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Lepreux G, Henricks AM, Wei G, Go BS, Erikson CM, Abella RM, Pham A, Walker BM. Kappa-opioid receptor antagonism in the nucleus accumbens shell distinguishes escalated alcohol consumption and negative affective-like behavior from physiological withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 243:173840. [PMID: 39096973 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173840] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing disease that is deleterious at individual, familial, and societal levels. Although AUD is one of the highest preventable causes of death in the USA, therapies for the treatment of AUD are not sufficient given the heterogeneity of the disorder and the limited number of approved medications. To provide better pharmacological strategies, it is important to understand the neurological underpinnings of AUD. Evidence implicates the endogenous dynorphin (DYN)/κ-opioid receptor (KOR) system recruitment in dysphoric and negative emotional states in AUD to promote maladaptive behavioral regulation. The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), mediating motivational and emotional processes that is a component of the mesolimbic dopamine system and the extended amygdala, is an important site related to alcohol's reinforcing actions (both positive and negative) and neuroadaptations in the AcbSh DYN/KOR system have been documented to induce maladaptive symptoms in AUD. We have previously shown that in other nodes of the extended amygdala, site-specific KOR antagonism can distinguish different symptoms of alcohol dependence and withdrawal. In the current study, we examined the role of the KOR signaling in the AcbSh of male Wistar rats in operant alcohol self-administration, measures of negative affective-like behavior, and physiological symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal in alcohol-dependence. To induce alcohol dependence, rats were exposed to chronic intermittent ethanol vapor for 14 h/day for three months, during which stable escalation of alcohol self-administration was achieved and pharmacological AcbSh KOR antagonism ensued. The results showed that AcbSh KOR antagonism significantly reduced escalated alcohol intake and negative affective-like states but did not alter somatic symptoms of withdrawal. Understanding the relative contribution of these different drivers is important to understand and inform therapeutic efficacy approaches in alcohol dependence and further emphasis the importance of the KOR/DYN system as a target for AUD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaetan Lepreux
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Angela M Henricks
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Gengze Wei
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Bok Soon Go
- Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Chloe M Erikson
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rachel M Abella
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Amy Pham
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brendan M Walker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; USF Neuroscience Institute, USF Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
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Mellick W, McTeague L, Hix S, Anton R, Prisciandaro JJ. Blunted reward-related activation to food scenes distinguishes individuals with alcohol use disorder in a pilot case-control fMRI pilot study. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:1866-1875. [PMID: 39312084 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is thought to bias the neurocircuitry underlying reward processing and motivation to preferentially attend to conditioned alcohol cues over natural rewards. The present case-control pilot study evaluated this hypothesis using novel natural reward paradigms. METHODS Twenty-eight participants (AUD, n = 14, light drinkers, n = 14) were recruited-AUD participants reported 44.0% heavy drinking days (%HDD) and 4.67 drinks/day over the preceding 90 days. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired during the administration of three separate picture-viewing paradigms of alcohol cues, food scenes, and social reward, respectively. Independent samples t-tests were performed to compare groups' fMRI data and exploratory correlation analyses were performed to examine associations with clinical characteristics of AUD. RESULTS Food scenes elicited abnormally low reward-related activation, within the superior frontal gyrus and caudate bilaterally, among AUD participants. Lower activation to food scenes within the superior frontal gyrus was, in turn, associated with higher levels of past-month %HDD among AUD participants, specifically, along with craving and alcohol dependence severity when examined across the full sample. Contrasting reward types (e.g., alcohol cues vs. food scenes) did not reveal "preferential" activation to differentiate groups. CONCLUSIONS Heavy drinking appears associated with reduced responsivity to natural rewards, specifically food rather than social cues. Neural mechanisms underlying the high prevalence of malnutrition among individuals with AUD may involve some combination of blunted approach-related affect and reduced craving-related motivation to eat when food is present, resulting in limited engagement of cortico-striato-thalamic motor circuitry supporting food acquisition. However, given the preliminary nature of this pilot study, such formulations remain tentative until larger follow-up studies can be conducted. From a potential translational standpoint, the ability of promising therapeutics to demonstrate increased responsivity to natural rewards, specifically nutritive reward may serve as a valuable complementary efficacy indicator for future clinical neuroimaging trials in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mellick
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lisa McTeague
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Sara Hix
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Raymond Anton
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - James J Prisciandaro
- Addiction Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Giovanniello JR, Paredes N, Wiener A, Ramírez-Armenta K, Oragwam C, Uwadia HO, Yu AL, Lim K, Pimenta JS, Vilchez GE, Nnamdi G, Wang A, Sehgal M, Reis FM, Sias AC, Silva AJ, Adhikari A, Malvaez M, Wassum KM. A dual-pathway architecture enables chronic stress to disrupt agency and promote habit formation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.03.560731. [PMID: 37873076 PMCID: PMC10592885 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Chronic stress can change how we learn and, thus, how we make decisions. Here we investigated the neuronal circuit mechanisms that enable this. Using a multifaceted systems neuroscience approach in male and female mice, we reveal a dual pathway, amygdala-striatal neuronal circuit architecture by which a recent history of chronic stress disrupts the action-outcome learning underlying adaptive agency and promotes the formation of inflexible habits. We found that the basolateral amygdala projection to the dorsomedial striatum is activated by rewarding events to support the action-outcome learning needed for flexible, goal-directed decision making. Chronic stress attenuates this to disrupt action-outcome learning and, therefore, agency. Conversely, the central amygdala projection to the dorsomedial striatum mediates habit formation. Following stress this pathway is progressively recruited to learning to promote the premature formation of inflexible habits. Thus, stress exerts opposing effects on two amygdala-striatal pathways to disrupt agency and promote habit. These data provide neuronal circuit insights into how chronic stress shapes learning and decision making, and help understand how stress can lead to the disrupted decision making and pathological habits that characterize substance use disorders and mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anna Wiener
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | | | - Abigail L Yu
- Dept. of Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Kayla Lim
- Dept. of Biological Chemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | | | - Gift Nnamdi
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alicia Wang
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Megha Sehgal
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | | | - Ana C Sias
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Alcino J Silva
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kate M Wassum
- Dept. of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095
- Brain Research Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Integrative Center for Learning and Memory, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Zallar LJ, Rivera-Irizarry JK, Hamor PU, Pigulevskiy I, Rico Rozo AS, Mehanna H, Liu D, Welday JP, Bender R, Asfouri JJ, Levine OB, Skelly MJ, Hadley CK, Fecteau KM, Nelson S, Miller J, Ghazal P, Bellotti P, Singh A, Hollmer LV, Erikson DW, Geri J, Pleil KE. Rapid nongenomic estrogen signaling controls alcohol drinking behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.02.565358. [PMID: 37961707 PMCID: PMC10635092 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Ovarian-derived estrogen is a key modulator of numerous physiological processes via genomic and nongenomic mechanisms, including signaling non-canonically at membrane-associated estrogen receptors in the brain to rapidly regulate neuronal function. However, the mechanisms mediating estrogen regulation of behaviors such as alcohol consumption remain unclear. Early alcohol drinking confers greater risk for alcohol use disorder in women than men, and binge alcohol drinking is correlated with high circulating estrogen levels, but a causal role for estrogen signaling in driving alcohol drinking in gonadally-intact animals has not been established. We found that female mice displayed greater binge alcohol drinking and reduced avoidance behavior when circulating estrogen was high during the proestrus phase of the estrous cycle than when it was low, contributing to sex differences in these behaviors. The pro-drinking, but not anxiolytic, effect of high endogenous estrogen state occurred via rapid estrogen signaling at membrane-associated estrogen receptor alpha in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which promoted synaptic excitation of corticotropin-releasing factor neurons and facilitated their activity during alcohol drinking behavior. This study is the first to demonstrate a rapid, nongenomic signaling mechanism for ovarian-derived estrogen signaling in the brain controlling behavior in gonadally intact females, and it establishes a causal role for estrogen in an intact hormonal context for driving alcohol consumption that contributes to known sex differences in this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia J. Zallar
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jean K. Rivera-Irizarry
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter U. Hamor
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Irena Pigulevskiy
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ana-Sofia Rico Rozo
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hajar Mehanna
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dezhi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacqueline P. Welday
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca Bender
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph J. Asfouri
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olivia B. Levine
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary Jane Skelly
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Colleen K. Hadley
- Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kristopher M. Fecteau
- Endocrine Technologies Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Scottie Nelson
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pasha Ghazal
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Bellotti
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashna Singh
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren V. Hollmer
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David W. Erikson
- Endocrine Technologies Core, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA
| | - Jacob Geri
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen E. Pleil
- Pharmacology Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
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Nelson CA, Brundage JN, Williams BM, Baldridge JK, Stockard AL, Bassett CH, Burger BJ, Gunter BT, Payne AJ, Yorgason JT, Steffensen SC, Bills KB. Voluntary Exercise Ameliorates Chronic Ethanol Withdrawal-Induced Adaptations of Opioid Receptor Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens, Dopamine Release, and Ethanol Consumption. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1593. [PMID: 39062166 PMCID: PMC11274624 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12071593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Exercise has increasingly been recognized as an adjunctive therapy for alcohol-use disorder (AUD), yet our understanding of its underlying neurological mechanisms remains limited. This knowledge gap impedes the development of evidence-based exercise guidelines for AUD treatment. Chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure has been shown to upregulate and sensitize kappa opioid receptors (KORs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is innervated by dopamine (DA) neurons in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA), which may contribute to AUD-related behaviors. In this study, we investigated the impact of voluntary exercise in EtOH-dependent mice on EtOH consumption, KOR and delta opioid receptor (DOR) expression in the NAc and VTA, and functional effects on EtOH-induced alterations in DA release in the NAc. Our findings reveal that voluntary exercise reduces EtOH consumption, reduces KOR and enhances DOR expression in the NAc, and modifies EtOH-induced adaptations in DA release, suggesting a competitive interaction between exercise-induced and EtOH-induced alterations in KOR expression. We also found changes to DOR expression in the NAc and VTA with voluntary exercise but no significant changes to DA release. These findings elucidate the complex interplay of AUD-related neurobiological processes, highlighting the potential for exercise as a therapeutic intervention for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina A. Nelson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
| | - James N. Brundage
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Benjamin M. Williams
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Jared K. Baldridge
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Alyssa L. Stockard
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Charlton H. Bassett
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Brandon J. Burger
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
| | - Bridger T. Gunter
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
| | - Andrew J. Payne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
| | - Jordan T. Yorgason
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Scott C. Steffensen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
- Department of Psychology/Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA (J.K.B.); (A.L.S.)
| | - Kyle B. Bills
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, Provo, UT 84606, USA; (C.A.N.); (K.B.B.)
