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Cuitavi J, Campos-Jurado Y, Lorente JD, Andrés-Herrera P, Ferrís-Vilar V, Polache A, Hipólito L. Age- and sex-driven alterations in alcohol consumption patterns: Role of brain ethanol metabolism and the opioidergic system in the nucleus accumbens. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 244:173845. [PMID: 39098730 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption leads to significant neurochemical and neurobiological changes, contributing to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which exhibit sex- and age-dependent variations according to clinical data. However, preclinical studies often neglect these factors when investigating alcohol consumption patterns. In this study, we present data on male and female rats continuously exposed to a 20 % ethanol solution for one month. The animals were divided into two groups based on their age at the onset of drinking (8 and 12 weeks old). Interestingly, 12-week-old males consumed significantly less alcohol than both 12-week-old females and 8-week-old animals, indicating that alcohol consumption patterns vary with sex and age in our model. Additionally, to advance in the study of the neurobiological alterations induced by ethanol intake in the mesocorticolimbic system (MCLS) that may participate in its reinforcing properties and the maintenance of alcohol drinking behavior, we measured catalase activity-an enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism and related to ethanol reinforcement-in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of these animals. Furthermore, we measured the levels of mu (MOR), kappa (KOR), delta (DOR), and nociceptin (NOP) opioid receptors in the NAc, as the endogenous opioidergic system plays a pivotal role in regulating the MCLS and alcohol reinforcement. MOR levels were lower in high alcohol-consuming groups (8-week-old males and all females). Both DOR and NOP levels decreased with age, whereas KOR levels remained unchanged. Our findings suggest that the age at onset of alcohol consumption critically influences alcohol intake, particularly in males. Additionally, females consistently showed higher alcohol intake regardless of age, highlighting inherent sex-specific differences. The dynamic changes in catalase activity and opioid receptor expression suggest the involvement of these factors in modulating alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cuitavi
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Yolanda Campos-Jurado
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Jesús D Lorente
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Paula Andrés-Herrera
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Víctor Ferrís-Vilar
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Lucía Hipólito
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología y Biomedicina (BIOTECMED), University of Valencia, Burjassot, Spain.
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2
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Pirino BE, Hawks A, Carpenter BA, Candelas PG, Gargiulo AT, Curtis GR, Karkhanis AN, Barson JR. Kappa-opioid receptor stimulation in the nucleus accumbens shell and ethanol drinking: Differential effects by rostro-caudal location and level of drinking. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:1550-1558. [PMID: 38528134 PMCID: PMC11319348 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-024-01850-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Although the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) and its endogenous ligand, dynorphin, are believed to be involved in ethanol drinking, evidence on the direction of their effects has been mixed. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell densely expresses KORs, but previous studies have not found KOR activation to influence ethanol drinking. Using microinjections into the NAc shell of male and female Long-Evans rats that drank under the intermittent-access procedure, we found that the KOR agonist, U50,488, had no effect on ethanol drinking when injected into the middle NAc shell, but that it promoted intake in males and high-drinking females in the caudal NAc shell and high-drinking females in the rostral shell, and decreased intake in males and low-drinking females in the rostral shell. Conversely, injection of the KOR antagonist, nor-binaltorphimine, stimulated ethanol drinking in low-drinking females when injected into the rostral NAc shell and decreased drinking in high-drinking females when injected into the caudal NAc shell. These effects of KOR activity were substance-specific, as U50,488 did not affect sucrose intake. Using quantitative real-time PCR, we found that baseline gene expression of the KOR was higher in the rostral compared to caudal NAc shell, but that this was upregulated in the rostral shell with a history of ethanol drinking. Our findings have important clinical implications, demonstrating that KOR stimulation in the NAc shell can affect ethanol drinking, but that this depends on NAc subregion, subject sex, and ethanol intake level, and suggesting that this may be due to differences in KOR expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanne E Pirino
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Annie Hawks
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Brody A Carpenter
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Pelagia G Candelas
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Andrew T Gargiulo
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Genevieve R Curtis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University - SUNY, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Jessica R Barson
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19129, USA.
