1
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Alves CDO, Waku I, Chiossi JN, de Oliveira AR. Dopamine D2-like receptors on conditioned and unconditioned fear: A systematic review of rodent pharmacological studies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111080. [PMID: 38950840 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111080] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Growing evidence supports dopamine's role in aversive states, yet systematic reviews focusing on dopamine receptors in defensive behaviors are lacking. This study presents a systematic review of the literature examining the influence of drugs acting on dopamine D2-like receptors on unconditioned and conditioned fear in rodents. The review reveals a predominant use of adult male rats in the studies, with limited inclusion of female rodents. Commonly employed tests include the elevated plus maze and auditory-cued fear conditioning. The findings indicate that systemic administration of D2-like drugs has a notable impact on both innate and learned aversive states. Generally, antagonists tend to increase unconditioned fear, while agonists decrease it. Moreover, both agonists and antagonists typically reduce conditioned fear. These effects are attributed to the involvement of distinct neural circuits in these states. The observed increase in unconditioned fear induced by D2-like antagonists aligns with dopamine's role in suppressing midbrain-mediated responses. Conversely, the reduction in conditioned fear is likely a result of blocking dopamine activity in the mesolimbic pathway. The study highlights the need for future research to delve into sex differences, explore alternative testing paradigms, and identify specific neural substrates. Such investigations have the potential to advance our understanding of the neurobiology of aversive states and enhance the therapeutic application of dopaminergic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Oliveira Alves
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil; Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Isabelle Waku
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Joyce Nonato Chiossi
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Amanda Ribeiro de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil; Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
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2
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Sniffen SE, Ryu SE, Kokoska MM, Bhattarai J, Wang Y, Thomas ER, Skates GM, Johnson NL, Chavez AA, Iaconis SR, Janke E, Ma M, Wesson DW. Bidirectional modulation of negative emotional states by parallel genetically-distinct basolateral amygdala pathways to ventral striatum subregions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.19.599749. [PMID: 38948716 PMCID: PMC11213032 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.19.599749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Distinct basolateral amygdala (BLA) cell populations influence emotional responses in manners thought important for anxiety and anxiety disorders. The BLA contains numerous cell types which can broadcast information into structures that may elicit changes in emotional states and behaviors. BLA excitatory neurons can be divided into two main classes, one of which expresses Ppp1r1b (encoding protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 1B) which is downstream of the genes encoding the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors (drd1 and drd2 respectively). The role of drd1+ or drd2+ BLA neurons in learned and unlearned emotional responses is unknown. Here, we identified that the drd1+ and drd2+ BLA neuron populations form two parallel pathways for communication with the ventral striatum. These neurons arise from the basal nucleus of the BLA, innervate the entire space of the ventral striatum, and are capable of exciting ventral striatum neurons. Further, through three separate behavioral assays, we found that the drd1+ and drd2+ parallel pathways bidirectionally influence both learned and unlearned emotional states when they are activated or suppressed, and do so depending upon where they synapse in the ventral striatum - with unique contributions of drd1+ and drd2+ circuitry on negative emotional states. Overall, these results contribute to a model whereby parallel, genetically-distinct BLA to ventral striatum circuits inform emotional states in a projection-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Sniffen
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sang Eun Ryu
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Milayna M. Kokoska
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Janardhan Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yingqi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ellyse R. Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Graylin M. Skates
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Natalie L. Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Andy A. Chavez
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Sophia R. Iaconis
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Emma Janke
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Daniel W. Wesson
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Center for Smell and Taste, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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3
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Enomoto K, Shibata K, Muraoka H, Kawano M, Inada K, Ishigooka J, Nishimura K, Oshibuchi H. Effects of chronic haloperidol treatment on the expression of fear memory and fear memory extinction in the cued fear-conditioned rats. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2024; 44:197-205. [PMID: 38356296 PMCID: PMC10932774 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
AIM Impairments in emotional memory are frequently observed in several mental disorders, highlighting their significance as potential therapeutic targets. Recent research on the cued fear conditioning model has elucidated the neural circuits involved in fear memory processing. However, contradictory findings have been reported concerning the role of dopamine and the impact of dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) antagonists. There is notably limited knowledge regarding the clinical utility of chronic D2R antagonist treatments. This study aimed to uncover how such treatments affect fear memory processing. METHODS We utilized a cued fear conditioning rat model and conducted chronic haloperidol treatment for 14 days. Subsequently, to investigate the effect of chronic haloperidol treatment on fear-conditioned memory expression and extinction, we observed freezing behavior under exposure to a conditioned stimulus for 14 days. RESULTS Chronic haloperidol treatment suppressed freezing time on the fear memory expression. In contrast, a single haloperidol administration enhanced the freezing time on fear memory expression and delayed extinction. CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that chronic administration of antipsychotic drugs affects fear memory processing differently from single-dose administration. This indicates that the effects of chronic D2R antagonist treatment are distinct from the nonspecific effects of the drugs. This study provides fundamental insights that may contribute to our understanding of therapeutic mechanisms for fear memory disorders related to D2R in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kosuke Enomoto
- Department of PsychiatryTokyo Women's Medical UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Kazuro Shibata
- Department of PsychiatryTokyo Women's Medical UniversityTokyoJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Muraoka
- Department of PsychiatryKitasato UniversitySagamihara‐shiKanagawaJapan
| | | | - Ken Inada
- Department of PsychiatryKitasato UniversitySagamihara‐shiKanagawaJapan
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4
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Hamati R, Ahrens J, Shvetz C, Holahan MR, Tuominen L. 65 years of research on dopamine's role in classical fear conditioning and extinction: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1099-1140. [PMID: 37848184 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16157] [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: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine, a catecholamine neurotransmitter, has historically been associated with the encoding of reward, whereas its role in aversion has received less attention. Here, we systematically gathered the vast evidence of the role of dopamine in the simplest forms of aversive learning: classical fear conditioning and extinction. In the past, crude methods were used to augment or inhibit dopamine to study its relationship with fear conditioning and extinction. More advanced techniques such as conditional genetic, chemogenic and optogenetic approaches now provide causal evidence for dopamine's role in these learning processes. Dopamine neurons encode conditioned stimuli during fear conditioning and extinction and convey the signal via activation of D1-4 receptor sites particularly in the amygdala, prefrontal cortex and striatum. The coordinated activation of dopamine receptors allows for the continuous formation, consolidation, retrieval and updating of fear and extinction memory in a dynamic and reciprocal manner. Based on the reviewed literature, we conclude that dopamine is crucial for the encoding of classical fear conditioning and extinction and contributes in a way that is comparable to its role in encoding reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rami Hamati
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Ahrens
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cecelia Shvetz
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew R Holahan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauri Tuominen
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Castell L, Le Gall V, Cutando L, Petit CP, Puighermanal E, Makrini-Maleville L, Kim HR, Jercog D, Tarot P, Tassou A, Harrus AG, Rubinstein M, Nouvian R, Rivat C, Besnard A, Trifilieff P, Gangarossa G, Janak PH, Herry C, Valjent E. Dopamine D2 receptors in WFS1-neurons regulate food-seeking and avoidance behaviors. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110883. [PMID: 37858736 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110883] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The selection and optimization of appropriate adaptive responses depends on interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli as well as on the animal's ability to switch from one behavioral strategy to another. Although growing evidence indicate that dopamine D2R-mediated signaling events ensure the selection of the appropriate strategy for each specific situation, the underlying neural circuits through which they mediate these effects are poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the role of D2R signaling in a mesolimbic neuronal subpopulation expressing the Wolfram syndrome 1 (Wfs1) gene. This subpopulation is located within the nucleus accumbens, the central amygdala, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the tail of the striatum, all brain regions critical for the regulation of emotions and motivated behaviors. Using a mouse model carrying a temporally controlled deletion of D2R in WFS1-neurons, we demonstrate that intact D2R signaling in this neuronal population is necessary to regulate homeostasis-dependent food-seeking behaviors in both male and female mice. In addition, we found that reduced D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons impaired active avoidance learning and innate escape responses. Collectively, these findings identify a yet undocumented role for D2R signaling in WFS1-neurons as a novel effector through which dopamine optimizes appetitive behaviors and regulates defensive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Castell
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
| | - Valentine Le Gall
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Laura Cutando
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Chloé P Petit
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Emma Puighermanal
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | | | - Ha-Rang Kim
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Daniel Jercog
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Pauline Tarot
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Adrien Tassou
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | | | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, CONICET; FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Régis Nouvian
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Cyril Rivat
- INM, Université, Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier F-34000, France
| | - Antoine Besnard
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France
| | - Pierre Trifilieff
- Université, Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, Bordeaux F-33000, France
| | - Giuseppe Gangarossa
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, Paris F-75013, France; Institut Universitaire de France, France
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Cyril Herry
- Université, Bordeaux, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, Bordeaux F-33077, France
| | - Emmanuel Valjent
- IGF, Université, Montpellier, CNRS, Inserm, Montpellier F-34094, France.
