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De Felice M, Szkudlarek HJ, Uzuneser TC, Rodríguez-Ruiz M, Sarikahya MH, Pusparajah M, Galindo Lazo JP, Whitehead SN, Yeung KKC, Rushlow WJ, Laviolette SR. The Impacts of Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure on Striatal Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Pathophysiology Are Prevented by the Antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100361. [PMID: 39257692 PMCID: PMC11381987 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is an established risk factor for later-life neuropsychiatric vulnerability, including mood- and anxiety-related symptoms. The psychotropic effects of THC on affect and anxiogenic behavioral phenomena are known to target the striatal network, particularly the nucleus accumbens, a neural region linked to mood and anxiety disorder pathophysiology. THC may increase neuroinflammatory responses via the redox system and dysregulate inhibitory and excitatory neural balance in various brain circuits, including the striatum. Thus, interventions that can induce antioxidant effects may counteract the neurodevelopmental impacts of THC exposure. Methods In the current study, we used an established preclinical adolescent rat model to examine the impacts of adolescent THC exposure on various behavioral, molecular, and neuronal biomarkers associated with increased mood and anxiety disorder vulnerability. Moreover, we investigated the protective properties of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine against THC-related pathology. Results We demonstrated that adolescent THC exposure induced long-lasting anxiety- and depressive-like phenotypes concomitant with differential neuronal and molecular abnormalities in the two subregions of the nucleus accumbens, the shell and the core. In addition, we report for the first time that N-acetylcysteine can prevent THC-induced accumbal pathophysiology and associated behavioral abnormalities. Conclusions The preventive effects of this antioxidant intervention highlight the critical role of redox mechanisms underlying cannabinoid-induced neurodevelopmental pathology and identify a potential intervention strategy for the prevention and/or reversal of these pathophysiological sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta De Felice
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hanna J Szkudlarek
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Taygun C Uzuneser
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mar Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammed H Sarikahya
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Shawn N Whitehead
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ken K-C Yeung
- Department of Chemistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Walter J Rushlow
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steven R Laviolette
- Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Maternal, Fetal and Newborn Health, Children's Health Research Institute (CHRI), London, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Holt LM, Nestler EJ. Astrocytic transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:409-424. [PMID: 37940687 PMCID: PMC11066772 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02716-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a leading cause of disease burden worldwide and remains a challenge in current neuroscience research. Drug-induced lasting changes in gene expression are mediated by transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in the brain and are thought to underlie behavioral adaptations. Emerging evidence implicates astrocytes in regulating drug-seeking behaviors and demonstrates robust transcriptional response to several substances of abuse. This review focuses on the astrocytic transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of drug action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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3
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Kirkland JM, Edgar EL, Patel I, Feustel P, Belin S, Kopec AM. Synaptic pruning during adolescence shapes adult social behavior in both males and females. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22473. [PMID: 38433422 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22473] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved, peer-directed social behaviors are essential to participate in many aspects of human society. These behaviors directly impact psychological, physiological, and behavioral maturation. Adolescence is an evolutionarily conserved period during which reward-related behaviors, including social behaviors, develop via developmental plasticity in the mesolimbic dopaminergic "reward" circuitry of the brain. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an intermediate reward relay center that develops during adolescence and mediates both social behaviors and dopaminergic signaling. In several developing brain regions, synaptic pruning mediated by microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, is important for normal behavioral development. We previously demonstrated that during adolescence, in rats, microglial synaptic pruning shapes the development of NAc and social play behavior in males and females. In this report, we hypothesize that interrupting microglial pruning in NAc during adolescence will have persistent effects on male and female social behavior in adulthood. We found that inhibiting microglial pruning in the NAc during adolescence had different effects on social behavior in males and females. In males, inhibiting pruning increased familiar exploration and increased nonsocial contact. In females, inhibiting pruning did not change familiar exploration behavior but increased active social interaction. This leads us to infer that naturally occurring NAc pruning serves to reduce social behaviors toward a familiar conspecific in both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Kirkland
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Erin L Edgar
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Ishan Patel
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Paul Feustel
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Belin
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Ashley M Kopec
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA
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4