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Riveros ME, Leibold NK, Retamal MA, Ezquer F. Role of histaminergic regulation of astrocytes in alcohol use disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111009. [PMID: 38653364 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111009] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a severe, yet not fully understood, mental health problem. It is associated with liver, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal diseases, thereby highly increasing the morbidity and mortality of these individuals. Currently, there is no effective and safe pharmacological therapy for AUD. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase our knowledge about its neurophysiological etiology to develop new treatments specifically targeted at this health condition. Recent findings have shown an upregulation in the histaminergic system both in alcohol dependent individuals and in animals with high alcohol preference. The use of H3 histaminergic receptor antagonists has given promising therapeutic results in animal models of AUD. Interestingly, astrocytes, which are ubiquitously present in the brain, express the three main histamine receptors (H1, H2 and H3), and in the last few years, several studies have shown that astrocytes could play an important role in the development and maintenance of AUD. Accordingly, alterations in the density of astrocytes in brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, and hippocampus that are critical for AUD-related characteristics have been observed. These characteristics include addiction, impulsivity, motor function, and aggression. In this work, we review the current state of knowledge on the relationship between the histaminergic system and astrocytes in AUD and propose that histamine could increase alcohol tolerance by protecting astrocytes from ethanol-induced oxidative stress. This increased tolerance could lead to high levels of alcohol intake and therefore could be a key factor in the development of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Eugenia Riveros
- Centro de Fisiología Celular e Integrativa, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Nicole K Leibold
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (FHML), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Mauricio A Retamal
- Centro de Fisiología Celular e Integrativa, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile; Programa de Comunicación Celular en Cáncer, Instituto de Ciencia e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Ezquer
- Centro de Medicina Regenerativa, Instituto de Ciencia e Innovación en Medicina, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago. Chile; Research Center for the Development of Novel Therapeutic Alternatives for Alcohol Use Disorders, Santiago, Chile
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7
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Venegas FC, Rosas D, Delgado N, Estay-Olmos C, Iturriaga-Vásquez P, Rivera-Meza M, Torres GE, Renard GM, Sotomayor-Zárate R. Early-life exposure to sex hormones promotes voluntary ethanol intake in adulthood. A vulnerability factor to drug addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 133:111001. [PMID: 38565388 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111001] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
While there is extensive research on alcohol dependence, the factors that make an individual vulnerable to developing alcoholism haven't been explored much. In this study, we aim to investigate how neonatal exposure to sex hormones affects alcohol intake and the regulation of the mesolimbic pathway in adulthood. The study aimed to investigate the impact of neonatal exposure to a single dose of testosterone propionate (TP) or estradiol valerate (EV) on ethanol consumption in adult rats. The rats were subjected to a two-bottle free-choice paradigm, and the content of dopamine (DA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) was measured using HPLC-ED. The expression of critical DA-related proteins in the mesolimbic pathway was evaluated through RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Supraphysiological neonatal exposure to EV or TP resulted in increased ethanol intake over four weeks in adulthood. In addition, the DA and DOPAC content was reduced and increased in the NAcc of EV and TP-treated rats, and β-endorphin content in the hypothalamus decreased in EV-treated rats. The VTA μ receptor and DA type 2 form short receptor (D2S) expression were significantly reduced in EV and TP male rats. Finally, in an extended 6-week protocol, the increase in ethanol consumption induced by EV was mitigated during the initial two hours post-naloxone injection. Neonatal exposure to sex hormones is a detrimental stimulus for the brain, which can facilitate the development of addictive behaviors, including alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca C Venegas
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy
| | - Daniela Rosas
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nicol Delgado
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Camila Estay-Olmos
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Patricio Iturriaga-Vásquez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Mario Rivera-Meza
- Departamento de Química Farmacológica y Toxicológica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo E Torres
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, USA
| | - Georgina M Renard
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile.
| | - Ramón Sotomayor-Zárate
- Centro de Neurobiología y Fisiopatología Integrativa (CENFI), Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile.
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8
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Asefi MB, Heidari A, Hajikarim-Hamedani A, Mousavi Z, Ashabi G, Sadat-Shirazi MS, Zarrindast MR. Preconception ethanol exposure changes anxiety, depressive and checking-like behavior and alter the expression levels of MAO-B in male offspring. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 104:107367. [PMID: 38866258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use, which alters the epigenome, increases the probability that it could affect subsequent generations, even if they were never directly exposed to ethanol or even in utero. We explored the effects of parental ethanol exposure before conception on behavioral changes in the offspring. Considering the role of Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) in dopamine turnover in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its influence on behavior, and taking into account that ethanol exposure could alter MAO-B, we assessed the protein levels in the offspring. Male and female rats were exposed to ethanol for 30 days and then allowed ten days of abstinence. Afterward, they were mated with either control or ethanol-exposed rats. The F1 and F2 male offspring underwent tests to assess behavioral changes. Additionally, the levels of MAO-B in the PFC were evaluated. Results revealed that in the F1, anxiety increased only in the bi-parental ethanol-exposed male offspring in the elevated plus maze test (p < 0.05), while depressive-like behavior rose only in maternal and bi-parental ethanol-exposed offspring (p < 0.01). However, compulsive-like behavior increased in all ethanol-exposed offspring (p < 0.01). No significant phenotypic changes were observed in the F2. The levels of MAO-B in the PFC increased in the maternal (p < 0.05) and bi-parental ethanol-exposed offspring (p < 0.01). Our study demonstrates that parental ethanol exposure, even in the days preceding mating, adversely affects behaviors and induces molecular changes in the brain. Given these findings, it becomes imperative to monitor children exposed to parental (especially maternal) ethanol for the prevention of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Basir Asefi
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Amirhossein Heidari
- Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Zahra Mousavi
- Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Iran
| | - Ghorbangol Ashabi
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad-Reza Zarrindast
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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9
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Patel RR, Gandhi P, Spencer K, Salem NA, Erikson CM, Borgonetti V, Vlkolinsky R, Rodriguez L, Nadav T, Bajo M, Roberts AJ, Dayne Mayfield R, Roberto M. Functional and morphological adaptation of medial prefrontal corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1-expressing neurons in male mice following chronic ethanol exposure. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100657. [PMID: 38983690 PMCID: PMC11231756 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100657] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic ethanol dependence and withdrawal activate corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-containing GABAergic neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which tightly regulate glutamatergic pyramidal neurons. Using male CRF1:GFP reporter mice, we recently reported that CRF1-expressing (mPFCCRF1+) neurons predominantly comprise mPFC prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons, undergo profound adaptations following chronic ethanol exposure, and regulate anxiety and conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. To explore the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on glutamate transmission, the impact of chronic alcohol on spine density and morphology, as well as persistent changes in dendritic-related gene expression, we employed whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, diOlistic labeling for dendritic spine analysis, and dendritic gene expression analysis to further characterize mPFCCRF1+ and mPFCCRF1- prelimbic layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons. We found increased glutamate release in mPFCCRF1+ neurons with ethanol dependence, which recovered following withdrawal. In contrast, we did not observe significant changes in glutamate transmission in neighboring mPFCCRF1- neurons. Acute application of 44 mM ethanol significantly reduced glutamate release onto mPFCCRF1+ neurons, which was observed across all treatment groups. However, this sensitivity to acute ethanol was only evident in mPFCCRF1- neurons during withdrawal. In line with alterations in glutamate transmission, we observed a decrease in total spine density in mPFCCRF1+ neurons during dependence, which recovered following withdrawal, while again no changes were observed in mPFCCRF- neurons. Given the observed decreases in mPFCCRF1+ stubby spines during withdrawal, we then identified persistent changes at the dendritic gene expression level in mPFCCRF1+ neurons following withdrawal that may underlie these structural adaptations. Together, these findings highlight the varying responses of mPFCCRF1+ and mPFCCRF1- cell-types to acute and chronic ethanol exposure, as well as withdrawal, revealing specific functional, morphological, and molecular adaptations that may underlie vulnerability to ethanol and the lasting effects of ethanol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reesha R Patel
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Pauravi Gandhi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kathryn Spencer
- Core Microscopy Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nihal A Salem
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Chloe M Erikson
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Vittoria Borgonetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Roman Vlkolinsky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Larry Rodriguez
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Tali Nadav
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Michal Bajo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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10
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Pasquetta L, Ferreyra E, Wille-Bille A, Pautassi RM, Ramirez A, Piovano J, Molina JC, Miranda-Morales RS. C57BL/6J offspring mice reared by a single-mother exhibit, compared to mice reared in a biparental parenting structure, distinct neural activation patterns and heightened ethanol-induced anxiolysis. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06627-4. [PMID: 38811403 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06627-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Parenting experiences with caregivers play a key role in neurodevelopment. We recently reported that adolescents reared by a single-mother (SM) display an anxiety-prone phenotype and drink more alcohol, compared to peers derived from a biparental (BP) rearing condition. OBJECTIVES To investigate if SM and BP offspring infant mice exhibit differential sensitivity to ethanol-induced locomotor activity and differential activity patterns in brain areas related to anxiety response. We also analyzed anxiety response and ethanol-induced anxiolysis in SM and BP adolescents. METHODS Mice reared in SM or BP conditions were assessed for (a) ethanol-induced locomotor activity at infancy, (b) central expression of Fos-like proteins (likely represented mostly by FosB, a transcription factor that accumulates after chronic stimuli exposure and serves as a molecular marker of neural plasticity) and cathecolaminergic activity, and (c) anxiety-like behavior and ethanol-induced anxiolysis in adolescence. RESULTS Infant mice were sensitive to the stimulating effects of 2.0 g/kg alcohol, regardless parenting structure. SM mice exhibited, relative to BP mice, a significantly greater number of Fos-like positive cells in the central amygdala and basolateral amygdala nuclei. Ethanol treatment, but not parenting condition, induced greater activation of dopaminergic neurons in ventral tegmental area. SM, but not BP, adolescent mice were sensitive to ethanol-induced anxiolysis. CONCLUSIONS These results highlight the complex relationship between parenting experiences and neurodevelopment. The SM parenting may result in greater neural activation patterns in brain areas associated with anxiety response, potentially contributing to increased basal anxiety and alcohol sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucila Pasquetta
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Eliana Ferreyra
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Aranza Wille-Bille
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Ricardo Marcos Pautassi
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
| | - Abraham Ramirez
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Rosario, 2000, Argentina
| | - Jesica Piovano
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
| | - Roberto Sebastián Miranda-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba), Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5016, Argentina.
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.