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6
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Caudwell KM, Baldini S, Calvezzi G, Graham A, Jackson K, Johansson I, Sines M, Lim LW, Aquili L. Learning bias predicts fear acquisition under stress but not cognitive flexibility. Physiol Behav 2023; 272:114384. [PMID: 37866645 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114384] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Individuals differ in their ability to learn from reinforcement and in avoiding punishment, which can be measured by the Probabilistic Selection Task (PST). Recently, some studies have demonstrated that this learning bias is regulated by the dopaminergic system, and that stress can differentially affect the use of positive (i.e., reinforcement) and negative (i.e., avoiding punishment) feedback. The current two studies examined whether performance on the PST can predict measures of goal-directed behaviour as assessed by a cognitive flexibility task (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) and the acquisition of fear responses, when individuals are exposed to a stressor (Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test). A total of 26 and 59 healthy participants completed Experiments I and II, respectively. In those who were best at learning from reinforcement, stress increased the processing (i.e., higher skin conductance responses) of non-threatening stimuli during fear acquisition compared to the non-stressful condition, which was not recapitulated in those who were best at avoiding punishment. Additionally, PST performance did not interact with stress to modulate cognitive flexibility, although stress negatively impaired this domain, consistent with previous findings. Furthermore, independent of stress, both positive and negative learning biases were correlated with cognitive flexibility errors. Our results demonstrate that the PST has predictive value for better understanding the determinants of reinforcement and avoidance learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M Caudwell
- Faculty of Health, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Sara Baldini
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Gemma Calvezzi
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Aidan Graham
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Kasie Jackson
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Isabella Johansson
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
| | - Madeline Sines
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China
| | - Luca Aquili
- College of Health and Education, School of Psychology, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
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7
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Chen APF, Chen L, Shi KW, Cheng E, Ge S, Xiong Q. Nigrostriatal dopamine modulates the striatal-amygdala pathway in auditory fear conditioning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7231. [PMID: 37945595 PMCID: PMC10636191 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43066-9] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The auditory striatum, a sensory portion of the dorsal striatum, plays an essential role in learning and memory. In contrast to its roles and underlying mechanisms in operant conditioning, however, little is known about its contribution to classical auditory fear conditioning. Here, we reveal the function of the auditory striatum in auditory-conditioned fear memory. We find that optogenetically inhibiting auditory striatal neurons impairs fear memory formation, which is mediated through the striatal-amygdala pathway. Using calcium imaging in behaving mice, we find that auditory striatal neuronal responses to conditioned tones potentiate across memory acquisition and expression. Furthermore, nigrostriatal dopaminergic projections plays an important role in modulating conditioning-induced striatal potentiation. Together, these findings demonstrate the existence of a nigro-striatal-amygdala circuit for conditioned fear memory formation and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen P F Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Kaiyo W Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Eileen Cheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
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8
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Hernández-Mondragón JC, Hernández-Hernández DA, Crespo-Ramírez M, Prospero-García O, Rocha-Arrieta L, Fuxe K, Borroto-Escuela DO, Perez de la Mora M. Evidence for the existence of facilitatory interactions between the dopamine D2 receptor and the oxytocin receptor in the amygdala of the rat. Relevance for anxiolytic actions. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1251922. [PMID: 37900160 PMCID: PMC10603234 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1251922] [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: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The amygdala is a limbic region of high value for understanding anxiety and its treatment. Dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) and oxytocin receptors (OXTRs) have both been shown to participate in modulating anxiety involving effects in the amygdala. The goal is to understand if D2R-OXTR heterocomplexes exist in the central amygdala and if, through enhancing allosteric receptor-receptor interactions, may enhance anxiolytic actions. Methods: The methods used involve the shock-probe burying test, the in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA), image acquisition and analysis, and the BRET2 assay. Bilateral cannulas were introduced into the amygdala, and the effects of the coadministration of oxytocin and the D2R-like agonist quinpirole into the amygdala were studied. Results: The combination treatment enhanced the anxiolytic effects compared to the single treatment. The D2R/D3R antagonist raclopride blocked the effects of the combination treatment of oxytocin and the D2R agonist, although oxytocin is regarded as a distinct modulator of fear-mediating anxiolytic effects. In situ PLA results indicate the existence of D2R-OXTR heteroreceptor complexes and/or the co-location of OXTR and D2R within the same cell membrane nanodomains in the central amygdala. With BRET2, evidence is given for the existence of D2R-OXTR heteromers in HEK293 cells upon co-transfection. Discussion: The enhanced behavioral effects observed upon co-treatment with OXTR and D2R agonists may reflect the existence of improved positive receptor-receptor interactions in the putative D2R-OXTR heterocomplexes in certain neuronal populations of the basolateral and central amygdala. The D2R-OXTR heterocomplex, especially upon agonist co-activation in the central amygdala, may open a new pharmacological venue for the treatment of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Minerva Crespo-Ramírez
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oscar Prospero-García
- Laboratorio de Cannabinoides, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Luisa Rocha-Arrieta
- Department of Pharmacobiology, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV, Sede Sur), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kjell Fuxe
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dasiel O Borroto-Escuela
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Receptomics and Brain Disorders Lab, Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Miguel Perez de la Mora
- Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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9
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Wang X, Ge S, Zhang C. Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis: A key hub in the modulation of anxiety. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:900-917. [PMID: 36725691 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The bed nuclei of the stria terminalis (BST) is recognised as a pivotal integrative centre for monitoring emotional valence. It is implicated in the regulation of diverse affective states and motivated behaviours, and decades of research have firmly established its critical role in anxiety-related behavioural processes. Researchers have recently intricately dissected the BST's dynamic activities, its connection patterns and its functions with respect to specific cell types using multiple techniques such as optogenetics, in vivo calcium imaging and transgenic tools to unmask the complex circuitry mechanisms that underlie anxiety. In this review, we principally focus on studies of anxiety-involved neuromodulators within the BST and provide a comprehensive architecture of the anxiety network-highlighting the BST as a key hub in orchestrating anxiety-like behaviour. We posit that these promising efforts will contribute to the identification of an accurate roadmap for future treatment of anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Shenglin Ge
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chengxin Zhang
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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10
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Blockade of dopamine D3 receptor in ventral tegmental area attenuating contextual fear memory. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 158:114179. [PMID: 36592493 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.114179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The abnormal fear memory will lead to the onset of stress disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and so on. Therefore, the intervention in the formation of abnormal fear memory will provide a new strategy for the prevention and treatment of PTSD. In our previous studies, we found that blockade of dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) with highly selective antagonist YQA14 or knockout of DRD3 was able to attenuate the expression or retrieval of fear memory in PTSD animal models. However, the neurobiological mechanism of regulation of DRD3 in fear is unclear. In the present research, we clarified that DRD3 was expressed in the dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Then, we identified that microinjection of YQA14 (1 μg/0.2 μl/side) in VTA before the aversive stimuli in the training session or during days subsequent to the shock significantly meliorated the freezing behaviors in the inescapable electric foot-shock model. At last, using fiber photometry system, we found that microinjection of YQA14 in VTA promoted the dopamine neurotransmitter release in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and pre-training YQA14 infusion in VTA lowered the increase of dopamine (DA) in BLA induced by shock during the training session or by context during the retrieval session. All above the results demonstrated that YQA14 attenuated the fear learning through the blockade of DRD3 in VTA decreasing the excitability of the projection to BLA. This study may provide new mechanisms and potential intervention targets for stress disorders with abnormal fear memory.
