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Brenner M, Parpura V. The Role of Astrocytes in CNS Disorders: Historic and Contemporary Views. Cells 2024; 13:1388. [PMID: 39195276 DOI: 10.3390/cells13161388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This Special Issue of Cells presents a collection of 22 published, peer-reviewed articles on the theme of "Astrocytes in CNS Disorders," including 9 reviews of the evidence implicating astrocytes in the etiology of specific disorders, and 13 original research papers providing such evidence [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Brenner
- Department of Neurobiology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Vladimir Parpura
- International Translational Neuroscience Research Institute, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
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Alotaibi A, Travaglianti S, Wong W, Abou-Gharbia M, Childers W, Sari Y. Effects of MC-100093 on Ethanol Drinking and the Expression of Astrocytic Glutamate Transporters in the Mesocorticolimbic Brain Regions of Male and Female Alcohol-Preferring Rats. Neuroscience 2024; 552:89-99. [PMID: 38909675 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.06.017] [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: 01/05/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Chronic ethanol consumption increased extracellular glutamate concentrations in several reward brain regions. Glutamate homeostasis is regulated in majority by astrocytic glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) as well as the interactive role of cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT). In this study, we aimed to determine the attenuating effects of a novel beta-lactam MC-100093, lacking the antibacterial properties, on ethanol consumption and GLT-1 and xCT expression in the subregions of nucleus accumbens (NAc core and NAc shell) and medial prefrontal cortex (Infralimbic, mPFC-IL and Prelimbic, mPFC-PL) in male and female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Female and male rats were exposed to free access to ethanol (15% v/v) and (30% v/v) and water for five weeks, and on Week 6, rats were administered 100 mg/kg (i.p) of MC-100093 or saline for five days. MC-100093 reduced ethanol consumption in both male and female P rats from Day 1-5. Additionally, MC-100093 upregulated GLT-1 and xCT expression in the mPFC and NAc subregions as compared to ethanol-saline groups in female and male rats. Chronic ethanol intake reduced GLT-1 and xCT expression in the IL and PL in female and male rats, except there was no reduction in GLT-1 expression in the mPFC-PL in female rats. Although, MC-100093 upregulated GLT-1 and xCT expression in the subregions of NAc, we did not observe any reduction in GLT-1 and xCT expression with chronic ethanol intake in female rats. These findings strongly suggest that MC-100093 treatment effectively reduced ethanol intake and upregulated GLT-1 and xCT expression in the mPFC and NAc subregions in male and female P rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Alotaibi
- University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Shelby Travaglianti
- University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Woonyen Wong
- University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
| | - Magid Abou-Gharbia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Wayne Childers
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Youssef Sari
- University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
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Harder EV, Franklin JP, VanRyzin JW, Reissner KJ. Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions in Substance Use Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 39:165-191. [PMID: 39190075 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-64839-7_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Engagement of astrocytes within the brain's reward circuitry has been apparent for approximately 30 years, when noncontingent drug administration was observed to lead to cytological markers of reactive astrocytes. Since that time, advanced approaches in rodent behavior and astrocyte monitoring have revealed complex interactions between astrocytes with drug type, animal sex, brain region, and dose and duration of drug administration. A number of studies now collectively reveal that rodent drug self-administration followed by prolonged abstinence results in decreased features of structure and synaptic colocalization of astrocytes. In addition, stimulation of astrocytes in the nucleus accumbens with DREADD receptors or pharmacological compounds opposes drug-seeking behavior. These findings provide a clear path for ongoing investigation into astrocytes as mediators of drug action in the brain and underscore the potential therapeutic utility of astrocytes in the regulation of drug craving and relapse vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden V Harder
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Janay P Franklin
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan W VanRyzin
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kathryn J Reissner
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Neuroscience Center, UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Esmaili-Shahzade-Ali-Akbari P, Ghaderi A, Hosseini SMM, Nejat F, Saeedi-Mofrad M, Karimi-Houyeh M, Ghattan A, Etemadi A, Rasoulian E, Khezri A. β_lactam antibiotics against drug addiction: A novel therapeutic option. Drug Dev Res 2023; 84:1411-1426. [PMID: 37602907 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.22110] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction as a problem for the health of the individual and the society is the result of a complex process in which there is an interaction between brain nuclei and neurotransmitters (such as glutamate). β-lactam antibiotics, due to their enhancing properties on the glutamate transporter glutamate transporter-1, can affect and counteract the addictive mechanisms of drugs through the regulation of extracellular glutamate. Since glutamate is a key neurotransmitter in the development of drug addiction, it seems that β-lactams can be considered as a promising treatment for addiction. However, more research in this field is necessary to identify other mechanisms involved in their effectiveness. This article is a review of the studies conducted on the effect of β-lactam administration in preventing the development of drug addiction, as well as their possible cellular and molecular mechanisms. This review suggests the clinical use of β-lactam antibiotics that have weak antimicrobial properties (such as clavulanic acid) in the treatment of drug dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Ghaderi
- Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Nejat
- Department of Biology and Health Sciences, Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Alireza Ghattan
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amirreza Etemadi
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Elham Rasoulian
- Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arina Khezri
- Department of Anesthesia, School of Allied Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Namba MD, Xie Q, Barker JM. Advancing the preclinical study of comorbid neuroHIV and substance use disorders: Current perspectives and future directions. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:453-475. [PMID: 37567486 PMCID: PMC10528352 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.021] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a persistent public health concern throughout the world. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a common comorbidity that can worsen treatment outcomes for people living with HIV. The relationship between HIV infection and SUD outcomes is likely bidirectional, making clear interrogation of neurobehavioral outcomes challenging in clinical populations. Importantly, the mechanisms through which HIV and addictive drugs disrupt homeostatic immune and CNS function appear to be highly overlapping and synergistic within HIV-susceptible reward and motivation circuitry in the central nervous system. Decades of animal research have revealed invaluable insights into mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology SUDs and HIV, although translational studies examining comorbid SUDs and HIV are very limited due to the technical challenges of modeling HIV infection preclinically. In this review, we discuss preclinical animal models of HIV and highlight key pathophysiological characteristics of each model, with a particular emphasis on rodent models of HIV. We then review the implementation of these models in preclinical SUD research and identify key gaps in knowledge in the field. Finally, we discuss how cutting-edge behavioral neuroscience tools, which have revealed key insights into the neurobehavioral mechanisms of SUDs, can be applied to preclinical animal models of HIV to reveal potential, novel treatment avenues for comorbid HIV and SUDs. Here, we argue that future preclinical SUD research would benefit from incorporating comorbidities such as HIV into animal models and would facilitate the discovery of more refined, subpopulation-specific mechanisms and effective SUD prevention and treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Namba
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qiaowei Xie
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Barker
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Knauss ZT, Hearn CJ, Hendryx NC, Aboalrob FS, Mueller-Figueroa Y, Damron DS, Lewis SJ, Mueller D. Fentanyl-induced reward seeking is sex and dose dependent and is prevented by D-cysteine ethylester. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1241578. [PMID: 37795030 PMCID: PMC10546209 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1241578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Despite their inclination to induce tolerance, addictive states, and respiratory depression, synthetic opioids are among the most effective clinically administered drugs to treat severe acute/chronic pain and induce surgical anesthesia. Current medical interventions for opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD), wooden chest syndrome, and opioid use disorder (OUD) show limited efficacy and are marked by low success in the face of highly potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. D-Cysteine ethylester (D-CYSee) prevents OIRD and post-treatment withdrawal in male/female rats and mice with minimal effect on analgesic status. However, the potential aversive or rewarding effects of D-CYSee have yet to be fully characterized and its efficacy could be compromised by interactions with opioid-reward pathology. Methods: Using a model of fentanyl-induced conditioned place preference (CPP), this study evaluated 1) the dose and sex dependent effects of fentanyl to induce rewarding states, and 2) the extent to which D-CYSee alters affective state and the acquisition of fentanyl-induced seeking behaviors. Results: Fentanyl reward-related effects were found to be dose and sex dependent. Male rats exhibited a range-bound dose response centered at 5 µg/kg. Female rats exhibited a CPP only at 50 µg/kg. This dose was effective in 25% of females with the remaining 75% showing no significant CPP at any dose. Pretreatment with 100 mg/kg, but not 10 mg/kg, D-CYSee prevented acquisition of fentanyl seeking in males while both doses were effective at preventing acquisition in females. Discussion: These findings suggest that D-CYSee is an effective co-treatment with prescribed opioids to reduce the development of OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackery T. Knauss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Caden J. Hearn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Nathan C. Hendryx
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Fanan S. Aboalrob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | | | - Derek S. Damron
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - Stephen J. Lewis
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, Allergy, and Immunology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Devin Mueller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