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11
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Roland AV, Harry Chao TH, Hon OJ, Machinski SN, Sides TR, Lee SI, Ian Shih YY, Kash TL. Acute and chronic alcohol modulation of extended amygdala calcium dynamics. Alcohol 2024; 116:53-64. [PMID: 38423261 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are reciprocally connected nodes of the extended amygdala thought to play an important role in alcohol consumption. Studies of immediate-early genes indicate that BNST and CeA are acutely activated following alcohol drinking and may signal alcohol reward in nondependent drinkers, while stress signaling in the extended amygdala following chronic alcohol exposure drives increased drinking via negative reinforcement. However, the temporal dynamics of neuronal activation in these regions during drinking behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we used fiber photometry and the genetically encoded calcium sensor GCaMP6s to assess acute changes in neuronal activity during alcohol consumption in BNST and CeA before and after a chronic drinking paradigm. Activity was examined in the pan-neuronal population and separately in dynorphinergic neurons. BNST and CeA showed increased pan-neuronal activity during acute consumption of alcohol and other fluid tastants of positive and negative valence, as well as highly palatable chow. Responses were greatest during initial consummatory bouts and decreased in amplitude with repeated consumption of the same tastant, suggesting modulation by stimulus novelty. Dynorphin neurons showed similar consumption-associated calcium increases in both regions. Following three weeks of continuous alcohol access (CA), calcium increases in dynorphin neurons during drinking were maintained, but pan-neuronal activity and BNST-CeA coherence were altered in a sex-specific manner. These results indicate that BNST and CeA, and dynorphin neurons specifically, are engaged during drinking behavior, and activity dynamics are influenced by stimulus novelty and chronic alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison V Roland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olivia J Hon
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samantha N Machinski
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tori R Sides
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sophia I Lee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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12
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Bendrath SC, Méndez HG, Dankert AM, Lerma-Cabrera JM, Carvajal F, Dornellas-Loper AP, Lee S, Neira S, Haun H, Delpire E, Navarro M, Kash TL, Thiele TE. Inhibiting CRF Projections from the Central Amygdala to Lateral Hypothalamus and Amygdala Deletion of CRF Alters Binge-Like Ethanol Drinking in a Sex-Dependent Manner. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.09.588750. [PMID: 38645149 PMCID: PMC11030312 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.588750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Binge alcohol drinking is a dangerous pattern of consumption that can contribute to the development of more severe alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Importantly, the rate and severity of AUDs has historically differed between men and women, suggesting that there may be sex differences in the central mechanisms that modulate alcohol (ethanol) consumption. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is a centrally expressed neuropeptide that has been implicated in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake, and emerging data highlight sex differences in central CRF systems. Methods In the present report we characterized CRF+ neurocircuitry arising from the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and innervating the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake in male and female mice. Results Using chemogenetic tools we found that silencing the CRF+ CeA to LH circuit significantly blunted binge-like ethanol intake in male, but not female, mice. Consistently, genetic deletion of CRF from neurons of the CeA blunted ethanol intake exclusively in male mice. Furthermore, pharmacological blockade of the CRF type-1 receptor (CRF1R) in the LH significantly reduced binge-like ethanol intake in male mice only, while CRF2R activation in the LH failed to alter ethanol intake in either sex. Finally, a history of binge-like ethanol drinking blunted CRF mRNA in the CeA regardless of sex. Conclusions These observations provide novel evidence that CRF+ CeA to LH neurocircuitry modulates binge-like ethanol intake in male, but not female mice, which may provide insight into the mechanisms that guide known sex differences in binge-like ethanol intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie C Bendrath
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Hernán G Méndez
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Anne M Dankert
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | | | | | - Ana Paula Dornellas-Loper
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Sophia Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Sofia Neira
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Harold Haun
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Eric Delpire
- Department of Anesthesiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Montserrat Navarro
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-3270, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599-7178, USA
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13
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Duratkar A, Patel R, Jain NS. Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of the central amygdala modulates the ethanol-induced tolerance to anxiolysis and withdrawal-induced anxiety in male rats. Behav Pharmacol 2024; 35:132-146. [PMID: 38451025 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
The nicotine acetylcholinergic receptor (nAchR) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is known to modulate anxiety traits as well as ethanol-induced behavioral effects. Therefore, the present study investigated the role of CeA nAChR in the tolerance to ethanol anxiolysis and withdrawal-induced anxiety-related effects in rats on elevated plus maze (EPM). To develop ethanol dependence, rats were given free access to an ethanol-containing liquid diet for 10 days. To assess the development of tolerance, separate groups of rats were challenged with ethanol (2 g/kg, i.p.) on days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 during the period of ethanol exposure, followed by an EPM assessment. Moreover, expression of ethanol withdrawal was induced after switching ethanol-dependent rats to a liquid diet on day 11, and withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior was noted at different post-withdrawal time points using the EPM test. The ethanol-dependent rats were pretreated with intra-CeA (i.CeA) (bilateral) injections of nicotine (0.25 µg/rat) or mecamylamine (MEC) (5 ng/rat) before the challenge dose of ethanol on subthreshold tolerance on the 5th day or on peak tolerance day, that is, 7th or 10th, and before assessment of postwithdrawal anxiety on the 11th day on EPM. Bilateral i.CeA preadministration of nicotine before the challenge dose of ethanol on days 5, 7 and 10 exhibited enhanced tolerance, while injection of MEC, completely mitigated the tolerance to the ethanol-induced antianxiety effect. On the other hand, ethanol-withdrawn rats pretreated i.CeA with nicotine exacerbated while pretreatment with MEC, alleviated the ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety on all time points. Thus, the present investigation indicates that stimulation of nAChR in CeA negatively modulates the ethanol-induced chronic behavioral effects on anxiety in rats. It is proposed that nAChR antagonists might be useful in the treatment of alcohol use disorder and ethanol withdrawal-related anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antariksha Duratkar
- Department of Pharmacology, J.L. Chaturvedi College of Pharmacy, Nagpur, Maharashtra
| | - Richa Patel
- Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Koni, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
| | - Nishant Sudhir Jain
- Department of Pharmacology, J.L. Chaturvedi College of Pharmacy, Nagpur, Maharashtra
- Department of Pharmacy, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Koni, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India
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14
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Cheng Y, Magnard R, Langdon AJ, Lee D, Janak PH. Chronic Ethanol Exposure Produces Persistent Impairment in Cognitive Flexibility and Decision Signals in the Striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.584332. [PMID: 38585868 PMCID: PMC10996555 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.584332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Lack of cognitive flexibility is a hallmark of substance use disorders and has been associated with drug-induced synaptic plasticity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Yet the possible impact of altered plasticity on real-time striatal neural dynamics during decision-making is unclear. Here, we identified persistent impairments induced by chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cognitive flexibility and striatal decision signals. After a substantial withdrawal period from prior EtOH vapor exposure, male, but not female, rats exhibited reduced adaptability and exploratory behavior during a dynamic decision-making task. Reinforcement learning models showed that prior EtOH exposure enhanced learning from rewards over omissions. Notably, neural signals in the DMS related to the decision outcome were enhanced, while those related to choice and choice-outcome conjunction were reduced, in EtOH-treated rats compared to the controls. These findings highlight the profound impact of chronic EtOH exposure on adaptive decision-making, pinpointing specific changes in striatal representations of actions and outcomes as underlying mechanisms for cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Cheng
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Robin Magnard
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Angela J. Langdon
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daeyeol Lee
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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15
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Belelli D, Riva A, Nutt DJ. Reducing the harms of alcohol: nutritional interventions and functional alcohol alternatives. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 175:241-276. [PMID: 38555118 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The health risks and harm associated with regular alcohol consumption are well documented. In a recent WHO statement published in The Lancet Public Health alcohol consumption has been estimated to contribute worldwide to 3 million deaths in 2016 while also being responsible for 5·1% of the global burden of disease and injury. The total elimination of alcohol consumption, which has been long imbedded in human culture and society, is not practical and prohibition policies have proved historically ineffective. However, valuable strategies to reduce alcohol harms are already available and improved alternative approaches are currently being developed. Here, we will review and discuss recent advances on two main types of approaches, that is nutritional interventions and functional alcohol alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Belelli
- GABALabs Res. Senior Scientific Consultant, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Riva
- Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology (Foundation for Liver Research), London; Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London
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16
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Fu Y, Li W, Mai Y, Guan J, Ding R, Hou J, Chen B, Cao G, Sun S, Tang Y, Fu R. Association between RMTg Neuropeptide Genes and Negative Effect during Alcohol Withdrawal in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2933. [PMID: 38474180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) frequently co-occur with negative mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, exacerbating relapse through dopaminergic dysfunction. Stress-related neuropeptides play a crucial role in AUD pathophysiology by modulating dopamine (DA) function. The rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), which inhibits midbrain dopamine neurons and signals aversion, has been shown to increase ethanol consumption and negative emotional states during abstinence. Despite some stress-related neuropeptides acting through the RMTg to affect addiction behaviors, their specific roles in alcohol-induced contexts remain underexplored. This study utilized an intermittent voluntary drinking model in mice to induce negative effect behavior 24 h into ethanol (EtOH) abstinence (post-EtOH). It examined changes in pro-stress (Pnoc, Oxt, Npy) and anti-stress (Crf, Pomc, Avp, Orx, Pdyn) neuropeptide-coding genes and analyzed their correlations with aversive behaviors. We observed that adult male C57BL/6J mice displayed evident anxiety, anhedonia, and depression-like symptoms at 24 h post-EtOH. The laser-capture microdissection technique, coupled with or without retrograde tracing, was used to harvest total ventral tegmental area (VTA)-projecting neurons or the intact RMTg area. The findings revealed that post-EtOH consistently reduced Pnoc and Orx levels while elevating Crf levels in these neuronal populations. Notably, RMTg Pnoc and Npy levels counteracted ethanol consumption and depression severity, while Crf levels were indicative of the mice's anxiety levels. Together, these results underscore the potential role of stress-related neuropeptides in the RMTg in regulating the negative emotions related to AUDs, offering novel insights for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Fu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Wenfu Li
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Yunlin Mai
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Junhao Guan
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Ruxuan Ding
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Jiawei Hou
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Bingqing Chen
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Guoxin Cao
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Shizhu Sun
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Clinical Skills Training Center, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
| | - Rao Fu
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen 518106, China
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17
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Stea SG, Grisel JE. β-Endorphin influences sedative and ataxic effects of alcohol. Alcohol 2024; 115:69-77. [PMID: 37741556 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Beta-endorphin (β-E) is an opioid peptide linked to the behavioral effects of ethanol. For example, β-E provides negative feedback to inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis, and neuroadaptation of this system to ethanol may facilitate sex differences in disordered drinking. Locomotor sensitivity to ethanol may also influence the risk for addiction; however, the role of β-E in psychomotor effects of ethanol is not fully understood. We examined the role of β-E and sex on locomotor effects of ethanol using adult male and female wild-type C57BL/6J and β-E deficient B6.129S2-Pomctm1Low/J mice in a parallel rod floor apparatus following 0.75 or 2.0 g/kg ethanol. Beginning 15 min after intraperitoneal injection, we recorded foot slips, distance traveled, slips per meter, first instance of immobility, and total time spent off-balance (lying on the floor) over 15 min, and collected blood for analysis of ethanol concentration 60 min after injection. Overall, β-E deficient mice were more sedated and ataxic following ethanol; at the lower dose they slipped more frequently and had a higher rate of slips per meter traveled. At the higher dose, β-E deficient mice were predominantly sedated, slipping less frequently, and traveling less, as well as spending more time off-balance and becoming immobile sooner. Genotype interacted with sex in that male β-E deficient mice slipped more frequently than their female counterparts, suggesting that β-E may elicit sex-dependent effects of ethanol-induced ataxia. Blood ethanol concentration did not differ between any group, suggesting that behavioral differences result from altered sensitivity to ethanol. Our data support the contention that β-E modulates the locomotor effects of ethanol and may influence ataxia in a sex-dependent manner. These findings help elucidate the role of β-E in diverging behavioral responses to ethanol and may aid the development of targeted treatments for alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel G Stea
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, United States
| | - Judith E Grisel
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience Program, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, United States.