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Yoon HJ, Doyle MA, Altemus ME, Bethi R, Lago SH, Winder DG, Calipari ES. Operant ethanol self-administration behaviors do not predict sex differences in continuous access home cage drinking. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00114-9. [PMID: 39218047 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Understanding sex differences in disease prevalence is critical to public health, particularly in the context of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The goal of this study was to understand sex differences in ethanol drinking behavior and define the precise conditions under which sex differences emerge. Consistent with prior work, C57BL/6J females drank more than males under continuous access two-bottle choice conditions. However, using ethanol self-administration - where an operant response results in access to an ethanol sipper for a fixed time period - we found no sex differences in operant response rates or ethanol consumption (volume per body weight consumed, as well as lick behavior). This remained true across a wide range of parameters including acquisition, when the ethanol sipper access period was manipulated, and when the concentration of the ethanol available was scaled. The only sex differences observed were in total ethanol consumption, which was explained by differences in body weight between males and females, rather than by sex differences in motivation to drink. Using dimensionality reduction approaches, we found that drinking behavior in the operant context did not cluster by sex, but rather clustered by high and low drinking phenotypes. Interestingly, these high and low drinking phenotypes in the operant context showed no correlation with those same categorizations in the home cage context within the same animals. These data underscore the complexity of sex differences in ethanol consumption, highlighting the important role that drinking conditions/context plays in the expression of these differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Jean Yoon
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Marie A Doyle
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Megan E Altemus
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Rishik Bethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Sofia H Lago
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Danny G Winder
- Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Neurobiology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin S Calipari
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Becker HC, Lopez MF. Animal Models of Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Rodents. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38340255 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of animal models that demonstrate excessive levels of alcohol consumption has played an important role in advancing our knowledge about neurobiological underpinnings and environmental circumstances that engender such maladaptive behavior. The use of these preclinical models has also provided valuable opportunities for discovering new and novel therapeutic targets that may be useful in the treatment of alcohol use disorder (AUD). While no single model can fully capture the complexities of AUD, the goal is to develop animal models that closely approximate characteristics of heavy alcohol drinking in humans to enhance their translational value and utility. A variety of experimental approaches have been employed to produce the desired phenotype of interest-robust and reliable excessive levels of alcohol drinking. Here we provide an updated review of five animal models that are commonly used. The models entail procedural manipulations of scheduled access to alcohol (time of day, duration, frequency), periods of time when access to alcohol is withheld, and history of alcohol exposure. Specially, the models involve (a) scheduled access to alcohol, (b) scheduled periods of alcohol deprivation, (c) scheduled intermittent access to alcohol, (d) scheduled-induced polydipsia, and (e) chronic alcohol (dependence) and withdrawal experience. Each of the animal models possesses unique experimental features that engender excessive levels of alcohol consumption. Both advantages and disadvantages of each model are described along with discussion of future work to be considered in developing more optimal models. Ultimately, the validity and utility of these models will lie in their ability to aid in the discovery of new and novel potential therapeutic targets as well as serve as a platform to evaluate treatment strategies that effectively reduce excessive levels of alcohol consumption associated with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Becker
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- RHJ Veterans Administration Health Care System, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Marcelo F Lopez
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Collier AD, Yasmin N, Karatayev O, Abdulai AR, Yu B, Fam M, Campbell S, Leibowitz SF. Embryonic ethanol exposure and optogenetic activation of hypocretin neurons stimulate similar behaviors early in life associated with later alcohol consumption. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3021. [PMID: 38321123 PMCID: PMC10847468 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52465-x] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The initiation of alcohol use early in life is one of the strongest predictors of developing a future alcohol use disorder. Clinical studies have identified specific behaviors during early childhood that predict an increased risk for excess alcohol consumption later in life. These behaviors, including increased hyperactivity, anxiety, novelty-seeking, exploratory behavior, impulsivity, and alcohol-seeking, are similarly stimulated in children and adolescent offspring of mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy. Here we tested larval zebrafish in addition to young pre-weanling rats and found this repertoire of early behaviors along with the overconsumption of alcohol during adolescence to be increased by embryonic ethanol exposure. With hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) neurons known to be stimulated by ethanol and involved in mediating these alcohol-related behaviors, we tested their function in larval zebrafish and found optogenetic activation of Hcrt neurons to stimulate these same early alcohol-related behaviors and later alcohol intake, suggesting that these neurons have an important role in producing these behaviors. Together, these results show zebrafish to be an especially useful animal model for investigating the diverse neuronal systems mediating behavioral changes at young ages that are produced by embryonic ethanol exposure and predict an increased risk for developing alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Collier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Nushrat Yasmin
