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Giannone F, Ebrahimi C, Endrass T, Hansson AC, Schlagenhauf F, Sommer WH. Bad habits-good goals? Meta-analysis and translation of the habit construct to alcoholism. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:298. [PMID: 39030169 PMCID: PMC11271507 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02965-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption remains a global public health crisis, with millions suffering from alcohol use disorder (AUD, or simply "alcoholism"), leading to significantly reduced life expectancy. This review examines the interplay between habitual and goal-directed behaviors and the associated neurobiological changes induced by chronic alcohol exposure. Contrary to a strict habit-goal dichotomy, our meta-analysis of the published animal experiments combined with a review of human studies reveals a nuanced transition between these behavioral control systems, emphasizing the need for refined terminology to capture the probabilistic nature of decision biases in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol exposure. Furthermore, we distinguish habitual responding from compulsivity, viewing them as separate entities with diverse roles throughout the stages of the addiction cycle. By addressing species-specific differences and translational challenges in habit research, we provide insights to enhance future investigations and inform strategies for combatting AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Giannone
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - C Ebrahimi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - T Endrass
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062, Dresden, Germany
| | - A C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - F Schlagenhauf
- Department of Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin & St. Hedwig Hospital, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - W H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
- Bethania Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Greifswald, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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2
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Arnold ME, Schank JR. Sex differences in neuronal activation in the cortex and midbrain during quinine-adulterated alcohol intake. Alcohol Alcohol 2024; 59:agae031. [PMID: 38742547 PMCID: PMC11091839 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agae031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Continued alcohol consumption despite negative consequences is a core symptom of alcohol use disorder. This is modeled in mice by pairing negative stimuli with alcohol, such as adulterating alcohol solution with quinine. Mice consuming alcohol under these conditions are considered to be engaging in aversion-resistant intake. Previously, we have observed sex differences in this behavior, with females more readily expressing aversion-resistant consumption. We also identified three brain regions that exhibited sex differences in neuronal activation during quinine-alcohol drinking: ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), posterior insular cortex (PIC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Specifically, male mice showed increased activation in vmPFC and PIC, while females exhibited increased activation in VTA. In this study, we aimed to identify what specific type of neurons are activated in these regions during quinine-alcohol drinking. METHOD We assessed quinine-adulterated alcohol intake using the two-bottle choice procedure. We also utilized RNAscope in situ hybridization in the three brain regions that previously exhibited a sex difference to examine colocalization of Fos, glutamate, GABA, and dopamine. RESULT Females showed increased aversion-resistant alcohol consumption compared to males. We also found that males had higher colocalization of glutamate and Fos in vmPFC and PIC, while females had greater dopamine and Fos colocalization in the VTA. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these experiments suggest that glutamatergic output from the vmPFC and PIC may have a role in suppressing, and dopaminergic activity in the VTA may promote, aversion-resistant alcohol consumption. Future experiments will examine neuronal circuits that contribute to sex differences in aversion resistant consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda E Arnold
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, United States
| | - Jesse R Schank
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 501 D. W. Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, United States
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3
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Salem NA, Manzano L, Keist MW, Ponomareva O, Roberts AJ, Roberto M, Mayfield RD. Cell-type brain-region specific changes in prefrontal cortex of a mouse model of alcohol dependence. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106361. [PMID: 37992784 PMCID: PMC10874299 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex is a crucial regulator of alcohol drinking, and dependence, and other behavioral phenotypes associated with AUD. Comprehensive identification of cell-type specific transcriptomic changes in alcohol dependence will improve our understanding of mechanisms underlying the excessive alcohol use associated with alcohol dependence and will refine targets for therapeutic development. We performed single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and Visium spatial gene expression profiling on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) obtained from C57BL/6 J mice exposed to the two-bottle choice-chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) vapor exposure (2BC-CIE, defined as dependent group) paradigm which models phenotypes of alcohol dependence including escalation of alcohol drinking. Gene co-expression network analysis and differential expression analysis identified highly dysregulated co-expression networks in multiple cell types. Dysregulated modules and their hub genes suggest novel understudied targets for studying molecular mechanisms contributing to the alcohol dependence state. A subtype of inhibitory neurons was the most alcohol-sensitive cell type and contained a downregulated gene co-expression module; the hub gene for this module is Cpa6, a gene previously identified by GWAS to be associated with excessive alcohol consumption. We identified an astrocytic Gpc5 module significantly upregulated in the alcohol-dependent group. To our knowledge, there are no studies linking Cpa6 and Gpc5 to the alcohol-dependent phenotype. We also identified neuroinflammation related gene expression changes in multiple cell types, specifically enriched in microglia, further implicating neuroinflammation in the escalation of alcohol drinking. Here, we present a comprehensive atlas of cell-type specific alcohol dependence mediated gene expression changes in the mPFC and identify novel cell type-specific targets implicated in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihal A Salem
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Lawrence Manzano
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Michael W Keist
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Olga Ponomareva
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Amanda J Roberts
- Animal Models Core Facility, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - R Dayne Mayfield
- Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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4
