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Kaplan GB, Thompson BL. Neuroplasticity of the extended amygdala in opioid withdrawal and prolonged opioid abstinence. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1253736. [PMID: 38044942 PMCID: PMC10690374 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1253736] [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: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is characterized by excessive use of opioids, inability to control its use, a withdrawal syndrome upon discontinuation of opioids, and long-term likelihood of relapse. The behavioral stages of opioid addiction correspond with affective experiences that characterize the opponent process view of motivation. In this framework, active involvement is accompanied by positive affective experiences which gives rise to "reward craving," whereas the opponent process, abstinence, is associated with the negative affective experiences that produce "relief craving." Relief craving develops along with a hypersensitization to the negatively reinforcing aspects of withdrawal during abstinence from opioids. These negative affective experiences are hypothesized to stem from neuroadaptations to a network of affective processing called the "extended amygdala." This negative valence network includes the three core structures of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell), in addition to major inputs from the basolateral amygdala (BLA). To better understand the major components of this system, we have reviewed their functions, inputs and outputs, along with the associated neural plasticity in animal models of opioid withdrawal. These models demonstrate the somatic, motivational, affective, and learning related models of opioid withdrawal and abstinence. Neuroadaptations in these stress and motivational systems are accompanied by negative affective and aversive experiences that commonly give rise to relapse. CeA neuroplasticity accounts for many of the aversive and fear-related effects of opioid withdrawal via glutamatergic plasticity and changes to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF)-containing neurons. Neuroadaptations in BNST pre-and post-synaptic GABA-containing neurons, as well as their noradrenergic modulation, may be responsible for a variety of aversive affective experiences and maladaptive behaviors. Opioid withdrawal yields a hypodopaminergic and amotivational state and results in neuroadaptive increases in excitability of the NAc shell, both of which are associated with increased vulnerability to relapse. Finally, BLA transmission to hippocampal and cortical regions impacts the perception of conditioned aversive effects of opioid withdrawal by higher executive systems. The prevention or reversal of these varied neuroadaptations in the extended amygdala during opioid withdrawal could lead to promising new interventions for this life-threatening condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary B Kaplan
- Mental Health Service, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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Huang X, Li Y, Liu H, Xu J, Tan Z, Dong H, Tian B, Wu S, Wang W. Activation of basolateral amygdala to anterior cingulate cortex circuit alleviates MK-801 induced social and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1070015. [PMID: 36619672 PMCID: PMC9813383 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1070015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with a high prevalence worldwide, however, its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Methods and results In this study, we used the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 to induce schizophrenia-like behaviors and confirmed that mice exhibited stereotypic rotational behavior and hyperlocomotion, social interaction defects and cognitive dysfunction, similar to the clinical symptoms in patients. Here, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) were involved in the schizophrenia-like behaviors induced by MK-801. Furthermore, we confirmed BLA sent glutamatergic projection to the ACC. Chemogenetic and optogenetic regulation of BLA-ACC projecting neurons affected social and cognitive deficits but not stereotypic rotational behavior in MK-801-treated mice. Discussion Overall, our study revealed that the BLA-ACC circuit plays a major role and may be a potential target for treating schizophrenia-related symptoms.
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Gondré-Lewis MC, Elman I, Alim T, Chapman E, Settles-Reaves B, Galvao C, Gold MS, Baron D, Kazmi S, Gardner E, Gupta A, Dennen C, Blum K. Frequency of the Dopamine Receptor D3 (rs6280) vs. Opioid Receptor µ1 (rs1799971) Polymorphic Risk Alleles in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: A Preponderance of Dopaminergic Mechanisms? Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10040870. [PMID: 35453620 PMCID: PMC9027142 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10040870] [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: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
While opioids are a powerful class of drugs that inhibit transmission of pain signals, their use is tarnished by the current epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose deaths. Notwithstanding published reports, there remain gaps in our knowledge of opioid receptor mechanisms and their role in opioid seeking behavior. Thus, novel insights into molecular, neurogenetic and neuropharmacological bases of OUD are needed. We propose that an addictive endophenotype may not be entirely specific to the drug of choice but rather may be generalizable to altered brain reward circuits impacting net mesocorticolimbic dopamine release. We suggest that genetic or epigenetic alterations across dopaminergic reward systems lead to uncontrollable self-administration of opioids and other drugs. For instance, diminished availability via knockout of dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) increases vulnerability to opioids. Building upon this concept via the use of a sophisticated polymorphic risk analysis in a human cohort of chronic opioid users, we found evidence for a higher frequency of polymorphic DRD3 risk allele (rs6280) than opioid receptor µ1 (rs1799971). In conclusion, while opioidergic mechanisms are involved in OUD, dopamine-related receptors may have primary influence on opioid-seeking behavior in African Americans. These findings suggest OUD-targeted novel and improved neuropharmacological therapies may require focus on DRD3-mediated regulation of dopaminergic homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie C. Gondré-Lewis
- Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA (C.G.)