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Siemsen BM, Denton AR, Parrila-Carrero J, Hooker KN, Carpenter EA, Prescot ME, Brock AG, Westphal AM, Leath MN, McFaddin JA, Jhou TC, McGinty JF, Scofield MD. Heroin Self-Administration and Extinction Increase Prelimbic Cortical Astrocyte-Synapse Proximity and Alter Dendritic Spine Morphometrics That Are Reversed by N-Acetylcysteine. Cells 2023; 12:1812. [PMID: 37508477 PMCID: PMC10378353 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Clinical and preclinical studies indicate that adaptations in corticostriatal neurotransmission significantly contribute to heroin relapse vulnerability. In animal models, heroin self-administration and extinction produce cellular adaptations in both neurons and astrocytes within the nucleus accumbens (NA) core that are required for cue-induced heroin seeking. Specifically, decreased glutamate clearance and reduced association of perisynaptic astrocytic processes with NAcore synapses allow glutamate release from prelimbic (PrL) cortical terminals to engage synaptic and structural plasticity in NAcore medium spiny neurons. Normalizing astrocyte glutamate homeostasis with drugs like the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevents cue-induced heroin seeking. Surprisingly, little is known about heroin-induced alterations in astrocytes or pyramidal neurons projecting to the NAcore in the PrL cortex (PrL-NAcore). Here, we observe functional adaptations in the PrL cortical astrocyte following heroin self-administration (SA) and extinction as measured by the electrophysiologically evoked plasmalemmal glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1)-dependent current. We likewise observed the increased complexity of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) cytoskeletal arbor and increased association of the astrocytic plasma membrane with synaptic markers following heroin SA and extinction training in the PrL cortex. Repeated treatment with NAC during extinction reversed both the enhanced astrocytic complexity and synaptic association. In PrL-NAcore neurons, heroin SA and extinction decreased the apical tuft dendritic spine density and enlarged dendritic spine head diameter in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Repeated NAC treatment during extinction prevented decreases in spine density but not dendritic spine head expansion. Moreover, heroin SA and extinction increased the co-registry of the GluA1 subunit of AMPA receptors in both the dendrite shaft and spine heads of PrL-NAcore neurons. Interestingly, the accumulation of GluA1 immunoreactivity in spine heads was further potentiated by NAC treatment during extinction. Finally, we show that the NAC treatment and elimination of thrombospondin 2 (TSP-2) block cue-induced heroin relapse. Taken together, our data reveal circuit-level adaptations in cortical dendritic spine morphology potentially linked to heroin-induced alterations in astrocyte complexity and association at the synapses. Additionally, these data demonstrate that NAC reverses PrL cortical heroin SA-and-extinction-induced adaptations in both astrocytes and corticostriatal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M. Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Adam R. Denton
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | | | - Kaylee N. Hooker
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Eilish A. Carpenter
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Meagan E. Prescot
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Ashley G. Brock
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Annaka M. Westphal
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Mary-Nan Leath
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - John A. McFaddin
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Thomas C. Jhou
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jacqueline F. McGinty
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Michael D. Scofield
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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Giangrasso DM, Veros KM, Timm MM, West PJ, Wilcox KS, Keefe KA. Glutamate dynamics in the dorsolateral striatum of rats with goal-directed and habitual cocaine-seeking behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1160157. [PMID: 37251646 PMCID: PMC10213946 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1160157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The shift from drug abuse to addiction is considered to arise from the transition between goal-directed and habitual control over drug behavior. Habitual responding for appetitive and skill-based behaviors is mediated by potentiated glutamate signaling in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), but the state of the DLS glutamate system in the context of habitual drug-behavior remains undefined. Evidence from the nucleus accumbens of cocaine-experienced rats suggests that decreased transporter-mediated glutamate clearance and enhanced synaptic glutamate release contribute to the potentiated glutamate signaling that underlies the enduring vulnerability to relapse. Preliminary evidence from the dorsal striatum of cocaine-experienced rats suggests that this region exhibits similar alterations to glutamate clearance and release, but it is not known whether these glutamate dynamics are associated with goal-directed or habitual control over cocaine-seeking behavior. Therefore, we trained rats to self-administer cocaine in a chained cocaine-seeking and -taking paradigm, which yielded goal-directed, intermediate, and habitual cocaine-seeking rats. We then assessed glutamate clearance and release dynamics in the DLS of these rats using two different methods: synaptic transporter current (STC) recordings of patch-clamped astrocytes and the intensity-based glutamate sensing fluorescent reporter (iGluSnFr). While we observed a decreased rate of glutamate clearance in STCs evoked with single-pulse stimulation in cocaine-experienced rats, we did not observe any cocaine-induced differences in glutamate clearance rates from STCs evoked with high frequency stimulation (HFS) or iGluSnFr responses evoked with either double-pulse stimulation or HFS. Furthermore, GLT-1 protein expression in the DLS was unchanged in cocaine-experienced rats, regardless of their mode of control over cocaine-seeking behavior. Lastly, there were no differences in metrics of glutamate release between cocaine-experienced rats and yoked-saline controls in either assay. Together, these results suggest that glutamate clearance and release dynamics in the DLS are largely unaltered by a history of cocaine self-administration on this established cocaine seeking-taking paradigm, regardless of whether the control over the cocaine seeking behavior was habitual or goal directed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M. Giangrasso
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kaliana M. Veros
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Maureen M. Timm
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Peter J. West
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Karen S. Wilcox
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Anticonvulsant Drug Development Program, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Kristen A. Keefe
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Interdepartmental Program in Neuroscience, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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Fernández-Rodríguez S, Cano-Cebrián MJ, Esposito-Zapero C, Pérez S, Guerri C, Zornoza T, Polache A. N-Acetylcysteine normalizes brain oxidative stress and neuroinflammation observed after protracted ethanol abstinence: a preclinical study in long-term ethanol-experienced male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:725-738. [PMID: 36708386 PMCID: PMC10006045 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06311-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Using a preclinical model based on the Alcohol Deprivation Effect (ADE), we have reported that N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) can prevent the relapse-like drinking behaviour in long-term ethanol-experienced male rats. OBJECTIVES To investigate if chronic ethanol intake and protracted abstinence affect several glutamate transporters and whether NAC, administered during the withdrawal period, could restore the ethanol-induced brain potential dysfunctions. Furthermore, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of NAC during abstinence in rats under the ADE paradigm were also explored. METHODS The expression of GLT1, GLAST and xCT in nucleus accumbens (Nacc) and dorsal striatum (DS) of male Wistar was analysed after water and chronic ethanol intake. We used the model based on the ADE within another cohort of male Wistar rats. During the fourth abstinence period, rats were treated for 9 days with vehicle or NAC (60, 100 mg/kg; s.c.). The effects of NAC treatment on (i) glutamate transporters expression in the Nacc and DS, (ii) the oxidative status in the hippocampus (Hip) and amygdala (AMG) and (iii) some neuroinflammatory markers in prefrontal cortex (PFC) were tested. RESULTS NAC chronic administration during protracted abstinence restored oxidative stress markers (GSSG and GGSH/GSH) in the Hip. Furthermore, NAC was able to normalize some neuroinflammation markers in PFC without normalizing the observed downregulation of GLT1 and GLAST in Nacc. CONCLUSIONS NAC restores brain oxidative stress and neuroinflammation that we previously observed after protracted ethanol abstinence in long-term ethanol-experienced male rats. This NAC effect could be a plausible mechanism for its anti-relapse effect. Also, brain oxidative stress and neuroinflammation could represent and identify plausible targets for searching new anti-relapse pharmacotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Fernández-Rodríguez
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - María José Cano-Cebrián
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Claudia Esposito-Zapero
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Salvador Pérez
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Consuelo Guerri
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology of Alcohol, Príncipe Felipe Research Center, Valencia, Spain
| | - Teodoro Zornoza
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Polache
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain.
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10
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Kruyer A, Kalivas PW, Scofield MD. Astrocyte regulation of synaptic signaling in psychiatric disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:21-36. [PMID: 35577914 PMCID: PMC9700696 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01338-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 15 years, the field of neuroscience has evolved toward recognizing the critical role of astroglia in shaping neuronal synaptic activity and along with the pre- and postsynapse is now considered an equal partner in tripartite synaptic transmission and plasticity. The relative youth of this recognition and a corresponding deficit in reagents and technologies for quantifying and manipulating astroglia relative to neurons continues to hamper advances in understanding tripartite synaptic physiology. Nonetheless, substantial advances have been made and are reviewed herein. We review the role of astroglia in synaptic function and regulation of behavior with an eye on how tripartite synapses figure into brain pathologies underlying behavioral impairments in psychiatric disorders, both from the perspective of measures in postmortem human brains and more subtle influences on tripartite synaptic regulation of behavior in animal models of psychiatric symptoms. Our goal is to provide the reader a well-referenced state-of-the-art understanding of current knowledge and predict what we may discover with deeper investigation of tripartite synapses using reagents and technologies not yet available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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Giacometti LL, Buck LA, Barker JM. Estrous cycle and hormone regulation of stress-induced reinstatement of reward seeking in female mice. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 4:100035. [PMID: 36540408 PMCID: PMC9762733 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Women are more vulnerable to stress-induced craving, which may be associated with increased vulnerability to relapse. Susceptibility to stress-induced craving also appears to be modulated by the menstrual cycle and is negatively correlated with circulating progesterone levels in women. However, the factors that contribute to relapse vulnerability are poorly characterized in female animals. In this study, we assessed whether chronic ethanol exposure, estrous cycle, or exogenous progesterone administration modulated vulnerability to stress-induced reinstatement. To model ethanol dependence, adult female C57Bl/6J mice underwent chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure via vapor inhalation. Seventy-two hours after the final ethanol exposure, food-restricted mice began training in a conditioned place preference paradigm (CPP) for a food reward, followed by extinction training. Mice were then subjected to forced swim stress and assessed for reinstatement of their preference for the reward-paired chamber. CIE did not affect stress-induced reinstatement. However, stress-induced reinstatement was attenuated during the diestrus phase, when endogenous levels of progesterone peak in female mice. Further, administration of exogenous progesterone mimicked the attenuated reinstatement observed in diestrus. These findings indicate that circulating hormone levels modulate susceptibility to relapse-like behaviors and implicate progesterone as a potential target for treating stress-induced relapse in women.