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11
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Makarov MS, Sysoev YI, Guzenko MK, Prikhodko VA, Korkotian E, Okovityi SV. Color Coding Assessment of Haloperidol Effects on Animal Behavior in the Open Field Test. J EVOL BIOCHEM PHYS+ 2023. [DOI: 10.1134/s0022093023010222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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12
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de Oliveira Alves C, Reimer AE, de Oliveira AR. Involvement of D2-like dopaminergic receptors in contextual fear conditioning in female rats: influence of estrous cycle. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1033649. [PMID: 36518813 PMCID: PMC9742248 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1033649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Dopamine has been increasingly recognized as a key neurotransmitter regulating fear/anxiety states. Nevertheless, the influence of sex and estrous cycle differences on the role of dopamine in fear responses needs further investigation. We aimed to evaluate the effects of sulpiride (a dopaminergic D2-like receptor antagonist) on contextual fear conditioning in females while exploring the influence of the estrous cycle. Methods: First, using a contextual fear conditioning paradigm, we assessed potential differences in acquisition, expression, and extinction of the conditioned freezing response in male and female (split in proestrus/estrus and metestrus/diestrus) Wistar rats. In a second cohort, we evaluated the effects of sulpiride (20 and 40 mg/kg) on contextual conditioned fear in females during proestrus/estrus and metestrus/diestrus. Potential nonspecific effects were assessed in motor activity assays (catalepsy and open-field tests). Results: No sex differences nor estrous cycle effects on freezing behavior were observed during the fear conditioning phases. Sulpiride reduced freezing expression in female rats. Moreover, females during the proestrus/estrus phases of the estrous cycle were more sensitive to the effects of sulpiride than females in metestrus/diestrus. Sulpiride did not cause motor impairments. Discussion: Although no sex or estrous cycle differences were observed in basal conditioned fear expression and extinction, the estrous cycle seems to influence the effects of D2-like antagonists on contextual fear conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila de Oliveira Alves
- Department of Psychology, Center of Education and Human Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Adriano Edgar Reimer
- Department of Psychology, Center of Education and Human Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Amanda Ribeiro de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Center of Education and Human Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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13
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Waku I, Reimer AE, de Oliveira AR. Effects of Immediate Aversive Stimulation on Haloperidol-Induced Catalepsy in Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:867180. [PMID: 35481243 PMCID: PMC9036068 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.867180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In animal models, the administration of the dopaminergic D2 antagonist haloperidol affects the nigrostriatal pathway, inducing catalepsy, a state of immobility similar to Parkinson’s disease (PD) bradykinesia and akinesia. In PD, the motor impairments are due to difficulties in selecting and executing motor actions, associated with dopamine loss in basal ganglia and cortical targets. Motor and affective limbic networks seem to be integrated via a striato-nigro-striatal network, therefore, it is not surprising that the motor impairments in PD can be influenced by the patient’s emotional state. Indeed, when exposed to aversive stimuli or life-threatening events, immobile patients are capable of performing sudden movements, a phenomenon known as paradoxical kinesia. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of unconditioned and conditioned aversive stimulation on haloperidol-induced catalepsy in rats. First, male Wistar rats received intraperitoneal administration of saline or haloperidol (1 or 2 mg/kg) and were evaluated in the catalepsy bar test to assess the cataleptic state induced by the different doses of haloperidol over time. Next, we evaluated the effects of two types of unconditioned aversive stimuli–100 lux light (1 and 20 s) or 0.6 mA footshock (1 s)–on the catalepsy. Finally, we evaluated the effects of light conditioned stimuli (Light-CS), previously paired with footshocks, on the cataleptic state. Catalepsy was observed following haloperidol 1 and 2 mg/kg administration. Exposure to footshocks, but not to light, significantly reduced step-down latency during the catalepsy test. Although unconditioned light did not affect catalepsy, paired Light-CS did reduce step-down latency. Here, we have provided evidence of face validity for the study of paradoxical kinesia. In addition to demonstrating that immediate exposure to an aversive stimulus is capable of disrupting the cataleptic state, our findings show that haloperidol-induced catalepsy seems to be differently influenced depending on the modality of aversive stimulation. Our data suggest that the selective recruitment of threat response systems may bypass the dysfunctional motor circuit leading to the activation of alternative routes to drive movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Waku
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Adriano E. Reimer
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Amanda R. de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Amanda R. de Oliveira,
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14
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Shukla M, Vincent B. Methamphetamine abuse disturbs the dopaminergic system to impair hippocampal-based learning and memory: An overview of animal and human investigations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:541-559. [PMID: 34606820 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Diverse intellectual functions including memory are some important aspects of cognition. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter of the catecholamine family, which contributes to the experience of pleasure and/or emotional states but also plays crucial roles in learning and memory. Methamphetamine is an illegal drug, the abuse of which leads to long lasting pathological manifestations in the brain. Chronic methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity results in an alteration of various parts of the memory systems by affecting learning processes, an effect attributed to the structural similarities of this drug with dopamine. An evolving field of research established how cognitive deficits in abusers arise and how they could possibly trigger neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, the drugs-induced tenacious neurophysiological changes of the dopamine system trigger cognitive deficits, thereby affirming the influence of this addictive drug on learning, memory and executive function in human abusers. Here we present an overview of the effects of methamphetamine abuse on cognitive functions, dopaminergic transmission and hippocampal integrity as they have been validated in animals and in humans during the past 20 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuri Shukla
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Bruno Vincent
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 2 Rue Michel Ange, 75016, Paris, France.
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15
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de Vita VM, Zapparoli HR, Reimer AE, Brandão ML, de Oliveira AR. Dopamine D2 receptors in the expression and extinction of contextual and cued conditioned fear in rats. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:1963-1974. [PMID: 33885919 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06116-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine seems to mediate fear conditioning through its action on D2 receptors in the mesolimbic pathway. Systemic and local injections of dopaminergic agents showed that D2 receptors are preferentially involved in the expression, rather than in the acquisition, of conditioned fear. To further examine this issue, we evaluated the effects of systemic administration of the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonists sulpiride and haloperidol on the expression and extinction of contextual and cued conditioned fear in rats. Rats were trained to a context-CS or a light-CS using footshocks as unconditioned stimuli. After 24 h, rats received injections of sulpiride or haloperidol and were exposed to the context-CS or light-CS for evaluation of freezing expression (test session). After another 24 h, rats were re-exposed to the context-CS or light-CS, to evaluate the extinction recall (retest session). Motor performance was assessed with the open-field and catalepsy tests. Sulpiride, but not haloperidol, significantly reduced the expression of contextual and cued conditioned fear without affecting extinction recall. In contrast, haloperidol, but not sulpiride, had cataleptic and motor-impairing effects. The results reinforce the importance of D2 receptors in fear conditioning and suggest that dopaminergic mechanisms mediated by D2 receptors are mainly involved in the expression rather than in the extinction of conditioned freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian M de Vita
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Heloisa R Zapparoli
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Adriano E Reimer
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Amanda R de Oliveira
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
- Institute of Neuroscience and Behavior (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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16
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Lin CC, Chen TY, Cheng PY, Liu YP. Early life social experience affects adulthood fear extinction deficit and associated dopamine profile abnormalities in a rat model of PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 101:109914. [PMID: 32165120 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Individuals may develop fear extinction deficits after life-threatening traumatic events; such deficits indicate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because the occurrence of this disorder differs among people who have experienced trauma, hidden underlying factors should be determined. Increasing evidence suggests the involvement of neuronal dysregulation of information processes or cognitive function during development. This neuronal dysregulation is caused by disturbances in dopamine (DA) transmission within the fear circuit, which comprises the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and hippocampus. Single prolonged stress (SPS) combined with an isolation rearing (IR) paradigm was used to randomly assign rats to four groups [social rearing-no SPS (SR-NS), SR-SPS, IR-NS, and IR-SPS], and their performance in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and on Pavlovian fear conditioning tests was assessed. Tissue DA levels and the expression of DA receptors (D1R and D2R) in the fear circuit were measured at the end of the experiment. Our results indicated that PPI deficits and fear extinction problems were specific to rats subjected to IR and SPS, respectively. Furthermore, IR-induced PPI deficits were not influenced by SPS, but SPS-induced fear extinction retrieval impairment could be adjusted according to previous IR experiences. Neurochemically, tissue DA levels and D1R expression in the mPFC and amygdala were nonspecifically reduced by IR and SPS, whereas D2R expression in the mPFC and amygdala was higher in IR-SPS than in SR-SPS rats. These findings suggest that early life experiences may influence fear responses in adulthood through a change in DA profiles within the fear circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Cheng Lin
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Tzung-Yan Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan
| | - Pao-Yun Cheng
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan.
| | - Yia-Ping Liu
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei 11220, Taiwan; Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan.
