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Liu S, Nawarawong N, Liu X, Liu QS, Olsen CM. Dissociable dorsal medial prefrontal cortex ensembles are necessary for cocaine seeking and fear conditioning in mice. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:387. [PMID: 39313502 PMCID: PMC11420216 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 08/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) plays a dual role in modulating drug seeking and fear-related behaviors. Learned associations between cues and drug seeking are encoded by a specific ensemble of neurons. This study explored the stability of a dmPFC cocaine seeking ensemble over 2 weeks and its influence on persistent cocaine seeking and fear memory retrieval. In the first series of experiments, we trained TetTag c-fos-driven-EGFP mice in cocaine self-administration and tagged strongly activated neurons with EGFP during the initial day 7 cocaine seeking session. Subsequently, a follow-up seeking test was conducted 2 weeks later to examine ensemble reactivation between two seeking sessions via c-Fos immunostaining. In the second series of experiments, we co-injected viruses expressing TRE-cre and a cre-dependent inhibitory PSAM-GlyR into the dmPFC of male and female c-fos-tTA mice to enable "tagging" of cocaine seeking ensemble or cued fear ensemble neurons with inhibitory chemogenetic receptors. These c-fos-tTA mice have the c-fos promoter that drives expression of the tetracycline transactivator (tTA). The tTA can bind to the tetracycline response element (TRE) site on the viral construct, resulting in the expression of cre-recombinase, which enables the expression of cre-dependent inhibitory chemogenetic receptors and fluorescent reporters. Then we investigated ensemble contribution to subsequent cocaine seeking and fear recall during inhibition of the tagged ensemble by administering uPSEM792s (0.3 mg/kg), a selective ligand for PSAM-GlyR. In both sexes, there was a positive association between the persistence of cocaine seeking and the proportion of reactivated EGFP+ neurons within the dmPFC. More importantly, inhibition of the cocaine seeking ensemble suppressed cocaine seeking, but not recall of fear memory, while inhibition of the fear ensemble reduced conditioned freezing but not cocaine seeking. The results demonstrate that cocaine and fear recall ensembles in the dmPFC are stable, but largely exclusive from one another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Neurosurgery, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Natalie Nawarawong
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xiaojie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Christopher M Olsen
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
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Rakela S, Sortman BW, Gobin C, Hao S, Caceres-Brun D, Warren BL. Self-administration acquisition latency predicts locomotor sensitivity to cocaine in male rats. Behav Brain Res 2024; 473:115170. [PMID: 39084564 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/27/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Individual differences in drug use emerge soon after initial exposure, and only a fraction of individuals who initiate drug use go on to develop a substance use disorder. Variability in vulnerability to establishing drug self-administration behavior is also evident in preclinical rodent models. Latent characteristics that underlie this variability and the relationship between early drug use patterns and later use remain unclear. Here, we attempt to determine whether propensity to establish cocaine self-administration is related to subsequent cocaine self-administration behavior in male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 14). Prior to initiating training, we evaluated basal locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in a novel open field test. We then trained rats to self-administer cocaine in daily 3 h cocaine (0.75 mg/kg/infusion) self-administration sessions until acquisition criteria (≥30 active lever presses with ≥70 % responding on the active lever in one session) was met and divided rats into Early and Late groups by median-split analysis based on their latency to meet acquisition criteria. After each rat met acquisition criteria, we gave them 10 additional daily cocaine self-administration sessions. We then conducted a progressive ratio, cocaine-induced locomotor sensitivity test, and non-reinforced cocaine seeking test after two weeks of forced abstinence. Early Learners exhibited significantly less locomotion after an acute injection of cocaine, but the groups did not differ in any other behavioral parameter examined. These results indicate that cocaine self-administration acquisition latency is not predictive of subsequent drug-taking behavior, but may be linked to physiological factors like drug sensitivity that can predispose rats to learn the operant task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Rakela
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Bo W Sortman
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Christina Gobin
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Sophie Hao
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Delfina Caceres-Brun
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States.
| | - Brandon L Warren
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, 1345 Center Dr., Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
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Wang CL, Cao DN, Wu N, Zhu YJ, Li J. The secondary visual cortex mediated the enhancement of associative learning on methamphetamine self-administration behaviors. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:1841-1855. [PMID: 38702472 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06597-7] [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: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Methamphetamine addiction is a persistent and intractable pathological learning and memory, whereas no approved therapeutics is available. However, few attentions have been paid to how associative learning participates in the formation of intractable memory related to drug addiction OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: To investigate the role of associative learning in methamphetamine addiction and the underlying neurobiological mechanism, methamphetamine self-administration, oral sucrose self-administration, chemogenetic neuromanipulation, and fiber photometry in mice were performed in this study. RESULTS We reported that associative learning increased methamphetamine-induced self-administration, but not oral sucrose self-administration. In addition, the enhancement of methamphetamine-induced self-administration was independent of more methamphetamine consumption, and remained with higher drug-taking and motivation in the absence of visual cues, suggesting the direct effects of the associative learning that enhanced methamphetamine-induced self-administration. Moreover, chemogenetic inactivation of the secondary visual cortex (V2) reduced the enhancement of the drug-taking induced by associative learning but did not alter sucrose-taking. Further fiber photometry of V2 neurons demonstrated that methamphetamine-associative learning elicits V2 neuron excitation, and sucrose-associative learning elicits V2 neuron inhibition. CONCLUSIONS Therefore, this study reveals the neurobiological mechanism of V2 excitability underlying how associative learning participates in the formation of intractable memory related to drug addiction, and gives evidence to support V2 as a promising target for stimulation therapy for methamphetamine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Ling Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Dan-Ni Cao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China.
| | - Ning Wu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China
| | - Ying-Jie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jin Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27th Taiping Road, Beijing, 100850, China.
