 15 days of cocaine self-administration, followed by a 2-week forced abstinence period and then extinction training. Rats then underwent tests for cue-induced reinstatement and general locomotor activity, prior to which they received an infusion of either saline (control) or baclofen/muscimol (B/M) to inactivate the PVT. RESULTS Relative to control animals of the same phenotype, GTs show a robust increase in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior following PVT inactivation, whereas the behavior of STs was not affected. PVT inactivation did not affect locomotor activity in either phenotype. CONCLUSION In GTs, the PVT appears to inhibit the expression of drug-seeking, presumably by attenuating the incentive value of the drug cue. Thus, inactivation of the PVT releases this inhibition in GTs, resulting in an increase in cue-induced drug-seeking behavior. PVT inactivation did not affect cue-induced drug-seeking behavior in STs, suggesting that the role of the PVT in encoding the incentive motivational value of drug cues differs between STs and GTs.
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41
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Barker JM, Taylor JR. Sex differences in incentive motivation and the relationship to the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorders. Physiol Behav 2017; 203:91-99. [PMID: 28974459 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite considerable evidence of higher rates of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in men than in women, there is a dearth of research into the underlying causes of this disparity. As the gap in high risk drinking between men and women closes, it is critical to disentangle the biological factors that may place men and women at different risk for the development of AUDs as well as AUD-associated health problems. While sex differences in alcohol drinking have been reported in animal models and in human alcoholics, it increasingly seems that consummatory behavior may be dissociated from propensity toward inflexible and cue-elicited drug seeking and taking that characterize alcohol use disorders. While much of this work was initially performed in males a growing, yet limited, body of literature suggests that there are sex differences in both cue reactivity, and further, the relationship between cue reactivity and the maintenance of addictive behavior, indicating that males may be at greater risk for the development of a subset of addiction-related behaviors independent of alcohol consumption. Here, we will review the current literature on sex effects on the relationship between incentive motivation and addictive behavior and discuss unanswered questions that we expect will inform the development of individualized and sex-specific treatment and prevention strategies for AUDs. We believe that a greater understanding of how sex interacts with in cue reactivity to independently mediate the drug taking and risk for the development of uncontrolled drug or alcohol-seeking and -taking will inform the development of individualized treatment and prevention strategies for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States.
| | - Jane R Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
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42
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Even-Chen O, Sadot-Sogrin Y, Shaham O, Barak S. Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 in the Dorsomedial Striatum Is a Novel Positive Regulator of Alcohol Consumption. J Neurosci 2017; 37:8742-8754. [PMID: 28821667 PMCID: PMC6596666 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0890-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated alcohol intake leads to mesostriatal neuroadaptations, resulting in drinking escalation and addiction phenotypes. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) has been shown to interact with the mesostriatal dopaminergic system, and has been implicated in the actions of psychostimulants in the brain, and in several psychiatric disorders. Here, we report on a positive regulatory feedback loop of alcohol and FGF2 in rodent models. Specifically, we found that acute alcohol exposure (2.5 g/kg, i.p.) increased the mRNA expression of Fgf2 in the dorsal hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum. Longer alcohol exposure (7 d × 2.5 g/kg, i.p.) restricted these increases to the dorsal striatum, and the latter effect was blocked by the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist haloperidol. Voluntary prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption in a 2-bottle choice procedure increased Fgf2 expression selectively in dorsomedial striatum (DMS) of both mice and rats. Importantly, we found that systemic administration of recombinant FGF2 (rFGF2) in mice, or rFGF2 infusion into the dorsal striatum or DMS of rats, increased alcohol consumption and preference, with no similar effects on saccharin or sucrose consumption. Finally, we found that inhibition of the endogenous FGF2 function in the DMS, by an anti-FGF2 neutralizing antibody, suppressed alcohol consumption and preference. Together, our results suggest that alcohol consumption increases the expression of Fgf2 in the DMS, and that striatal FGF2 promotes alcohol consumption, suggesting that FGF2 in the DMS is a positive regulator of alcohol drinking.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Long-term alcohol intake may lead to neuroadaptations in the mesostriatal reward system, resulting in addiction phenotypes. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is crucial for the development and maintenance of the mesostriatal dopaminergic system. Here, we provide evidence for the involvement of FGF2 in alcohol-drinking behaviors. We show that alcohol increases Fgf2 expression in the dorsal striatum, an effect mediated via dopamine D2-like receptors. Importantly, we show that infusion of recombinant FGF2 into the dorsomedial striatum increases alcohol consumption, whereas inhibiting the endogenous FGF2 function suppresses consumption. Thus, FGF2 is an alcohol-responsive gene constituting a positive regulatory feedback loop with alcohol. This loop leads to facilitation of alcohol consumption, marking FGF2 as a potential new therapeutic target for alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yossi Sadot-Sogrin