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17
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Stubbendorff C, Stevenson CW. Dopamine regulation of contextual fear and associated neural circuit function. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:6933-6947. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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18
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Frank GKW. Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of anorexia nervosa - too much for one drug? Expert Opin Pharmacother 2020; 21:1045-1058. [PMID: 32281881 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2020.1748600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric illness and no medication has been approved for its treatment. This lack of biological treatments requires the development of new directions for pharmacological research. AREAS COVERED There is modest but emerging evidence that dopamine D2 and serotonin 1A and 2A receptor agonistic and antagonist medication might be beneficial for weight gain, although the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Improving quality of life including treating comorbid conditions is an additional important outcome measure, but this has not been well researched. Biological and psychological risk factors together with neurobiological alterations during the illness maintain the disorder 's pathophysiology. Neuroscience research can be used to understand those interactions and advance the research agenda. The authors discuss the above as well as give perspectives on future research. EXPERT OPINION If a multidisciplinary approach that includes evidence-based psychotherapy shows unsatisfactory success in weight normalization and cognitive-emotional recovery, then more experimental treatments that are safe and have indicated treatment effectiveness should be tried to augment treatment. Identification and treatment of comorbid conditions to improve quality of life of the patient should also be part of the treatment regimen, even if the effect on weight gain is uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- UCSD Eating Disorder Center for Treatment and Research, University of California San Diego , San Diego, CA, USA
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19
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Dopamine modulates individual differences in avoidance behavior: A pharmacological, immunohistochemical, neurochemical and volumetric investigation. Neurobiol Stress 2020; 12:100219. [PMID: 32435668 PMCID: PMC7231994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2020.100219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Avoidance behavior is a hallmark in pathological anxiety disorders and results in impairment of daily activities. Individual differences in avoidance responses are critical in determining vulnerability or resistance to anxiety disorders. Dopaminergic activation is implicated in the processing of avoidance responses; however, the mechanisms underlying these responses are unknown. In this sense, we used a preclinical model of avoidance behavior to investigate the possibility of an intrinsic differential dopaminergic pattern between good and poor performers. The specific goal was to assess the participation of dopamine (DA) through pharmacological manipulation, and we further evaluated the effects of systemic injections of the dopaminergic receptor type 1 (D1 antagonist - SCH23390) and dopaminergic receptor type 2 (D2 antagonist - sulpiride) antagonists in the good performers. Additionally, we evaluated the effects of intra-amygdala microinjection of a D1 antagonist (SCH23390) and a D2 antagonist (sulpiride) in good performers as well as intra-amygdala microinjection of a D1 agonist (SKF38393) and D2 agonist (quinpirole) in poor performers. Furthermore, we quantified the contents of dopamine and metabolites (3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA)) in the amygdala, evaluated the basal levels of tyrosine hydroxylase expression (catecholamine synthesis enzyme) and measured the volume of the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area and locus coeruleus. Our results showed that it could be possible to convert animals from good to poor performers, and vice versa, by intra-amygdala (basolateral and central nucleus) injections of D1 receptor antagonists in good performers or D2 receptor agonists in poor performers. Additionally, the good performers had lower levels of DOPAC and HVA in the amygdala, an increase in the total volume of the amygdala (AMG), substantia nigra (SN), ventral tegmental area (VTA) and locus coeruleus (LC), and an increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in SN, VTA and LC, which positively correlates with the avoidance behavior. Taken together, our data show evidence for a dopaminergic signature of avoidance performers, emphasizing the role of distinct dopaminergic receptors in individual differences in avoidance behavior based on pharmacological, immunohistochemical, neurochemical and volumetric analyses. Our findings provide a better understanding of the role of the dopaminergic system in the execution of avoidance behavior. The role of dopamine in individual differences in avoidance behavior. Dopamine modulates avoidance behavior. Dopaminergic evidence of individual difference in avoidance behavior. Good and poor avoiders distinction based on dopaminergic signature. Dopaminergic signature of avoidance performers: poor versus good avoiders.
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20
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Abstract
Catalepsy - an immobile state in which individuals fail to change imposed postures - can be induced by haloperidol. In rats, the pattern of haloperidol-induced catalepsy is very similar to that observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). As some PD symptoms seem to depend on the patient's emotional state, and as anxiety disorders are common in PD, it is possible that the central mechanisms regulating emotional and cataleptic states interplay. Previously, we showed that haloperidol impaired contextual-induced alarm calls in rats, without affecting footshock-evoked calls. Here, we evaluated the influence of distinct aversive stimulations on the haloperidol-induced catalepsy. First, male Wistar rats were subjected to catalepsy tests to establish a baseline state after haloperidol or saline administration. Next, distinct cohorts were exposed to open-field; elevated plus-maze; open-arm confinement; inescapable footshocks; contextual conditioned fear; or corticosterone administration. Subsequently, catalepsy tests were performed again. Haloperidol-induced catalepsy was verified in all drug-treated animals. Exposure to open-field, elevated plus-maze, open-arm confinement, footshocks, or administration of corticosterone had no significant effect on haloperidol-induced catalepsy. Contextual conditioned fear, which is supposed to promote a more intense fear, increased catalepsy over time. Our findings suggest that only specific defensive circuitries modulate the nigrostriatal system mediating the haloperidol-induced cataleptic state.
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21
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de Carvalho MC, Figueiredo RMD, Coimbra NC, Leite-Panissi CRA, de Souza Silva MA, Huston JP, Mattern C, Brandão ML. Intranasal dopamine attenuates fear responses induced by electric shock to the foot and by electrical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1524-1532. [PMID: 31328620 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119862527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Intranasally applied dopamine (IN-DA), which likely reaches the brain via nasal-brain pathways and bypasses the blood-brain barrier, has been found to increase extracellular DA and bind to the DA2 transporter in the striatum. Recent studies suggest that DA plays a significant role in the processing of signaled and unconditioned aversive stimulation, including evidence that may attenuate responses to painful input. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of IN-DA on fear-related behaviors induced by electric shock to the foot or by electrical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter (dPAG). METHODS DA hydrochloride suspended in a viscous castor oil gel (1 or 2 mg/kg) was applied (IN-DA) in a volume of 5 μL into the nostrils of adult Wistar male rats in order to evaluate its effects on (a) freezing induced by electric shock to the foot and (b) thresholds of freezing and escape and duration of post-stimulation freezing induced by electrical stimulation of the dPAG. RESULTS IN-DA attenuated freezing induced by electric shock to the foot in the three test trials, indicating that it reduced long-term fear responses. IN-DA also increased the threshold of dPAG stimulation-induced escape responses and reduced post-stimulation freezing. CONCLUSIONS IN-DA, which has previously been shown to facilitate learning and to have antidepressive-like effects, attenuated unconditioned fear responses elicited by peripheral and intramesencephalic (dPAG) stimulation and reduced long-term conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milene Cristina de Carvalho
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Machado de Figueiredo
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Christie Ramos Andrade Leite-Panissi
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,Department of Psychology, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Science and Literature of the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Maria Angélica de Souza Silva
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Mattern
- M et P Pharma AG, Emmetten, Switzerland.,Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - Marcus Lira Brandão
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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22
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Abstract
Animal studies have demonstrated that catecholamines regulate several aspects of fear conditioning. In humans, however, pharmacological manipulations of the catecholaminergic system have been scarce, and their primary focus has been to interfering with catecholaminergic activity after fear acquisition or expression had taken place, using L-Dopa, primarily, as catecholaminergic precursor. Here, we sought to determine if putative increases in presynaptic dopamine and norepinephrine by tyrosine administered before conditioning could affect fear expression. Electrodermal activity (EDA) of 46 healthy participants (24 placebo, 22 tyrosine) was measured in an instructed fear task. Results showed that tyrosine abolished fear expression compared to placebo. Importantly, tyrosine did not affect EDA responses to the aversive stimulus (UCS) or alter participants’ mood. Therefore, the effect of tyrosine on fear expression cannot be attributed to these factors. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that the catecholaminergic system influences fear expression in humans.