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Callan L, Caroland-Williams A, Lee G, Belflower J, Belflower J, Modi U, Kase C, Patel A, Collins N, Datta A, Qasi S, Gheidi A. After a period of forced abstinence, rats treated with the norepinephrine neurotoxin DSP-4 still exhibit preserved food-seeking behavior and prefrontal cortex fos-expressing neurons. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32146. [PMID: 39027623 PMCID: PMC11255514 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Aims Relapse is a common characteristic of compulsive behaviors like addiction, where individuals tend to return to drug use or overeating after a period of abstinence. PFC (prefrontal cortex) neuronal ensembles are required for drug and food-seeking behaviors and are partially regulated by Norepinephrine (NE). However, the contributions of neuromodulators, such as the adrenergic system, in food-seeking behavior are not fully understood. Main methods To investigate this, we trained male and female rats to press a lever in an operant chamber to obtain banana-flavored food pellets for ten days. We then administered DSP-4 (N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine hydrochloride), a neurotoxin that diminishes norepinephrine levels in the brain. The rats were kept in their home cages for ten more days before being returned to the operant chambers to measure food-seeking behavior. Key findings Despite receiving DSP-4, the PFC neuronal ensembles measured by Fos and food-seeking behavior did not differ between groups, but rather sex. Significance Although both NE and Fos expressing neurons are implicated in food-seeking, they do not seem to be involved in a cue-contextual induced re-exposure response.
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Affiliation(s)
- L.N. Callan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - A.J. Caroland-Williams
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - G. Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - J.M. Belflower
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - J.T. Belflower
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - U.A. Modi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - C.V. Kase
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - A.D. Patel
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - N.A. Collins
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - A. Datta
- Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Harrogate, TN, USA
| | - S. Qasi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
| | - A. Gheidi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA, 31207, USA
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Gimenez-Gomez P, Le T, Zinter M, M'Angale P, Duran-Laforet V, Freels TG, Pavchinskiy R, Molas S, Schafer DP, Tapper AR, Thomson T, Martin GE. An orbitocortical-thalamic circuit suppresses binge alcohol-drinking. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.03.601895. [PMID: 39005328 PMCID: PMC11245026 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.03.601895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol consumption remains a significant global health challenge, causing millions of direct and indirect deaths annually. Intriguingly, recent work has highlighted the prefrontal cortex, a major brain area that regulates inhibitory control of behaviors, whose activity becomes dysregulated upon alcohol abuse. However, whether an endogenous mechanism exists within this brain area that limits alcohol consumption is unknown. Here we identify a discrete GABAergic neuronal ensemble in the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) that is selectively recruited during binge alcohol-drinking and intoxication. Upon alcohol intoxication, this neuronal ensemble suppresses binge drinking behavior. Optogenetically silencing of this population, or its ablation, results in uncontrolled binge alcohol consumption. We find that this neuronal ensemble is specific to alcohol and is not recruited by other rewarding substances. We further show, using brain-wide analysis, that this neuronal ensemble projects widely, and that its projections specifically to the mediodorsal thalamus are responsible for regulating binge alcohol drinking. Together, these results identify a brain circuit in the mOFC that serves to protect against binge drinking by halting alcohol intake. These results provide valuable insights into the complex nature of alcohol abuse and offers potential avenues for the development of mOFC neuronal ensemble-targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gimenez-Gomez
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - T Le
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - M Zinter
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - P M'Angale
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - V Duran-Laforet
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - T G Freels
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - R Pavchinskiy
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - S Molas
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - D P Schafer
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - A R Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - T Thomson
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - G E Martin
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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6
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Clarke RE, Grant RI, Woods SN, Pagoota BE, Buchmaier S, Bordieanu B, Tsyrulnikov A, Westphal AM, Paniccia JE, Doncheck EM, Carroll-Deaton J, Vollmer KM, Ward AL, Winston KT, King DI, Baek J, Martino MR, Green LM, McGinty JF, Scofield MD, Otis JM. Corticostriatal ensemble dynamics across heroin self-administration to reinstatement. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.21.599790. [PMID: 38979314 PMCID: PMC11230161 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.21.599790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Corticostriatal projection neurons from prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex to the nucleus accumbens core critically regulate drug-seeking behaviors, yet the underlying encoding dynamics whereby these neurons contribute to drug seeking remain elusive. Here we use two-photon calcium imaging to visualize the activity of corticostriatal neurons in mice from the onset of heroin use to relapse. We find that the activity of these neurons is highly heterogeneous during heroin self-administration and seeking, with at least 8 distinct neuronal ensembles that display both excitatory and inhibitory encoding dynamics. These neuronal ensembles are particularly apparent during relapse, where excitatory responses are amplified compared to heroin self-administration. Moreover, we find that optogenetic inhibition of corticostriatal projection neurons attenuates heroin seeking regardless of the relapse trigger. Our results reveal the precise corticostriatal activity dynamics underlying drug-seeking behaviors and support a key role for this circuit in mediating relapse to drug seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E Clarke
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Roger I Grant
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Shannon N Woods
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Bayleigh E Pagoota
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Sophie Buchmaier
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Bogdan Bordieanu
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Anna Tsyrulnikov
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Annaka M Westphal
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jacqueline E Paniccia
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Doncheck
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jayda Carroll-Deaton
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Kelsey M Vollmer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Amy L Ward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Kion T Winston
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Danielle I King
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jade Baek
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Mike R Martino
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Lisa M Green
- 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 Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Co-last authors
| | - James M Otis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
- Co-last authors
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7
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Cristina Bianchi P, Palombo P, Antonagi Engi S, Eduardo Carneiro de Oliveira P, Emily Boaventura Tavares G, Anjos-Santos A, Suemi Yokoyama T, da Silva Planeta C, Cardoso Cruz F, Molini Leão R. Involvement of Pre-limbic Cortex-Nucleus accumbens projections in Context-Induced alcohol seeking. Brain Res 2024; 1841:149086. [PMID: 38876319 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a critical public health issue worldwide, characterized by high relapse rates often triggered by contextual cues. This research investigates the neural mechanisms behind context-induced reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behavior, focusing on the nucleus accumbens and its interactions with the prelimbic cortex, employing Male Long-Evans rats in an ABA renewal model. In our experimental setup, rats were trained to self-administer 10 % ethanol in Context A, followed by extinction of lever pressing in the presence of discrete cues in Context B. The context-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking was then assessed by re-exposing rats to Context A or B under extinction conditions, aiming to simulate the environmental cues' influence on relapse behaviors. Three experiments were conducted: Experiment 1 utilized Fos-immunohistochemistry to examine neuronal activation in the nucleus accumbens; Experiment 2 applied the baclofen + muscimol inactivation technique to probe the functional importance of the nucleus accumbens core; Experiment 3 used Fos-immunofluorescence along with Retrobeads injection to investigate activation of neurons projecting from the prelimbic cortex to the nucleus accumbens core. Our findings revealed significant increases in Fos-immunoreactive nuclei within the nucleus accumbens core and shell during the reinstatement phase in Context A, underscoring the environment's potent effect on ethanol-seeking behavior. Additionally, inactivation of the nucleus accumbens core markedly reduced reinstatement, and there was a notable activation of neurons from the prelimbic cortex to the nucleus accumbens core in the ethanol-associated context. These results highlight the critical role of the nucleus accumbens core and its corticostriatal projections in the neural circuitry underlying context-driven ethanol seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Cristina Bianchi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Paola Palombo
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Sheila Antonagi Engi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Alexia Anjos-Santos
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Thais Suemi Yokoyama
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra da Silva Planeta
- Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University, UNESP, Araraquara, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio Cardoso Cruz
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Paulista Medicine School, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Molini Leão
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Graduate Program in Genetics and Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Federal University of Uberlândia/MG, Brazil.