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Segev Barak
- School of Psychological Sciences and
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
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43
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García-Fuster MJ, Parsegian A, Watson SJ, Akil H, Flagel SB. Adolescent cocaine exposure enhances goal-tracking behavior and impairs hippocampal cell genesis selectively in adult bred low-responder rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:1293-1305. [PMID: 28210781 PMCID: PMC5792824 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4566-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Environmental challenges during adolescence, such as drug exposure, can cause enduring behavioral and molecular changes that contribute to life-long maladaptive behaviors, including addiction. Selectively bred high-responder (bHR) and low-responder (bLR) rats represent a unique model for assessing the long-term impact of adolescent environmental manipulations, as they inherently differ on a number of addiction-related traits. bHR rats are considered "addiction-prone," whereas bLR rats are "addiction-resilient," at least under baseline conditions. Moreover, relative to bLRs, bHR rats are more likely to attribute incentive motivational value to reward cues, or to "sign-track." OBJECTIVES We utilized bHR and bLR rats to determine whether adolescent cocaine exposure can alter their inborn behavioral and neurobiological profiles, with a specific focus on Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior (i.e., sign- vs. goal-tracking) and hippocampal neurogenesis. METHODS bHR and bLR rats were administered cocaine (15 mg/kg) or saline for 7 days during adolescence (postnatal day, PND 33-39) and subsequently tested for Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior in adulthood (PND 62-75), wherein an illuminated lever (conditioned stimulus) was followed by the response-independent delivery of a food pellet (unconditioned stimulus). Behaviors directed toward the lever and the food cup were recorded as sign- and goal-tracking, respectively. Hippocampal cell genesis was evaluated on PND 77 by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Adolescent cocaine exposure impaired hippocampal cell genesis (proliferation and survival) and enhanced the inherent propensity to goal-track in adult bLR, but not bHR, rats. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent cocaine exposure elicits long-lasting changes in stimulus-reward learning and enduring deficits in hippocampal neurogenesis selectively in adult bLR rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Julia García-Fuster
- IUNICS/IdISPa, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain,Corresponding author: M. Julia García-Fuster. IUNICS/IdISPa, University of the Balearic Islands, Cra. Valldemossa km 7.5, E-07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Phone: +34 971 259992. Fax: +34 971 259501.
| | - Aram Parsegian
- Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Stanley J. Watson
- Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Huda Akil
- Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Shelly B. Flagel
- Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
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Turner CA, Flagel SB, Blandino P, Watson SJ, Akil H. Utilizing a unique animal model to better understand human temperament. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2017; 14:108-114. [PMID: 28966969 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in temperament are associated with psychopathology in humans. Moreover, the relationship between temperament and anxiety-, depression-, PTSD- and addiction-related behaviors can be modeled in animals. This review will highlight these relationships with a focus on individual differences in the response to stressors, fear conditioning and drugs of abuse using animals that differ in their response to a novel environment. We will discuss behavioral and neurobiological commonalities amongst these behaviors with a focus on the hippocampus and, in particular, growth factors as promising novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortney A Turner
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
| | - Shelly B Flagel
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
| | - Peter Blandino
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
| | - Stanley J Watson
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
| | - Huda Akil
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