- Correspondence: (M.C.G.-L.); (K.B.)
| | - Igor Elman
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA or
| | - Tanya Alim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Edwin Chapman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA; (T.A.); (E.C.)
| | - Beverlyn Settles-Reaves
- Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA (C.G.)
| | - Carine Galvao
- Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA (C.G.)
| | - Mark S. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - David Baron
- Graduate College, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
| | - Shan Kazmi
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA or
| | - Eliot Gardner
- Neuropsychopharmacology Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA;
| | - Ashim Gupta
- Future Biologics, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, USA;
| | - Catherine Dennen
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, Austin, TX 78701, USA;
| | - Kenneth Blum
- Graduate College, Western University Health Sciences, Pomona, CA 91766, USA;
- The Kenneth Blum Behavioral & Neurogenetic Institute, Austin, TX 78701, USA;
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Addiction, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Egyetem tér 1-3, 1053 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and Applied Biotechnology, Nonakuri, Purba Medinipur 721172, West Bengal, India
- Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and Dayton VA Medical Centre, Dayton, OH 45324, USA
- Correspondence: (M.C.G.-L.); (K.B.)
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Wen J, Xu Y, Yu Z, Zhou Y, Wang W, Yang J, Wang Y, Bai Q, Li Z. The cAMP Response Element- Binding Protein/Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Pathway in Anterior Cingulate Cortex Regulates Neuropathic Pain and Anxiodepression Like Behaviors in Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:831151. [PMID: 35401106 PMCID: PMC8987281 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.831151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is often accompanied by anxiety and depression-like manifestations. Many studies have shown that alterations in synaptic plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) play a critical role, but the specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Previously, we showed that cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) acts as a transcription factor contributing to neuropathic pain development. At the same time, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as important targets of CREB, is intricate in neuronal growth, differentiation, as well as the establishment of synaptic plasticity. Here, we found that peripheral nerve injury activated the spinal cord and ACC, and silencing the ACC resulted in significant relief of pain sensitivity, anxiety, and depression in SNI rats. In parallel, the CREB/BDNF pathway was activated in the spinal cord and ACC. Central specific knockdown and peripheral non-specific inhibition of CREB reversed pain sensitivity and anxiodepression induced by peripheral nerve injury. Consequently, we identified cingulate CREB/BDNF as an assuring therapeutic method for treating neuropathic pain as well as related anxiodepression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yaowei Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Zhixiang Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Wenting Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingjie Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qian Bai,
| | - Zhisong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Zhisong Li,
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He Z, Jiang Y, Gu S, Wu D, Qin D, Feng G, Ma X, Huang JH, Wang F. The Aversion Function of the Limbic Dopaminergic Neurons and Their Roles in Functional Neurological Disorders. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:713762. [PMID: 34616730 PMCID: PMC8488171 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.713762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The Freudian theory of conversion suggested that the major symptoms of functional neurological disorders (FNDs) are due to internal conflicts at motivation, especially at the sex drive or libido. FND patients might behave properly at rewarding situations, but they do not know how to behave at aversive situations. Sex drive is the major source of dopamine (DA) release in the limbic area; however, the neural mechanism involved in FND is not clear. Dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons have been shown to play a key role in processing motivation-related information. Recently, DAergic neurons are found to be involved in reward-related prediction error, as well as the prediction of aversive information. Therefore, it is suggested that DA might change the rewarding reactions to aversive reactions at internal conflicts of FND. So DAergic neurons in the limbic areas might induce two major motivational functions: reward and aversion at internal conflicts. This article reviewed the recent advances on studies about DAergic neurons involved in aversive stimulus processing at internal conflicts and summarizes several neural pathways, including four limbic system brain regions, which are involved in the processing of aversion. Then the article discussed the vital function of these neural circuits in addictive behavior, depression treatment, and FNDs. In all, this review provided a prospect for future research on the aversion function of limbic system DA neurons and the therapy of FNDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengming He
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yao Jiang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Simeng Gu
- Department of Psychology, Jiangsu University Medical School, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Dandan Wu
- Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Duo Qin
- School of Foreign Languages, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Guangkui Feng
- Department of Neurology, Lianyungang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xianjun Ma
- Department of Neurology, Lianyungang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jason H Huang
- Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, TX, United States
| | - Fushun Wang
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Neurology, Lianyungang Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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