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8
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Sortman BW, Rakela S, Paprotna S, Cerci B, Warren BL. Nucleus accumbens neuronal ensembles vary with cocaine reinforcement in male and female rats. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13397. [PMID: 38711205 PMCID: PMC11074382 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal ensembles in the medial prefrontal cortex mediate cocaine self-administration via projections to the nucleus accumbens. We have recently shown that neuronal ensembles in the prelimbic cortex form rapidly to mediate cocaine self-administration. However, the role of neuronal ensembles within the nucleus accumbens in initial cocaine-seeking behaviour remains unknown. Here, we sought to expand the current literature by testing the necessity of the cocaine self-administration ensemble in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcCore) 1 day after male and female rats acquire cocaine self-administration by using the Daun02 inactivation procedure. We found that disrupting the NAcCore ensembles after a no-cocaine reward-seeking test increased subsequent cocaine seeking, while disrupting NAcCore ensembles following a cocaine self-administration session decreased subsequent cocaine seeking. We then characterized neuronal cell type in the NAcCore using RNAscope in situ hybridization. In the no-cocaine session, we saw reduced dopamine D1 type neuronal activation, while in the cocaine self-administration session, we found preferential dopamine D1 type neuronal activity in the NAcCore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo W. Sortman
- Department of PharmacodynamicsUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Samantha Rakela
- Department of PharmacodynamicsUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Sarah Paprotna
- Department of PharmacodynamicsUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Berk Cerci
- Department of PharmacodynamicsUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Brandon L. Warren
- Department of PharmacodynamicsUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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9
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Liu S, Nawarawong N, Liu X, Liu QS, Olsen CM. Dissociable dorsal medial prefrontal cortex ensembles are necessary for cocaine seeking and fear conditioning in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.17.585444. [PMID: 38562850 PMCID: PMC10983871 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.17.585444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The dmPFC plays a dual role in modulating drug seeking and fear-related behaviors. Learned associations between cues and drug seeking are encoded by a specific ensemble of neurons. This study explored the stability of a dmPFC cocaine seeking ensemble over two weeks and its influence on persistent cocaine seeking and fear memory retrieval. In the first series of experiments, we trained TetTag mice in cocaine self-administration and tagged strongly activated neurons with EGFP during the initial day 7 cocaine seeking session. Subsequently, a follow-up seeking test was conducted two weeks later to examine ensemble reactivation between two seeking sessions via c-Fos immunostaining. In the second series of experiments, we co-injected viruses expressing TRE-cre and a cre-dependent inhibitory PSAM-GlyR into the dmPFC of male and female c-fos -tTA mice to enable "tagging" of cocaine seeking ensemble or cued fear ensemble neurons with an inhibitory chemogenetic receptors. Then we investigated their contribution to subsequent cocaine seeking and fear recall during inhibition of the tagged ensemble by administering uPSEM792s (0.3 mg/kg), a selective ligand for PSAM-GlyR. In both sexes, there was a positive association between the persistence of cocaine seeking and the proportion of reactivated EGFP+ neurons within the dmPFC. More importantly, inhibition of the cocaine seeking ensemble suppressed cocaine seeking, but not recall of fear memory, while inhibition of the fear ensemble reduced conditioned freezing but not cocaine seeking. The results demonstrate that cocaine and fear recall ensembles in the dmPFC are stable, but largely exclusive from one another.