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12
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Food for thought: diet-induced impairments to decision-making and amelioration by N-acetylcysteine in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:3495-3506. [PMID: 36219247 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Attempts to lose weight often fail despite knowledge of the health risks associated with obesity and determined efforts. We previously showed that rodents fed an obesogenic diet displayed premature habitual behavioural control and weakened flexible decision-making based on the current value of outcomes produced by their behaviour. Thus, habitual control may contribute to failed attempts to modify eating behaviours. OBJECTIVES To examine the effects of an obesogenic diet on behavioural control and glutamate transmission in dorsal striatum regions and to assess the ability of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to reverse deficits. METHODS Here, we examined diet-induced changes to decision-making and used in vitro electrophysiology to investigate the effects of diet on glutamate transmission within the dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral (DLS) striatum, areas that control goal-directed and habitual behaviours, respectively. We administered NAC in order to normalize glutamate release and tested whether this would restore goal-directed performance following an obesogenic diet. RESULTS We found that an obesogenic diet reduced sensitivity to outcome devaluation and increased glutamate release in the DMS, but not DLS. Administration of NAC restored goal-directed control and normalized mEPSCs in the DMS. Finally, NAC administered directly to the DMS was sufficient to reinstate sensitivity to outcome devaluation following an obesogenic diet. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that obesogenic diets alter neural activity in the basal ganglia circuit responsible for goal-directed learning and control which leads to premature habitual control. While the effects of diet are numerous and widespread, normalization of glutamatergic activity in this circuit is sufficient for restoring goal-directed behaviour.
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13
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Mechanistic Effects and Use of N-acetylcysteine in Substance Use Disorders. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00250-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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14
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Hadizadeh H, Flores JM, Mayerson T, Worhunsky PD, Potenza MN, Angarita GA. Glutamatergic Agents for the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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15
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Jensen KL, Jensen SB, Madsen KL. A mechanistic overview of approaches for the treatment of psychostimulant dependence. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:854176. [PMID: 36160447 PMCID: PMC9493975 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.854176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant use disorder is a major health issue around the world with enormous individual, family-related and societal consequences, yet there are no effective pharmacological treatments available. In this review, a target-based overview of pharmacological treatments toward psychostimulant addiction will be presented. We will go through therapeutic approaches targeting different aspects of psychostimulant addiction with focus on three major areas; 1) drugs targeting signalling, and metabolism of the dopamine system, 2) drugs targeting either AMPA receptors or metabotropic glutamate receptors of the glutamate system and 3) drugs targeting the severe side-effects of quitting long-term psychostimulant use. For each of these major modes of intervention, findings from pre-clinical studies in rodents to clinical trials in humans will be listed, and future perspectives of the different treatment strategies as well as their potential side-effects will be discussed. Pharmaceuticals modulating the dopamine system, such as antipsychotics, DAT-inhibitors, and disulfiram, have shown some promising results. Cognitive enhancers have been found to increase aspects of behavioural control, and drugs targeting the glutamate system such as modulators of metabotropic glutamate receptors and AMPA receptors have provided interesting changes in relapse behaviour. Furthermore, CRF-antagonists directed toward alleviating the symptoms of the withdrawal stage have been examined with interesting resulting changes in behaviour. There are promising results investigating therapeutics for psychostimulant addiction, but further preclinical work and additional human studies with a more stratified patient selection are needed to prove sufficient evidence of efficacy and tolerability.
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16
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Sketriene D, Battista D, Lalert L, Kraiwattanapirom N, Thai HN, Leeboonngam T, Knackstedt LA, Nithianantharajah J, Sumithran P, Lawrence AJ, Brown RM. Compulsive‐like eating of high‐fat high‐sugar food is associated with ‘addiction‐like’ glutamatergic dysfunction in obesity prone rats. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13206. [PMID: 36001420 PMCID: PMC9541933 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic overeating is a core feature of diet‐induced obesity. There is increasing evidence that in vulnerable individuals, such overeating could become compulsive, resembling an addictive disorder. The transition to compulsive substance use has been linked with changes at glutamatergic synapses in the nucleus accumbens. In this study, we investigated a potential link between such glutamatergic dysregulation and compulsive‐like eating using a rat model of diet‐induced obesity. A conditioned suppression task demonstrated that diet‐induced obese rats display eating despite negative consequences, as their consumption was insensitive to an aversive cue. Moreover, nucleus accumbens expression of GluA1 and xCT proteins was upregulated in diet‐induced obese animals. Lastly, both a computed ‘addiction score’ (based on performance across three criteria) and weight gain were positively correlated with changes in GluA1 and xCT expression in the nucleus accumbens. These data demonstrate that the propensity for diet‐induced obesity is associated with compulsive‐like eating of highly palatable food and is accompanied by ‘addiction‐like’ glutamatergic dysregulation in the nucleus accumbens, thus providing neurobiological evidence of addiction‐like pathology in this model of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Sketriene
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | - Damien Battista
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | - Laddawan Lalert
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
- School of Medicine Walailak University Nakhon Si Thammarat Thailand
| | - Natcharee Kraiwattanapirom
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences Mahidol University Nakhon Pathom Thailand
| | - Han Ngoc Thai
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | - Tanawan Leeboonngam
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | | | - Jess Nithianantharajah
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | - Priya Sumithran
- Department of Medicine (St Vincent's) University of Melbourne Melbourne Australia
- Department of Endocrinology Austin Health Melbourne Australia
| | - Andrew J. Lawrence
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
| | - Robyn M. Brown
- Mental Health Research Theme The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health Parkville Melbourne Australia
- The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health University of Melbourne Parkville Melbourne Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology University of Melbourne Parkville Melbourne Australia
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17
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Zhang LY, Kim AY, Cheer JF. Regulation of glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens by astrocytic CB1 receptors and its role in cocaine-motivated behaviors. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 3:100022. [PMID: 36419922 PMCID: PMC9681119 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100022] [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: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) orchestrate brain reward circuitry and are prevalent neurobiological targets for endocannabinoids and cannabis in the mammalian brain. Decades of histological and electrophysiological studies have established CB1R as presynaptic G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that inhibit neurotransmitter release through retrograde signaling mechanisms. Recent seminal work demonstrates CB1R expression on astrocytes and the pivotal function of glial cells in endocannabinoid-mediated modulation of neuron-astrocyte signaling. Here, we review key facets of CB1R-mediated astroglia regulation of synaptic glutamate transmission in the nucleus accumbens with a specific emphasis on cocaine-directed behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Yuan Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Andrew Y. Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Joseph F. Cheer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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18
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Fredriksson I, Jayaram-Lindström N, Kalivas PW, Melas PA, Steensland P. N-acetylcysteine improves impulse control and attenuates relapse-like alcohol intake in long-term drinking rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 436:114089. [PMID: 36063970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) present with a disrupted glutamatergic system that underlies core components of addictive disorders, including drug relapse and low impulse control. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a cystine prodrug that has been found to promote glutamate homeostasis and drug abstinence. However, no studies to date have evaluated NAC's effect on impulsivity in substance use disorders. Here we determined whether NAC would decrease alcohol-intake behaviors, in addition to improving impulse control, in long-term alcohol drinking male Wistar-Han rats. Before the start of the experiments, all rats were exposed to long-term intermittent access to 20% ethanol for at least seven weeks. Next, in different groups of rats, the effect of NAC (60 and/or 90mg/kg) was evaluated on (i) voluntary alcohol drinking using a two-bottle free choice paradigm, (ii) the motivation to self-administer alcohol under a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement, and (iii) relapse-like drinking using the alcohol deprivation effect model. Finally, (iv) NAC's effect on impulse control was evaluated using the five-choice serial reaction time task. Results showed that NAC administration at 90mg/kg significantly reduced relapse-like drinking and improved impulse control. In contrast, NAC had no effect on levels of alcohol drinking or motivation to drink alcohol. In conclusion, our findings continue to support the use of NAC as an adjuvant treatment for the maintenance of abstinence in AUD. Moreover, we provide evidence for NAC's efficacy in improving impulse control following drinking, which warrants further investigation in substance use settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Fredriksson
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nitya Jayaram-Lindström
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph Johnson Veterans Administration, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Philippe A Melas
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Molecular Medicine, L8:00, Karolinska University Hospital, 17176 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pia Steensland
- Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, 11364 Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Avalos MP, Guzman AS, Garcia-Keller C, Mongi-Bragato B, Esparza MA, Rigoni D, Sanchez MA, Calfa GD, Bollati FA, Cancela LM. Impairment of glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens core underpins cross-sensitization to cocaine following chronic restraint stress. Front Physiol 2022; 13:896268. [PMID: 36091376 PMCID: PMC9462460 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.896268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Though the facilitating influence of stress on drug abuse is well documented, the mechanisms underlying this interaction have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study explores the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning the sensitized response to the psychomotor-stimulating effects of cocaine following chronic restraint stress (CRS), emphasizing the differential contribution of both subcompartments of the nucleus accumbens (NA), the core (NAcore) and shell (NAshell), to this phenomenon. Adult male Wistar rats were restrained for 2 h/day for 7 days and, 2 weeks after the last stress exposure (day 21), all animals were randomly assigned to behavioral, biochemical or neurochemical tests. Our results demonstrated that the enduring CRS-induced increase in psychostimulant response to cocaine was paralleled by an increase of extracellular dopamine levels in the NAcore, but not the NAshell, greater than that observed in the non-stress group. Furthermore, we found that CRS induced an impairment of glutamate homeostasis in the NAcore, but not the NAshell. Its hallmarks were increased basal extracellular glutamate concentrations driven by a CRS-induced downregulation of GLT-1, blunted glutamate levels in response to cocaine and postsynaptic structural remodeling in pre-stressed animals. In addition, ceftriaxone, a known GLT-1 enhancer, prevented the CRS-induced GLT-1 downregulation, increased basal extracellular glutamate concentrations and changes in structural plasticity in the NAcore as well as behavioral cross-sensitization to cocaine, emphasizing the biological importance of GLT-1 in the comorbidity between chronic stress exposure and drug abuse. A future perspective concerning the paramount relevance of the stress-induced disruption of glutamate homeostasis as a vulnerability factor to the development of stress and substance use disorders during early life or adulthood of descendants is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Flavia A. Bollati
- Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orsingher, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Liliana M. Cancela
- Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orsingher, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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20
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Kruyer A, Angelis A, Garcia-Keller C, Li H, Kalivas PW. Plasticity in astrocyte subpopulations regulates heroin relapse. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo7044. [PMID: 35947652 PMCID: PMC9365285 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo7044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) produces detrimental personal and societal consequences. Astrocytes are a major cell group in the brain that receives little attention in mediating OUD. We determined how astrocytes and the astroglial glutamate transporter, GLT-1, in the nucleus accumbens core adapt and contribute to heroin seeking in rats. Seeking heroin, but not sucrose, produced two transient forms of plasticity in different astroglial subpopulations. Increased morphological proximity to synapses occurred in one subpopulation and increased extrasynaptic GLT-1 expression in another. Augmented synapse proximity by astroglia occurred selectively at D2-dopamine receptor-expressing dendrites, while changes in GLT-1 were not neuron subtype specific. mRNA-targeted antisense inhibition of either morphological or GLT-1 plasticity promoted cue-induced heroin seeking. Thus, we show that heroin cues induce two distinct forms of transient plasticity in separate astroglial subpopulations that dampen heroin relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ariana Angelis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Hong Li
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Peter W. Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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21
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Looking to the stars for answers: Strategies for determining how astrocytes influence neuronal activity. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4146-4156. [PMID: 36016711 PMCID: PMC9379862 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are critical components of neural circuits positioned in close proximity to the synapse, allowing them to rapidly sense and respond to neuronal activity. One repeatedly observed biomarker of astroglial activation is an increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels. These astroglial Ca2+ signals are often observed spreading throughout various cellular compartments from perisynaptic astroglial processes, to major astrocytic branches and on to the soma or cell body. Here we review recent evidence demonstrating that astrocytic Ca2+ events are remarkably heterogeneous in both form and function, propagate through the astroglial syncytia, and are directly linked to the ability of astroglia to influence local neuronal activity. As many of the cellular functions of astroglia can be linked to intracellular Ca2+ signaling, and the diversity and heterogeneity of these events becomes more apparent, there is an increasing need for novel experimental strategies designed to better understand the how these signals evolve in parallel with neuronal activity. Here we review the recent advances that enable the characterization of both subcellular and population-wide astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics. Additionally, we also outline the experimental design required for simultaneous in vivo Ca2+ imaging in the context of neuronal or astroglial manipulation, highlighting new experimental strategies made possible by recent advances in viral vector, imaging, and quantification technologies. Through combined usage of these reagents and methodologies, we provide a conceptual framework to study how astrocytes functionally integrate into neural circuits and to what extent they influence and direct the synaptic activity underlying behavioral responses.
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22
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Chen W, Meng S, Han Y, Shi J. Astrocytes: the neglected stars in the central nervous system and drug addiction. MEDICAL REVIEW (BERLIN, GERMANY) 2022; 2:417-426. [PMID: 37724324 PMCID: PMC10388769 DOI: 10.1515/mr-2022-0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
With the advent of improved tools to examine the astrocytes, which have been believed to play a supportive role in the central nervous system (CNS) for years, their participation in the operation of the CNS and drug addiction was unveiled. Assisting the formation and function of the CNS, astrocytes are involved in physiological and pathological brain activities. Drug addiction is a pervasive psychiatric disorder, characterized by compulsive drug-taking behavior and high rate of relapse, impacting individual health and society stability and safety. When exposed to drugs of abuse, astrocytes go through a series of alterations, contributing to the development of addiction. Here we review how astrocytes contribute to the CNS and drug addiction. We hope that understanding the interaction between addictive drugs and astrocytes may help discover new mechanisms underlying the addiction and produce novel therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Chen
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Shiqiu Meng
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Han
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Shi
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
- The Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of the Ministry of Education and Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
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23
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Becker-Krail DD, Ketchesin KD, Burns JN, Zong W, Hildebrand MA, DePoy LM, Vadnie CA, Tseng GC, Logan RW, Huang YH, McClung CA. Astrocyte Molecular Clock Function in the Nucleus Accumbens Is Important for Reward-Related Behavior. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:68-80. [PMID: 35461698 PMCID: PMC9232937 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use disorders are associated with disruptions in circadian rhythms. Both human and animal work have shown the integral role for circadian clocks in the modulation of reward behaviors. Astrocytes have emerged as key regulators of circadian rhythmicity. However, no studies to date have identified the role of circadian astrocyte function in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a hub for reward regulation, or determined the importance of these rhythms for reward-related behavior. METHODS Using astrocyte-specific RNA sequencing across time of day, we first characterized diurnal variation of the NAc astrocyte transcriptome. We then investigated the functional significance of this circadian regulation through viral-mediated disruption of molecular clock function in NAc astrocytes, followed by assessment of reward-related behaviors, metabolic-related molecular assays, and whole-cell electrophysiology in the NAc. RESULTS Strikingly, approximately 43% of the astrocyte transcriptome has a diurnal rhythm, and key metabolic pathways were enriched among the top rhythmic genes. Moreover, mice with a viral-mediated loss of molecular clock function in NAc astrocytes show a significant increase in locomotor response to novelty, exploratory drive, operant food self-administration, and motivation. At the molecular level, these animals also show disrupted metabolic gene expression, along with significant downregulation of both lactate and glutathione levels in the NAc. Loss of NAc astrocyte clock function also significantly altered glutamatergic signaling onto neighboring medium spiny neurons, alongside upregulated glutamate-related gene expression. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings demonstrate a novel role for astrocyte circadian molecular clock function in the regulation of the NAc and reward-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darius D Becker-Krail
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Kyle D Ketchesin
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer N Burns
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Wei Zong
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Mariah A Hildebrand
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren M DePoy
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Chelsea A Vadnie
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - George C Tseng
- Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ryan W Logan
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yanhua H Huang
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Colleen A McClung
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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24
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Das SC, Althobaiti YS, Hammad AM, Alasmari F, Sari Y. Role of suppressing GLT‐1 and xCT in ceftriaxone‐induced attenuation of relapse‐like alcohol drinking in alcohol‐preferring rats. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13178. [DOI: 10.1111/adb.13178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sujan C. Das
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior University of California Irvine CA USA
| | - Yusuf S. Althobaiti
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy Taif University Taif Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa M. Hammad
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy Al‐Zaytoonah University of Jordan Amman Jordan
| | - Fawaz Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy King Saud University Riyadh Saudi Arabia
| | - Youssef Sari
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Toledo Toledo OH USA
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25