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Olga Karatayev
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Abdul R Abdulai
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Boyi Yu
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Milisia Fam
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Samantha Campbell
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Sarah F Leibowitz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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6
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Ortelli OA, Pitcairn SR, Dyson CH, Weiner JL. Sexually dimorphic effects of a modified adolescent social isolation paradigm on behavioral risk factors of alcohol use disorder in Long Evans Rats. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 9:100134. [PMID: 38188062 PMCID: PMC10768969 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a major risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid neuropsychiatric conditions. We previously demonstrated that an adolescent social isolation (aSI) model of ELS significantly increased behavioral risk factors for these disorders (e.g. anxiety-like behaviors, alcohol drinking) in male, but not female rats. Since many neurodevelopmental milestones are accelerated in females, we investigated whether an earlier/shorter isolation window (PND 21-38) would yield comparable phenotypes in both sexes. In two experiments, Long Evans rats were socially isolated (SI) or group-housed (GH) on postnatal day (PND) 21 and locomotion was assessed in the open field test (OFT; PND 30). Experiment 1 also assessed behavior on the elevated plus-maze (EPM) (PND 32). In Experiment 2, all rats were single housed on PND 38 to assess home cage alcohol drinking. Experiment 1 revealed that SI females had increased locomotor activity in the OFT but did not differ from GH subjects on the EPM. The OFT results were replicated in both sexes in Experiment 2 and both male and female SI rats had significantly greater ethanol consumption during an eight day continuous access paradigm. In contrast, during subsequent intermittent two-bottle choice drinking, only SI females displayed greater ethanol intake and preference and increased consumption of a quinine-adulterated alcohol solution. These findings demonstrate that early life social isolation can promote AUD vulnerability-related phenotypes in female rats but that there are profound sex differences in the vulnerability window to this early life stressor. Uncovering the neural mechanisms responsible for these sexually dimorphic differences in sensitivity to ELS may shed light on the biological substrates associated with vulnerability to AUD and comorbid disorders of negative emotion in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia A. Ortelli
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Stacy R. Pitcairn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Christina H. Dyson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jeffrey L. Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
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7
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McElroy BD, Li C, McCloskey NS, Kirby LG. Sex differences in ethanol consumption and drinking despite negative consequences following adolescent social isolation stress in male and female rats. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114322. [PMID: 37573960 PMCID: PMC10592127 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by drinking despite negative social and biological consequences. AUDs make up 71% of substance use disorders, with relapse rates as high as 80%. Current treatments stem from data conducted largely in males and fail to target the psychological distress motivating drinking in stress-vulnerable and at-risk populations. Here we employed a rat model and hypothesized that early life stress would reveal sex differences in ethanol intake and drinking despite negative consequences in adulthood. Rats were group housed or isolated postweaning to evaluate sex and stress effects on ethanol consumption in homecage drinking, self-administration (SA), and punished SA (drinking despite negative consequences) in adulthood. Stressed rats showed elevated homecage ethanol intake, an effect more pronounced in females. During SA, males were more sensitive to stress-induced elevations of drinking over time, but females drank more overall. Stressed rats, regardless of sex, responded more for ethanol than their non-stressed counterparts. Stressed females showed greater resistance to punishment-suppressed SA than stressed males, indicating a more stress-resistant drinking phenotype. Results support our hypothesis that adolescent social isolation stress enhances adult ethanol intake in a sex- and model-dependent manner with females being especially sensitive to early life stress-induced elevations in ethanol intake and punished SA in adulthood. Our findings echo the clinical literature which indicates that stress-vulnerable populations are more likely to 'self-medicate' with substances. Elucidating a potential mechanism that underlies why vulnerable populations 'self-medicate' with alcohol can lead towards developing catered pharmacotherapeutics that could reduce punishment-resistant drinking and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D McElroy
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia, PA, 19140, United States of America.