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23
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Brandão ML, Coimbra NC. Understanding the role of dopamine in conditioned and unconditioned fear. Rev Neurosci 2019; 30:325-337. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2018-0023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pharmacological and molecular imaging studies in anxiety disorders have primarily focused on the serotonin system. In the meantime, dopamine has been known as the neurotransmitter of reward for 60 years, particularly for its action in the nervous terminals of the mesocorticolimbic system. Interest in the mediation by dopamine of the well-known brain aversion system has grown recently, particularly given recent evidence obtained on the role of D2 dopamine receptors in unconditioned fear. However, it has been established that excitation of the mesocorticolimbic pathway, originating from dopaminergic (DA) neurons from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), is relevant for the development of anxiety. Among the forebrain regions innervated by this pathway, the amygdala is an essential component of the neural circuitry of conditioned fear. Current findings indicate that the dopamine D2 receptor-signaling pathway connecting the VTA to the basolateral amygdala modulates fear and anxiety, whereas neural circuits in the midbrain tectum underlie the expression of innate fear. The A13 nucleus of the zona incerta is proposed as the origin of these DA neurons projecting to caudal structures of the brain aversion system. In this article we review data obtained in studies showing that DA receptor-mediated mechanisms on ascending or descending DA pathways play opposing roles in fear/anxiety processes. Dopamine appears to mediate conditioned fear by acting at rostral levels of the brain and regulate unconditioned fear at the midbrain level.
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24
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Chen G, Chen J, Yang B, Yu W, Chen Y, Dai Y. Dopamine D2 receptors in the basolateral amygdala modulate erectile function in a rat model of nonorganic erectile dysfunction. Andrologia 2018; 51:e13160. [PMID: 30276840 DOI: 10.1111/and.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonorganic erectile dysfunction is a problem with unknown central mechanisms. Changes in brain activity in the amygdala have been observed in human patients. This study aimed to investigate the dopamine system in the basolateral amygdala of male rats with nonorganic erectile dysfunction. We applied chronic mild stress to induce nonorganic erectile dysfunction. After exposure to chronic mild stress, the sucrose consumption test, sexual behaviour test and apomorphine test were used to select depression-like rats with erectile dysfunction as nonorganic erectile dysfunction model rats. The sexual behaviour of these rats after central infusion of a dopamine D1/D2 receptor agonist/antagonist was observed. The expression levels of dopamine D1/D2 receptors and tyrosine hydroxylase in the basolateral amygdala were also measured. The result of the sucrose consumption test, sexual behaviour test and apomorphine test indicated a successful nonorganic erectile dysfunction model. Central infusion of a dopamine D2 receptor agonist increased intromission ratio in model rats. Lower expression levels of tyrosine hydroxylase and the dopamine D2 receptor in the basolateral amygdala were observed in rats with nonorganic erectile dysfunction. These results suggest that impairment of the dopamine D2 receptor pathway in the basolateral amygdala may contribute to the development of nonorganic erectile dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guotao Chen
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Wuxi No.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, China.,Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhuai Chen
- Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Baibing Yang
- Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen Yu
- Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Andrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of TCM, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of TCM, Nanjing, China
| | - Yutian Dai
- Department of Andrology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
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25
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Edelmann E, Lessmann V. Dopaminergic innervation and modulation of hippocampal networks. Cell Tissue Res 2018; 373:711-727. [PMID: 29470647 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-018-2800-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The catecholamine dopamine plays an important role in hippocampus-dependent plasticity and related learning and memory processes. Dopamine secretion in the hippocampus is activated by, e.g., salient or novel stimuli, thereby helping to establish and to stabilize hippocampus-dependent memories. Disturbed dopaminergic function in the hippocampus leads to severe pathophysiological conditions. While the role and importance of dopaminergic modulation of hippocampal networks have been unequivocally proven, there is still a lack of detailed molecular and cellular mechanistic understanding of how dopamine orchestrates these hippocampal processes. In this chapter of the special issue "Hippocampal structure and function," we will discuss the current understanding of dopaminergic modulation of basal synaptic transmission and long-lasting, activity-dependent potentiation or depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Edelmann
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Medizinische Fakultät, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Volkmar Lessmann
- Institut für Physiologie, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität, Medizinische Fakultät, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Zhang Z, Zhang P, Qi GJ, Jiao FJ, Wang QZ, Yan JG, He F, Zhang Q, Lv ZX, Peng X, Cai HW, Chen X, Sun N, Tian B. CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of Sirt2 contributes to depressive-like behavior induced by social defeat stress. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2018; 1864:533-541. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Alpha 1-adrenergic receptor blockade in the VTA modulates fear memories and stress responses. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:782-794. [PMID: 28606743 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Activity of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and its terminals has been implicated in the Pavlovian associative learning of both stressful and rewarding stimuli. However, the role of the VTA noradrenergic signaling in fear responses remains unclear. We aimed to examine how alpha1-adrenergic receptor (α1-AR) signaling in the VTA affects conditioned fear. The role of α1-AR was assessed using the micro-infusions into the VTA of the selective antagonists (0.1-1µg/0.5µl prazosin and 1µg/0.5µl terazosin) in acquisition and expression of fear memory. In addition, we performed control experiments with α1-AR blockade in the mammillary bodies (MB) - a brain region with α1-AR expression adjacent to the VTA. Intra-VTA but not intra-MB α1-AR blockade prevented formation and retrieval of fear memories. Importantly, local administration of α1-AR antagonists did not influence footshock sensitivity, locomotion or anxiety-like behaviors. Similarly, α1-AR blockade in the VTA had no effects on negative affect measured as number of 22kHz ultrasonic vocalizations during fear conditioning training. We propose that noradrenergic signaling in the VTA via α1-AR regulates formation and retrieval of fear memories but not other behavioral responses to stressful environmental stimuli. It enhances the encoding of environmental stimuli by the VTA to form and retrieve conditioned fear memories and to predict future behavioral outcomes. Our results provide novel insight into the role of the VTA α1-AR signaling in the regulation of stress responsiveness and fear memory.