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Cruise TM, Kotlo K, Malovic E, Pandey SC. Advances in DNA, histone, and RNA methylation mechanisms in the pathophysiology of alcohol use disorder. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:10871. [PMID: 38389820 PMCID: PMC10880780 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.10871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has a complex, multifactorial etiology involving dysregulation across several brain regions and peripheral organs. Acute and chronic alcohol consumption cause epigenetic modifications in these systems, which underlie changes in gene expression and subsequently, the emergence of pathophysiological phenotypes associated with AUD. One such epigenetic mechanism is methylation, which can occur on DNA, histones, and RNA. Methylation relies on one carbon metabolism to generate methyl groups, which can then be transferred to acceptor substrates. While DNA methylation of particular genes generally represses transcription, methylation of histones and RNA can have bidirectional effects on gene expression. This review summarizes one carbon metabolism and the mechanisms behind methylation of DNA, histones, and RNA. We discuss the field's findings regarding alcohol's global and gene-specific effects on methylation in the brain and liver and the resulting phenotypes characteristic of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Cruise
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kumar Kotlo
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Emir Malovic
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
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5
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Domi E, Barchiesi R, Barbier E. Epigenetic Dysregulation in Alcohol-Associated Behaviors: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36717533 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by loss of control over intake and drinking despite harmful consequences. At a molecular level, AUD is associated with long-term neuroadaptations in key brain regions that are involved in reward processing and decision-making. Over the last decades, a great effort has been made to understand the neurobiological basis underlying AUD. Epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as an important mechanism in the regulation of long-term alcohol-induced gene expression changes. Here, we review the literature supporting a role for epigenetic processes in AUD. We particularly focused on the three most studied epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, Histone modification and non-coding RNAs. Clinical studies indicate an association between AUD and DNA methylation both at the gene and global levels. Using behavioral paradigms that mimic some of the characteristics of AUD, preclinical studies demonstrate that changes in epigenetic mechanisms can functionally impact alcohol-associated behaviors. While many studies support a therapeutic potential for targeting epigenetic enzymes, more research is needed to fully understand their role in AUD. Identification of brain circuits underlying alcohol-associated behaviors has made major advances in recent years. However, there are very few studies that investigate how epigenetic mechanisms can affect these circuits or impact the neuronal ensembles that promote alcohol-associated behaviors. Studies that focus on the role of circuit-specific and cell-specific epigenetic changes for clinically relevant alcohol behaviors may provide new insights on the functional role of epigenetic processes in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esi Domi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Center for Neuroscience, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Riccardo Barchiesi
- Department of Neuroscience, Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Alcohol Addiction Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
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6
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Abstract
Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs globally. Hazardous drinking, defined by quantity and frequency of consumption, is associated with acute and chronic morbidity. Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are psychiatric syndromes characterized by impaired control over drinking and other symptoms. Contemporary aetiological perspectives on AUDs apply a biopsychosocial framework that emphasizes the interplay of genetics, neurobiology, psychology, and an individual's social and societal context. There is strong evidence that AUDs are genetically influenced, but with a complex polygenic architecture. Likewise, there is robust evidence for environmental influences, such as adverse childhood exposures and maladaptive developmental trajectories. Well-established biological and psychological determinants of AUDs include neuroadaptive changes following persistent use, differences in brain structure and function, and motivational determinants including overvaluation of alcohol reinforcement, acute effects of environmental triggers and stress, elevations in multiple facets of impulsivity, and lack of alternative reinforcers. Social factors include bidirectional roles of social networks and sociocultural influences, such as public health control strategies and social determinants of health. An array of evidence-based approaches for reducing alcohol harms are available, including screening, pharmacotherapies, psychological interventions and policy strategies, but are substantially underused. Priorities for the field include translating advances in basic biobehavioural research into novel clinical applications and, in turn, promoting widespread implementation of evidence-based clinical approaches in practice and health-care systems.
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7
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Melugin PR, Wu F, Munoz C, Phensy A, Pradhan G, Luo Y, Nofal A, Manepalli R, Kroener S. The effects of acamprosate on prefrontal cortical function are mimicked by CaCl2 and they are influenced by the history of alcohol exposure. Neuropharmacology 2022; 212:109062. [PMID: 35430241 PMCID: PMC10804777 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109062] [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: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is associated with functional changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which include altered glutamatergic transmission and deficits in executive functions that contribute to relapse. Acamprosate (calcium-bis N-acetylhomotaurinate) reduces alcohol craving and relapse, effects that are thought to be mediated by acamprosate's ability to ameliorate alcohol-induced dysregulation of glutamatergic signaling. Treatment with acamprosate and its active moiety calcium (CaCl2) both improve deficits in cognitive flexibility in postdependent mice following chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure. Here, we show that mice that self-administered alcohol under goal-directed conditions (i.e., operant responding on a fixed-ratio schedule) also display similar deficits in cognitive flexibility and altered glutamatergic signaling in the mPFC, both of which were improved with acamprosate or CaCl2. However, under conditions shown to bias behavior towards habitual responding (operant self-administration after CIE exposure, or on a variable interval schedule), alcohol-induced changes to glutamatergic transmission were unaffected by either acamprosate or CaCl2 treatment. Together, these findings suggest that the variable effects of acamprosate on synaptic signaling may reflect a shift in mPFC networks related to the loss of behavioral control in habitual alcohol-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R Melugin
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Fei Wu
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA; Institute of Neurobiology, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Crystal Munoz
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Aarron Phensy
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Grishma Pradhan
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yi Luo
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Abraham Nofal
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Rohan Manepalli
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sven Kroener
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, TX, USA.