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10
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Litif CG, Flom LT, Sandum KL, Hodgins SL, Vaccaro L, Stitzel JA, Blouin NA, Mannino MC, Gigley JP, Schoborg TA, Bobadilla AC. Differential genetic expression within reward-specific ensembles in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.02.565378. [PMID: 37961222 PMCID: PMC10635086 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive reward seeking is a hallmark of cocaine use disorder. To develop therapeutic targets, it is critical to understand the neurobiological changes specific to cocaine-seeking without altering the seeking of natural rewards, e.g., sucrose. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) are known regions associated with cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles, i.e., a sparse population of co-activated neurons. Within ensembles, transcriptomic alterations in the PFC and NAcore underlie the learning and persistence of cocaine- and sucrose-seeking behavior. However, transcriptomes exclusively driving cocaine seeking independent from sucrose seeking have not yet been defined using a within-subject approach. Using Ai14:cFos-TRAP2 transgenic mice in a dual cocaine and sucrose self-administration model, we fluorescently sorted (FACS) and characterized (RNAseq) the transcriptomes defining cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles. We found reward- and region-specific transcriptomic changes that will help develop clinically relevant genetic approaches to decrease cocaine-seeking behavior without altering non-drug reward-based positive reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl G. Litif
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Levi T. Flom
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | | | - Lucio Vaccaro
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Jerry A. Stitzel
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nicolas A. Blouin
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | - Jason P. Gigley
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Todd A. Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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11
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Wingert JC, Ramos JD, Reynolds SX, Gonzalez AE, Rose RM, Hegarty DM, Aicher SA, Bailey LG, Brown TE, Abbas AI, Sorg BA. Perineuronal nets in the rat medial prefrontal cortex alter hippocampal-prefrontal oscillations and reshape cocaine self-administration memories. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.05.577568. [PMID: 38370716 PMCID: PMC10871211 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.05.577568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a major contributor to relapse to cocaine in humans and to reinstatement behavior in rodent models of cocaine use disorder. Output from the mPFC is modulated by parvalbumin (PV)-containing fast-spiking interneurons, the majority of which are surrounded by perineuronal nets (PNNs). Here we tested whether chondroitinase ABC (ABC)- mediated removal of PNNs prevented the acquisition or reconsolidation of a cocaine self-administration memory. ABC injections into the dorsal mPFC prior to training attenuated the acquisition of cocaine self-administration. Also, ABC given 3 days prior to but not 1 hr after memory reactivation blocked cue-induced reinstatement. However, reduced reinstatement was present only in rats given a novel reactivation contingency, suggesting that PNNs are required for the updating of a familiar memory. In naive rats, ABC injections into mPFC did not alter excitatory or inhibitory puncta on PV cells but reduced PV intensity. Whole-cell recordings revealed a greater inter-spike interval 1 hr after ABC, but not 3 days later. In vivo recordings from the mPFC and dorsal hippocampus (dHIP) during novel memory reactivation revealed that ABC in the mPFC prevented reward-associated increases in beta and gamma activity as well as phase-amplitude coupling between the dHIP and mPFC. Together, our findings show that PNN removal attenuates the acquisition of cocaine self-administration memories and disrupts reconsolidation of the original memory when combined with a novel reactivation session. Further, reduced dHIP/mPFC coupling after PNN removal may serve as a key biomarker for how to disrupt reconsolidation of cocaine memories and reduce relapse.
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12
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Pang B, Wu X, Chen H, Yan Y, Du Z, Yu Z, Yang X, Wang W, Lu K. Exploring the memory: existing activity-dependent tools to tag and manipulate engram cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1279032. [PMID: 38259503 PMCID: PMC10800721 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1279032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The theory of engrams, proposed several years ago, is highly crucial to understanding the progress of memory. Although it significantly contributes to identifying new treatments for cognitive disorders, it is limited by a lack of technology. Several scientists have attempted to validate this theory but failed. With the increasing availability of activity-dependent tools, several researchers have found traces of engram cells. Activity-dependent tools are based on the mechanisms underlying neuronal activity and use a combination of emerging molecular biological and genetic technology. Scientists have used these tools to tag and manipulate engram neurons and identified numerous internal connections between engram neurons and memory. In this review, we provide the background, principles, and selected examples of applications of existing activity-dependent tools. Using a combination of traditional definitions and concepts of engram cells, we discuss the applications and limitations of these tools and propose certain developmental directions to further explore the functions of engram cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wu
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hailun Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiwen Yan
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zibo Du
- The First Clinical Medical College, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zihan Yu
- School of Basic Medicine Science, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiai Yang
- Department of Neurology, Ankang Central Hospital, Ankang, China
| | - Wanshan Wang
- Laboratory Animal Management Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangzhou Southern Medical Laboratory Animal Sci. and Tech. Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Kangrong Lu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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13
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Liu X, Wang F, Le Q, Ma L. Cellular and molecular basis of drug addiction: The role of neuronal ensembles in addiction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102813. [PMID: 37972536 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102813] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Addiction has been conceptualized as a disease of learning and memory. Learned associations between environmental cues and unconditioned rewards induced by drug administration, which play a critical role in addiction, have been shown to be encoded in sparsely distributed populations of neurons called neuronal ensembles. This review aims to highlight how synaptic remodeling and alterations in signaling pathways that occur specifically in neuronal ensembles contribute to the pathogenesis of addiction. Furthermore, a causal link between transcriptional and epigenetic modifications in neuronal ensembles and the development of the addictive state is proposed. Translational studies of molecular and cellular changes in neuronal ensembles that contribute to drug-seeking behavior, will allow the identification of molecular and circuit targets and interventions for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiumin Le
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
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14
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Barber KR, Vizcarra VS, Zilch A, Majuta L, Diezel CC, Culver OP, Hughes BW, Taniguchi M, Streicher JM, Vanderah TW, Riegel AC. The Role of Ryanodine Receptor 2 in Drug-Associated Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.03.560743. [PMID: 37873212 PMCID: PMC10592901 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.560743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Type-2 ryanodine receptor (RyR2) ion channels facilitate the release of Ca 2+ from stores and serve an important function in neuroplasticity. The role for RyR2 in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory is well established and chronic hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 (RyR2P) is associated with pathological calcium leakage and cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. By comparison, little is known about the role of RyR2 in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) circuitry important for working memory, decision making, and reward seeking. Here, we evaluated the basal expression and localization of RyR2 and RyR2P in the vmPFC. Next, we employed an operant model of sucrose, cocaine, or morphine self-administration (SA) followed by a (reward-free) recall test, to reengage vmPFC neurons and reactivate reward-seeking and re-evaluated the expression and localization of RyR2 and RyR2P in vmPFC. Under basal conditions, RyR2 was expressed in pyramidal cells but not regularly detected in PV/SST interneurons. On the contrary, RyR2P was rarely observed in PFC somata and was restricted to a different subcompartment of the same neuron - the apical dendrites of layer-5 pyramidal cells. Chronic SA of drug (cocaine or morphine) and nondrug (sucrose) rewards produced comparable increases in RyR2 protein expression. However, recalling either drug reward impaired the usual localization of RyR2P in dendrites and markedly increased its expression in somata immunoreactive for Fos, a marker of highly activated neurons. These effects could not be explained by chronic stress or drug withdrawal and instead appeared to require a recall experience associated with prior drug SA. In addition to showing the differential distribution of RyR2/RyR2P and affirming the general role of vmPFC in reward learning, this study provides information on the propensity of addictive drugs to redistribute RyR2P ion channels in a neuronal population engaged in drug-seeking. Hence, focusing on the early impact of addictive drugs on RyR2 function may serve as a promising approach to finding a treatment for substance use disorders.