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Talbot T, Mattern C, de Souza Silva MA, Brandão ML. Intranasal administration of dopamine attenuates unconditioned fear in that it reduces restraint-induced ultrasound vocalizations and escape from bright light. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:682-690. [PMID: 28135884 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116686882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although substantial evidence suggests that dopamine (DA) enhances conditioned fear responses, few studies have examined the role of DA in unconditioned fear states. Whereas DA does not cross the blood-brain barrier, intranasally-applied dopamine reaches the brain directly via the nose-brain pathways in rodents, providing an alternative means of targeting DA receptors. Intranasal dopamine (IN-DA) has been demonstrated to bind to DA transporters and to increase extracellular DA in the striatum as well as having memory-promoting effects in rats. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of IN-DA in three tests of fear/anxiety. METHODS The three doses of DA hydrochloride (0.03, 0.3, or 1 mg/kg) were applied in a viscous castor oil gel in a volume of 5 µl to each of both nostrils of adult Wistar rats prior to testing of (a) escape from a bright light, using a two-chamber procedure, (b) restraint-induced 22 kHz ultrasound vocalizations (USVs), and (c) exploratory behavior in the elevated plus-maze (EPM). RESULTS IN-DA dose-dependently reduced escape from bright light and the number of USV responses to restraint. It had no influence on the exploratory behavior in the EPM. CONCLUSIONS IN-DA application reduced escape behavior in two tests of unconditioned fear (escape from bright light and USV response to immobilization). These findings may be interpreted in light of the known antidepressant action of IN-DA and DA reuptake blockers. The results also confirm the promise of the nasal route as an alternative means for targeting the brain's dopaminergic receptors with DA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teddy Talbot
- 1 Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,2 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Avenida do Café, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Claudia Mattern
- 4 Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.,5 M et P Pharma AG, Emmetten, Switzerland
| | - Maria Angelica de Souza Silva
- 3 Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marcus Lira Brandão
- 1 Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,2 Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, Avenida do Café, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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29
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Tzeng WY, Cherng CFG, Yu L, Wang CY. Basolateral amygdalar D2 receptor activation is required for the companions-exerted suppressive effect on the cocaine conditioning. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 137:48-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Lee JH, Lee S, Kim JH. Amygdala Circuits for Fear Memory: A Key Role for Dopamine Regulation. Neuroscientist 2016; 23:542-553. [DOI: 10.1177/1073858416679936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In addition to modulating a number of cognitive functions including reward, punishment, motivation, and salience, dopamine (DA) plays a pivotal role in regulating threat-related emotional memory. Changes in neural circuits of the amygdala nuclei are also critically involved in the acquisition and expression of emotional memory. In this review, we summarize the regulation of amygdala circuits by DA. Specifically, we describe DA signaling in the amygdala, and DA regulation of synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity of the amygdala neurons. Finally, we discuss a potential contribution of DA-related mechanisms to the pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo Han Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - Seungho Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Korea
| | - Joung-Hun Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, Gyeongbuk, Korea
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31
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Effects of Blockade of D1 and D2 Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala on the Behavior of Rats with High and Low Levels of Anxiety and Fear. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11055-016-0352-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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32
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de Oliveira AR, Reimer AE, Reis FMCV, Brandão ML. Dopamine D 2-like receptors modulate freezing response, but not the activation of HPA axis, during the expression of conditioned fear. Exp Brain Res 2016; 235:429-436. [PMID: 27766352 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-016-4805-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Considering the complexity of aversive information processing and defensive response expression, a combined action of stress modulators may be required for an optimal performance during threatening situations. Dopamine is now recognized as one of the most active modulators underlying states of fear and anxiety. On the other hand, activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis, which leads to the release of corticosterone in rodents, has been considered a key part of the stress response. The current study is an extension of prior work investigating modulatory effects of dopamine and corticosterone on conditioned fear expression. We have showed that corticosterone, acting through mineralocorticoid receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), upregulates dopaminergic system in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), enabling the expression of conditioned freezing response. The novel question addressed here is whether VTA-BLA dopaminergic signaling is necessary for increases in corticosterone during conditioned fear expression. Using site-specific treatment with D2-like agonist quinpirole (VTA) and D2-like antagonist sulpiride (BLA), we evaluated freezing and plasma corticosterone in rats exposed to a light used as aversive conditioned stimulus (CS). Intra-VTA quinpirole and intra-BLA sulpiride significantly decreased freezing expression in the conditioned fear test, but this anxiolytic-like effect of the dopaminergic drugs was not associated with changes in plasma corticosterone concentrations. Altogether, data suggest that interferences with the ability of the CS to activate the dopaminergic VTA-BLA pathway reduce the expression of freezing, but activation of the HPA axis seems to occur upstream of the recruitment of dopaminergic mechanisms in conditioned fear states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R de Oliveira
- Grupo de Psicobiologia, Departamento de Psicologia, Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas - CECH, Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil. .,Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento - INeC, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. .,Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Adriano E Reimer
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento - INeC, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernando M C V Reis
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento - INeC, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento - INeC, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.,Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto - FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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Traumatic stress causes distinctive effects on fear circuit catecholamines and the fear extinction profile in a rodent model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1484-1495. [PMID: 27492886 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Central catecholamines regulate fear memory across the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala (AMYG), and hippocampus (HPC). However, inadequate evidence exists to address the relationships among these fear circuit areas in terms of the fear symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By examining the behavioral profile in a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm together with tissue/efflux levels of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) and their reuptake abilities across the fear circuit areas in rats that experienced single prolonged stress (SPS, a rodent model of PTSD), we demonstrated that SPS-impaired extinction retrieval was concomitant with the changes of central DA/NE in a dissociable manner. For tissue levels, diminished DA and increased NE were both observed in the mPFC and AMYG. DA efflux and synaptosomal DA transporter were consistently reduced in the AMYG/vHPC, whereas SPS reduced NE efflux in the infralimbic cortex and synaptosomal NE transporter in the mPFC. Furthermore, a lower expression of synaptosomal VMAT2 was observed in the mPFC, AMYG, and vHPC after SPS. Finally, negative correlations were observed between retrieval freezing and DA in the mPFC/AMYG; nevertheless, the phenomena became invalid after SPS. Our results suggest that central catecholamines are crucially involved in the retrieval of fear extinction in which DA and NE play distinctive roles across the fear circuit areas.
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34
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Lloyd K, Dayan P. Safety out of control: dopamine and defence. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2016; 12:15. [PMID: 27216176 PMCID: PMC4878001 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-016-0099-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We enjoy a sophisticated understanding of how animals learn to predict appetitive outcomes and direct their behaviour accordingly. This encompasses well-defined learning algorithms and details of how these might be implemented in the brain. Dopamine has played an important part in this unfolding story, appearing to embody a learning signal for predicting rewards and stamping in useful actions, while also being a modulator of behavioural vigour. By contrast, although choosing correct actions and executing them vigorously in the face of adversity is at least as important, our understanding of learning and behaviour in aversive settings is less well developed. We examine aversive processing through the medium of the role of dopamine and targets such as D2 receptors in the striatum. We consider critical factors such as the degree of control that an animal believes it exerts over key aspects of its environment, the distinction between 'better' and 'good' actual or predicted future states, and the potential requirement for a particular form of opponent to dopamine to ensure proper calibration of state values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Lloyd
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, 25 Howland Street, London, UK
| | - Peter Dayan
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, 25 Howland Street, London, UK
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35
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The Role of Psychotropic Medications in the Management of Anorexia Nervosa: Rationale, Evidence and Future Prospects. CNS Drugs 2016; 30:419-42. [PMID: 27106297 PMCID: PMC4873415 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-016-0335-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder without approved medication intervention. Every class of psychoactive medication has been tried to improve treatment outcome; however, randomized controlled trials have been ambiguous at best and across studies have not shown robust improvements in weight gain and recovery. Here we review the available literature on pharmacological interventions since AN came to greater public recognition in the 1960s, including a critical review of why those trials may not have been successful. We further provide a neurobiological background for the disorder and discuss how cognition, learning, and emotion-regulating circuits could become treatment targets in the future. Making every effort to develop effective pharmacological treatment options for AN is imperative as it continues to be a complex psychiatric disorder with high disease burden and mortality.