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18
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Becker HC, Lopez MF. Animal Models of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Rodents. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38340255 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of animal models that demonstrate excessive levels of alcohol consumption has played an important role in advancing our knowledge about neurobiological underpinnings and environmental circumstances that engender such maladaptive behavior. The use of these preclinical models has also provided valuable opportunities for discovering new and novel therapeutic targets that may be useful in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). While no single model can fully capture the complexities of AUD, the goal is to develop animal models that closely approximate characteristics of heavy alcohol drinking in humans to enhance their translational value and utility. A variety of experimental approaches have been employed to produce the desired phenotype of interest-robust and reliable excessive levels of alcohol drinking. Here we provide an updated review of five animal models that are commonly used. The models entail procedural manipulations of scheduled access to alcohol (time of day, duration, frequency), periods of time when access to alcohol is withheld, and history of alcohol exposure. Specially, the models involve (a) scheduled access to alcohol, (b) scheduled periods of alcohol deprivation, (c) scheduled intermittent access to alcohol, (d) scheduled-induced polydipsia, and (e) chronic alcohol (dependence) and withdrawal experience. Each of the animal models possesses unique experimental features that engender excessive levels of alcohol consumption. Both advantages and disadvantages of each model are described along with discussion of future work to be considered in developing more optimal models. Ultimately, the validity and utility of these models will lie in their ability to aid in the discovery of new and novel potential therapeutic targets as well as serve as a platform to evaluate treatment strategies that effectively reduce excessive levels of alcohol consumption associated with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- RHJ Veterans Administration Health Care System, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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19
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Lepeak L, Miracle S, Ferragud A, Seiglie MP, Shafique S, Ozturk Z, Minnig MA, Medeiros G, Cottone P, Sabino V. Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) of the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis Mediates Heavy Alcohol Drinking in Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0424-23.2023. [PMID: 38053471 PMCID: PMC10755645 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0424-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex psychiatric disease characterized by periods of heavy drinking and periods of withdrawal. Chronic exposure to ethanol causes profound neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala, which cause allostatic changes promoting excessive drinking. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a brain region involved in both excessive drinking and anxiety-like behavior, shows particularly high levels of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), a key mediator of the stress response. Recently, a role for PACAP in withdrawal-induced alcohol drinking and anxiety-like behavior in alcohol-dependent rats has been proposed; whether the PACAP system of the BNST is also recruited in other models of alcohol addiction and whether it is of local or nonlocal origin is currently unknown. Here, we show that PACAP immunoreactivity is increased selectively in the BNST of C57BL/6J mice exposed to a chronic, intermittent access to ethanol. While pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) type 1 receptor-expressing cells were unchanged by chronic alcohol, the levels of a peptide closely related to PACAP, the calcitonin gene-related neuropeptide, were found to also be increased in the BNST. Finally, using a retrograde chemogenetic approach in PACAP-ires-Cre mice, we found that the inhibition of PACAP neuronal afferents to the BNST reduced heavy ethanol drinking. Our data suggest that the PACAP system of the BNST is recruited by chronic, voluntary alcohol drinking in mice and that nonlocally originating PACAP projections to the BNST regulate heavy alcohol intake, indicating that this system may represent a promising target for novel AUD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Ferragud
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Mariel P. Seiglie
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Samih Shafique
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Zeynep Ozturk
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Margaret A. Minnig
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
| | - Gianna Medeiros
- Laboratory of Addictive Disorders, Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian, School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
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Roland AV, Harry Chao TH, Hon OJ, Machinski SN, Sides TR, Lee SI, Ian Shih YY, Kash TL. Acute and chronic alcohol modulation of extended amygdala calcium dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.10.561741. [PMID: 37873188 PMCID: PMC10592781 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.10.561741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are reciprocally connected nodes of the extended amygdala thought to play an important role in alcohol consumption. Studies of immediate-early genes indicate that BNST and CeA are acutely activated following alcohol drinking and may signal alcohol reward in nondependent drinkers, while increased stress signaling in the extended amygdala following chronic alcohol exposure drives increased drinking via negative reinforcement. However, the temporal dynamics of neuronal activation in these regions during drinking behavior are poorly understood. In this study, we used fiber photometry and the genetically encoded calcium sensor GCaMP6s to assess acute changes in neuronal activity during alcohol consumption in BNST and CeA before and after a chronic drinking paradigm. Activity was examined in the pan-neuronal population and separately in dynorphinergic neurons. BNST and CeA showed increased pan-neuronal activity during acute consumption of alcohol and other fluid tastants of positive and negative valence, as well as highly palatable chow. Responses were greatest during initial consummatory bouts and decreased in amplitude with repeated consumption of the same tastant, suggesting modulation by stimulus novelty. Dynorphin neurons showed similar consumption-associated calcium increases in both regions. Following three weeks of continuous alcohol access (CA), calcium increases in dynorphin neurons during drinking were maintained, but pan-neuronal activity and BNST-CeA coherence were altered in a sex-specific manner. These results indicate that BNST and CeA, and dynorphin neurons specifically, are engaged during drinking behavior, and activity dynamics are influenced by stimulus novelty and chronic alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison V Roland
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tzu-Hao Harry Chao
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Olivia J Hon
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Samantha N Machinski
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tori R Sides
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sophia I Lee
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yen-Yu Ian Shih
- Center for Animal MRI, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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21
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Stamatovich SN, Simons RM, Simons JS. Anhedonia and impulsivity in college alcohol use: A path analysis. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37722885 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2249116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcohol use is a substantial problem among college students and has several negative consequences. The current study examined the associations between anhedonia and alcohol use and related problems via impulsive behavior (e.g., negative urgency, sensation seeking). We parsed anhedonia into four specific facets: consummatory, anticipatory, recreational, and social anhedonia. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred and forty college students aged 18-25 were included in the final analysis. METHOD Data were collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Self-report inventories assessing for anhedonia, alcohol use, impulsive behavior, and depressed mood were utilized. RESULTS Recreational consummatory anhedonia was negatively associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems through negative urgency. Recreational consummatory anhedonia also had significant negative associations with alcohol consumption via sensation seeking. Further, social anticipatory anhedonia was positively associated with alcohol use and related problems via negative urgency. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights important associations between anhedonia, impulsivity, and alcohol use and related problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney N Stamatovich
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
| | - Raluca M Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
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22
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Ford MM, George BE, Van Laar VS, Holleran KM, Naidoo J, Hadaczek P, Vanderhooft LE, Peck EG, Dawes MH, Ohno K, Bringas J, McBride JL, Samaranch L, Forsayeth JR, Jones SR, Grant KA, Bankiewicz KS. GDNF gene therapy for alcohol use disorder in male non-human primates. Nat Med 2023; 29:2030-2040. [PMID: 37580533 PMCID: PMC10602124 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02463-9] [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: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) exacts enormous personal, social and economic costs globally. Return to alcohol use in treatment-seeking patients with AUD is common, engendered by a cycle of repeated abstinence-relapse episodes even with use of currently available pharmacotherapies. Repeated ethanol use induces dopaminergic signaling neuroadaptations in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons of the mesolimbic reward pathway, and sustained dysfunction of reward circuitry is associated with return to drinking behavior. We tested this hypothesis by infusing adeno-associated virus serotype 2 vector encoding human glial-derived neurotrophic factor (AAV2-hGDNF), a growth factor that enhances dopaminergic neuron function, into the VTA of four male rhesus monkeys, with another four receiving vehicle, following induction of chronic alcohol drinking. GDNF expression ablated the return to alcohol drinking behavior over a 12-month period of repeated abstinence-alcohol reintroduction challenges. This behavioral change was accompanied by neurophysiological modulations to dopamine signaling in the nucleus accumbens that countered the hypodopaminergic signaling state associated with chronic alcohol use, indicative of a therapeutic modulation of limbic circuits countering the effects of alcohol. These preclinical findings suggest gene therapy targeting relapse prevention may be a potential therapeutic strategy for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Ford
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Psychology, Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Brianna E George
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Victor S Van Laar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Katherine M Holleran
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jerusha Naidoo
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Piotr Hadaczek
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lauren E Vanderhooft
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Emily G Peck
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Monica H Dawes
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kousaku Ohno
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Bringas
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Lluis Samaranch
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John R Forsayeth
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kathleen A Grant
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Krystof S Bankiewicz
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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23
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Fridberg DJ, Lee Z, Fischer AM, Cursio JF, King AC. Assessing real-time positive subjective effects of alcohol using high-resolution ecological momentary assessment in risky versus light drinkers. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:1570-1581. [PMID: 37578682 PMCID: PMC10843682 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-resolution ecological momentary assessment (HR-EMA) can assess acute alcohol responses during naturalistic heavy drinking episodes. The goal of this study was to use HR-EMA to examine drinking behavior and subjective responses to alcohol in risky drinkers (moderate-severe alcohol use disorder [MS-AUD], heavy social drinkers [HD]) and light drinkers (LD). We expected that risky drinkers would endorse greater alcohol stimulation and reward, with lower sedation, than LD, even when controlling for amount of alcohol consumed. METHODS Participants (N = 112; 54% male, M ± SD age = 27.2 ± 4.2 years) completed smartphone-based HR-EMA during one typical alcohol drinking occasion and one non-alcohol-drinking occasion in their natural environment. Participants were prompted to complete next-day surveys that assessed drinking-related outcomes, study acceptability, and safety. RESULTS HR-EMA prompt completion rates were excellent (92% and 89% for the alcohol and nonalcohol episodes, respectively). The MS-AUD group consumed the most alcohol with the highest estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) by the end of the alcohol drinking episode (0.14 g/dL) versus LD (0.02 g/dL), with HD intermediate (0.10 g/dL). Relative to LD, MS-AUD and HD endorsed greater positive effects of alcohol (stimulation, liking, and wanting). CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to use HR-EMA to measure and compare real-world acute alcohol responses across diverse drinker subgroups, including persons with MS-AUD. Results demonstrate that risky drinkers experience heightened pleasurable effects measured in real-time during natural-environment alcohol responses. Rather than drinking excessively to eventually achieve desirable subjective effects, risky drinkers show sensitivity to positive alcohol effects throughout a heavy drinking episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Fridberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Zoe Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrew M Fischer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John F Cursio
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Andrea C King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Shahen-Zoabi S, Smoum R, Bingor A, Grad E, Nemirovski A, Shekh-Ahmad T, Mechoulam R, Yaka R. N-oleoyl glycine and N-oleoyl alanine attenuate alcohol self-administration and preference in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:273. [PMID: 37524707 PMCID: PMC10390512 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02574-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a key modulatory role during synaptic plasticity and homeostatic processes in the brain and has an important role in the neurobiological processes underlying drug addiction. We have previously shown that an elevated ECS response to psychostimulant (cocaine) is involved in regulating the development and expression of cocaine-conditioned reward and sensitization. We therefore hypothesized that drug-induced elevation in endocannabinoids (eCBs) and/or eCB-like molecules (eCB-Ls) may represent a protective mechanism against drug insult, and boosting their levels exogenously may strengthen their neuroprotective effects. Here, we determine the involvement of ECS in alcohol addiction. We first measured the eCBs and eCB-Ls levels in different brain reward system regions following chronic alcohol self-administration using LC-MS. We have found that following chronic intermittent alcohol consumption, N-oleoyl glycine (OlGly) levels were significantly elevated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and N-oleoyl alanine (OlAla) was significantly elevated in the PFC, nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in a region-specific manner. We next tested whether exogenous administration of OlGly or OlAla would attenuate alcohol consumption and preference. We found that systemic administration of OlGly or OlAla (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) during intermittent alcohol consumption significantly reduced alcohol intake and preference without affecting the hedonic state. These findings suggest that the ECS negatively regulates alcohol consumption and boosting selective eCBs exogenously has beneficial effects against alcohol consumption and potentially in preventing relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samah Shahen-Zoabi
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Reem Smoum
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Alexey Bingor
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Etty Grad
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Alina Nemirovski
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Tawfeeq Shekh-Ahmad
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Raphael Mechoulam
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Rami Yaka
- Institute for Drug Research (IDR), School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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25
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van Oort J, Diazgranados N, George DT, Horneffer Y, Schwandt M, Goldman D, Momenan R. Preliminary evidence for changes in frontoparietal network connectivity in the early abstinence period in alcohol use disorder: a longitudinal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1185770. [PMID: 37575566 PMCID: PMC10420071 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1185770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The early abstinence period is a crucial phase in alcohol use disorder (AUD) in which patients have to find a new equilibrium and may start recovery, or conversely, relapse. However, the changes in brain functions during this key period are still largely unknown. We set out to study longitudinal changes in large-scale brain networks during the early abstinence period using resting-state scans. We scanned AUD patients twice in a well-controlled inpatient setting, with the first scan taking place shortly after admission and the second scan 4 weeks (±9 days) later near the end of the treatment period. We studied 37 AUD patients (22 males) and 27 healthy controls (16 males). We focused on three networks that are affected in AUD and underly core symptom dimensions in this disorder: the frontoparietal networks (left and right FPN) and default mode network (DMN). Both the whole brain and within network connectivity of these networks were studied using dual regression. Finally, we explored correlations between these brain networks and various neuropsychological and behavioral measures. In contrast to the controls (Z = -1.081, p = 0.280), the AUD patients showed a decrease in within left FPN connectivity (Z = -2.029, p = 0.042). However, these results did not survive a strict Bonferroni correction. The decrease in left FPN connectivity during the early abstinence period in AUD may reflect an initially upregulated FPN, which recovers to a lower resting-state connectivity level during subsequent weeks of abstinence. The AUD patients showed a trend for a positive association between the change in left FPN connectivity and trait anxiety (rs = 0.303, p = 0.068), and a trend for a negative association between the change in left FPN connectivity and delay discounting (rs = -0.283, p = 0.089) (uncorrected for multiple comparisons). This suggests that the FPN might be involved in top-down control of impulsivity and anxiety, which are important risk factors for relapse. Although there were no statistically significant results (after multiple comparison correction), our preliminary findings encourage further research into the dynamic neuroadaptations during the clinically crucial early abstinence period and could inform future study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper van Oort
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David T. George
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yvonne Horneffer
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Melanie Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - David Goldman
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Terenius L, Oasa S, Sezgin E, Ma Y, Horne D, Radmiković M, Jovanović-Talisman T, Martin-Fardon R, Vukojevic V. Naltrexone blocks alcohol-induced effects on kappa-opioid receptors in the plasma membrane. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3091960. [PMID: 37503185 PMCID: PMC10371157 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3091960/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Naltrexone (NTX), a homologue of the opiate antidote naloxone, is an orally active long-acting mu-opioid receptor (MOP) antagonist used in the treatment of opiate dependence. NTX is also found to relieve craving for alcohol and is one of the few FDA-approved drugs for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Reports that NTX blocks the actions of endogenous opioids released by alcohol are not convincing, suggesting that NTX interferes with alcohol actions by affecting opioid receptors. MOP and kappa-opioid receptor (KOP) are structurally related but functionally different. MOP is mainly located in interneurons activated by enkephalins while KOP is located in longer projections activated by dynorphins. While the actions of NTX on MOP are well established, the interaction with KOP and addiction is not well understood. We used sensitive fluorescence-based methods to study the influence of alcohol on KOP and the interaction between KOP and NTX. Here we report that alcohol interacts with KOP and its environment in the plasma membrane. These interactions are affected by NTX and are exerted both on KOP directly and on the plasma membrane (lipid) structures ("off-target"). The actions of NTX are stereospecific. Selective KOP antagonists, recently in early clinical trials for major depressive disorder, block the receptor but do not show the full action profile of NTX. The therapeutic effect of NTX treatment in AUD may be due to direct actions on KOP and the receptor environment.