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Strickland JC, Stoops WW, Banks ML, Gipson CD. Logical fallacies and misinterpretations that hinder progress in translational addiction neuroscience. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 117:384-403. [PMID: 35362559 PMCID: PMC9090969 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.757] [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: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are heterogeneous and complex, making the development of translationally predictive rodent and nonhuman primate models to uncover their neurobehavioral underpinnings difficult. Neuroscience-focused outcomes have become highly prevalent, and with this, the notion that SUDs are disorders of the brain embraced as a dominant theoretical orientation to understand SUD etiology and treatment. These efforts, however, have led to few efficacious pharmacotherapies, and in some cases (as with cocaine or methamphetamine), no pharmacotherapies have translated from preclinical models for clinical use. In this theoretical commentary, we first describe the development of animal models of substance use behaviors from a historical perspective. We then define and discuss three logical fallacies including 1) circular explanation, 2) affirming the consequent, and 3) reification that can apply to developed models. We then provide three case examples in which conceptual or logical issues exist in common methods (i.e., behavioral economic demand, escalation, and reinstatement). Alternative strategies to refocus behavioral models are suggested for the field to better bridge the translational divide between animal models, the clinical condition of SUDs, and current and future regulatory pathways for intervention development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
| | | | - Matthew L. Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Cassandra D. Gipson
- Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington
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Avalos MP, Guzman AS, Rigoni D, Gorostiza EA, Sanchez MA, Mongi-Bragato B, Garcia-Keller C, Perassi EM, Virgolini MB, Peralta Ramos JM, Iribarren P, Calfa GD, Bollati FA, Cancela LM. Minocycline prevents chronic restraint stress-induced vulnerability to developing cocaine self-administration and associated glutamatergic mechanisms: a potential role of microglia. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:359-376. [PMID: 35065197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful experience-induced cocaine-related behaviors are associated with a significant impairment of glutamatergic mechanisms in the Nucleus Accumbens core (NAcore). The hallmarks of disrupted glutamate homeostasis following restraint stress are the enduring imbalance of glutamate efflux after a cocaine stimulus and increased basal concentrations of extracellular glutamate attributed to GLT-1 downregulation in the NAcore. Glutamate transmission is tightly linked to microglia functioning. However, the role of microglia in the biological basis of stress-induced addictive behaviors is still unknown. By using minocycline, a potent inhibitor of microglia activation with anti-inflammatory properties, we determined whether microglia could aid chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced glutamate homeostasis disruption in the NAcore, underpinning stress-induced cocaine self-administration. In this study, adult male rats were restrained for 2 h/day for seven days (day 1-7). From day 16 until completing the experimental protocol, animals received a vehicle or minocycline treatment (30 mg/Kg/12h i.p.). On day 21, animals were assigned to microscopic, biochemical, neurochemical or behavioral studies. We confirm that the CRS-induced facilitation of cocaine self-administration is associated with enduring GLT-1 downregulation, an increase of basal extracellular glutamate and postsynaptic structural plasticity in the NAcore. These alterations were strongly related to the CRS-induced reactive microglia and increased TNF-α mRNA and protein expression, since by administering minocycline, the impaired glutamate homeostasis and the facilitation of cocaine self-administration were prevented. Our findings are the first to demonstrate that minocycline suppresses the CRS-induced facilitation of cocaine self-administration and glutamate homeostasis disruption in the NAcore. A role of microglia is proposed for the development of glutamatergic mechanisms underpinning stress-induced vulnerability to cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Paula Avalos
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andrea Susana Guzman
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Daiana Rigoni
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel Axel Gorostiza
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Marianela Adela Sanchez
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Bethania Mongi-Bragato
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Constanza Garcia-Keller
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Marcelo Perassi
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Fisicoquímica de Córdoba (INFIQC-CONICET), Departamento de Química Teórica y Computacional, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Miriam Beatriz Virgolini
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Javier María Peralta Ramos
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI-CONICET), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Pablo Iribarren
- Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI-CONICET), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gastón Diego Calfa
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Flavia Andrea Bollati
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Liliana Marina Cancela
- Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, X5000HUA, Córdoba, Argentina.
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27
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Hadizadeh H, Flores J, Nunes E, Mayerson T, Potenza MN, Angarita GA. Novel Pharmacological Agents for the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-022-00246-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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28
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Kruyer A, Dixon D, Angelis A, Amato D, Kalivas PW. Astrocytes in the ventral pallidum extinguish heroin seeking through GAT-3 upregulation and morphological plasticity at D1-MSN terminals. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:855-864. [PMID: 34642457 PMCID: PMC9054673 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01333-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
GABAergic projections from the nucleus accumbens core to the dorsolateral ventral pallidum are necessary for drug-conditioned cues to initiate relapse-like drug seeking. Astrocytes in the ventral pallidum are situated perisynaptically and regulate GABA transmission through expression of GABA uptake transporters, but whether they are involved in regulating drug seeking is unknown. To determine the contribution of ventral pallidal astrocytes to heroin seeking, we labeled astrocytes in male and female rats with a membrane-bound fluorescent tag and used confocal microscopy to quantify astroglial expression of the GABA transporter GAT-3 and astrocyte synaptic proximity after withdrawal from heroin self-administration and during 15 min of cued heroin seeking. We found that GAT-3 was upregulated in rats that had extinguished heroin seeking, but not in animals that were withdrawn from heroin without extinction training or in rats that extinguished sucrose seeking. When GAT-3 upregulation was reversed using a vivo-morpholino oligo, heroin seeking was restored in the extinguished context and extinction of cued heroin seeking was disrupted compared to control animals. Although astrocyte synaptic proximity was not altered overall after heroin withdrawal, examination of astrocyte proximity to accumbens D1- or D2-expressing afferents revealed a selective increase in astrocyte proximity with D1-expressing terminals during extinction of heroin self-administration. Experimentally-induced reduction of astrocyte synaptic proximity through knockdown of the astrocyte-selective actin-binding protein ezrin also markedly disrupted extinction of heroin seeking. Notably, GAT-3 or ezrin knockdown had no impact on context- or cue-induced seeking in sucrose-trained animals. These data show that astrocytes in the ventral pallidum undergo plasticity after extinction of heroin use that reduces seeking and highlight the importance of astrocyte-neuron interactions in shaping behaviors associated with opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Danielle Dixon
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Ariana Angelis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Davide Amato
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter W Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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29
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He T, Li N, Shi P, Xu X, Nie J, Lu X, Yu P, Fan Y, Ge F, Guan X. Electroacupuncture alleviates spatial memory deficits in METH withdrawal mice by enhancing astrocyte-mediated glutamate clearance in the dCA1. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13068. [PMID: 34128302 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) elicits endogenous glutamate (Glu) in the brain, which could partially explain METH-induced memory deficits. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on spatial memory deficits in METH withdrawal mice and its potential synaptic mechanisms. We found that EA at acupoints 'Baihui' and 'Yintang' ameliorated the impaired spatial memory in METH withdrawal mice. In parallel, EA attenuated the Glu levels in vivo and suppressed the neuronal activities within dCA1 of METH withdrawal mice, as indicated by the decreasing c-Fos levels and the amplitude of mEPSP. In the dCA1, EA decreased A1-like astrocytes but increased astrocytic glutamatergic transporting molecules including glutamate transporter 1 and glutamine synthase. However, EA seemed to have no effects on presynaptic Glu transmission from the dCA3, as evidenced by the similiar levels of c-Fos in the dCA3 neurons, synaptic vesicular markers of dCA3 neural terminals and values of paired-pulse ratio in the dCA1 neurons between EA-treated and sham EA-treated METH withdrawal mice. These findings suggest that EA might normalize the dCA1 Glu levels at least in part through enhancing astrocyte-mediated Glu clearance. Taken together, astrocytes might be a novel target for developing therapeutic interventions against the impaired memory behaviours in METH users, and EA represents a promising non-invasive therapeutic strategy for the management of drug-caused memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng He
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Nanqin Li
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Pengbo Shi
- Department of Orthopedics The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou China
| | - Xing Xu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Jiaxun Nie
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xue Lu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Peiyao Yu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine Daegu Haany University Gyeongsan South Korea
| | - Feifei Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
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30
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Abstract
Drug addiction remains a key biomedical challenge facing current neuroscience research. In addition to neural mechanisms, the focus of the vast majority of studies to date, astrocytes have been increasingly recognized as an "accomplice." According to the tripartite synapse model, astrocytes critically regulate nearby pre- and postsynaptic neuronal substrates to craft experience-dependent synaptic plasticity, including synapse formation and elimination. Astrocytes within brain regions that are implicated in drug addiction exhibit dynamic changes in activity upon exposure to cocaine and subsequently undergo adaptive changes themselves during chronic drug exposure. Recent results have identified several key astrocytic signaling pathways that are involved in cocaine-induced synaptic and circuit adaptations. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the role of astrocytes in regulating synaptic transmission and neuronal function, and discuss how cocaine influences these astrocyte-mediated mechanisms to induce persistent synaptic and circuit alterations that promote cocaine seeking and relapse. We also consider the therapeutic potential of targeting astrocytic substrates to ameliorate drug-induced neuroplasticity for behavioral benefits. While primarily focusing on cocaine-induced astrocytic responses, we also include brief discussion of other drugs of abuse where data are available.