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8
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Kyzar EJ, Bohnsack JP, Pandey SC. Current and Future Perspectives of Noncoding RNAs in Brain Function and Neuropsychiatric Disease. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:183-193. [PMID: 34742545 PMCID: PMC8959010 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) represent the majority of the transcriptome and play important roles in regulating neuronal functions. ncRNAs are exceptionally diverse in both structure and function and include enhancer RNAs, long ncRNAs, and microRNAs, all of which demonstrate specific temporal and regional expression in the brain. Here, we review recent studies demonstrating that ncRNAs modulate chromatin structure, act as chaperone molecules, and contribute to synaptic remodeling and behavior. In addition, we discuss ncRNA function within the context of neuropsychiatric diseases, particularly focusing on addiction and schizophrenia, and the recent methodological developments that allow for better understanding of ncRNA function in the brain. Overall, ncRNAs represent an underrecognized molecular contributor to complex neuronal processes underlying neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan J Kyzar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
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9
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Non-coding RNA in alcohol use disorder by affecting synaptic plasticity. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:365-379. [PMID: 35028694 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06305-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. AUD is a complex disorder, and there is ample evidence that genetic predisposition is critical to its development. Recent studies have shown that genetic predisposition leads to the onset of AUD, and alcohol metabolism can affect epigenetic inheritance, which in turn affects synaptic plasticity, alters brain function, and leads to more severe addictive behaviors. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), especially microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play an important role in alcohol addiction. This paper reviews the regulatory role of ncRNAs. ncRNAs are involved in enzyme and neurotransmitter reaction systems during alcohol use disorder. Alcohol consumption regulates the expression of ncRNAs that mediate epigenetic modification and synaptic plasticity, which play an important role in the development of chronic AUD. ncRNAs may be used not only as predictors of therapeutic responses but also as therapeutic targets of AUD. Chronic alcoholism is more likely to lead to neuroimmune disorders, including permanent brain dysfunction. AUD induced by long-term alcoholism greatly alters the expression of genes in the human genome, especially the expression of ncRNAs. Alcohol can cause a series of pathological changes by interfering with gene expression, such as through disordered miRNA-mRNA expression networks, epigenetic modifications, disordered metabolism, and even synaptic remodeling. ncRNAs are involved in the transition from moderate drinking to alcohol dependence.
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10
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An epigenetic mechanism for over-consolidation of fear memories. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4893-4904. [PMID: 36127428 PMCID: PMC9763112 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01758-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Excessive fear is a hallmark of anxiety disorders, a major cause of disease burden worldwide. Substantial evidence supports a role of prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuits in the regulation of fear and anxiety, but the molecular mechanisms that regulate their activity remain poorly understood. Here, we show that downregulation of the histone methyltransferase PRDM2 in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex enhances fear expression by modulating fear memory consolidation. We further show that Prdm2 knock-down (KD) in neurons that project from the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex to the basolateral amygdala (dmPFC-BLA) promotes increased fear expression. Prdm2 KD in the dmPFC-BLA circuit also resulted in increased expression of genes involved in synaptogenesis, suggesting that Prdm2 KD modulates consolidation of conditioned fear by modifying synaptic strength at dmPFC-BLA projection targets. Consistent with an enhanced synaptic efficacy, we found that dmPFC Prdm2 KD increased glutamatergic release probability in the BLA and increased the activity of BLA neurons in response to fear-associated cues. Together, our findings provide a new molecular mechanism for excessive fear responses, wherein PRDM2 modulates the dmPFC -BLA circuit through specific transcriptomic changes.
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11
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Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are conditions in which the use of legal or illegal substances, such as nicotine, alcohol or opioids, results in clinical and functional impairment. SUDs and, more generally, substance use are genetically complex traits that are enormously costly on an individual and societal basis. The past few years have seen remarkable progress in our understanding of the genetics, and therefore the biology, of substance use and abuse. Various studies - including of well-defined phenotypes in deeply phenotyped samples, as well as broadly defined phenotypes in meta-analysis and biobank samples - have revealed multiple risk loci for these common traits. A key emerging insight from this work establishes a biological and genetic distinction between quantity and/or frequency measures of substance use (which may involve low levels of use without dependence), versus symptoms related to physical dependence.