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36
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Abstract
Fear memory is the best-studied form of memory. It was thoroughly investigated in the past 60 years mostly using two classical conditioning procedures (contextual fear conditioning and fear conditioning to a tone) and one instrumental procedure (one-trial inhibitory avoidance). Fear memory is formed in the hippocampus (contextual conditioning and inhibitory avoidance), in the basolateral amygdala (inhibitory avoidance), and in the lateral amygdala (conditioning to a tone). The circuitry involves, in addition, the pre- and infralimbic ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the central amygdala subnuclei, and the dentate gyrus. Fear learning models, notably inhibitory avoidance, have also been very useful for the analysis of the biochemical mechanisms of memory consolidation as a whole. These studies have capitalized on in vitro observations on long-term potentiation and other kinds of plasticity. The effect of a very large number of drugs on fear learning has been intensively studied, often as a prelude to the investigation of effects on anxiety. The extinction of fear learning involves to an extent a reversal of the flow of information in the mentioned structures and is used in the therapy of posttraumatic stress disorder and fear memories in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Izquierdo
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristiane R. G. Furini
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jociane C. Myskiw
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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37
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Larkin JD, Jenni NL, Floresco SB. Modulation of risk/reward decision making by dopaminergic transmission within the basolateral amygdala. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:121-36. [PMID: 26432096 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4094-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dopamine (DA) transmission within cortico-limbic-striatal circuitry is integral in modulating decisions involving reward uncertainty. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) also plays a role in these processes, yet how DA transmission within this nucleus regulates cost/benefit decision making is unknown. OBJECTIVES We investigated the contribution of DA transmission within the BLA to risk/reward decision making assessed with a probabilistic discounting task. METHODS Rats were well-trained to choose between a small/certain reward and a large/risky reward, with the probability of obtaining the larger reward decreasing (100-12.5 %) or increasing (12.5-100 %) over a session. We examined the effects of antagonizing BLA D1 (SCH 23390, 0.1-1 μg) or D2 (eticlopride, 0.1-1 μg) receptors, as well as intra-BLA infusions of agonists for D1 (SKF 81297, 0.1-1 μg) and D2 (quinpirole, 1-10 μg) receptors. We also assessed how DA receptor stimulation may induce differential effects related to baseline levels of risky choice. RESULTS BLA D1 receptor antagonism reduced risky choice by decreasing reward sensitivity, whereas D2 antagonism did not affect overall choice patterns. Stimulation of BLA D1 receptors optimized decision making in a baseline-dependent manner: in risk-averse rats, infusions of a lower dose of SKF81297 increased risky choice when reward probabilities were high (50 %), whereas in risk-prone rats, this drug reduced risky choice when probabilities were low (12.5 %). Quinpirole reduced risky choice in risk-prone rats, enhancing lose-shift behavior. CONCLUSIONS These data highlight previously uncharacterized roles for BLA DA D1 and D2 receptors in biasing choice during risk/reward decision making through mediation of reward/negative feedback sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Larkin
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Nicole L Jenni
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Stan B Floresco
- Department of Psychology and Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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38
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Yildirim BO, Derksen JJL. Mesocorticolimbic dopamine functioning in primary psychopathy: A source of within-group heterogeneity. Psychiatry Res 2015; 229:633-77. [PMID: 26277034 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite similar emotional deficiencies, primary psychopathic individuals can be situated on a continuum that spans from controlled to disinhibited. The constructs on which primary psychopaths are found to diverge, such as self-control, cognitive flexibility, and executive functioning, are crucially regulated by dopamine (DA). As such, the goal of this review is to examine which specific alterations in the meso-cortico-limbic DA system and corresponding genes (e.g., TH, DAT, COMT, DRD2, DRD4) might bias development towards a more controlled or disinhibited expression of primary psychopathy. Based on empirical data, it is argued that primary psychopathy is generally related to a higher tonic and population activity of striatal DA neurons and lower levels of D2-type DA receptors in meso-cortico-limbic projections, which may boost motivational drive towards incentive-laden goals, dampen punishment sensitivity, and increase future reward-expectancy. However, increasingly higher levels of DA activity in the striatum (moderate versus pathological elevations), lower levels of DA functionality in the prefrontal cortex, and higher D1-to-D2-type receptor ratios in meso-cortico-limbic projections may lead to increasingly disinhibited and impetuous phenotypes of primary psychopathy. Finally, in order to provide a more coherent view on etiological mechanisms, we discuss interactions between DA and serotonin that are relevant for primary psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bariş O Yildirim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, De Kluyskamp 1002, 6545 JD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan J L Derksen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Room: A.07.04B, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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39
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Muthuraju S, Talbot T, Brandão ML. Dopamine D2 receptors regulate unconditioned fear in deep layers of the superior colliculus and dorsal periaqueductal gray. Behav Brain Res 2015; 297:116-23. [PMID: 26455877 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Electrical and chemical stimulation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG), deep layers of the superior colliculus (dlSC), and inferior colliculus (IC) causes freezing and escape behavior in rodents. Systemic injections of the selective dopamine D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride increased the number of switch-off responses (SORs) to light and auditory evoked potentials in response to loud sounds. Dopamine D2 receptor inhibition in the IC was shown to enhance unconditioned fear. Nevertheless, the role of dopamine receptors in the dlSC and dPAG in the mediation of unconditioned fear has not yet been demonstrated. OBJECTIVES The purpose of the present study was to characterize the effects of sulpiride injections (4 and 8 μg/0.2 μl) in the dlSC and dPAG in rats that were subjected to unconditioned fear paradigms. METHODS Switch-off responses to light and exploratory behavior in the elevated plus maze were used to evaluate unconditioned fear in rats. RESULTS Intra-dlSC microinjections of sulpiride increased the number of SORs to light. Intra-dlSC and intra-dPAG injections of sulpiride reduced the number of entries into and time spent on the open arms and decreased end-arm exploration and head dipping in the elevated plus maze. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that dopamine, through D2 receptors in the dlSC and dPAG, is involved in defense reactions that are organized in the midbrain tectum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangu Muthuraju
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-901, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociencias e Comportamento, Avenida do Café, 2450, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14050-000, Brazil
| | - Teddy Talbot
- Instituto de Neurociencias e Comportamento, Avenida do Café, 2450, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14050-000, Brazil; Department of Neurosciences and Behavior, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcus Lira Brandão
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Campus USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14049-901, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociencias e Comportamento, Avenida do Café, 2450, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14050-000, Brazil.
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40
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Dual role of dopamine D(2)-like receptors in the mediation of conditioned and unconditioned fear. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3433-7. [PMID: 25783771 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.02.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A reduction of dopamine release or D2 receptor blockade in the terminal fields of the mesolimbic system, particularly the amygdala, clearly reduces conditioned fear. Similar D2 receptor antagonism in the neural substrates of fear in the midbrain tectum attenuates the processing of unconditioned aversive information. However, the implications of the interplay between opposing actions of dopamine in the rostral and caudal segments of the dopaminergic system are still unclear. Previous studies from this laboratory have reported the effects of dopaminergic drugs on behavior in rats in the elevated plus maze, auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) recorded from the midbrain tectum, fear-potentiated startle, and conditioned freezing. These findings led to an interesting framework on the functional roles of dopamine in both anxiety and fear states. Dopamine D2 receptor inhibition in the terminal fields of the mesolimbic dopamine system generally causes anxiolytic-like effects, whereas the activity of midbrain substrates of unconditioned fear are enhanced by D2 receptor antagonists, suggesting that D2 receptor-mediated mechanisms play opposing roles in fear/anxiety processes, depending on the brain region under study. Dopamine appears to mediate conditioned fear by acting at rostral levels of the brain and regulate unconditioned fear at the midbrain level, likely by reducing the sensorimotor gating of aversive events.