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31
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Abstract
Astroglia are key regulators of synaptic function, playing central roles in homeostatic ion buffering, energy dynamics, transmitter uptake, maintenance of neurotransmitter pools, and regulation of synaptic plasticity through release of neuroactive chemicals. Given the myriad of crucial homeostatic and signaling functions attributed to astrocytes and the variety of neurotransmitter receptors expressed by astroglia, they serve as prime cellular candidates for establishing maladaptive synaptic plasticity following drug exposure. Initial studies on astroglia and addiction have placed drug-mediated disruptions in the homeostatic regulation of glutamate as a central aspect of relapse vulnerability. However, the generation of sophisticated tools to study and manipulate astroglia have proven that the interaction between addictive substances, astroglia, and relapse-relevant synaptic plasticity extends far beyond the homeostatic regulation of glutamate. Here we present astroglial systems impacted by drug exposure and discuss how changes in astroglial biology contribute to addiction biology.
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32
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Maly IV, Morales MJ, Pletnikov MV. Astrocyte Bioenergetics and Major Psychiatric Disorders. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 26:173-227. [PMID: 34888836 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-77375-5_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing research continues to add new elements to the emerging picture of involvement of astrocyte energy metabolism in the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, mood disorders, and addictions. This review outlines what is known about the energy metabolism in astrocytes, the most numerous cell type in the brain, and summarizes the recent work on how specific perturbations of astrocyte bioenergetics may contribute to the neuropsychiatric conditions. The role of astrocyte energy metabolism in mental health and disease is reviewed on the organism, organ, and cell level. Data arising from genomic, metabolomic, in vitro, and neurobehavioral studies is critically analyzed to suggest future directions in research and possible metabolism-focused therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan V Maly
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Morales
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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33
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Smaga I, Wydra K, Suder A, Sanak M, Caffino L, Fumagalli F, Filip M. Enhancement of the GluN2B subunit of glutamatergic NMDA receptors in rat brain areas after cocaine abstinence. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1226-1239. [PMID: 34587833 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211048283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use disorder is associated with compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking, whereas relapse may be induced by several factors, including stress, drug-related places, people, and cues. Recent observations strongly support the involvement of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in cocaine use disorders and abstinence, whereas withdrawal in different environments may affect the intensification of relapse. METHODS The aim of this study was to examine the GluN2B subunit expression and its association with the postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in several brain structures in rats with a history of cocaine self-administration and housed either in an enriched environment or in an isolated condition. Furthermore, a selective antagonist of the GluN2B subunit-CP 101,606 (10 and 20 mg/kg) administered during exposure to cocaine or a drug-associated conditional stimulus (a cue) was used to evaluate seeking behavior in rats. RESULTS In rats previously self-administering cocaine, we observed an increase in the GluN2B expression in the total homogenate from the dorsal hippocampus under both enriched environment and isolation. Cocaine abstinence under isolation conditions increased the GluN2B and GluN2B/PSD95 complex levels in the PSD fraction of the prelimbic cortex in rats previously self-administering cocaine. Administration of CP 101,606 attenuated cue-induced cocaine-seeking behavior only in isolation-housed rats. CONCLUSION In summary, in this study we showed region-specific changes in both the expression of GluN2B subunit and NMDA receptor trafficking during cocaine abstinence under different housing conditions. Furthermore, we showed that the pharmacological blockade of the GluN2B subunit may be useful in attenuating cocaine-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karolina Wydra
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Suder
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marek Sanak
- Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Lucia Caffino
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Fabio Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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34
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Engeli EJE, Zoelch N, Hock A, Nordt C, Hulka LM, Kirschner M, Scheidegger M, Esposito F, Baumgartner MR, Henning A, Seifritz E, Quednow BB, Herdener M. Impaired glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens in human cocaine addiction. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5277-5285. [PMID: 32601455 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0828-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is characterized by overwhelming craving for the substance, which drives its escalating use despite adverse consequences. Animal models suggest a disrupted glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens to underlie addiction-like behavior. After chronic administration of cocaine, rodents show decreased levels of accumbal glutamate, whereas drug-seeking reinstatement is associated with enhanced glutamatergic transmission. However, due to technical obstacles, the role of disturbed glutamate homeostasis for cocaine addiction in humans remains only partially understood, and accordingly, no approved pharmacotherapy exists. Here, we applied a tailored proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy protocol that allows glutamate quantification within the human nucleus accumbens. We found significantly reduced basal glutamate concentrations in the nucleus accumbens in cocaine-addicted (N = 26) compared with healthy individuals (N = 30), and increased glutamate levels during cue-induced craving in cocaine-addicted individuals compared with baseline. These glutamatergic alterations, however, could not be significantly modulated by a short-term challenge of N-acetylcysteine (2400 mg/day on 2 days). Taken together, our findings reveal a disturbed accumbal glutamate homeostasis as a key neurometabolic feature of cocaine addiction also in humans. Therefore, we suggest the glutamatergic system as a promising target for the development of novel pharmacotherapies, and in addition, as a potential biomarker for a personalized medicine approach in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etna J E Engeli
- Centre for Addictive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Niklaus Zoelch
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hock
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Nordt
- Centre for Addictive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lea M Hulka
- Centre for Addictive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Centre for Addictive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Milan Scheidegger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Fabrizio Esposito
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Markus R Baumgartner
- Centre for Forensic Hair Analytics, Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anke Henning
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Max-Planck-Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany.,Institute of Physics, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Zurich Centre for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Centre Zurich, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marcus Herdener
- Centre for Addictive Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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35
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Lau BK, Murphy-Royal C, Kaur M, Qiao M, Bains JS, Gordon GR, Borgland SL. Obesity-induced astrocyte dysfunction impairs heterosynaptic plasticity in the orbitofrontal cortex. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109563. [PMID: 34407401 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Overconsumption of highly palatable, energy-dense food is considered a key driver of the obesity pandemic. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critical for reward valuation of gustatory signals, yet how the OFC adapts to obesogenic diets is poorly understood. Here, we show that extended access to a cafeteria diet impairs astrocyte glutamate clearance, which leads to a heterosynaptic depression of GABA transmission onto pyramidal neurons of the OFC. This decrease in GABA tone is due to an increase in extrasynaptic glutamate, which acts via metabotropic glutamate receptors to liberate endocannabinoids. This impairs the induction of endocannabinoid-mediated long-term plasticity. The nutritional supplement, N-acetylcysteine rescues this cascade of synaptic impairments by restoring astrocytic glutamate transport. Together, our findings indicate that obesity targets astrocytes to disrupt the delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the OFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin K Lau
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Ciaran Murphy-Royal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Manpreet Kaur
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Min Qiao
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Jaideep S Bains
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Grant R Gordon
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Stephanie L Borgland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, The University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
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36
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Sketriene D, Battista D, Perry CJ, Sumithran P, Lawrence AJ, Brown RM. N-acetylcysteine reduces addiction-like behaviour towards high-fat high-sugar food in diet-induced obese rats. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4877-4887. [PMID: 34028895 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Compulsive forms of eating displayed by some obese individuals share similarities with compulsive drug-taking behaviour, a hallmark feature of substance use disorder. This raises the possibility that drug addiction treatments may show utility in the treatment of compulsive overeating. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is a cysteine pro-drug which has experienced some success in clinical trials, reducing cocaine, marijuana and cigarette use, as well as compulsive behaviours such as gambling and trichotillomania. We assessed the impact of NAC on addiction-like behaviour towards highly palatable food in a rat model of diet-induced obesity. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on a high-fat high-sugar diet for 8 weeks and then assigned to diet-induced obesity-prone (DIO) or diet-induced obesity-resistant (DR) groups based on weight gain. DIO and DR rats were subjected to an operant conditioning paradigm whereby rats could lever press for high-fat high-sugar food pellets. This alternated with periods of signalled reward unavailability. Before treatment DIO rats ate more in their home cage, earned more food pellets in operant sessions, and responded more during periods that signalled reward unavailability (suggestive of compulsive-like food seeking) compared with DR rats. This persistent responding in the absence of reward displayed by DIO rats was ameliorated by daily injections of NAC (100 mg/kg, i.p.) for 14 days. By the end of the treatment period, lever-pressing by NAC-treated DIO rats resembled that of DR rats. These findings suggest that NAC reduces addiction-like behaviour towards food in rats and supports the potential use of this compound in compulsive overeating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Sketriene
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Research Theme, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Damien Battista
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Research Theme, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christina J Perry
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Research Theme, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Priya Sumithran
- Department of Medicine (Austin), University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Research Theme, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Robyn M Brown
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Mental Health Research Theme, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville/Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Schwendt M, Knackstedt LA. Extinction vs. Abstinence: A Review of the Molecular and Circuit Consequences of Different Post-Cocaine Experiences. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116113. [PMID: 34204090 PMCID: PMC8200945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The intravenous cocaine self-administration model is widely used to characterize the neurobiology of cocaine seeking. When studies are aimed at understanding relapse to cocaine-seeking, a post-cocaine abstinence period is imposed, followed by “relapse” tests to assess the ability of drug-related stimuli (“primes”) to evoke the resumption of the instrumental response previously made to obtain cocaine. Here, we review the literature on the impact of post-cocaine abstinence procedures on neurobiology, finding that the prelimbic and infralimbic regions of the prefrontal cortex are recruited by extinction training, and are not part of the relapse circuitry when extinction training does not occur. Pairing cocaine infusions with discrete cues recruits the involvement of the NA, which together with the dorsal striatum, is a key part of the relapse circuit regardless of abstinence procedures. Differences in molecular adaptations in the NA core include increased expression of GluN1 and glutamate receptor signaling partners after extinction training. AMPA receptors and glutamate transporters are similarly affected by abstinence and extinction. Glutamate receptor antagonists show efficacy at reducing relapse following extinction and abstinence, with a modest increase in efficacy of compounds that restore glutamate homeostasis after extinction training. Imaging studies in humans reveal cocaine-induced adaptations that are similar to those produced after extinction training. Thus, while instrumental extinction training does not have face validity, its use does not produce adaptations distinct from human cocaine users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Schwendt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lori A. Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Center for Addiction Research and Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-352-273-2185
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N-acetylcysteine in substance use disorder: a lesson from preclinical and clinical research. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:1205-1219. [PMID: 34091880 PMCID: PMC8460563 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00283-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic brain condition, with compulsive and uncontrollable drug-seeking that leads to long-lasting and harmful consequences. The factors contributing to the development of SUD, as well as its treatment settings, are not fully understood. Alterations in brain glutamate homeostasis in humans and animals implicate a key role of this neurotransmitter in SUD, while the modulation of glutamate transporters has been pointed as a new strategy to diminish the excitatory glutamatergic transmission observed after drugs of abuse. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), known as a safe mucolytic agent, is involved in the regulation of this system and may be taken into account as a novel pharmacotherapy for SUD. In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge on the ability of NAC to reduce drug-seeking behavior induced by psychostimulants, opioids, cannabinoids, nicotine, and alcohol in animals and humans. Preclinical studies showed a beneficial effect in animal models of SUD, while the clinical efficacy of NAC has not been fully established. In summary, NAC will be a small add-on to usual treatment and/or psychotherapy for SUD, however, further studies are required.