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12
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Cortical astrocytes regulate ethanol consumption and intoxication in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:500-508. [PMID: 32464636 PMCID: PMC8027025 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0721-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are fundamental building blocks of the central nervous system. Their dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders, including alcohol use disorder, yet our understanding of their functional role in ethanol intoxication and consumption is very limited. Astrocytes regulate behavior through multiple intracellular signaling pathways, including G-protein coupled-receptor (GPCR)-mediated calcium signals. To test the hypothesis that GPCR-induced calcium signaling is also involved in the behavioral effects of ethanol, we expressed astrocyte-specific excitatory DREADDs in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice. Activating Gq-GPCR signaling in PFC astrocytes increased drinking in ethanol-naïve mice, but not in mice with a history of ethanol drinking. In contrast, reducing calcium signaling with an astrocyte-specific calcium extruder reduced ethanol intake. Cortical astrocyte calcium signaling also altered the acute stimulatory and sedative-hypnotic effects of ethanol. Astrocyte-specific Gq-DREADD activation increased both the locomotor-activating effects of low dose ethanol and the sedative-hypnotic effects of a high dose, while reduced astrocyte calcium signaling diminished sensitivity to the hypnotic effects. In addition, we found that adenosine A1 receptors were required for astrocyte calcium activation to increase ethanol sedation. These results support integral roles for PFC astrocytes in the behavioral actions of ethanol that are due, at least in part, to adenosine receptor activation.
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Somkuwar SS, Villalpando EG, Quach LW, Head BP, McKenna BS, Scadeng M, Mandyam CD. Abstinence from ethanol dependence produces concomitant cortical gray matter abnormalities, microstructural deficits and cognitive dysfunction. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 42:22-34. [PMID: 33279357 PMCID: PMC7797163 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrate that ethanol dependence induced by repeating cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure (CIE) followed by protracted abstinence (CIE-PA) produces significant alterations in oligodendrogenesis in the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Specifically, CIE-PA produced an unprecedented increase in premyelinating oligodendroglial progenitor cells and myelin, which have been associated with persistent elevated drinking behaviors during abstinence. The current study used neuroimaging and electron microscopy to evaluate the integrity of enhanced myelin and microstructural deficits underlying enhanced myelination in the mPFC in male rats experiencing forced abstinence for 1 day (D), 7D, 21D and 42D following seven weeks of CIE. In vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) detected altered microstructural integrity in the mPFC and corpus callosum (CC). Altered integrity was characterized as reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the CC, and enhanced mean diffusivity (MD) in the mPFC in 7D abstinent rats. Increased MD occurred concomitantly with increases in myelin associated proteins, flayed myelin and enhanced mitochondrial stress in the mPFC in 7D abstinent rats, suggesting that the increases in myelination during abstinence was aberrant. Evaluation of cognitive performance via Pavlovian conditioning in 7D abstinent rats revealed reduced retrieval and recall of fear memories dependent on the mPFC. These findings indicate that forced abstinence from moderate to severe alcohol use disorder produces gray matter damage via myelin dysfunction in the mPFC and that these microstructural changes were associated with deficits in PFC dependent behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leon W Quach
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Brian P Head
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA; Departments of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Benjamin S McKenna
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Miriam Scadeng
- Departments of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Chitra D Mandyam
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92161, USA; Departments of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92161, USA.
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14
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Johnstone AL, Andrade NS, Barbier E, Khomtchouk BB, Rienas CA, Lowe K, Van Booven DJ, Domi E, Esanov R, Vilca S, Tapocik JD, Rodriguez K, Maryanski D, Keogh MC, Meinhardt MW, Sommer WH, Heilig M, Zeier Z, Wahlestedt C. Dysregulation of the histone demethylase KDM6B in alcohol dependence is associated with epigenetic regulation of inflammatory signaling pathways. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12816. [PMID: 31373129 PMCID: PMC7757263 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic enzymes oversee long‐term changes in gene expression by integrating genetic and environmental cues. While there are hundreds of enzymes that control histone and DNA modifications, their potential roles in substance abuse and alcohol dependence remain underexplored. A few recent studies have suggested that epigenetic processes could underlie transcriptomic and behavioral hallmarks of alcohol addiction. In the present study, we sought to identify epigenetic enzymes in the brain that are dysregulated during protracted abstinence as a consequence of chronic and intermittent alcohol exposure. Through quantitative mRNA expression analysis of over 100 epigenetic enzymes, we identified 11 that are significantly altered in alcohol‐dependent rats compared with controls. Follow‐up studies of one of these enzymes, the histone demethylase KDM6B, showed that this enzyme exhibits region‐specific dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of alcohol‐dependent rats. KDM6B was also upregulated in the human alcoholic brain. Upregulation of KDM6B protein in alcohol‐dependent rats was accompanied by a decrease of trimethylation levels at histone H3, lysine 27 (H3K27me3), consistent with the known demethylase specificity of KDM6B. Subsequent epigenetic (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP]–sequencing) analysis showed that alcohol‐induced changes in H3K27me3 were significantly enriched at genes in the IL‐6 signaling pathway, consistent with the well‐characterized role of KDM6B in modulation of inflammatory responses. Knockdown of KDM6B in cultured microglial cells diminished IL‐6 induction in response to an inflammatory stimulus. Our findings implicate a novel KDM6B‐mediated epigenetic signaling pathway integrated with inflammatory signaling pathways that are known to underlie the development of alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Johnstone
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Division of Product Development EpiCypher, Inc Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Nadja S. Andrade