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27
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Koob GF, Vendruscolo L. Theoretical Frameworks and Mechanistic Aspects of Alcohol Addiction: Alcohol Addiction as a Reward Deficit/Stress Surfeit Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 37421551 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be defined by a compulsion to seek and take alcohol, the loss of control in limiting intake, and the emergence of a negative emotional state when access to alcohol is prevented. Alcohol use disorder impacts multiple motivational mechanisms and can be conceptualized as a disorder that includes a progression from impulsivity (positive reinforcement) to compulsivity (negative reinforcement). Compulsive drug seeking that is associated with AUD can be derived from multiple neuroadaptations, but the thesis argued herein is that a key component involves the construct of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is defined as drug taking that alleviates a negative emotional state. The negative emotional state that drives such negative reinforcement is hypothesized to derive from the dysregulation of specific neurochemical elements that are involved in reward and stress within basal forebrain structures that involve the ventral striatum and extended amygdala, respectively. Specific neurochemical elements in these structures include decreases in reward neurotransmission (e.g., decreases in dopamine and opioid peptide function in the ventral striatum) and the recruitment of brain stress systems (e.g., corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) in the extended amygdala, which contributes to hyperkatifeia and greater alcohol intake that is associated with dependence. Glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids may play a role in sensitizing the extended amygdala CRF system. Other components of brain stress systems in the extended amygdala that may contribute to the negative motivational state of withdrawal include norepinephrine in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, dynorphin in the nucleus accumbens, hypocretin and vasopressin in the central nucleus of the amygdala, and neuroimmune modulation. Decreases in the activity of neuropeptide Y, nociception, endocannabinoids, and oxytocin in the extended amygdala may also contribute to hyperkatifeia that is associated with alcohol withdrawal. Such dysregulation of emotional processing may also significantly contribute to pain that is associated with alcohol withdrawal and negative urgency (i.e., impulsivity that is associated with hyperkatifeia during hyperkatifeia). Thus, an overactive brain stress response system is hypothesized to be activated by acute excessive drug intake, to be sensitized during repeated withdrawal, to persist into protracted abstinence, and to contribute to the compulsivity of AUD. The combination of the loss of reward function and recruitment of brain stress systems provides a powerful neurochemical basis for a negative emotional state that is responsible for the negative reinforcement that at least partially drives the compulsivity of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- George F Koob
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Leandro Vendruscolo
- Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
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van Oort J, Llera A, Kohn N, Mei T, Collard RM, Duyser FA, Vrijsen JN, Beckmann CF, Schene AH, Fernández G, Tendolkar I, van Eijndhoven PFP. Brain structure and function link to variation in biobehavioral dimensions across the psychopathological continuum. eLife 2023; 12:e85006. [PMID: 37334965 PMCID: PMC10519708 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In line with the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) , we set out to investigate the brain basis of psychopathology within a transdiagnostic, dimensional framework. We performed an integrative structural-functional linked independent component analysis to study the relationship between brain measures and a broad set of biobehavioral measures in a sample (n = 295) with both mentally healthy participants and patients with diverse non-psychotic psychiatric disorders (i.e. mood, anxiety, addiction, and neurodevelopmental disorders). To get a more complete understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms, we used gray and white matter measures for brain structure and both resting-state and stress scans for brain function. The results emphasize the importance of the executive control network (ECN) during the functional scans for the understanding of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions. The connectivity between the ECN and the frontoparietal network in the aftermath of stress was correlated with symptom dimensions across both the cognitive and negative valence domains, and also with various other health-related biological and behavioral measures. Finally, we identified a multimodal component that was specifically associated with the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The involvement of the default mode network, precentral gyrus, and thalamus across the different modalities of this component may reflect the broad functional domains that may be affected in ASD, like theory of mind, motor problems, and sensitivity to sensory stimuli, respectively. Taken together, the findings from our extensive, exploratory analyses emphasize the importance of a dimensional and more integrative approach for getting a better understanding of the brain basis of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper van Oort
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Alberto Llera
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Nils Kohn
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Ting Mei
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Rose M Collard
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Fleur A Duyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Janna N Vrijsen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Pro Persona Mental Health Care, Depression Expertise CenterNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
- Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB), University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Aart H Schene
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Guillén Fernández
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University NijmegenNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Indira Tendolkar
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
| | - Philip FP van Eijndhoven
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical CentreNijmegenNetherlands
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Wadsworth HA, Anderson EQ, Williams BM, Ronström JW, Moen JK, Lee AM, McIntosh JM, Wu J, Yorgason JT, Steffensen SC. Role of α6-Nicotinic Receptors in Alcohol-Induced GABAergic Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity to Cholinergic Interneurons in the Nucleus Accumbens. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:3113-3129. [PMID: 36802012 PMCID: PMC10690621 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03263-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
The prevailing view is that enhancement of dopamine (DA) transmission in the mesolimbic system, consisting of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), underlies the reward properties of ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC). We have shown previously that EtOH and NIC modulation of DA release in the NAc is mediated by α6-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α6*-nAChRs), that α6*-nAChRs mediate low-dose EtOH effects on VTA GABA neurons and EtOH preference, and that α6*-nAChRs may be a molecular target for low-dose EtOH. However, the most sensitive target for reward-relevant EtOH modulation of mesolimbic DA transmission and the involvement of α6*-nAChRs in the mesolimbic DA reward system remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate EtOH effects on GABAergic modulation of VTA GABA neurons and VTA GABAergic input to cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the NAc. Low-dose EtOH enhanced GABAergic input to VTA GABA neurons that was blocked by knockdown of α6*-nAChRs. Knockdown was achieved either by α6-miRNA injected into the VTA of VGAT-Cre/GAD67-GFP mice or by superfusion of the α-conotoxin MII[H9A;L15A] (MII). Superfusion of MII blocked EtOH inhibition of mIPSCs in NAc CINs. Concomitantly, EtOH enhanced CIN firing rate, which was blocked by knockdown of α6*-nAChRs with α6-miRNA injected into the VTA of VGAT-Cre/GAD67-GFP mice. The firing rate of CINs was not enhanced by EtOH in EtOH-dependent mice, and low-frequency stimulation (LFS; 1 Hz, 240 pulses) caused inhibitory long-term depression at this synapse (VTA-NAc CIN-iLTD) which was blocked by knockdown of α6*-nAChR and MII. Ethanol inhibition of CIN-mediated evoked DA release in the NAc was blocked by MII. Taken together, these findings suggest that α6*-nAChRs in the VTA-NAc pathway are sensitive to low-dose EtOH and play a role in plasticity associated with chronic EtOH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary A Wadsworth
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Elizabeth Q Anderson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Benjamin M Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Joakim W Ronström
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Janna K Moen
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Anna M Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - J Michael McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences and Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA
- George E. Whalen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT, 84148, USA
| | - Jie Wu
- Brain Function and Disease Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Jordan T Yorgason
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Scott C Steffensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University, 1050 KMBL, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
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Fan JQ, Miller H, Adams A, Bryan R, Salzman M. Allostatic load in opioid use disorder: a scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e060522. [PMID: 36931678 PMCID: PMC10030489 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060522] [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] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioid use disorder affects 2.1 million individuals in the USA, causing more than 100 000 overdose-related deaths annually. While the neurobiological model of addiction is well described and accepted, there is a lack of morbidity and mortality prognosticators for patients struggling with opioid use disorder. Allostatic load index is a promising candidate for the basis of a prognostication tool. Previous studies show that allostatic load predicts both morbidity and mortality in a variety of cohorts. This scoping review protocol provides the rationale and steps for summarising and presenting existing evidence surrounding allostatic load in the context of opioid use disorder. Identification of current knowledge gaps will pave the way for subsequent prospective studies. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This scoping review protocol will follow the five-step method designed by Arksey and O'Malley. All studies written in English on allostatic load in the context of opioid use disorder, as defined in our inclusion criteria, will be included. There will be no limit on the year of publication. We will search PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. We will hand-review reference lists of included articles, and we will hand search grey literature. We will then group, analyse and present the data in narrative, tabular and diagrammatic format according to themes identified in the scoping review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval is not necessary, as data are gathered from publicly accessible sources. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal and reported at conferences related to addiction medicine. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER 10.17605/OSF.IO/4J6DQ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda Adams
- Department of Medical Library, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | | | - Matthew Salzman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
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Musial MPM, Beck A, Rosenthal A, Charlet K, Bach P, Kiefer F, Vollstädt-Klein S, Walter H, Heinz A, Rothkirch M. Reward Processing in Alcohol-Dependent Patients and First-Degree Relatives: Functional Brain Activity During Anticipation of Monetary Gains and Losses. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:546-557. [PMID: 35863919 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.05.024] [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: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to the reward deficiency syndrome and allostatic hypotheses, hyposensitivity of mesocorticolimbic regions to non-alcohol-related stimuli predisposes to dependence or is long-lastingly enhanced by chronic substance use. To date, no study has directly compared mesocorticolimbic brain activity during non-drug reward anticipation between alcohol-dependent, at risk, and healthy subjects. METHODS Seventy-five abstinent alcohol-dependent human subjects (mean abstinence duration 957.66 days), 62 healthy first-degree relatives of alcohol-dependent individuals, and 76 healthy control subjects without family history of alcohol dependence performed a monetary incentive delay task. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data of the anticipation phase were analyzed, during which visual cues predicted that fast response to a target would result in monetary gain, avoidance of monetary loss, or a neutral outcome. RESULTS During gain anticipation, there were no significant group differences. During loss anticipation, abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects showed lower activity in the left anterior insula compared with healthy control subjects without family history of alcohol dependence only (Montreal Neurological Institute [MNI] -25 19 -5; t206 = 4.17, familywise error corrected p = .009). However, this effect was no longer significant when age was included as a covariate. There were no group differences between abstinent alcohol-dependent subjects and healthy first-degree relatives or between healthy first-degree relatives and healthy control subjects during loss anticipation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Neither the neural reward deficiency syndrome nor the allostatic hypotheses are supported by the results. Future studies should investigate whether the incentive salience hypothesis allows for more accurate predictions regarding mesocorticolimbic brain activity of subjects with alcohol dependence and healthy individuals during reward and loss anticipation and further examine the neural substrates underlying a predisposition to dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena P M Musial
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anne Beck
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany; Health and Medical University, Campus Potsdam, Faculty of Health, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Annika Rosenthal
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katrin Charlet
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; Mannheim Center for Translational Neurosciences, Medical Faculty of Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcus Rothkirch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences
- CCM, Berlin, Germany