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Boender AJ, Bontempi L, Nava L, Pelloux Y, Tonini R. Striatal Astrocytes Shape Behavioral Flexibility via Regulation of the Glutamate Transporter EAAT2. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:1045-1057. [PMID: 33516457 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Striatal circuits must be modulated for behavioral flexibility, the ability to adapt to environmental changes. Striatal astrocytes contribute to circuit neuromodulation by controlling the activity of ambient neurotransmitters. In particular, extracellular glutamate levels are tightly controlled by the astrocytic glutamate transporter EAAT2, influencing synaptic functioning and neural network activity. However, it remains unclear if EAAT2 responds to environmental cues to specifically shape action control. METHODS To investigate the relationship between behavioral flexibility and experience-dependent regulation of EAAT2 expression in the dorsal striatum, mice were trained on an instrumental task. We manipulated EAAT2 expression using chemogenetic activation of astrocytic Gq signaling or in vivo morpholinos and determined the ability to adapt to novel environmental contingencies. RESULTS The loss of behavioral flexibility with task overtraining is associated with the upregulation of EAAT2, which results in enhanced glutamate clearance and altered modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the lateral part of the dorsal striatum. Interfering with EAAT2 upregulation in this striatal area preserves behavioral flexibility. CONCLUSIONS Astrocytes are emerging as critical regulators of striatal functions. This work demonstrates that plasticity of EAAT2 expression in the lateral part of the dorsal striatum shapes behavior, thus providing novel mechanistic insights into how flexibility in action control is regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen J Boender
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Leonardo Bontempi
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Luca Nava
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Yann Pelloux
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.
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Smaga I, Frankowska M, Filip M. N-acetylcysteine as a new prominent approach for treating psychiatric disorders. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:2569-2594. [PMID: 33760228 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a well-known and safe mucolytic agent, also used in patients with paracetamol overdose. In addition to these effects, recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that NAC exerts beneficial effects on different psychiatric disorders. Many potential mechanisms have been proposed to underlie the therapeutic effects of NAC, including the regulation of several neurotransmitters, oxidative homeostasis, and inflammatory mediators. In this paper, we summarize the current knowledge on the ability of NAC to ameliorate symptoms and neuropathologies related to different psychiatric disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive-related disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Although preclinical studies have shown a positive effect of NAC on animal models of psychiatric disorders, the clinical efficacy of NAC is not fully established. NAC remains a strong candidate for adjunct treatment for many psychiatric disorders, but additional preclinical and clinical studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Smaga
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Frankowska
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
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41
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Cocaine use disorder: A look at metabotropic glutamate receptors and glutamate transporters. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 221:107797. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Namba MD, Leyrer-Jackson JM, Nagy EK, Olive MF, Neisewander JL. Neuroimmune Mechanisms as Novel Treatment Targets for Substance Use Disorders and Associated Comorbidities. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:650785. [PMID: 33935636 PMCID: PMC8082184 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.650785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies examining the neurobiology of substance abuse have revealed a significant role of neuroimmune signaling as a mechanism through which drugs of abuse induce aberrant changes in synaptic plasticity and contribute to substance abuse-related behaviors. Immune signaling within the brain and the periphery critically regulates homeostasis of the nervous system. Perturbations in immune signaling can induce neuroinflammation or immunosuppression, which dysregulate nervous system function including neural processes associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). In this review, we discuss the literature that demonstrates a role of neuroimmune signaling in regulating learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity, emphasizing specific cytokine signaling within the central nervous system. We then highlight recent preclinical studies, within the last 5 years when possible, that have identified immune mechanisms within the brain and the periphery associated with addiction-related behaviors. Findings thus far underscore the need for future investigations into the clinical potential of immunopharmacology as a novel approach toward treating SUDs. Considering the high prevalence rate of comorbidities among those with SUDs, we also discuss neuroimmune mechanisms of common comorbidities associated with SUDs and highlight potentially novel treatment targets for these comorbid conditions. We argue that immunopharmacology represents a novel frontier in the development of new pharmacotherapies that promote long-term abstinence from drug use and minimize the detrimental impact of SUD comorbidities on patient health and treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Namba
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | | | - Erin K. Nagy
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - M. Foster Olive
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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Potential Benefits of N-Acetylcysteine in Preventing Pregabalin-Induced Seeking-Like Behavior. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9040376. [PMID: 33805329 PMCID: PMC8066267 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9040376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance-use disorder is globally prevalent and responsible for numerous social and medical problems. Pregabalin (Lyrica), typically used to treat diabetic neuropathy, has recently emerged as a drug of abuse. Drug abuse is associated with several neuronal changes, including the downregulation of glutamate transporters such as glutamate transporter 1 and cystine/glutamate antiporter. We investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate transporter 1 and xCT upregulator, on pregabalin addiction using a conditioned place preference paradigm. Pregabalin (60 mg/kg) was found to induce conditioned place preference when compared to a vehicle. A 100 mg/kg dose of N-acetylcysteine was found to block pregabalin-seeking behaviors. These results support previous findings showing that glutamate transporters play an important role in pregabalin-induced seeking behaviors. N-acetylcysteine may represent a beneficial agent in preventing the abuse potential of pregabalin.