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Estelle Barbier
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences Linköping University Linköping Sweden
| | - Bohdan B. Khomtchouk
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Medicine, Section of Computational Biomedicine and Biomedical Data Science, Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology University of Chicago Chicago IL USA
| | - Christopher A. Rienas
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Kenneth Lowe
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Derek J. Van Booven
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Esi Domi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences Linköping University Linköping Sweden
| | - Rustam Esanov
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Samara Vilca
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Jenica D. Tapocik
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institutes of Health Bethesda Maryland USA
| | - Keli Rodriguez
- Division of Product Development EpiCypher, Inc Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Danielle Maryanski
- Division of Product Development EpiCypher, Inc Durham North Carolina USA
| | | | - Marcus W. Meinhardt
- Department of Psychopharmacology Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Department of Psychopharmacology Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Markus Heilig
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences Linköping University Linköping Sweden
| | - Zane Zeier
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
| | - Claes Wahlestedt
- Center for Therapeutic Innovation University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Miami Florida USA
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15
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Vallerini GP, Cheng YH, Chase KA, Sharma RP, Kusumo H, Khakhkhar S, Feinstein DL, Guizzetti M, Gavin DP. Modulation of Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP) Levels and Activity by Alcohol Binge-Like Drinking in Male Mice. Neuroscience 2020; 448:1-13. [PMID: 32920042 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Binge drinking is a frequent pattern of ethanol consumption within Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs). Binge-like ethanol exposure increases Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) expression and activity. PARP enzymes have been implicated in addiction and serve multiple roles in the cell, including gene expression regulation. In this study, we examined the effects of binge-like alcohol consumption in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of adult C57BL/6J male mice via a 4-day Drinking-in-the-Dark (DID) paradigm. The role of PARP in associated gene expression and behavioral changes was assessed by administering the PARP inhibitor ABT-888 on the last DID day. We then conducted an RNA-seq analysis of the PFC gene expression changes associated with DID-consumed ethanol or ABT-888 treatment. A separate cohort of mice was inoculated with an HSV-PARP1 vector in the PFC and subject to a DID experiment to verify whether overexpressed PARP1 increased ethanol drinking. We confirmed that alcohol increases Parp1 gene expression and PARP activity in the PFC. RNA-seq showed significantly altered expression of 41 genes by DID-consumed ethanol, and of 48 genes by ABT-888. These results were confirmed by qPCR in 7 of the 10 genes validated, 4 of which have been previously associated with addiction. ABT-888 reduced, and overexpression of PFC PARP1 increased DID ethanol consumption. In our model, alcohol binge drinking induced specific alterations in the PFC expression of genes potentially involved in addiction. Pharmacological PARP inhibition proved effective in reversing these changes and preventing further alcohol consumption. Our results suggest an involvement of ethanol-induced PARP1 in reinforcing binge-like addictive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Paolo Vallerini
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - You-Hong Cheng
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Kayla A Chase
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Rajiv P Sharma
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Handojo Kusumo
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Shivani Khakhkhar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Douglas L Feinstein
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, United States
| | - Marina Guizzetti
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, United States; VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - David P Gavin
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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16
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Neuroimaging reveals functionally distinct neuronal networks associated with high-level alcohol consumption in two genetic rat models. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 32:229-238. [PMID: 32925226 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Human imaging data suggest that the motivational processes associated with alcohol reward are reflected in the patterns of neural activation after alcohol or alcohol-related cues. In animal models of alcohol drinking, however, the changes in brain activation during voluntary alcohol ingestion are poorly known. In order to improve the translational utility of animal models, we examined alcohol-induced functional brain activation in Alko Alcohol (AA) and Marchigian-Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats that drink voluntarily high levels of alcohol, but exhibit widely different neurochemical and behavioral traits cosegregated with alcohol preference. Brain imaging was performed using manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI), which is based on accumulation of Mn2+ ions in activated neurons, allowing the identification of functional neuronal networks recruited during specific behaviors in awake animals during a subsequent imaging session under anesthesia. MEMRI was performed following 4 weeks of voluntary alcohol drinking, using water drinking as the control. Despite similar levels of alcohol drinking, strikingly different alcohol-induced neuronal activity patterns were observed in AA and msP rats. Overall, functional activation in the AA rats was more widespread, involving large cortical areas and subcortical structures, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, preoptic area, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey, and substantia nigra. In the msP rats, however, alcohol-related activation was largely confined to prefrontal cortical regions and insular cortex, and olfactory areas. Overlapping areas of activation found in both rat lines included the nucleus accumbens, prelimbic, orbital, and insular cortex. In conclusion, our data reveal strikingly different brain circuits associated with alcohol drinking in two genetically different rat lines and suggest innately different motivational and behavioral processes driving alcohol drinking. These findings have important implications for the use of these lines in translational alcohol research.