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Miederer I, Schmitt U, Bausbacher N, Röhrich J, Mildenberger P, Lutz B, Tüscher O, Schreckenberger M. Chronic Administration of Δ 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Alters Brain Glucose Uptake and Improves Waiting Impulsivity in the Rat. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:612-621. [PMID: 36800226 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) acts as an agonist at cannabinoid receptors. Its chronic intake affects many behaviors, including cognitive processes. The aims of this study in rats are to assess the chronic effects of THC on impulsivity and on regional brain glucose uptake. Materials and Methods: For the determination of "waiting impulsivity," a total of 20 male Lister Hooded rats were trained to perform a reaction time task, followed by a baseline test of impulsivity and baseline glucose uptake measurements with [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and positron emission tomography (PET). Then, 10 rats each received 3 mg/kg THC or vehicle injected intraperitoneally daily for 21 days. Subsequently, a second behavioral test and PET measurements were performed, and blood THC concentrations were determined. Analyses of variance of brain regions of the impulsivity network with the parameter "standardized uptake value" regarding glucose uptake and correlation analyses of the collected parameters were carried out. Discussion: After chronic THC treatment, decreased glucose uptake (p-values <0.05) was found in cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and cerebellar cortex, as compared with vehicle-treated rats. The number of correct no-go responses (increased waiting time) significantly increased (p<0.05) in THC-treated rats. Furthermore, correct no-go responses correlated positively and strongly with the THC blood concentrations (Spearman's ρ=0.79, p<0.01). Conclusion: These findings reflect a specific reduction in impulsive behavior after chronic THC treatment, showing a functionally relevant influence of THC on "waiting impulsivity" with reduced selective glucose uptake at the same time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Miederer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Ulrich Schmitt
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicole Bausbacher
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jörg Röhrich
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Philipp Mildenberger
- Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, and University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Oliver Tüscher
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mathias Schreckenberger
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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5
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Steinfeld MR, Torregrossa MM. Consequences of adolescent drug use. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:313. [PMID: 37802983 PMCID: PMC10558564 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02590-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance use in adolescence is a known risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders in adulthood. This is in part due to the fact that critical aspects of brain development occur during adolescence, which can be altered by drug use. Despite concerted efforts to educate youth about the potential negative consequences of substance use, initiation remains common amongst adolescents world-wide. Additionally, though there has been substantial research on the topic, many questions remain about the predictors and the consequences of adolescent drug use. In the following review, we will highlight some of the most recent literature on the neurobiological and behavioral effects of adolescent drug use in rodents, non-human primates, and humans, with a specific focus on alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and the interactions between these substances. Overall, consumption of these substances during adolescence can produce long-lasting changes across a variety of structures and networks which can have enduring effects on behavior, emotion, and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Steinfeld
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
| | - Mary M Torregrossa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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6
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Orihuel J, Capellán R, Casquero-Veiga M, Soto-Montenegro ML, Desco M, Oteo-Vives M, Ibáñez-Moragues M, Magro-Calvo N, Luján VM, Morcillo MÁ, Ambrosio E, Higuera-Matas A. The long-term effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on brain structure and function assessed through neuroimaging techniques in male and female rats. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 74:47-63. [PMID: 37276836 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several studies performed on human subjects have examined the effects of adolescent cannabis consumption on brain structure or function using brain imaging techniques. However, the evidence from these studies is usually heterogenous and affected by several confounding variables. Animal models of adolescent cannabinoid exposure may help to overcome these difficulties. In this exploratory study, we aim to increase our understanding of the protracted effects of adolescent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in rats of both sexes using magnetic resonance (MR) to obtain volumetric data, assess grey and white matter microstructure with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and measure brain metabolites with 1H-MR spectroscopy (MRS); in addition, we studied brain function using positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose as the tracer. THC-exposed rats exhibited volumetric and microstructural alterations in the striatum, globus pallidus, lateral ventricles, thalamus, and septal nuclei in a sex-specific manner. THC administration also reduced fractional anisotropy in several white matter tracts, prominently in rostral sections, while in vivo MRS identified lower levels of cortical choline compounds. THC-treated males had increased metabolism in the cerebellum and olfactory bulb and decreased metabolism in the cingulate cortex. By contrast, THC-treated females showed hypermetabolism in a cluster of voxels comprising the entorhinal piriform cortices and in the cingulate cortex. These results indicate that mild THC exposure during adolescence leaves a lingering mark on brain structure and function in a sex-dependant manner. Some of the changes found here resemble those observed in human studies and highlight the importance of studying sex-specific effects in cannabinoid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Orihuel
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Roberto Capellán
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Casquero-Veiga
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Luisa Soto-Montenegro
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Grupo de Fisiopatología y Farmacología del Sistema Digestivo de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (NEUGUT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Desco
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Bioingeniería e Ingeniería Aeroespacial, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Oteo-Vives
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Ibáñez-Moragues
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Natalia Magro-Calvo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor M Luján
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Ángel Morcillo
- CIEMAT - Research Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, Medical Applications of Ionizing Radiations Unit, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ambrosio
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Higuera-Matas
- Department of Psychobiology, School of Psychology, National University for Distance Learning (UNED), C/Juan del Rosal 10, Madrid, Spain.
