1
|
Ornelas LC, Boero G, Van Voorhies K, O’Buckley TK, Besheer J, Morrow AL. Pharmacological administration of 3α,5α-THP into the nucleus accumbens core increases 3α,5α-THP expression and reduces alcohol self-administration. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:459-469. [PMID: 36587947 PMCID: PMC10234128 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol affects multiple circuits in the brain, mainly disrupting the delicate balance between inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transmission and excitatory glutamate signaling in brain areas involved in reward circuits. These include the amygdala, nucleus accumbens (Acb), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). This action impairs circuits that regulate behavioral control of craving and alcohol seeking and intake. Studies in both rodent models and postmortem human brain of patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have highlighted the association between the loss of GABAergic inhibition and the development of addiction. The neurosteroid (3α,5α)-3-hydroxypregnan-20-one (3α,5α-THP) is a potent positive modulator of GABAA receptors. Chronic alcohol consumption reduces 3α,5α-THP levels, resulting in decreased GABA inhibition. We previously demonstrated that enhancing neurosteroid biosynthesis by overexpression of the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme P450scc decreased alcohol intake in male alcohol-preferring rats (P-rats). While most of the evidence of alcohol-induced alterations comes from studies in male subjects, some data show that females are more vulnerable to alcohol's effects than males. METHODS In this study, we investigated the ability of 3α,5α-THP direct infusions in two brain regions that contribute to alcohol reinforcement, the VTA and Acb core (AcbC), to regulate alcohol self-administration in female P-rats. RESULTS Administration of 3α,5α-THP into the AcbC increased 3α,5α-THP-positive cell expression in this area and reduced alcohol self-administration. By contrast, 3α,5α-THP infusion into the VTA did not significantly affect alcohol self-administration, though trends for a reduction were found. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that local increases in 3α,5α-THP in the AcbC may alter mesolimbic activity that drives a reduction in alcohol self-administration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura C. Ornelas
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Giorgia Boero
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Kalynn Van Voorhies
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Todd K. O’Buckley
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Joyce Besheer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - A. Leslie Morrow
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cerne R, Lippa A, Poe MM, Smith JL, Jin X, Ping X, Golani LK, Cook JM, Witkin JM. GABAkines - Advances in the discovery, development, and commercialization of positive allosteric modulators of GABA A receptors. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 234:108035. [PMID: 34793859 PMCID: PMC9787737 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Positive allosteric modulators of γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptors or GABAkines have been widely used medicines for over 70 years for anxiety, epilepsy, sleep, and other disorders. Traditional GABAkines like diazepam have safety and tolerability concerns that include sedation, motor-impairment, respiratory depression, tolerance and dependence. Multiple GABAkines have entered clinical development but the issue of side-effects has not been fully solved. The compounds that are presently being developed and commercialized include several neuroactive steroids (an allopregnanolone formulation (brexanolone), an allopregnanolone prodrug (LYT-300), Sage-324, zuranolone, and ganaxolone), the α2/3-preferring GABAkine, KRM-II-81, and the α2/3/5-preferring GABAkine PF-06372865 (darigabat). The neuroactive steroids are in clinical development for post-partum depression, intractable epilepsy, tremor, status epilepticus, and genetic epilepsy disorders. Darigabat is in development for epilepsy and anxiety. The imidazodiazepine, KRM-II-81 is efficacious in animal models for the treatment of epilepsy and post-traumatic epilepsy, acute and chronic pain, as well as anxiety and depression. The efficacy of KRM-II-81 in models of pharmacoresistant epilepsy, preventing the development of seizure sensitization, and in brain tissue of intractable epileptic patients bodes well for improved therapeutics. Medicinal chemistry efforts are also ongoing to identify novel and improved GABAkines. The data document gaps in our understanding of the molecular pharmacology of GABAkines that drive differential pharmacological profiles, but emphasize advancements in the ability to successfully utilize GABAA receptor potentiation for therapeutic gain in neurology and psychiatry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rok Cerne
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN USA,Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška cesta 4, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Glen Rock, NJ, USA,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Arnold Lippa
- RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Glen Rock, NJ, USA
| | | | - Jodi L. Smith
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN USA
| | - Xiaoming Jin
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Xingjie Ping
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Lalit K. Golani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute of Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - James M. Cook
- RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Glen Rock, NJ, USA,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute of Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Witkin
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN USA,RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc, Glen Rock, NJ, USA,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Milwaukee Institute of Drug Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|