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15
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Matchynski JI, Cilley TS, Sadik N, Makki KM, Wu M, Manwar R, Woznicki AR, Kallakuri S, Arfken CL, Hope BT, Avanaki K, Conti AC, Perrine SA. Quantification of prefrontal cortical neuronal ensembles following conditioned fear learning in a Fos-LacZ transgenic rat with photoacoustic imaging in Vivo. PHOTOACOUSTICS 2023; 33:100551. [PMID: 38021296 PMCID: PMC10658601 DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2023.100551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiology of complex behaviors requires measurement of activity in the discrete population of active neurons, neuronal ensembles, which control the behavior. Conventional neuroimaging techniques ineffectively measure neuronal ensemble activity in the brain in vivo because they assess the average regional neuronal activity instead of the specific activity of the neuronal ensemble that mediates the behavior. Our functional molecular photoacoustic tomography (FM-PAT) system allows direct imaging of Fos-dependent neuronal ensemble activation in Fos-LacZ transgenic rats in vivo. We tested four experimental conditions and found increased FM-PAT signal in prefrontal cortical areas in rats undergoing conditioned fear or novel context exposure. A parallel immunofluorescence ex vivo study of Fos expression found similar findings. These findings demonstrate the ability of FM-PAT to measure Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles directly in vivo and support a mechanistic role for the prefrontal cortex in higher-order processing of response to specific stimuli or environmental cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- James I. Matchynski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
- Wayne State MD/PhD Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Timothy S. Cilley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nareen Sadik
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kassem M. Makki
- John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Min Wu
- John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Rayyan Manwar
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Bioengineering, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Srinivasu Kallakuri
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Cynthia L. Arfken
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Bruce T. Hope
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kamran Avanaki
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Bioengineering, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alana C. Conti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Shane A. Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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16
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Ross RA, Kim A, Das P, Li Y, Choi YK, Thompson AT, Douglas E, Subramanian S, Ramos K, Callahan K, Bolshakov VY, Ressler KJ. Prefrontal cortex melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4R) mediate food intake behavior in male mice. Physiol Behav 2023; 269:114280. [PMID: 37369302 PMCID: PMC10528493 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114280] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) activity in the hypothalamus is crucial for regulation of metabolism and food intake. The peptide ligands for the MC4R are associated with feeding, energy expenditure, and also with complex behaviors that orchestrate energy intake and expenditure, but the downstream neuroanatomical and neurochemical targets associated with these behaviors are elusive. In addition to strong expression in the hypothalamus, the MC4R is highly expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex, a region involved in executive function and decision-making. METHODS Using viral techniques in genetically modified male mice combined with molecular techniques, we identify and define the effects on feeding behavior of a novel population of MC4R expressing neurons in the infralimbic (IL) region of the cortex. RESULTS Here, we describe a novel population of MC4R-expressing neurons in the IL of the mouse prefrontal cortex that are glutamatergic, receive input from melanocortinergic neurons, and project to multiple regions that coordinate appetitive responses to food-related stimuli. The neurons are stimulated by application of MC4R-specific peptidergic agonist, THIQ. Deletion of MC4R from the IL neurons causes increased food intake and body weight gain and impaired executive function in simple food-related behavior tasks. CONCLUSION Together, these data suggest that MC4R neurons of the IL play a critical role in the regulation of food intake in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Ross
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Angela Kim
- Department of Endocrinology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Priyanka Das
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Kat Ramos
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn Callahan
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vadim Y Bolshakov
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Moorman DE, Aston-Jones G. Prelimbic and infralimbic medial prefrontal cortex neuron activity signals cocaine seeking variables across multiple timescales. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:575-594. [PMID: 36464693 PMCID: PMC10406502 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06287-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES The prefrontal cortex is critical for execution and inhibition of reward seeking. Neural manipulation of rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) subregions differentially impacts execution and inhibition of cocaine seeking. Dorsal, or prelimbic (PL), and ventral, or infralimbic (IL) mPFC are implicated in cocaine seeking or extinction of cocaine seeking, respectively. This differentiation is not seen across all studies, indicating that further research is needed to understand specific mPFC contributions to drug seeking. METHODS We recorded neuronal activity in mPFC subregions during cocaine self-administration, extinction, and cue- and cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. RESULTS Both PL and IL neurons were phasically responsive around lever presses during cocaine self-administration, and activity in both areas was reduced during extinction. During both cue- and, to a greater extent, cocaine-induced reinstatement, PL neurons exhibited significantly elevated responses, in line with previous studies demonstrating a role for the region in relapse. The enhanced PL signaling in cocaine-induced reinstatement was driven by strong excitation and inhibition in different groups of neurons. Both of these response types were stronger in PL vs. IL neurons. Finally, we observed tonic changes in activity in all tasks phases, reflecting both session-long contextual modulation as well as minute-to-minute activity changes that were highly correlated with brain cocaine levels and motivation associated with cocaine seeking. CONCLUSIONS Although some differences were observed between PL and IL neuron activity across sessions, we found no evidence of a go/stop dichotomy in PL/IL function. Instead, our results demonstrate temporally heterogeneous prefrontal signaling during cocaine seeking and extinction in both PL and IL, revealing novel and complex functions for both regions during these behaviors. This combination of findings argues that mPFC neurons, in both PL and IL, provide multifaceted contributions to the regulation of drug seeking and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences & Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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Psychostimulant Drugs Activate Cell-type Specific and Topographic cFos Expression in the Lumbar Spinal Cord. Neuroscience 2023; 510:9-20. [PMID: 36502959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Psychostimulant drugs, such as cocaine, d-amphetamine and methylphenidate, alter a wide range of behaviors including locomotor activity and somatosensory perception. These altered behaviors are accompanied by the activation of specific neuronal populations within reward-, emotion- and locomotion-related circuits. However, whether such regulation occurs at the level of the spinal cord, a key node for neural circuits integrating and coordinating sensory and motor functions has never been addressed. By evaluating the temporal and spatial expression pattern of the phosphorylated form of the immediate early gene cFos at Ser32 (pS32-cFos), used as a proxy of neuronal activation, we demonstrate that, in adult male mice, d-amphetamine increases pS32-cFos expression in both inhibitory and excitatory neurons in dorsal and ventral horns at the lumbar spinal cord level. Interestingly, a fraction of neurons activated by a first exposure to d-amphetamine can be re-activated following d-amphetamine re-exposure. Similar expression patterns were observed in response to cocaine and methylphenidate, but not following morphine and dozilcipine administration. Finally, the blockade of dopamine reuptake was sufficient to recapitulate the increase in pS32-cFos expression induced by psychostimulant drugs. Our work provides evidence that cFos expression can be activated in lumbar spinal cord in response to acute psychostimulants administration.