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7
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Winter JJ, Rodríguez-Acevedo KL, Dittrich M, Heller EA. Early life adversity: Epigenetic regulation underlying drug addiction susceptibility. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103825. [PMID: 36842544 PMCID: PMC10247461 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103825] [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: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a leading cause of disability worldwide, with more than 70,000 Americans dying from drug overdose in 2019 alone. While only a small percentage of chronic drug users escalate to drug addiction, little is understood on the precise mechanisms of this susceptibility. Early life adversity is causally relevant to adult psychiatric disease and may contribute to the risk of addiction. Here we review recent pre-clinical evidence showing that early life exposure to stress and/or drugs regulates changes in behavior, gene expression, and the epigenome that persist into adulthood. We summarize the major findings and gaps in the preclinical literature, highlighting studies that demonstrate the often profound differences between female and male subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mia Dittrich
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
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8
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Kirkland JM, Edgar EL, Patel I, Kopec AM. Impaired microglia-mediated synaptic pruning in the nucleus accumbens during adolescence results in persistent dysregulation of familiar, but not novel social interactions in sex-specific ways. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.02.539115. [PMID: 37205324 PMCID: PMC10187149 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.02.539115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionarily conserved, peer-directed social behaviors are essential to participate in many aspects of human society. These behaviors directly impact psychological, physiological, and behavioral maturation. Adolescence is an evolutionarily conserved period during which reward-related behaviors, including social behaviors, develop via developmental plasticity in the mesolimbic dopaminergic 'reward' circuitry of the brain. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is an intermediate reward relay center that develops during adolescence and mediates both social behaviors and dopaminergic signaling. In several developing brain regions, synaptic pruning mediated by microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, is important for normal behavioral development. In rats, we previously demonstrated that microglial synaptic pruning also mediates NAc and social development during sex-specific adolescent periods and via sex-specific synaptic pruning targets. In this report, we demonstrate that interrupting microglial pruning in NAc during adolescence persistently dysregulates social behavior towards a familiar, but not novel social partner in both sexes, via sex-specific behavioral expression. This leads us to infer that naturally occurring NAc pruning serves to reduce social behaviors primarily directed toward a familiar conspecific in both sexes, but in sex-specific ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M. Kirkland
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Erin L. Edgar
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Ishan Patel
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Ashley M. Kopec
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
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9
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King'uyu DN, Edgar EL, Figueroa C, Kirkland JM, Kopec AM. Morphine exposure during adolescence induces enduring social changes dependent on adolescent stage of exposure, sex, and social test. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.21.537856. [PMID: 37131669 PMCID: PMC10153224 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.537856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Drug exposure during adolescence, when the 'reward' circuitry of the brain is developing, can permanently impact reward-related behavior. Epidemiological studies show that opioid treatment during adolescence, such as pain management for a dental procedure or surgery, increases the incidence of psychiatric illness including substance use disorders. Moreover, the opioid epidemic currently in the United States is affecting younger individuals raising the impetus to understand the pathogenesis of the negative effects of opioids. One reward-related behavior that develops during adolescence is social behavior. We previously demonstrated that social development occurs in rats during sex-specific adolescent periods: early to mid-adolescence in males (postnatal day (P)30-40) and pre-early adolescence in females (P20-30). We thus hypothesized that morphine exposure during the female critical period would result in adult sociability deficits in females, but not males, and morphine administered during the male critical period would result in adult sociability deficits in males, but not females. We found that morphine exposure during the female critical period primarily resulted in deficits in sociability in females, while morphine exposure during the male critical period primarily resulted in deficits in sociability primarily in males. However, depending on the test performed and the social parameter measured, social alterations could be found in both sexes that received morphine exposure at either adolescent stage. These data indicate that when drug exposure occurs during adolescence, and how the endpoint data are measured, will play a large role in determining the effects of drug exposures on social development.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N King'uyu