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Unresponsive Choline Transporter as a Trait Neuromarker and a Causal Mediator of Bottom-Up Attentional Biases. J Neurosci 2017; 37:2947-2959. [PMID: 28193693 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3499-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Some rats [sign-trackers (STs)] are prone to attribute incentive salience to reward cues, which can manifest as a propensity to approach and contact pavlovian cues, and for addiction-like behavior. STs also exhibit poor attentional performance, relative to goal-trackers (GTs), which is associated with attenuated acetylcholine (ACh) levels in prefrontal cortex (Paolone et al., 2013). Here, we demonstrate a cellular mechanism, linked to ACh synthesis, that accounts for attenuated cholinergic capacity in STs. First, we found that electrical stimulation of the basal forebrain increased cortical choline transporter (CHT)-mediated choline transport in GTs, paralleled by a redistribution of CHTs to the synaptic plasma membrane. Neither increases in choline uptake nor translocation of CHTs occurred in STs. Second, and consistent with uptake/translocation alterations, STs demonstrated a reduced ability to support cortical ACh release in vivo compared with GTs after reverse-dialysis to elevate extracellular potassium levels. Third, rats were significantly more likely to develop sign-tracking behavior if treated systemically before pavlovian conditioned approach training with the CHT inhibitor VU6001221. Consistent with its proposed mechanisms, administration of VU6001221 attenuated potassium-evoked ACh levels in prefrontal cortex measured with in vivo microdialysis. We propose that loss of CHT-dependent activation of cortical cholinergic activity in STs degrades top-down executive control over behavior, producing a bias for bottom-up or stimulus-driven attention. Such an attentional bias contributes to nonadaptive reward processing and thus identifies a novel mechanism that can support psychopathology, including addiction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The vulnerability for addiction-like behavior has been associated with psychological traits, such as the propensity to attribute incentive salience to reward cues that is modeled in rats by sign-tracking behavior. Sign-trackers tend to approach and contact cues associated with reward, whereas their counterparts, the goal-trackers, have a preference for approaching the location of the reward. Here, we show that the capacity of presynaptic cholinergic synapses to respond to stimulation by elevating presynaptic choline uptake and releasing acetylcholine is attenuated in sign-trackers. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of choline transport induced sign-tracking behavior. Our findings suggest that reduced levels of cholinergic neuromodulation can mediate an attentional bias toward reward-related cues, thereby allowing such cues to exert relatively greater control over behavior.
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46
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Using model systems to understand errant plasticity mechanisms in psychiatric disorders. Nat Neurosci 2016; 19:1418-1425. [PMID: 27786180 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In vivo model systems are a critical tool for gaining insight into the pathology underlying psychiatric disorders. Although modern functional imaging tools allow study of brain correlates of behavior in clinical groups and genome-wide association studies are beginning to uncover the complex genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders, there is less understanding of pathology at intervening levels of organization. Several psychiatric disorders derive from pathological neural plasticity, and studying the mechanisms that underlie these processes, including reinforcement learning and spike-timing-dependent plasticity, requires the use of animals. It will be particularly important to understand how individual differences in plasticity mechanisms at a cellular level confer resilience on some but lead to disease in others.
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47
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Trifilieff P, Ducrocq F, van der Veldt S, Martinez D. Blunted Dopamine Transmission in Addiction: Potential Mechanisms and Implications for Behavior. Semin Nucl Med 2016; 47:64-74. [PMID: 27987559 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging consistently shows blunted striatal dopamine release and decreased dopamine D2 receptor availability in addiction. Here, we review the preclinical and clinical studies indicating that this neurobiological phenotype is likely to be both a consequence of chronic drug consumption and a vulnerability factor in the development of addiction. We propose that, behaviorally, blunted striatal dopamine transmission could reflect the increased impulsivity and altered cost/benefit computations that are associated with addiction. The factors that influence blunted striatal dopamine transmission in addiction are unknown. Herein, we give an overview of various factors, genetic, environmental, and social, that are known to affect dopamine transmission and that have been associated with the vulnerability to develop addiction. Altogether, these data suggest that blunted dopamine transmission and decreased D2 receptor availability are biomarkers both for the development of addiction and resistance to treatment. These findings support the view that blunted dopamine reflects impulsive behavior and deficits in motivation, which lead to the escalation of drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Trifilieff
- Nutrition et Neurobiologie Intégrée, INRA UMR 1286, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Fabien Ducrocq
- Nutrition et Neurobiologie Intégrée, INRA UMR 1286, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Suzanne van der Veldt
- Nutrition et Neurobiologie Intégrée, INRA UMR 1286, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France; Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Diana Martinez
- Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Medical College, New York, NY.
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