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Ramsey LA, Koya E, van den Oever MC. Editorial: Neuronal ensembles and memory engrams: Cellular and molecular mechanisms. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1157414. [PMID: 36926583 PMCID: PMC10011704 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1157414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A Ramsey
- Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eisuke Koya
- School of Psychology, Sussex Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Michel C van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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20
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Brown TE, Sorg BA. Net gain and loss: influence of natural rewards and drugs of abuse on perineuronal nets. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:3-20. [PMID: 35568740 PMCID: PMC9700711 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Overindulgence, excessive consumption, and a pattern of compulsive use of natural rewards, such as certain foods or drugs of abuse, may result in the development of obesity or substance use disorder, respectively. Natural rewards and drugs of abuse can trigger similar changes in the neurobiological substrates that drive food- and drug-seeking behaviors. This review examines the impact natural rewards and drugs of abuse have on perineuronal nets (PNNs). PNNs are specialized extracellular matrix structures that ensheathe certain neurons during development over the critical period to provide synaptic stabilization and a protective microenvironment for the cells they surround. This review also analyzes how natural rewards and drugs of abuse impact the density and maturation of PNNs within reward-associated circuitry of the brain, which may contribute to maladaptive food- and drug-seeking behaviors. Finally, we evaluate the relatively few studies that have degraded PNNs to perturb reward-seeking behaviors. Taken together, this review sheds light on the complex way PNNs are regulated by natural rewards and drugs and highlights a need for future studies to delineate the molecular mechanisms that underlie the modification and maintenance of PNNs following exposure to rewarding stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis E Brown
- Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA.
| | - Barbara A Sorg
- R.S. Dow Neurobiology, Legacy Research Institute, Portland, OR, 97232, USA
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21
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Körber C, Sommer WH. From ensembles to meta-ensembles: Specific reward encoding by correlated network activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:977474. [PMID: 36177094 PMCID: PMC9513968 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.977474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal ensembles are local, sparsely distributed populations of neurons that are reliably re-activated by a specific stimulus, context or task. Such discrete cell populations can be defined either functionally, by electrophysiological recordings or in vivo calcium imaging, or anatomically, using the expression of markers such as the immediate early gene cFos. A typical example of tasks that involve the formation of neuronal ensembles is reward learning, such as the cue-reward pairing during operant conditioning. These ensembles are re-activated during cue-presentation and increasing evidence suggests that this re-activation is the neurophysiological basis for the execution of reward-seeking behavior. Whilst the pursuit of rewards is a common daily activity, it is also related to the consumption of drugs, such as alcohol, and may result in problematic behaviors including addiction. Recent research has identified neuronal ensembles in several reward-related brain regions that control distinct aspects of a conditioned response, e.g., contextual information about the availability of a specific reward or the actions needed to retrieve this reward under the given circumstances. Here, we review studies using the activity marker cFos to identify and characterize neuronal ensembles related to alcohol and non-drug rewards with a special emphasis on the discrimination between different rewards by meta-ensembles, i.e., by dynamic co-activation of multiple ensembles across different brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Körber
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Medical Faculty Mannheim, Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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22
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Sortman BW, Gobin C, Rakela S, Cerci B, Warren BL. Prelimbic Ensembles Mediate Cocaine Seeking After Behavioral Acquisition and Once Rats Are Well-Trained. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:920667. [PMID: 36225390 PMCID: PMC9549214 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.920667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic relapsing condition characterized by continued use of drugs despite negative consequences. SUD is thought to involve disordered learning and memory wherein drug-paired cues gain increased salience, and ultimately drive craving and relapse. These types of associations are thought to be encoded within sparsely distributed sets of neurons, called neuronal ensembles, that drive encoded behaviors through synchronous activity of the participant neurons. We have previously found that Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles within the prefrontal cortex are required for well-trained cocaine seeking. However, less is known about how quickly cortical neuronal ensembles form during the initiation of cocaine seeking behavior. Here, we seek to further elucidate the role of Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles within the prelimbic cortex (PL) after the initial acquisition of cocaine self-administration (SA), or, after 10 days of additional SA training (well-trained). We trained Fos-LacZ transgenic rats to lever press for cocaine under an FR1 schedule of reinforcement. Once rats met acquisition criteria for cocaine self-administration, we ablated Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in the PL using the Daun02 inactivation method, either 1 or 10 days after the rats met the acquisition criteria. Targeted ablation of Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in the PL attenuated active lever pressing both 1 day and 10 days after rats acquired cocaine self-administration. Together, this suggests that Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles rapidly form in the PL and continue to mediate maintained cocaine seeking behavior.