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17
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De Santis S, Cosa-Linan A, Garcia-Hernandez R, Dmytrenko L, Vargova L, Vorisek I, Stopponi S, Bach P, Kirsch P, Kiefer F, Ciccocioppo R, Sykova E, Moratal D, Sommer WH, Canals S. Chronic alcohol consumption alters extracellular space geometry and transmitter diffusion in the brain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba0154. [PMID: 32637601 PMCID: PMC7314532 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba0154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Already moderate alcohol consumption has detrimental long-term effects on brain function. However, how alcohol produces its potent addictive effects despite being a weak reinforcer is a poorly understood conundrum that likely hampers the development of successful interventions to limit heavy drinking. In this translational study, we demonstrate widespread increased mean diffusivity in the brain gray matter of chronically drinking humans and rats. These alterations appear soon after drinking initiation in rats, persist into early abstinence in both species, and are associated with a robust decrease in extracellular space tortuosity explained by a microglial reaction. Mathematical modeling of the diffusivity changes unveils an increased spatial reach of extrasynaptically released transmitters like dopamine that may contribute to alcohol's progressively enhanced addictive potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia De Santis
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| | - Alejandro Cosa-Linan
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Raquel Garcia-Hernandez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
| | - Lesia Dmytrenko
- Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Lydia Vargova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine AS CR, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, 150 06 Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Vorisek
- Charles University, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, 150 06 Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | | | - Patrick Bach
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Peter Kirsch
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Eva Sykova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - David Moratal
- Center for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Santiago Canals
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
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18
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Scuppa G, Tambalo S, Pfarr S, Sommer WH, Bifone A. Aberrant insular cortex connectivity in abstinent alcohol-dependent rats is reversed by dopamine D3 receptor blockade. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12744. [PMID: 30907042 PMCID: PMC7187338 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A few studies have reported aberrant functional connectivity in alcoholic patients, but the specific neural circuits involved remain unknown. Moreover, it is unclear whether these alterations can be reversed upon treatment. Here, we used functional MRI to study resting state connectivity in rats following chronic intermittent exposure to ethanol. Further, we evaluated the effects of SB-277011-a, a selective dopamine D3 receptor antagonist, known to decrease ethanol consumption. Alcohol-dependent and control rats (N = 13/14 per group), 3 weeks into abstinence, were administered SB-277011-a or vehicle before fMRI sessions. Resting state connectivity networks were extracted by independent component analysis. A dual-regression analysis was performed using independent component maps as spatial regressors, and the effects of alcohol history and treatment on connectivity were assessed. A history of alcohol dependence caused widespread reduction of the internal coherence of components. Weaker correlation was also found between the insula cortex (IC) and cingulate cortices, key constituents of the salience network. Similarly, reduced connectivity was observed between a component comprising the anterior insular cortex, together with the caudate putamen (CPu-AntIns), and the posterior part of the IC. On the other hand, postdependent rats showed strengthened connectivity between salience and reward networks. In particular, higher connectivity was observed between insula and nucleus accumbens, between the ventral tegmental area and the cingulate cortex and between the VTA and CPu-AntIns. Interestingly, aberrant connectivity in postdependent rats was partially restored by acute administration of SB-277011-a, which, conversely, had no significant effects in naïve rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Scuppa
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive SystemsIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaRoveretoItaly
| | - Stefano Tambalo
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive SystemsIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaRoveretoItaly
| | - Simone Pfarr
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of HeidelbergMannheimGermany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of HeidelbergMannheimGermany
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of HeidelbergMannheimGermany
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive SystemsIstituto Italiano di TecnologiaRoveretoItaly
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health SciencesUniversity of TorinoTorinoItaly
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19
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Heilig M, Augier E, Pfarr S, Sommer WH. Developing neuroscience-based treatments for alcohol addiction: A matter of choice? Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:255. [PMID: 31594920 PMCID: PMC6783461 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0591-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use is the cause of an ongoing public health crisis, and accounts for ~5% of global disease burden. A minority of people with recreational alcohol use develop alcohol addiction (hereafter equated with "alcohol dependence" or simply "alcoholism"), a condition characterized by a systematically biased choice preference for alcohol at the expense of healthy rewards, and continued use despite adverse consequences ("compulsivity"). Alcoholism is arguably the most pressing area of unmet medical needs in psychiatry, with only a small fraction of patients receiving effective, evidence-based treatments. Medications currently approved for the treatment of alcoholism have small effect sizes, and their clinical uptake is negligible. No mechanistically new medications have been approved since 2004, and promising preclinical results have failed to translate into novel treatments. This has contributed to a reemerging debate whether and to what extent alcohol addiction represents a medical condition, or reflects maladaptive choices without an underlying brain pathology. Here, we review this landscape, and discuss the challenges, lessons learned, and opportunities to retool drug development in this important therapeutic area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, S-581 83, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Eric Augier
- 0000 0001 2162 9922grid.5640.7Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, S-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Simone Pfarr
- 0000 0004 0477 2235grid.413757.3Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H. Sommer
- 0000 0004 0477 2235grid.413757.3Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany ,0000 0004 0477 2235grid.413757.3Department of Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), J 5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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20