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Erin L Edgar
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Christopher Figueroa
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - J M Kirkland
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
| | - Ashley M Kopec
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Albany Medical College
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10
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Ferland JMN, Ellis RJ, Betts G, Silveira MM, de Firmino JB, Winstanley CA, Hurd YL. Long-Term Outcomes of Adolescent THC Exposure on Translational Cognitive Measures in Adulthood in an Animal Model and Computational Assessment of Human Data. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:66-76. [PMID: 36416863 PMCID: PMC9685552 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Importance Although perceived as relatively harmless and nonaddictive, adolescent cannabis use significantly increases the likelihood of developing cannabis use disorder in adulthood, especially for high-potency cannabis. Risky decision-making is associated with chronic cannabis use, but given confounds of human studies, it remains unclear whether adolescent cannabis exposure and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency specifically predicts risky decision-making or influences cognitive response to the drug later in life. Objective To leverage a human data set of cannabis users and a rat model to evaluate the long-term outcomes of adolescent THC exposure on adult decision-making and impulse control. Design, Setting, and Participants This translational rat study tested the link between adolescent THC exposure and adulthood decision-making. A reanalysis of a previously published dataset of human chronic cannabis users was conducted to evaluate decision-making phenotypes. Computational modeling assessed the human and animal results in a single framework. Data were collected from 2017 to 2020 and analyzed from 2020 to 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures Decision-making was measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Rat Gambling Task (rGT). Impulse control was assessed in the rat model. Computational modeling was used to determine reward and punishment learning rates and learning strategy used by cannabis users and THC-exposed rats. Cell-specific molecular measures were conducted in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Results Of 37 participants, 24 (65%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 33.0 (8.3) years. Chronic cannabis users (n = 22; mean [SE] IGT score, -5.182 [1.262]) showed disadvantageous decision-making compared with controls (n = 15; mean [SE] IGT score, 7.133 [2.687]; Cohen d = 1.436). Risky choice was associated with increased reward learning (mean [SE] IGT score: cannabis user, 0.170 [0.018]; control, 0.046 [0.008]; Cohen d = 1.895) and a strategy favoring exploration vs long-term gains (mean [SE] IGT score: cannabis user, 0.088 [0.012]; control, 0.020 [0.002]; Cohen d = 2.218). Rats exposed to high-dose THC but not low-dose THC during adolescence also showed increased risky decision-making (mean [SE] rGT score: vehicle, 46.17 [7.02]; low-dose THC, 69.45 [6.01]; high-dose THC, 21.97 [11.98]; Cohen d = 0.433) and elevated reward learning rates (mean [SE] rGT score: vehicle, 0.17 [0.01]; low-dose THC, 0.10 [0.01]; high-dose THC, 0.24 [0.06]; Cohen d = 1.541) during task acquisition. These animals were also uniquely susceptible to increased cognitive impairments after reexposure to THC in adulthood, which was correlated with even greater reward learning (r = -0.525; P < .001) and a shift in strategy (r = 0.502; P < .001), similar to results seen in human cannabis users. Molecular studies revealed that adolescent THC dose differentially affected cannabinoid-1 receptor messenger RNA expression in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala in a layer- and cell-specific manner. Further, astrocyte glial fibrillary acidic protein messenger RNA expression associated with cognitive deficits apparent with adult THC reexposure. Conclusions and Relevance In this translational study, high-dose adolescent THC exposure was associated with cognitive vulnerability in adulthood, especially with THC re-exposure. These data also suggest a link between astrocytes and cognition that altogether provides important insights regarding the neurobiological genesis of risky cannabis use that may help promote prevention and treatment efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline-Marie N. Ferland
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Randall J. Ellis
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Graeme Betts
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mason M. Silveira
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joao Bronze de Firmino
- The Collaborative Advanced Microscopy Laboratories of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Catharine A. Winstanley
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yasmin L. Hurd
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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