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Jin M, Nguyen JD, Weber SJ, Mejias-Aponte CA, Madangopal R, Golden SA. SMART: An Open-Source Extension of WholeBrain for Intact Mouse Brain Registration and Segmentation. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0482-21.2022. [PMID: 35396258 PMCID: PMC9070730 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0482-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping immediate early gene (IEG) expression across intact mouse brains allows for unbiased identification of brain-wide activity patterns underlying complex behaviors. Accurate registration of sample brains to a common anatomic reference is critical for precise assignment of IEG-positive ("active") neurons to known brain regions of interest (ROIs). While existing automated voxel-based registration methods provide a high-throughput solution, they require substantial computing power, can be difficult to implement and fail when brains are damaged or only partially imaged. Additionally, it is challenging to cross-validate these approaches or compare them to any preexisting literature based on serial coronal sectioning. Here, we present the open-source R package SMART (Semi-Manual Alignment to Reference Templates) that extends the WholeBrain R package framework to automated segmentation and semi-automated registration of intact mouse brain light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) datasets. The SMART package was created for novice programmers and introduces a streamlined pipeline for aligning, registering, and segmenting LSFM volumetric datasets across the anterior-posterior (AP) axis, using a simple "choice game" and interactive menus. SMART provides the flexibility to register whole brains, partial brains or discrete user-chosen images, and is fully compatible with traditional sectioned coronal slice-based analyses. We demonstrate SMART's core functions using example datasets and provide step-by-step video tutorials for installation and implementation of the package. We also present a modified iDISCO+ tissue clearing procedure for uniform immunohistochemical labeling of the activity marker Fos across intact mouse brains. The SMART pipeline, in conjunction with the modified iDISCO+ Fos procedure, is ideally suited for examination and orthogonal cross-validation of brain-wide neuronal activation datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Jin
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore 21224, MD
| | - Joseph D Nguyen
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore 21224, MD
| | - Sophia J Weber
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore 21224, MD
| | - Carlos A Mejias-Aponte
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore 21224, MD
| | - Rajtarun Madangopal
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore 21224, MD
| | - Sam A Golden
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, WA
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24
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Gobin C, Sortman B, Rakela S, Quintana-Feliciano R, Warren BL. Fos-expressing neuronal ensembles in rat infralimbic cortex encode initial and maintained oxycodone seeking in rats. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13148. [PMID: 35229934 PMCID: PMC10167745 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13148] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neuronal ensembles within the infralimbic cortex (IL) and their projections to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediate opiate seeking in well-trained rats. However, it is unclear how early this circuitry is recruited during oxycodone self-administration. Here, we used retrograde labelling (CTb) and immunohistochemistry to identify NAc-projecting neurons in the IL that were activated during initial oxycodone seeking. Next, we sought to determine the role of IL neuronal ensembles in initial oxycodone self-administration. We used the Daun02 procedure in male and female Fos-LacZ rats to chemogenetically inactivate IL Fos-expressing neurons at different time points in oxycodone self-administration training: immediately after meeting criteria for acquisition of behaviour and following nine daily sessions with increasing schedules of reinforcement (FR1, FR2 and FR3) in which rats demonstrated stable oxycodone intake under increasing effort to self-administer. We found that Daun02 infusions attenuated oxycodone seeking at both the initial learning and well-trained time points. These results suggest that IL neuronal ensembles are formed during initial learning of oxycodone self-administration and required for the maintenance and expression of oxycodone seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Gobin
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Bo Sortman
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Samantha Rakela
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Brandon L Warren
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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25
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Jessen K, Slaker Bennett ML, Liu S, Olsen CM. Comparison of prefrontal cortex sucrose seeking ensembles engaged in multiple seeking sessions: Context is key. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:1008-1029. [PMID: 35137974 PMCID: PMC8940716 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Encoding of memories, including those associated with prior drug or reward, is thought to take place within distinct populations of neurons, termed ensembles. Neuronal ensembles for drug- and reward-seeking have been identified in regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, but much of our understanding of these ensembles is based on experiments that take place in a single reward-associated environment and measure ensemble encoding over short durations of time. In contrast, reward seeking behavior is evident across different reward-associated environments and persists over time. Using TetTag mice and Fos immunohistochemistry, we examined the relationship between persistent sucrose-seeking and ensemble encoding in mice that undergo seeking sessions in the same or different sucrose self-administration contexts 2 weeks apart. We found that prelimbic (PrL) and anterior cingulate cortex ensembles tagged in the first seeking session were highly sensitive to the context in which a second seeking session took place: reactivation of these ensembles was reduced in the same context but elevated in a distinct sucrose self-administration context. Correlational analyses revealed that ensemble reactivation in the PrL was proportional to the persistence of sucrose seeking behavior across sessions in differing ways in female mice. In the same context, reactivation was proportional to the persistence of non-reinforced operant responses, whereas in a distinct context, reactivation was proportional to the persistence of non-reinforced head entries into the sucrose receptacle. This study underlines the importance of the medial prefrontal cortex importance in maintaining a reward-seeking ensemble over time and identifies context-dependent changes in behavioral correlates of ensemble reactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Jessen
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Megan L Slaker Bennett
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shuai Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christopher M Olsen
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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26
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Nett KE, LaLumiere RT. Infralimbic cortex functioning across motivated behaviors: Can the differences be reconciled? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:704-721. [PMID: 34624366 PMCID: PMC8642304 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The rodent infralimbic cortex (IL) is implicated in higher order executive functions such as reward seeking and flexible decision making. However, the precise nature of its role in these processes is unclear. Early evidence indicated that the IL promotes the extinction and ongoing inhibition of fear conditioning and cocaine seeking. However, evidence spanning other behavioral domains, such as natural reward seeking and habit-based learning, suggests a more nuanced understanding of IL function. As techniques have advanced and more studies have examined IL function, identifying a unifying explanation for its behavioral function has become increasingly difficult. Here, we discuss evidence of IL function across motivated behaviors, including associative learning, drug seeking, natural reward seeking, and goal-directed versus habit-based behaviors, and emphasize how context-specific encoding and heterogeneous IL neuronal populations may underlie seemingly conflicting findings in the literature. Together, the evidence suggests that a major IL function is to facilitate the encoding and updating of contingencies between cues and behaviors to guide subsequent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelle E Nett
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States; Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States
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27