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41
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Heath FC, Jurkus R, Bast T, Pezze MA, Lee JLC, Voigt JP, Stevenson CW. Dopamine D1-like receptor signalling in the hippocampus and amygdala modulates the acquisition of contextual fear conditioning. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2619-29. [PMID: 25743759 PMCID: PMC4480849 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3897-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dopamine D1-like receptor signalling is involved in contextual fear conditioning, but the brain regions involved and its role in other contextual fear memory processes remain unclear. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to investigate (1) the effects of SCH 23390, a dopamine D1/D5 receptor antagonist, on contextual fear memory encoding, retrieval and reconsolidation, and (2) if the effects of SCH 23390 on conditioning involve the dorsal hippocampus (DH) and/or basolateral amygdala (BLA). METHODS Rats were used to examine the effects of systemically administering SCH 23390 on the acquisition, consolidation, retrieval and reconsolidation of contextual fear memory, and on locomotor activity and shock sensitivity. We also determined the effects of MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, on contextual fear memory reconsolidation. The effects of infusing SCH 23390 locally into DH or BLA on contextual fear conditioning and locomotor activity were also examined. RESULTS Systemic administration of SCH 23390 impaired contextual fear conditioning but had no effects on fear memory consolidation, retrieval or reconsolidation. MK-801 was found to impair reconsolidation, suggesting that the behavioural parameters used allowed for the pharmacological disruption of memory reconsolidation. The effects of SCH 23390 on conditioning were unlikely the result of any lasting drug effects on locomotor activity at memory test or any acute drug effects on shock sensitivity during conditioning. SCH 23390 infused into either DH or BLA impaired contextual fear conditioning and decreased locomotor activity. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that dopamine D1-like receptor signalling in DH and BLA contributes to the acquisition of contextual fear memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence C. Heath
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Regimantas Jurkus
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Tobias Bast
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Marie A. Pezze
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Jonathan L. C. Lee
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK
| | - J. Peter Voigt
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
| | - Carl W. Stevenson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD UK
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42
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Frank GKW. Could dopamine agonists aid in drug development for anorexia nervosa? Front Nutr 2014; 1:19. [PMID: 25988121 PMCID: PMC4428488 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2014.00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric disorder most commonly starting during the teenage-years and associated with food refusal and low body weight. Typically there is a loss of menses, intense fear of gaining weight, and an often delusional quality of altered body perception. Anorexia nervosa is also associated with a pattern of high cognitive rigidity, which may contribute to treatment resistance and relapse. The complex interplay of state and trait biological, psychological, and social factors has complicated identifying neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to the illness. The dopamine D1 and D2 neurotransmitter receptors are involved in motivational aspects of food approach, fear extinction, and cognitive flexibility. They could therefore be important targets to improve core and associated behaviors in anorexia nervosa. Treatment with dopamine antagonists has shown little benefit, and it is possible that antagonists over time increase an already hypersensitive dopamine pathway activity in anorexia nervosa. On the contrary, application of dopamine receptor agonists could reduce circuit responsiveness, facilitate fear extinction, and improve cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa, as they may be particularly effective during underweight and low gonadal hormone states. This article provides evidence that the dopamine receptor system could be a key factor in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa and dopamine agonists could be helpful in reducing core symptoms of the disorder. This review is a theoretical approach that primarily focuses on dopamine receptor function as this system has been mechanistically better described than other neurotransmitters that are altered in anorexia nervosa. However, those proposed dopamine mechanisms in anorexia nervosa also warrant further study with respect to their interaction with other neurotransmitter systems, such as serotonin pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido K W Frank
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado , Aurora, CO , USA ; Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Colorado , Aurora, CO , USA
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43
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de Oliveira AR, Colombo AC, Muthuraju S, Almada RC, Brandão ML. Dopamine D2-like receptors modulate unconditioned fear: role of the inferior colliculus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104228. [PMID: 25133693 PMCID: PMC4136794 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background A reduction of dopamine release or D2 receptor blockade in the terminal fields of the mesolimbic system clearly reduces conditioned fear. Injections of haloperidol, a preferential D2 receptor antagonist, into the inferior colliculus (IC) enhance the processing of unconditioned aversive information. However, a clear characterization of the interplay of D2 receptors in the mediation of unconditioned and conditioned fear is still lacking. Methods The present study investigated the effects of intra-IC injections of the D2 receptor-selective antagonist sulpiride on behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM), auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) to loud sounds recorded from the IC, fear-potentiated startle (FPS), and conditioned freezing. Results Intra-IC injections of sulpiride caused clear proaversive effects in the EPM and enhanced AEPs induced by loud auditory stimuli. Intra-IC sulpiride administration did not affect FPS or conditioned freezing. Conclusions Dopamine D2-like receptors of the inferior colliculus play a role in the modulation of unconditioned aversive information but not in the fear-potentiated startle response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Ribeiro de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Caroline Colombo
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sangu Muthuraju
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael Carvalho Almada
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcus Lira Brandão
- Laboratório de Neuropsicofarmacologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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44
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de Oliveira AR, Reimer AE, Brandão ML. Mineralocorticoid receptors in the ventral tegmental area regulate dopamine efflux in the basolateral amygdala during the expression of conditioned fear. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 43:114-25. [PMID: 24703177 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recognized involvement of corticosteroids in the modulation of emotional behavior, the specific role of mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the expression of conditioned fear responses is still open to investigation. The present study sought to clarify the involvement of both types of corticosteroid receptors in two different brain regions--the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA)--on the expression of conditioned fear. The first experiment assessed the effects of intra-VTA or intra-BLA administration of spironolactone (MR antagonist) or mifepristone (GR antagonist) on the expression of conditioned freezing to a light-CS and on motor performance in the open-field test. Intra-VTA spironolactone, but not mifepristone, attenuated the expression of the conditioned freezing response whereas intra-BLA spironolactone or mifepristone had no significant effects. These treatments did not affect motor performance in the open-field test. Since dopamine is released in the BLA from the VTA during the expression of conditioned fear, the anxiolytic-like effect of decreased corticosteroid activity in the first experiment could be associated with changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission. The second experiment, using in vivo microdialysis, investigated the role of MRs in the VTA on dopamine levels in the BLA during the expression of conditioned fear. Blocking MRs locally in the VTA with spironolactone reduced dopamine efflux in the BLA and decreased the expression of conditioned freezing in response to the CS. Taken together, the data indicate that corticosterone, acting locally on MRs in the VTA, stimulates dopamine efflux in the BLA, which facilitates the expression of conditioned freezing to a light-CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Adriano E Reimer
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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45
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Kabelik D, Alix VC, Singh LJ, Johnson AL, Choudhury SC, Elbaum CC, Scott MR. Neural activity in catecholaminergic populations following sexual and aggressive interactions in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei. Brain Res 2014; 1553:41-58. [PMID: 24472578 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social behaviors in vertebrates are modulated by catecholamine (CA; dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine) release within the social behavior neural network. Few studies have examined activity across CA populations in relation to social behaviors. The involvement of CAs in social behavior regulation is especially underexplored in reptiles, relative to other amniotes. In this study, we mapped CA populations throughout the brain (excluding retina and olfactory bulb) of the male brown anole lizard, Anolis sagrei, via immunofluorescent visualization of the rate-limiting enzyme for CA synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Colocalization of TH with the immediate early gene product Fos, an indirect marker of neural activity, also enabled us to relate activity in TH-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons to appetitive and consummatory sexual and aggressive behaviors. We detected most major TH-ir cell populations that are present in other amniotes (within the hypothalamus, midbrain, and hindbrain), although the A15 population was entirely absent. We also detected a few novel or rare cell clusters within the amygdala, medial septum, and inferior raphe. Many CA populations, especially dopaminergic groups, showed increased TH-Fos colocalization in association with appetitive and consummatory sexual behavior expression, while a small number of regions showed increased colocalization in relation to solely consummatory aggression (biting of an opponent). In conclusion, we here map CA populations throughout the brown anole brain and demonstrate evidence for catecholaminergic involvement in appetitive and consummatory sexual behaviors and consummatory aggressive behaviors in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kabelik
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA.
| | - Veronica C Alix
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Leah J Singh
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Alyssa L Johnson
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Shelley C Choudhury
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Caroline C Elbaum
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
| | - Madeline R Scott
- Department of Biology, Rhodes College, 2000 N Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, USA
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Genaro K, Juliano MA, Prado WA, Brandão ML, Martins AR. Effects of angiotensin (5-8) microinfusions into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray on defensive behaviors in rats. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:537-44. [PMID: 24041538 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Peptides of the renin-angiotensin system modulate blood pressure and hydro-electrolyte composition. Angiotensin (Ang) receptors are localized in brain areas related to the regulation of autonomic and endocrine control and involved in sensory perception, memory process and behavioral responses. Among these areas, the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is one of the most important structures of the neuronal circuitry controlling the autonomic and behavioral components of emotional states. Although Ang II metabolism in the vlPAG forms several Ang-peptides including Ang (5-8), the role of this tetrapeptide in the organization of defensive responses has not yet been described. To address this issue, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of intra-vlPAG injections of Ang (5-8) (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 nmol/0.25 μL) in rats submitted to the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. Additionally, it was evaluated the effects of intra-vlPAG Ang (5-8) on the expression of conditioned fear, assessed by the fear-potentiated startle and contextual conditioned freezing tests. The results showed that Ang (5-8) produced an intense, dose-related reduction in the entries into and time spent in the open arms of the EPM, decreased direct exploration and increased risk assessment behaviors. Moreover, intra-vlPAG injections of Ang (5-8) before the test session promoted pro-aversive effects in the FPS and enhanced contextual freezing. Taken together, these results point out to an important anxiogenic-like action for Ang (5-8) in the mediation of defensive behaviors organized in the vlPAG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Genaro
- Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Uberaba, MG, Brazil; Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Farmacologia, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento, INeC, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
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