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Bobadilla AC, Garcia-Keller C, Chareunsouk V, Hyde J, Medina Camacho D, Heinsbroek JA, Kalivas PW. Accumbens brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transmission inhibits cocaine seeking. Addict Biol 2019; 24:860-873. [PMID: 29890020 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates a variety of physiological processes, and several studies have explored the role of BDNF in addiction-related brain regions like the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore). We sought to understand the rapid effects of endogenous BDNF on cocaine seeking. Rats were trained to self-administer cocaine and extinguished. We then microinjected two inhibitors of BDNF stimulation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), the non-competitive receptor antagonist ANA-12 and TrkB/Fc, a fusion protein that binds BDNF and prevents TrkB stimulation. Blocking TrkB or inactivating BDNF in NAcore potentiated active lever pressing, showing that endogenous BDNF tone was present and supplying inhibitory tone on cue-induced reinstatement. To determine if exogenous BDNF also negatively regulated reinstatement, BDNF was microinjected into NAcore 15 minutes before cue-induced reinstatement. BDNF decreased cocaine seeking through TrkB receptor binding, but had no effect on inactive lever pressing, spontaneous or cocaine-induced locomotion, or on reinstated sucrose seeking. BDNF-infusion potentiated within trial extinction when microinjected in the NAcore during cue- and context + cue induced reinstatement, and the inhibition of lever pressing lasted at least 3 days post injection. Although decreased reinstatement endured for 3 days when BDNF was administered prior to a reinstatement session, when microinjected before an extinction session or in the home cage, BDNF did not alter subsequent cued-reinstatement. Together, these data show that endogenous BDNF acts on TrKB to provide inhibitory tone on reinstated cocaine seeking, and this effect was recapitulated by exogenous BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- Department of Neuroscience; Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
| | | | - Victoria Chareunsouk
- Department of Neuroscience; Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
| | - Jeffrey Hyde
- Department of Neuroscience; Medical University of South Carolina; Charleston SC USA
- Western Washington University; Department of Psychology and Program in Behavioral Neuroscience; Bellingham WA USA
| | | | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- 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
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21
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Carvalho AF, Heilig M, Perez A, Probst C, Rehm J. Alcohol use disorders. Lancet 2019; 394:781-792. [PMID: 31478502 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(19)31775-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 313] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders consist of disorders characterised by compulsive heavy alcohol use and loss of control over alcohol intake. Alcohol use disorders are some of the most prevalent mental disorders globally, especially in high-income and upper-middle-income countries; and are associated with high mortality and burden of disease, mainly due to medical consequences, such as liver cirrhosis or injury. Despite their high prevalence, alcohol use disorders are undertreated partly because of the high stigma associated with them, but also because of insufficient systematic screening in primary health care, although effective and cost-effective psychosocial and pharmacological interventions do exist. Primary health care should be responsible for most treatment, with routine screening for alcohol use, and the provision of a staggered treatment response, from brief advice to pharmacological treatment. Clinical interventions for these disorders should be embedded in a supportive environment, which can be bolstered by the creation of alcohol control policies aimed at reducing the overall level of consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre F Carvalho
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Markus Heilig
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Charlotte Probst
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jürgen Rehm
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, and Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.
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22
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Abstract
This review addresses novel approaches for influencing the transcriptome, the
epigenome, the microbiome, the proteome, and the energy metabolome. These innovations
help develop psychotropic medications which will directly reach the molecular
targets, leading to beneficial effects, and which will be individually adapted to
provide more efficacy and less toxicity. The series of advances described here show
that these once utopian goals for psychiatric treatment are now real themes of
research, indicating that the future path for psychopharmacology might not be as
narrow and grim as considered during the last few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Schulz
- Private practice as psychiatrist; Head of the Unit of Clinical Psychopharmacology (retired), Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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23
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Anokhin PK, Razumkina EV, Shamakina IY. A Comparison of mRNA Expression of Dopamine Receptors, Tyrosine Hydroxylase, and Dopamine Transporter in the Mesolimbic System of Rats with Different Levels of Alcohol Consumption. NEUROCHEM J+ 2019. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712419010033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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24
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Wscieklica T, Le Sueur-Maluf L, Prearo L, Conte R, Viana MDB, Céspedes IC. Chronic intermittent ethanol administration differentially alters DeltaFosB immunoreactivity in cortical-limbic structures of rats with high and low alcohol preference. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 45:264-275. [DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1569667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Wscieklica
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Le Sueur-Maluf
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Leandro Prearo
- Pró-Reitor de Graduação, Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul (USCS), São Caetano do Sul, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Conte
- Departamento de Neurociências e Neurocirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Milena de Barros Viana
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Isabel Cristina Céspedes
- Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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25
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Schulz P. Opportunities and challenges in psychopharmacology
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 21:119-130. [PMID: 31636486 PMCID: PMC6787536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
This review addresses novel approaches for influencing the transcriptome, the epigenome, the microbiome, the proteome, and the energy metabolome. These innovations help develop psychotropic medications which will directly reach the molecular targets, leading to beneficial effects, and which will be individually adapted to provide more efficacy and less toxicity. The series of advances described here show that these once utopian goals for psychiatric treatment are now real themes of research, indicating that the future path for psychopharmacology might not be as narrow and grim as considered during the last few decades.