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Madangopal R, Ramsey LA, Weber SJ, Brenner MB, Lennon VA, Drake OR, Komer LE, Tunstall BJ, Bossert JM, Shaham Y, Hope BT. Inactivation of the infralimbic cortex decreases discriminative stimulus-controlled relapse to cocaine seeking in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1969-1980. [PMID: 34162997 PMCID: PMC8429767 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01067-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Persistent susceptibility to cue-induced relapse is a cardinal feature of addiction. Discriminative stimuli (DSs) are one type of drug-associated cue that signal drug availability (DS+) or unavailability (DS-) and control drug seeking prior to relapse. We previously established a trial-based procedure in rats to isolate DSs from context, conditioned stimuli, and other drug-associated cues during cocaine self-administration and demonstrated DS-controlled cocaine seeking up to 300 abstinence days. The behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying trial-based DS-control of drug seeking have rarely been investigated. Here we show that following discrimination training in our trial-based procedure, the DS+ and DS- independently control the expression and suppression of cocaine seeking during abstinence. Using microinjections of GABAA + GABAB receptor agonists (muscimol + baclofen) in medial prefrontal cortex, we report that infralimbic, but not prelimbic, subregion of medial prefrontal cortex is critical to persistent DS-controlled relapse to cocaine seeking after prolonged abstinence, but not DS-guided discriminated cocaine seeking or DS-controlled cocaine self-admininstration. Finally, using ex vivo whole-cell recordings from pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, we demonstrate that the disruption of DS-controlled cocaine seeking following infralimbic cortex microinjections of muscimol+baclofen is likely a result of suppression of synaptic transmission in the region via a presynaptic mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajtarun Madangopal
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leslie A Ramsey
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sophia J Weber
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Megan B Brenner
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Veronica A Lennon
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olivia R Drake
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lauren E Komer
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brendan J Tunstall
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer M Bossert
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yavin Shaham
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bruce T Hope
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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28
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Nall RW, Heinsbroek JA, Nentwig TB, Kalivas PW, Bobadilla AC. Circuit selectivity in drug versus natural reward seeking behaviors. J Neurochem 2021; 157:1450-1472. [PMID: 33420731 PMCID: PMC8178159 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized, in part by behavior biased toward drug use and away from natural sources of reward (e.g., social interaction, food, sex). The neurobiological underpinnings of SUDs reveal distinct brain regions where neuronal activity is necessary for the manifestation of SUD-characteristic behaviors. Studies that specifically examine how these regions are involved in behaviors motivated by drug versus natural reward allow determinations of which regions are necessary for regulating seeking of both reward types, and appraisals of novel SUD therapies for off-target effects on behaviors motivated by natural reward. Here, we evaluate studies directly comparing regulatory roles for specific brain regions in drug versus natural reward. While it is clear that many regions drive behaviors motivated by all reward types, based on the literature reviewed we propose a set of interconnected regions that become necessary for behaviors motivated by drug, but not natural rewards. The circuitry is selectively necessary for drug seeking includes an Action/Reward subcircuit, comprising nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, and ventral tegmental area, a Prefrontal subcircuit comprising prelimbic, infralimbic, and insular cortices, a Stress subcircuit comprising the central nucleus of the amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and a Diencephalon circuit including lateral hypothalamus. Evidence was mixed for nucleus accumbens shell, insular cortex, and ventral pallidum. Studies for all other brain nuclei reviewed supported a necessary role in regulating both drug and natural reward seeking. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies to further disambiguate the necessity of brain regions in drug- versus natural reward-associated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusty W. Nall
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Todd B. Nentwig
- 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
- These authors share senior authorship
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- These authors share senior authorship
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29
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Food-Seeking Behavior Is Mediated by Fos-Expressing Neuronal Ensembles Formed at First Learning in Rats. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0373-20.2021. [PMID: 33472867 PMCID: PMC8174054 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0373-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal ensembles in the infralimbic cortex (IL) develop after prolonged food self-administration training. However, rats demonstrate evidence of learning the food self-administration response as early as day 1, with responding quickly increasing to asymptotic levels. Since the contribution of individual brain regions to task performance shifts over the course of training, it remains unclear whether IL ensembles are gradually formed and refined over the course of extensive operant training, or whether functionally-relevant ensembles might be recruited and formed as early as the initial acquisition of food self-administration behavior. Here, we aimed to determine the role of IL ensembles at the earliest possible point after demonstrable learning of a response-outcome association. We first allowed rats to lever press for palatable food pellets and stopped training rats once their behavior evidenced the response-outcome association (learners). We compared their food-seeking behavior and neuronal activation (Fos protein expression) to similarly trained rats that did not form this association (non-learners). Learners had greater food-seeking behavior and neuronal activation within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), suggesting that mPFC subregions might encode initial food self-administration memories. To test the functional relevance of mPFC Fos-expressing ensembles to subsequent food seeking, we tested region-wide inactivation of the IL using muscimol+baclofen and neuronal ensemble-specific ablation using the Daun02 inactivation procedure. Both region-wide inactivation and ensemble-specific inactivation of the IL significantly decreased food seeking. These data suggest that IL neuronal ensembles form during initial learning of food self-administration behavior, and furthermore, that these ensembles play a functional role in food seeking.
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30
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Bobadilla AC, Dereschewitz E, Vaccaro L, Heinsbroek JA, Scofield MD, Kalivas PW. Cocaine and sucrose rewards recruit different seeking ensembles in the nucleus accumbens core. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:3150-3163. [PMID: 32985600 PMCID: PMC8532193 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00888-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Poorly regulated reward seeking is a central feature of substance use disorder. Recent research shows that rewarding drug-related experiences induce synchronous activation of a discrete number of neurons in the nucleus accumbens that are causally linked to reward-related contexts. Here we comprehensively characterize the specific ensemble of neurons built through experience that are linked to seeking behavior. We additionally address the question of whether or not addictive drugs usurp the neuronal networks recruited by natural rewards by evaluating cocaine- and sucrose-associated ensembles within the same mouse. We used FosCreERT2/+/Ai14 transgenic mice to tag cells activated by and potentially encoding cocaine and sucrose seeking. We tagged ~1% of neurons in the core subregion of the accumbens (NAcore) activated during cue-induced seeking for cocaine or sucrose. The majority of tagged cells in the seeking ensembles were D1-MSNs, and specifically activated during seeking, not during extinction or when mice remained in the home cage. To compare different reward-specific ensembles within the same mouse, we used a dual cocaine and sucrose self-administration protocol allowing reward-specific seeking. Using this model, we found ~70% distinction between the cells constituting the cocaine- compared to the sucrose-seeking ensemble. Establishing that cocaine recruits an ensemble of NAcore neurons largely distinct from neurons recruited into an ensemble coding for sucrose seeking suggest a finely tuned specificity of ensembles. The findings allow further exploration of the mechanisms that transform reward-based positive reinforcement into maladaptive drug seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
| | - Eric Dereschewitz
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lucio Vaccaro
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jasper A Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Michael D Scofield
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, 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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