| | - Chen Li
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia, PA, 19140, United States of America
| | - Nicholas S McCloskey
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia, PA, 19140, United States of America
| | - Lynn G Kirby
- Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia, PA, 19140, United States of America
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Romero-Torres BM, Alvarado-Ramírez YA, Duran-Alonzo SR, Ruiz-Contreras AE, Herrera-Solis A, Amancio-Belmont O, Prospéro-García OE, Méndez-Díaz M. A potential role of hippocampus on impulsivity and alcohol consumption through CB1R. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2023; 225:173558. [PMID: 37088449 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173558] [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: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
There are a few studies suggesting that the hippocampus is involved in the regulation of impulsivity, and which attempt to explain drug seeking behavior in addiction. In addition, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) is highly expressed in the hippocampus (HPP). To further understand the potential role of the hippocampal CB1R in impulsive and drug seeking behaviors, we characterized impulsivity in adolescent and adult male rats, by means of a delay discounting task (DDT) by evaluating preference and seeking motivation for alcohol (10 % v/v) consumption, and analyzing CB1R expression in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the HPP as well as in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Our results show that adolescent rats display more impulsive choices than adult rats in the DDT. The k value is statistically higher in adolescents, further supporting that they are more impulsive. Besides, adolescent rats have higher forced and voluntary alcohol consumption and display a higher alcohol conditioned place preference (CPP) vs. adult rats. In addition, CB1R expression in CA3 and the DG is higher in adolescent vs. adult rats. Our data further support the role of the hippocampus in impulsivity with the potential involvement of the endocannabinoid system, considering that CB1R in CA3 and DG is higher in adolescents, who display impulsivity and alcohol seeking and consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- B M Romero-Torres
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Y A Alvarado-Ramírez
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - S R Duran-Alonzo
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - A E Ruiz-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - A Herrera-Solis
- Laboratorio Efectos Terapéuticos de los Cannabinoides, Subdirección de Investigación Médica, Hospital General Dr. Manuel Gea González, Mexico
| | - O Amancio-Belmont
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - O E Prospéro-García
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - M Méndez-Díaz
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Laboratorio de Canabinoides, Depto. de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
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Hussain S, Lesscher HMD, Day DJ, Ellenbroek BA. Genetics and epigenetics: paternal adolescent ethanol consumption in serotonin transporter knock-out rats and offspring sensitivity to ethanol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3145-3159. [PMID: 35939082 PMCID: PMC9481507 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06195-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is shown to have an overall heritability of around 50%. One of the genes associated with AUD is SLC6A4 (solute carrier family 6 member A4) which codes for the serotonin transporter (SERT). The study looked at serotonin dysfunction on ethanol consumption in adolescents and the subsequent intergenerational effects of drinking by using a rat model: SERT+/+ (regular functioning), SERT+/- (50% transporter reduction) and SERT-/- (complete reduction). OBJECTIVES We investigated sex and genotype differences in ethanol consumption in SERT knock-out Wistar rats (F0) followed by studying behaviour in the offspring (F1) of the male drinkers to assess effects of paternal alcohol consumption. METHODS An intermittent access two-bottle choice paradigm (IA2BC) was used to yield ethanol drinking behaviour in F0 adolescent Wistar rats. The highest drinking males were mated to alcohol-naive females and their offspring were compared with controls. Drinking behaviour (IA2BC) and ethanol-induced motor coordination effects (via rotarod) were measured in the F1s. RESULTS F0 drinking saw no SERT genotype differences in males. However, females consumed higher volumes of ethanol compared to males, with SERT-/- females showing the highest intake. A clearer genotype effect was seen in the F1 animals, with reduction in SERT activity leading to enhanced ethanol intake in both sexes. Importantly, paternal exposure to ethanol significantly reduced the ethanol induced motor side effects in offspring, independent of sex and genotype. CONCLUSIONS These indicate a difference in the way genetic factors may act across sexes and suggest the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the intergenerational effects of alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahir Hussain
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Heidi M D Lesscher
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Darren J Day
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Bart A Ellenbroek
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, 6104, Wellington, New Zealand.
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