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Ray LA, Nieto SJ, Grodin EN. Translational models of addiction phenotypes to advance addiction pharmacotherapy. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1519:118-128. [PMID: 36385614 PMCID: PMC10823887 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14929] [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] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and substance use disorders are heterogeneous conditions with limited effective treatment options. While there have been prior attempts to classify addiction subtypes, they have not been translated into clinical practice. In an effort to better understand heterogeneity in psychiatric disorders, the National Institute for Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) has challenged scientists to think beyond diagnostic symptoms and to consider the underlying features of psychopathology from a neuroscience-based framework. The field of addiction has grappled with this approach by considering several key constructs with the potential to capture RDoC domains. This critical review will focus on the efforts to apply translational models of addiction phenomenology in human clinical samples, including their relative strengths and weaknesses. Opportunities for forward and reverse translation are also discussed. Deep behavioral phenotyping using neuroscience-informed batteries shows promise for a better understanding of the clinical neuroscience of addiction and advancing precision medicine for alcohol and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Shirley & Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven J. Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Tonetto S, Weikop P, Brudek T, Thomsen M. Behavioral and biochemical effects of alcohol withdrawal in female C3H/HeNRj and C57BL/6JRj mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1143720. [PMID: 36910126 PMCID: PMC9995974 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1143720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a major problem of our society and is often characterized and worsened by relapse. Prolonged alcohol exposure leads to numerous biochemical alterations that, upon cessation of alcohol intake, cause an array of immediate and lasting withdrawal symptoms. Acute withdrawal and neuroinflammation can be harmful in themselves, and lasting withdrawal symptoms contribute to relapse. Here, we conducted an initial feasibility study assessing several behavioral and neurochemical factors in female C3H/HeNRj (C3H) and C57BL/6JRj (B6) mice to determine which strain showed the clearest alcohol withdrawal symptoms during long-term abstinence and neurochemical alterations following re-exposure. Methods Female C3H and B6 mice (n = 12 per group/strain) were intermittently exposed to alcohol-containing or control liquid diets for 3 weeks. Acute and prolonged withdrawal symptoms were assessed over a period of 3 weeks using a battery of behavioral test, comprised of alcohol self-administration, anhedonia, hyperalgesia, anxiety-like and depressive-like disturbances. Brain inflammation was measured by multiplex cytokine assay. Monoamine levels in the hippocampus and striatum, as well as exploratory analyses of cations levels in the cerebellum, were assessed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Results Both C3H and B6 alcohol-exposed mice displayed decreased saccharin intake or preference and higher stress levels assessed by ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) recordings. B6 but not C3H alcohol-exposed mice also exhibited a slower decline of alcohol oral self-administration (OSA), hyperalgesia, elevated brain TNF-α and elevated serotonin turnover. Conclusion Our findings highlight the suitability of the B6 strain to study the behavioral and neurochemical alterations caused by alcohol withdrawal and the potential efficacy of experimental treatments, not only in early detoxification, but also in prolonged abstinence. The feasibility of these assays is important because long-lasting withdrawal symptoms are often the main cause of relapse in alcohol-dependent patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Tonetto
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pia Weikop
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tomasz Brudek
- Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morgane Thomsen
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Center Copenhagen, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Copenhagen Center for Translational Research, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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de Guglielmo G, Simpson S, Kimbrough A, Conlisk D, Baker R, Cantor M, Kallupi M, George O. Voluntary and forced exposure to ethanol vapor produces similar escalation of alcohol drinking but differential recruitment of brain regions related to stress, habit, and reward in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109309. [PMID: 36334765 PMCID: PMC10022477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A major limitation of the most widely used current animal models of alcohol dependence is that they use forced exposure to ethanol including ethanol-containing liquid diet and chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor to produce clinically relevant blood alcohol levels (BAL) and addiction-like behaviors. We recently developed a novel animal model of voluntary induction of alcohol dependence using ethanol vapor self-administration (EVSA). However, it is unknown whether EVSA leads to an escalation of alcohol drinking per se, and whether such escalation is associated with neuroadaptations in brain regions related to stress, reward, and habit. To address these issues, we compared the levels of alcohol drinking during withdrawal between rats passively exposed to alcohol (CIE) or voluntarily exposed to EVSA and measured the number of Fos+ neurons during acute withdrawal (16 h) in key brain regions important for stress, reward, and habit-related processes. CIE and EVSA rats exhibited similar BAL and similar escalation of alcohol drinking and motivation for alcohol during withdrawal. Acute withdrawal from EVSA and CIE recruited a similar number of Fos+ neurons in the Central Amygdala (CeA), however, acute withdrawal from EVSA recruited a higher number of Fos+ neurons in every other brain region analyzed compared to acute withdrawal from CIE. In summary, while the behavioral measures of alcohol dependence between the voluntary (EVSA) and passive (CIE) model were similar, the recruitment of neuronal ensembles during acute withdrawal was very different. The EVSA model may be particularly useful to unveil the neuronal networks and pharmacology responsible for the voluntary induction and maintenance of alcohol dependence and may improve translational studies by providing preclinical researchers with an animal model that highlights the volitional aspects of alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sierra Simpson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Adam Kimbrough
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47906, USA
| | - Dana Conlisk
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocenter Magendie, Psychobiology of Drug Addiction Group, U1215, F-33000, Bordeaux, France
| | - Robert Baker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maxwell Cantor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Huang S, White DR, Marinkovic K. Alterations of theta power and synchrony during encoding in young adult binge drinkers: Subsequent memory effects associated with retrieval after 48 h and 6 months. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1061016. [PMID: 36591031 PMCID: PMC9798430 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1061016] [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: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Young emerging adults commonly engage in binge drinking which is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits, including memory impairments. However, evidence on neural oscillations mediating episodic memory in this population is lacking. To address this gap, we recorded theta oscillatory activity in young binge (BDs) and light drinkers (LDs) during memory encoding and analyzed it prospectively as a function of subsequent retrieval. Theta underlies successful encoding of novel items in memory through corticolimbic integration. Subsequent memory effects (SMEs) are reflected in stronger theta activity during encoding of the items that are later remembered compared to those that are later forgotten. Methods In the present study, 23 BDs (age: 23.3 ± 3.3) and 24 LDs (age: 23.4 ± 3.3) rated emotionally evocative images with negative, positive, and neutral themes during implicit encoding. They performed a recognition memory task on two follow-up occasions after a short (48 h), and long retention delay (6 months). Electroencephalography (EEG) signal was recorded during the encoding session and analyzed in time-frequency domain with Morlet wavelets in theta band (4-7 Hz). To evaluate SMEs, the event-related theta oscillations acquired during encoding were analyzed based on recognition outcomes after the two retention intervals. Results The BD and LD groups did not differ on recognition memory. However, BDs showed attenuated event-related theta power during encoding of images that were successfully retained after 6 months compared to LDs. In addition, theta synchronous activity between frontal and left posterior regions during encoding successfully predicted recognition of the images after both retention delays in LDs but not in BDs. These SMEs on theta power and synchrony correlated negatively with high-intensity drinking in the previous 6 months. No differences between men and women were observed for any analysis. Discussion It has been well established that long-range neural synchrony between cortical and limbic nodes underlies successful memory encoding and retention which, in turn, depends on neural excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance. Given that binge drinking is associated with E/I dysregulation, the observed SME deficiencies are consistent with other evidence of neural hyperexcitability in BDs, and may be indicative of increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Huang
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - David R. White
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States,Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego CA, United States,*Correspondence: Ksenija Marinkovic,
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Gatta E, Camussi D, Auta J, Guidotti A, Pandey SC. Neurosteroids (allopregnanolone) and alcohol use disorder: From mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 240:108299. [PMID: 36323379 PMCID: PMC9810076 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a multifaceted relapsing disorder that is commonly comorbid with psychiatric disorders, including anxiety. Alcohol exposure produces a plethora of effects on neurobiology. Currently, therapeutic strategies are limited, and only a few treatments - disulfiram, acamprosate, and naltrexone - are available. Given the complexity of this disorder, there is a great need for the identification of novel targets to develop new pharmacotherapy. The GABAergic system, the primary inhibitory system in the brain, is one of the well-known targets for alcohol and is responsible for the anxiolytic effects of alcohol. Interestingly, GABAergic neurotransmission is fine-tuned by neuroactive steroids that exert a regulatory role on several endocrine systems involved in neuropsychiatric disorders including AUD. Mounting evidence indicates that alcohol alters the biosynthesis of neurosteroids, whereas acute alcohol increases and chronic alcohol decreases allopregnanolone levels. Our recent work highlighted that chronic alcohol-induced changes in neurosteroid levels are mediated by epigenetic modifications, e.g., DNA methylation, affecting key enzymes involved in neurosteroid biosynthesis. These changes were associated with changes in GABAA receptor subunit expression, suggesting an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory signaling in AUD. This review will recapitulate the role of neurosteroids in the regulation of the neuroendocrine system, highlight their role in the observed allostatic load in AUD, and develop a framework from mechanisms to potential pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Gatta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Diletta Camussi
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - James Auta
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Wallace TL, Martin WJ, Arnsten AF. Kappa opioid receptor antagonism protects working memory performance from mild stress exposure in Rhesus macaques. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100493. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Santana MRD, Pontes YMDM, Benjamim CJR, Rodrigues GDS, Liberalino GA, Mangueira LB, Feitosa ME, Leal J, Akimoto A, Garner DM, Valenti VE. A Single Dose of Beer after Moderate Aerobic Exercise Did Not Affect the Cardiorespiratory and Autonomic Recovery in Young Men and Women: A Crossover, Randomized and Controlled Trial. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13330. [PMID: 36293912 PMCID: PMC9603129 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Background: Beer is a choice beverage worldwide and is often consumed after sports for social interaction. Beer has been suggested for hydration after exercise, but the effects on cardiovascular and autonomic systems in men and women after effort are unknown. Objectives: We assessed the effect of beer absorption immediately after moderate exercise on heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) and cardiovascular recovery after effort in women and men separately. Methods: This is a crossover, randomized and controlled trial performed on 15 healthy female and 17 male adults submitted to two protocols on two randomized days: (1) Water (350 mL) and (2) Beer (350 mL). The subjects underwent 15 minutes seated at rest, followed by aerobic exercise on a treadmill (five minutes at 50-55% of maximum HR and 25 min 60-65% of maximum HR) and then remained 3 min stood on treadmill and 57 min seated for recovery from the exercise. Water or beer was consumed between four and ten minutes after exercise cessation. Blood pressure, HR and HRV were evaluated before exercise, during exercise and during recovery from exercise. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HRV and HR changes during and following recovery from exercise were similar when women consumed beer or water. HR, systolic and diastolic blood pressures also returned to baseline levels in the beer and water protocols in males. Yet, parasympathetic indices of HRV recovery from exercise were comparable between protocols in males. Conclusions: Ingestion of 300 mL of beer did not significantly affect HRV and cardiovascular parameters following effort. Our data indicate that beer was safe for this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milana R. Drumond Santana
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Yasmim M. de Moares Pontes
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Cicero Jonas R. Benjamim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Guilherme da Silva Rodrigues
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriela A. Liberalino
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Luana B. Mangueira
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Maria E. Feitosa
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Jessica Leal
- Nucleus of Studies in Physiological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Juazeiro do Norte, Juazeiro do Norte 63010-475, Brazil
| | - Amanda Akimoto
- Autonomic Nervous System Center (CESNA), Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Marilia 17525-900, Brazil
| | - David M. Garner
- Autonomic Nervous System Center (CESNA), Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Marilia 17525-900, Brazil