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44
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Fischer KD, Knackstedt LA, Rosenberg PA. Glutamate homeostasis and dopamine signaling: Implications for psychostimulant addiction behavior. Neurochem Int 2021; 144:104896. [PMID: 33159978 PMCID: PMC8489281 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine abuse disorders are serious worldwide health problems. To date, there are no FDA-approved medications for the treatment of these disorders. Elucidation of the biochemical underpinnings contributing to psychostimulant addiction is critical for the development of effective therapies. Excitatory signaling and glutamate homeostasis are well known pathophysiological substrates underlying addiction-related behaviors spanning multiple types of psychostimulants. To alleviate relapse behavior to psychostimulants, considerable interest has focused on GLT-1, the major glutamate transporter in the brain. While many brain regions are implicated in addiction behavior, this review focuses on two regions well known for their role in mediating the effects of cocaine and amphetamines, namely the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). In addition, because many investigators have utilized Cre-driver lines to selectively control gene expression in defined cell populations relevant for psychostimulant addiction, we discuss potential off-target effects of Cre-recombinase that should be considered in the design and interpretation of such experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn D Fischer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
| | - Lori A Knackstedt
- Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Paul A Rosenberg
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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45
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Woodcock EA, Lundahl LH, Khatib D, Stanley JA, Greenwald MK. N-acetylcysteine reduces cocaine-seeking behavior and anterior cingulate glutamate/glutamine levels among cocaine-dependent individuals. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12900. [PMID: 32212237 PMCID: PMC10369173 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a cystine prodrug shown to reduce cocaine- and cue-primed reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in preclinical studies. In this inpatient study, the effects of NAC maintenance versus placebo on cocaine-seeking behavior were examined during cocaine-primed and unprimed self-administration sessions among non-treatment-seeking, cocaine-dependent individuals. Twelve participants completed this double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover study. Each participant was maintained for 1 week (Sat-Fri) on NAC (1200-mg TID; 3600 mg/day total) and 1 week on placebo (0-mg TID); medication order was randomized. A subset of participants underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans (n = 8) on the third day of medication (Mon) to assess neurochemistry in the rostral anterior cingulate (rACC; voxel = 4.5 cm3 ). In four randomized sessions (Tue-Fri) each week, each participant could earn unit amounts of cocaine (10 mg, fixed) versus money ($0.50 vs. $1.50) on a choice, progressive ratio schedule after insufflating active versus placebo cocaine-priming doses (110 mg vs. 4 mg). Relative to the placebo priming dose, the active cocaine priming dose (110 mg) increased cocaine-seeking behavior (p = .003). NAC reduced cocaine-primed cocaine-seeking behavior compared with placebo levels (p = .044) but did not alter placebo-primed cocaine-seeking behavior. The larger money alternative ($1.50) suppressed cocaine-seeking behavior relative to the smaller money alternative ($0.50; p = .011). Compared with placebo levels, NAC significantly decreased rACC glutamate + glutamine levels (p = .035) and numerically decreased rACC glutamate levels (p = .085). These preliminary findings indicate that NAC suppresses cocaine-seeking behavior in some, but not all, experimental scenarios. Further, our findings suggest NAC may exert its therapeutic effects by modulating excitatory tone in the rACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric A Woodcock
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Leslie H Lundahl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Dalal Khatib
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Stanley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Mark K Greenwald
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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46
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Notartomaso S, Scarselli P, Mascio G, Liberatore F, Mazzon E, Mammana S, Gugliandolo A, Cruccu G, Bruno V, Nicoletti F, Battaglia G. N-Acetylcysteine causes analgesia in a mouse model of painful diabetic neuropathy. Mol Pain 2021; 16:1744806920904292. [PMID: 32009537 PMCID: PMC6997966 DOI: 10.1177/1744806920904292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
N-Acetylcysteine, one of the most prescribed antioxidant drugs, enhances pain
threshold in rodents and humans by activating mGlu2 metabotropic glutamate
receptors. Here, we assessed the analgesic activity of N-acetylcysteine in the
streptozotocin model of painful diabetic neuropathy and examined the effect of
N-acetylcysteine on proteins that are involved in mechanisms of nociceptive
sensitization. Mice with blood glucose levels ≥250 mg/dl in response to a single
intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg) were used for the
assessment of mechanical pain thresholds. Systemic treatment with
N-acetylcysteine (100 mg/kg, i.p., either single injection or daily injections
for seven days) caused analgesia in diabetic mice. N-acetylcysteine-induced
analgesia was abrogated by the Sxc− inhibitors, sulfasalazine (8 mg/kg, i.p.), erastin (30 mg/kg,
i.p.), and sorafenib (10 mg/kg, i.p.), or by the mGlu2/3 receptor antagonist,
LY341495 (1 mg/kg, i.p.). Repeated administrations of N-acetylcysteine in
diabetic mice reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation in the dorsal region of the lumbar
spinal cord. The analgesic activity of N-acetylcysteine was occluded by the MEK
inhibitor, PD0325901 (25 mg/kg, i.p.), the TRPV1 channel blocker, capsazepine
(40 mg/kg, i.p.), or by a cocktail of NMDA and mGlu5 metabotropic glutamate
receptor antagonists (memantine, 25 mg/kg, plus MTEP, 5 mg/kg,
both i.p.). These findings offer the first demonstration that N-acetylcysteine
relieves pain associated with diabetic neuropathy and holds promise for the use
of N-acetylcysteine as an add-on drug in diabetic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pamela Scarselli
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Giada Mascio
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
| | | | | | - Santa Mammana
- IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Cruccu
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Bruno
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Nicoletti
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Battaglia
- IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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Gipson CD, Rawls S, Scofield MD, Siemsen BM, Bondy EO, Maher EE. Interactions of neuroimmune signaling and glutamate plasticity in addiction. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:56. [PMID: 33612110 PMCID: PMC7897396 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02072-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic use of drugs of abuse affects neuroimmune signaling; however, there are still many open questions regarding the interactions between neuroimmune mechanisms and substance use disorders (SUDs). Further, chronic use of drugs of abuse can induce glutamatergic changes in the brain, but the relationship between the glutamate system and neuroimmune signaling in addiction is not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to bring into focus the role of neuroimmune signaling and its interactions with the glutamate system following chronic drug use, and how this may guide pharmacotherapeutic treatment strategies for SUDs. In this review, we first describe neuroimmune mechanisms that may be linked to aberrant glutamate signaling in addiction. We focus specifically on the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, a potentially important neuroimmune mechanism that may be a key player in driving drug-seeking behavior. We highlight the importance of astroglial-microglial crosstalk, and how this interacts with known glutamatergic dysregulations in addiction. Then, we describe the importance of studying non-neuronal cells with unprecedented precision because understanding structure-function relationships in these cells is critical in understanding their role in addiction neurobiology. Here we propose a working model of neuroimmune-glutamate interactions that underlie drug use motivation, which we argue may aid strategies for small molecule drug development to treat substance use disorders. Together, the synthesis of this review shows that interactions between glutamate and neuroimmune signaling may play an important and understudied role in addiction processes and may be critical in developing more efficacious pharmacotherapies to treat SUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra D Gipson
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, 741 S. Limestone, BBSRB, Room 363, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA.
| | - Scott Rawls
- Department of Pharmacology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | - Benjamin M Siemsen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | - Emma O Bondy
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, 741 S. Limestone, BBSRB, Room 363, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
| | - Erin E Maher
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, 741 S. Limestone, BBSRB, Room 363, Lexington, KY, 40536-0509, USA
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Sears SM, Hewett SJ. Influence of glutamate and GABA transport on brain excitatory/inhibitory balance. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2021; 246:1069-1083. [PMID: 33554649 DOI: 10.1177/1535370221989263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
An optimally functional brain requires both excitatory and inhibitory inputs that are regulated and balanced. A perturbation in the excitatory/inhibitory balance-as is the case in some neurological disorders/diseases (e.g. traumatic brain injury Alzheimer's disease, stroke, epilepsy and substance abuse) and disorders of development (e.g. schizophrenia, Rhett syndrome and autism spectrum disorder)-leads to dysfunctional signaling, which can result in impaired cognitive and motor function, if not frank neuronal injury. At the cellular level, transmission of glutamate and GABA, the principle excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system control excitatory/inhibitory balance. Herein, we review the synthesis, release, and signaling of GABA and glutamate followed by a focused discussion on the importance of their transport systems to the maintenance of excitatory/inhibitory balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Ms Sears
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience, 2029Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Sandra J Hewett
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience, 2029Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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49
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Morris G, Walker AJ, Walder K, Berk M, Marx W, Carvalho AF, Maes M, Puri BK. Increasing Nrf2 Activity as a Treatment Approach in Neuropsychiatry. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:2158-2182. [PMID: 33411248 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor encoded by NFE2L2. Under oxidative stress, Nrf2 does not undergo its normal cytoplasmic degradation but instead travels to the nucleus, where it binds to a DNA promoter and initiates transcription of anti-oxidative genes. Nrf2 upregulation is associated with increased cellular levels of glutathione disulfide, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferases, thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase. Given its key role in governing the cellular antioxidant response, upregulation of Nrf2 has been suggested as a common therapeutic target in neuropsychiatric illnesses such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which are associated with chronic oxidative and nitrosative stress, characterised by elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. These processes lead to extensive lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and carbonylation, and oxidative damage to nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. Intake of N-acetylcysteine, coenzyme Q10 and melatonin is accompanied by increased Nrf2 activity. N-acetylcysteine intake is associated with improved cerebral mitochondrial function, decreased central oxidative and nitrosative stress, reduced neuroinflammation, alleviation of endoplasmic reticular stress and suppression of the unfolded protein response. Coenzyme Q10, which acts as a superoxide scavenger in neuroglial mitochondria, instigates mitohormesis, ameliorates lipid peroxidation in the inner mitochondrial membrane, activates uncoupling proteins, promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and has positive effects on the plasma membrane redox system. Melatonin, which scavenges mitochondrial free radicals, inhibits mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase, restores mitochondrial calcium homeostasis, deacetylates and activates mitochondrial SIRT3, ameliorates increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier and intestine and counters neuroinflammation and glutamate excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Morris
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - A J Walker
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - K Walder
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - M Berk
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.,CMMR Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.,Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, The Department of Psychiatry and the Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - W Marx
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - A F Carvalho
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M Maes
- Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT), Barwon Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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50
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Abstract
Animal behavior was classically considered to be determined exclusively by neuronal activity, whereas surrounding glial cells such as astrocytes played only supportive roles. However, astrocytes are as numerous as neurons in the mammalian brain, and current findings indicate a chemically based dialog between astrocytes and neurons. Activation of astrocytes by synaptically released neurotransmitters converges on regulating intracellular Ca2+ in astrocytes, which then can regulate the efficacy of near and distant tripartite synapses at diverse timescales through gliotransmitter release. Here, we discuss recent evidence on how diverse behaviors are impacted by this dialog. These recent findings support a paradigm shift in neuroscience, in which animal behavior does not result exclusively from neuronal activity but from the coordinated activity of both astrocytes and neurons. Decoding how astrocytes and neurons interact with each other in various brain circuits will be fundamental to fully understanding how behaviors originate and become dysregulated in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Kofuji
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA;
| | - Alfonso Araque
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA;
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