- Cardiorespiratory Research Group, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Vitor E. Valenti
- Autonomic Nervous System Center (CESNA), Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Marilia 17525-900, Brazil
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Companion MA, Gonzalez DA, Robinson SL, Herman MA, Thiele TE. Lateral habenula-projecting central amygdala circuits expressing GABA and NPY Y1 receptor modulate binge-like ethanol intake in mice. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 3:100019. [PMID: 36059430 PMCID: PMC9435303 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a critical brain region in the integration of emotional behaviors and is one of the major output areas of the amygdaloid complex. The CeA is composed of GABAergic interneurons and projection neurons which co-express a range of peptides including neuropeptide Y (NPY). Importantly, GABA and NPY signaling, via the NPY Y1 receptor (Y1R), in the CeA modulate binge-like ethanol intake in rodents and these systems undergo neuroplastic alterations following a history of ethanol consumption. Here we assessed the roles of GABAergic and Y1R+ circuits arising from the CeA and innervating the lateral habenula (LHb), a brain region that modulates the aversive properties of ethanol, in modulating binge-like ethanol intake in mice using "drinking in the dark" (DID) procedures. Using an anterograde cre-inducible reporter virus we established the CeA → LHb circuit in male and female vgat-ires-cre and NPY1r-cre mice. Next, we found that chemogenetic silencing of both the GABAergic or Y1R+ CeA → LHb circuit significantly blunted binge-like intake of a 20% ethanol solution but this same procedure failed to alter the consumption of a 3% sucrose solution. Finally, one, 4-day cycle of DID failed to alter basal or effects of ethanol or NPY on inhibitory transmission in Y1R+ CeA → LHb neurons. The present results suggest that blunting GABAergic tone in LHb-projecting CeA neurons may represent a new approach to preventing the development of AUDs. Drugs that target NPY Y1Rs are potential attractive targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel A Companion
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, United States.,The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, United States
| | - David A Gonzalez
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, United States
| | - Stacey L Robinson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, United States.,The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, United States
| | - Melissa A Herman
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, United States.,The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#7365, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7365, United States
| | - Todd E Thiele
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#3270, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, United States.,The Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davie Hall, CB#7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, United States
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Examination of Individual Differences in Susceptibility to Food Addiction using Alcohol and Addiction Research Domain Criteria (AARDoC): Recent Findings and Directions for the Future. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-022-00433-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose of Review
Alcohol and Addiction Research Domain Criteria (AARDoC) is a transdiagnostic, circuits-based framework for studying addictive behaviors. We examined parallels in individual differences that might increase susceptibility to FA and other addictive disorders using the following units of analysis in AARDoC domains: craving, relative reinforcing value of food and attention bias in the incentive salience domain; decisional impulsivity (delay discounting) and inhibitory control (Go-No-Go, Conner’s Continuous Performance Test, and the flanker task) in the executive function domain; and emotion dysregulation and negative urgency in the negative emotionality domain.
Recent Findings
There are a number of parallels between FA and other addictions in the incentive salience and negative emotionality domains, but somewhat divergent findings in the executive function domain. Trauma appears to be an important environmental stressor in maintenance of FA.
Summary
AARDoC may be a useful organizing framework for studying addictions, including FA. Future studies should incorporate other units of analysis to better characterize FA.
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Mineur YS, Garcia-Rivas V, Thomas MA, Soares AR, McKee SA, Picciotto MR. Sex differences in stress-induced alcohol intake: a review of preclinical studies focused on amygdala and inflammatory pathways. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2041-2061. [PMID: 35359158 PMCID: PMC9704113 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06120-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical studies suggest that women are more likely than men to relapse to alcohol drinking in response to stress; however, the mechanisms underlying this sex difference are not well understood. A number of preclinical behavioral models have been used to study stress-induced alcohol intake. Here, we review paradigms used to study effects of stress on alcohol intake in rodents, focusing on findings relevant to sex differences. To date, studies of sex differences in stress-induced alcohol drinking have been somewhat limited; however, there is evidence that amygdala-centered circuits contribute to effects of stress on alcohol seeking. In addition, we present an overview of inflammatory pathways leading to microglial activation that may contribute to alcohol-dependent behaviors. We propose that sex differences in neuronal function and inflammatory signaling in circuits centered on the amygdala are involved in sex-dependent effects on stress-induced alcohol seeking and suggest that this is an important area for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Mineur
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Vernon Garcia-Rivas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Merrilee A Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Alexa R Soares
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA
| | - Marina R Picciotto
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 34 Park Street, 3Rd Floor Research, New Haven, CT, 06508, USA.
- Yale Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, New Haven, CT, USA.
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42
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Dong E, Zhang H, Chu A, Pandey SC. Acute and Protracted Prenatal Stress Produce Mood Disorder-Like and Ethanol Drinking Behaviors in Male and Female Adult Offspring. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:862390. [PMID: 35722193 PMCID: PMC9204301 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.862390] [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: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex and chronic relapsing brain disease, which is often co-morbid with psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression. AUD phenotypes differ in men and women. Although genetic factors play an important role in its pathophysiology, epidemiologic evidence suggests that during prenatal development, individuals are more vulnerable to the negative effects of environmental factors that may predispose them to AUD later in life. We explored the effects of prenatal stress on the development of AUD phenotypes as well as anxiety- and depression-like behaviors using rat model. Methods In this study, timed-pregnant Sprague Dawley dams were used. Dams in the control group were left undisturbed throughout gestation, whereas dams in stress groups were either subjected to protracted or acute restraint stress under bright light. At adulthood, the anxiety-like, ethanol drinking, and sucrose drinking behaviors were measured using the Light/Dark Box test and two-bottle free-choice procedure. Results Compared to the control group, both the male and female offspring in the stress groups exhibited anxiety-like behavior and consumed significantly higher amounts of ethanol in which the acute stress group demonstrated the higher ethanol preference. Moreover, male but not female offspring from the stress groups had decreased sucrose preferences. Conclusion These findings suggest that protracted and acute prenatal stress in late pregnancy can induce in anxiety-, depressive-like behaviors, and excessive ethanol intake in adult offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erbo Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, College of Medicine, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States,*Correspondence: Erbo Dong
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, College of Medicine, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alison Chu
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, College of Medicine, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, College of Medicine, Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, United States,Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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Pérez-Ramírez Ú, López-Madrona VJ, Pérez-Segura A, Pallarés V, Moreno A, Ciccocioppo R, Hyytiä P, Sommer WH, Moratal D, Canals S. Brain Network Allostasis after Chronic Alcohol Drinking Is Characterized by Functional Dedifferentiation and Narrowing. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4401-4413. [PMID: 35437279 PMCID: PMC9145238 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0389-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) causes complex alterations in the brain that are poorly understood. The heterogeneity of drinking patterns and the high incidence of comorbid factors compromise mechanistic investigations in AUD patients. Here we used male Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats, a well established animal model of chronic alcohol drinking, and a combination of longitudinal resting-state fMRI and manganese-enhanced MRI to provide objective measurements of brain connectivity and activity, respectively. We found that 1 month of chronic alcohol drinking changed the correlation between resting-state networks. The change was not homogeneous, resulting in the reorganization of pairwise interactions and a shift in the equilibrium of functional connections. We identified two fundamentally different forms of network reorganization. First is functional dedifferentiation, which is defined as a regional increase in neuronal activity and overall correlation, with a concomitant decrease in preferential connectivity between specific networks. Through this mechanism, occipital cortical areas lost their specific interaction with sensory-insular cortex, striatal, and sensorimotor networks. Second is functional narrowing, which is defined as an increase in neuronal activity and preferential connectivity between specific brain networks. Functional narrowing strengthened the interaction between striatal and prefrontocortical networks, involving the anterior insular, cingulate, orbitofrontal, prelimbic, and infralimbic cortices. Importantly, these two types of alterations persisted after alcohol discontinuation, suggesting that dedifferentiation and functional narrowing rendered persistent network states. Our results support the idea that chronic alcohol drinking, albeit at moderate intoxicating levels, induces an allostatic change in the brain functional connectivity that propagates into early abstinence.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Excessive consumption of alcohol is positioned among the top five risk factors for disease and disability. Despite this priority, the transformations that the nervous system undergoes from an alcohol-naive state to a pathologic alcohol drinking are not well understood. In our study, we use an animal model with proven translational validity to study this transformation longitudinally. The results show that shortly after chronic alcohol consumption there is an increase in redundant activity shared by brain structures, and the specific communication shrinks to a set of pathways. This functional dedifferentiation and narrowing are not reversed immediately after alcohol withdrawal but persist during early abstinence. We causally link chronic alcohol drinking with an early and abstinence-persistent retuning of the functional equilibrium of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Úrsula Pérez-Ramírez
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, E-46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Víctor J López-Madrona
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Andrés Pérez-Segura
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Vicente Pallarés
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Andrea Moreno
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | | | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - David Moratal
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, E-46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
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Kroll DS, McPherson KL, Manza P, Schwandt ML, Shen PH, Goldman D, Diazgranados N, Wang GJ, Wiers CE, Volkow ND. Elevated transferrin saturation in individuals with alcohol use disorder: Association with HFE polymorphism and alcohol withdrawal severity. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13144. [PMID: 35229939 PMCID: PMC9373047 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Iron loading has been consistently reported in those with alcohol use disorder (AUD), but its effect on the clinical course of the disease is not yet fully understood. Here, we conducted a cohort study to examine whether peripheral iron measures, genetic variation in HFE rs1799945 and their interaction differed between 594 inpatient participants with alcohol use disorder (AUD) undergoing detoxification and 472 healthy controls (HC). We also assessed whether HFE rs1799945 was associated with elevated peripheral iron and can serve as a predictor of withdrawal severity. AUD patients showed significantly higher serum transferrin saturation than HC. Within the AUD group, transferrin saturation significantly predicted withdrawal symptoms (CIWA-Ar) and cumulative dose of benzodiazepine treatment during the first week of detoxification, which is an indicator of withdrawal severity. HFE rs1799945 minor allele carriers showed elevated transferrin saturation compared to non-carriers, both in AUD and healthy controls. Exploratory analyses indicated that, within the AUD cohort, HFE rs1799945 predicted CIWA withdrawal scores, and this relationship was significantly mediated by transferrin saturation. We provide evidence that serum transferrin saturation predicts alcohol withdrawal severity in AUD. Moreover, our findings replicated previous studies on elevated serum transferrin saturation in AUD and an involvement of HFE rs1799945 in serum transferrin saturation levels in both AUD and healthy controls. Future studies may use transferrin saturation measures as predictors for treatment or potentially treat iron overload to ameliorate withdrawal symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle S. Kroll
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Katherine L. McPherson
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Peter Manza
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Melanie L. Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Pei-Hong Shen
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Corinde E. Wiers
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland
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Naim‐Feil J, Fitzgerald PB, Rubinson M, Lubman DI, Sheppard DM, Bradshaw JL, Levit‐Binnun N, Moses E. Anomalies in global network connectivity associated with early recovery from alcohol dependence: A network transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography study. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13146. [PMID: 35229941 PMCID: PMC9285956 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Although previous research in alcohol dependent populations identified alterations within local structures of the addiction ‘reward’ circuitry, there is limited research into global features of this network, especially in early recovery. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is capable of non‐invasively perturbing the brain network while electroencephalography (EEG) measures the network response. The current study is the first to apply a TMS inhibitory paradigm while utilising network science (graph theory) to quantify network anomalies associated with alcohol dependence. Eleven individuals with alcohol‐dependence (ALD) in early recovery and 16 healthy controls (HC) were administered 75 single pulses and 75 paired‐pulses (inhibitory paradigm) to both the left and right prefrontal cortex (PFC). For each participant, Pearson cross‐correlation was applied to the EEG data and correlation matrices constructed. Global network measures (mean degree, clustering coefficient, local efficiency and global efficiency) were extracted for comparison between groups. Following administration of the inhibitory paired‐pulse TMS to the left PFC, the ALD group exhibited altered mean degree, clustering coefficient, local efficiency and global efficiency compared to HC. Decreases in local efficiency increased the prediction of being in the ALD group, while all network metrics (following paired‐pulse left TMS) were able to adequately discriminate between the groups. In the ALD group, reduced mean degree and global clustering was associated with increased severity of past alcohol use. Our study provides preliminary evidence of altered network topology in patients with alcohol dependence in early recovery. Network anomalies were predictive of high alcohol use and correlated with clinical features of alcohol dependence. Further research using this novel brain mapping technique may identify useful network biomarkers of alcohol dependence and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodie Naim‐Feil
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems The Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot Israel
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya Israel
- Graeme Clark Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Paul B. Fitzgerald
- Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health Epworth Healthcare and Monash University Department of Psychiatry Camberwell Victoria Australia
| | - Mica Rubinson
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems The Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot Israel
| | - Dan I. Lubman
- Turning Point, Eastern Health and Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School Monash University Victoria Australia
| | - Dianne M. Sheppard
- Monash University Accident Research Centre Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - John L. Bradshaw
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences Monash, University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Nava Levit‐Binnun
- Sagol Center for Brain and Mind Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya Israel
| | - Elisha Moses
- Department of Physics of Complex Systems The Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot Israel
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Sommer WH, Canals S, Bifone A, Heilig M, Hyytiä P. From a systems view to spotting a hidden island: A narrative review implicating insula function in alcoholism. Neuropharmacology 2022; 209:108989. [PMID: 35217032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Excessive use of alcohol promotes the development of alcohol addiction, but the understanding of how alcohol-induced brain alterations lead to addiction remains limited. To further this understanding, we adopted an unbiased discovery strategy based on the principles of systems medicine. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging data from patients and animal models of alcohol addiction-like behaviors, and developed mathematical models of the 'relapse-prone' network states to identify brain sites and functional networks that can be selectively targeted by therapeutic interventions. Our systems level, non-local, and largely unbiased analyses converged on a few well-defined brain regions, with the insula emerging as one of the most consistent finding across studies. In proof-of-concept experiments we were able to demonstrate that it is possible to guide network dynamics towards increased resilience in animals but an initial translation into a clinical trial targeting the insula failed. Here, in a narrative review, we summarize the key experiments, methodological developments and knowledge gained from this completed round of a discovery cycle moving from identification of 'relapse-prone' network states in humans and animals to target validation and intervention trial. Future concerted efforts are necessary to gain a deeper understanding of insula function a in a state-dependent, circuit-specific and cell population perspective, and to develop the means for insula-directed interventions, before therapeutic targeting of this structure may become possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Sustainable Future Technologies, Torino, Italy
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University and Dept. of Psychiatry, Linköping Univ. Hospital, S-581 85, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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47
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Hall OT, Phan KL, Gorka S. Childhood Adversity and the Association Between Stress Sensitivity and Problematic Alcohol Use in Adults. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:148-158. [PMID: 34263960 PMCID: PMC8760364 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases the risk of problematic alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, it is unclear why some but not all ELA-exposed individuals develop problematic alcohol use. Research is needed to determine how this environmental risk factor interacts with underlying neurobehavioral vulnerabilities to problem alcohol use. Hypersensitivity to uncertain threats (U-threat) has been posited as an endophenotype for AUD that might aid in the refinement of mechanistic models of problematic alcohol use. Therefore, U-threat hypersensitivity requires examination as a possible individual difference factor that facilitates problematic alcohol use among ELA-exposed individuals. We examined the unique and interactive effects of ELA and U-threat reactivity on problem drinking and depressive and anxiety symptom severity. Participants (N = 131) completed a well-validated threat-of-shock task, and startle eyeblink potentiation was recorded to index aversive responding. Individuals also completed self-report measures of alcohol use, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Results demonstrated a positive association between ELA and higher levels of problematic alcohol use at high levels of U-threat reactivity, β = .75, t = 3.93, p < .001. Conversely, at low levels of U-threat reactivity, ELA exposure was negatively associated with problematic alcohol use, β = -.49, t = -2.30, p = .023. There was no significant ELA x U-Threat reactivity interaction on anxiety or depression. U-threat response strongly interacts with ELA exposure, affecting the direction of the association between ELA and problem drinking. U-threat reactivity may be a promising target for the prevention and treatment of problematic drinking among ELA-exposed individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- O. Trent Hall
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA
| | - K. Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA
| | - Stephanie Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USA
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48
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Quadir SG, Arleth GM, Jahad JV, Echeveste Sanchez M, Effinger DP, Herman MA. Sex differences in affective states and association with voluntary ethanol intake in Sprague-Dawley rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:589-604. [PMID: 35044485 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-06052-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are a major problem across the USA. While AUD remains a complex human condition, it is difficult to isolate the directionality of anxiety and ethanol (EtOH) drinking from outside influences. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between affective states and EtOH intake using male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Using complementary tests of anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, we found sex- and test-specific differences in basal affective behavior such that females displayed enhanced anxiety-like behavior in the splash test and males displayed enhanced anxiety-like behavior in the novelty-suppressed feeding test. Although, there were no sex differences in EtOH intake and no correlation between baseline anxiety-like behavior and subsequent EtOH intake, we did find that depressive-like behavior predicted future EtOH intake in female rats only. In addition, we observed an increase in depressive-like behavior is male rats in both the water and EtOH drinking groups (compared to baseline levels). Furthermore, post-drinking anxiety-like behavior, but not depressive-like behavior predicted subsequent EtOH intake in female rats. Lastly, we found a history of EtOH intake decreased pain thresholds in male and female rats, but increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior was associated with decreased thermal sensitivity only in EtOH-drinking males. Together, these experiments provide important information on the complex interaction between negative affect and EtOH intake and how these two contexts reciprocally do, or do not, influence each other in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- S G Quadir
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - G M Arleth
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - J V Jahad
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - M Echeveste Sanchez
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - D P Effinger
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - M A Herman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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49
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Martins JS, Fogelman N, Wemm S, Hwang S, Sinha R. Alcohol craving and withdrawal at treatment entry prospectively predict alcohol use outcomes during outpatient treatment. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 231:109253. [PMID: 34998258 PMCID: PMC8818273 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Chronic alcohol use increases risk of alcohol craving and withdrawal symptoms (AW) as well as abstinence-related distress symptoms, in those entering alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. Here, we examined whether AW and alcohol craving in AUD patients entering outpatient treatment prospectively predicts future heavy drinking days/week (HDD) and additional alcohol use outcomes during 8-weeks of outpatient treatment, and their relationship to abstinence symptoms of depression, anxiety and sleep difficulties. METHODS Participants were 80 treatment-seeking adults with current DSM-5 AUD (39% female; 43% White; 20-60 years) who completed assessments of AW and alcohol craving and also alcohol abstinence symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality at treatment intake. Participants were prospectively followed using daily diaries for alcohol intake during 8-week of standardized weekly relapse prevention counseling to support recovery. RESULTS After accounting for demographic and pre-treatment alcohol use, greater alcohol craving at treatment entry predicted higher HDD (p < .013) as well as greater drinking days (DD: p < .004), average drinks per drinking day/week (AvgD: p < .001) and relapse to heavy drinking (p < .05), while higher levels of pretreatment AW symptoms interacted with treatment week to predict greater HDD (p < .018). Abstinence symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties were associated with craving and AW but did not predict any drinking-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS These results provide evidence that increased alcohol craving and AW may serve as prognostic indicators of greater risk of heavy drinking in outpatient treatment. Findings suggest the need to evaluate craving and AW at outpatient treatment entry and develop targeted treatments to specifically address the effects of craving and AW on drinking outcomes in outpatient AUD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S. Martins
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University
| | - Nia Fogelman
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University
| | - Stephanie Wemm
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University
| | - Seungju Hwang
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University,Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Yale Stress Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, USA.
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50
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Grinevich VP, Krupitsky EM, Gainetdinov RR, Budygin EA. Linking Ethanol-Addictive Behaviors With Brain Catecholamines: Release Pattern Matters. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:795030. [PMID: 34975429 PMCID: PMC8716449 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.795030] [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: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a variety of animal models that simulate key features of the alcohol use disorder (AUD), remarkable progress has been made in identifying neurochemical targets that may contribute to the development of alcohol addiction. In this search, the dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) systems have been long thought to play a leading role in comparison with other brain systems. However, just recent development and application of optogenetic approaches into the alcohol research field provided opportunity to identify neuronal circuits and specific patterns of neurotransmission that govern the key components of ethanol-addictive behaviors. This critical review summarizes earlier findings, which initially disclosed catecholamine substrates of ethanol actions in the brain and shows how the latest methodologies help us to reveal the significance of DA and NE release changes. Specifically, we focused on recent optogenetic investigations aimed to reveal cause-effect relationships between ethanol-drinking (seeking and taking) behaviors and catecholamine dynamics in distinct brain pathways. These studies gain the knowledge that is needed for the better understanding addiction mechanisms and, therefore, for development of more effective AUD treatments. Based on the reviewed findings, new messages for researches were indicated, which may have broad applications beyond the field of alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir P Grinevich
- Department of Neurobiology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
| | - Evgeny M Krupitsky
- V.M. Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology of Addictions, St.-Petersburg First Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Department of Neurobiology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.,Institute of Translational Biomedicine and St. Petersburg State University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeny A Budygin
- Department of Neurobiology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
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