.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Schulz
- Private practice as psychiatrist; Head of the Unit of Clinical Psychopharmacology (retired), Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
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26
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Dong E, Guidotti A, Zhang H, Pandey SC. Prenatal stress leads to chromatin and synaptic remodeling and excessive alcohol intake comorbid with anxiety-like behaviors in adult offspring. Neuropharmacology 2018; 140:76-85. [PMID: 30016666 PMCID: PMC6499375 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiologic evidence suggests that individuals during their prenatal development may be especially vulnerable to the effects of environmental factors such as stress that predisposes them to psychiatric disorders including alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. Currently, the epigenetic mechanisms of anxiety comorbid with AUD induced by prenatal stress (PRS) remain to be elucidated. Here, we examined anxiety-like and alcohol drinking behaviors in adult offspring of prenatally stressed dam (PRS-mice) using elevated plus maze, light/dark box and two-bottle free-choice paradigm. It was found that PRS-mice exhibit heightened anxiety-like behaviors and increased alcohol intake in adulthood and these behavioral deficits were associated with a significant decrease in dendritic spine density (DSD) in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) relative to non-stressed mice (NS mice). To determine the mechanisms by which PRS reduces DSD, we examined the expressions of key genes associated with synaptic plasticity, including activity regulated cytoskeleton associated protein (Arc), spinophilin (Spn), postsynaptic density 95 (Psd95), tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), protein kinase B (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and period 2 (Per2) in mPFC of PRS and NS mice. The mRNA levels of these genes were significantly decreased in PRS mice. Methylated DNA and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies revealed hyper DNA methylation or reduced histone H3K14 acetylation on promoters of above genes suggesting that epigenetic dysregulation may be responsible for the deficits in their expression. Findings from this study suggest that prenatal stress induced abnormal epigenetic mechanisms and synaptic plasticity-related events may be associated with anxiety-like and alcohol drinking behaviors in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erbo Dong
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago IL, 60612, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Psychiatric Institute, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago IL, 60612, USA
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27
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Sorrentino A, Rienzo M, Ciccodicola A, Casamassimi A, Abbondanza C. Human PRDM2: Structure, function and pathophysiology. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1861:S1874-9399(18)30071-3. [PMID: 29883756 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PRDM2/RIZ is a member of a superfamily of histone/protein methyltransferases (PRDMs), which are characterized by the conserved N-terminal PR domain, with methyltransferase activity and zinc finger arrays at the C-terminus. Similar to other family members, two main protein types, known as RIZ1 and RIZ2, are produced from the PRDM2 locus differing by the presence or absence of the PR domain. The imbalance in their respective amounts may be an important cause of malignancy, with the PR-positive isoform commonly lost or downregulated and the PR-negative isoform always being present at higher levels in cancer cells. Interestingly, the RIZ1 isoform also represents an important target of estradiol action downstream of the interaction with hormone receptor. Furthermore, the imbalance between the two products could also be a molecular basis for other human diseases. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying PRDM2 function could be useful in the pathophysiological context, with a potential to exploit this information in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sorrentino
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy; Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy
| | - M Rienzo
- Department of Environmental, Biological, and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - A Ciccodicola
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Naples "Parthenope", Naples, Italy; Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "Adriano Buzzati Traverso", CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - A Casamassimi
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - C Abbondanza
- Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
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Histone deacetylases mediate GABA A receptor expression, physiology, and behavioral maladaptations in rat models of alcohol dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43. [PMID: 29520058 PMCID: PMC5983537 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0034-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorders are chronic debilitating diseases characterized by severe withdrawal symptoms that contribute to morbidity and relapse. GABAA receptor (GABAAR) adaptations have long been implicated in the chronic effects of alcohol and contribute to many withdrawal symptoms associated with alcohol dependence. In rodents, GABAAR hypofunction results from decreases in Gabra1 expression, although the underlying mechanism controlling Gabra1 expression after chronic ethanol exposure is still unknown. We found that chronic ethanol exposure using either ethanol gavage or two-bottle choice voluntary access paradigms decreased Gabra1 expression and increased Hdac2 and Hdac3 expression. Administration of the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) after chronic ethanol exposure prevents the decrease in Gabra1 expression and function as well as the increase in Hdac2 and Hdac3 expression in both the cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Chronic ethanol exposure and withdrawal, but not acute ethanol exposure or acute withdrawal, cause a selective upregulation of HDAC2 and HDAC3 associated with the Gabra1 promoter that accompanies a decrease in H3 acetylation of the Gabra1 promoter and the reduction in GABAAR α1 subunit expression. TSA administration prevented each of these molecular events as well as behavioral manifestations of ethanol dependence, including tolerance to zolpidem-induced loss of righting reflex, reduced open-arm time in the elevated plus maze, reduced center-time and locomotor activity in the open-field assay, and TSA reduced voluntary ethanol consumption. The results show how chronic ethanol exposure regulates the highly prominent GABAAR α1 subunit by an epigenetic mechanism that represents a potential treatment modality for alcohol dependence.
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29
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Pfarr S, Schaaf L, Reinert JK, Paul E, Herrmannsdörfer F, Roßmanith M, Kuner T, Hansson AC, Spanagel R, Körber C, Sommer WH. Choice for Drug or Natural Reward Engages Largely Overlapping Neuronal Ensembles in the Infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2018; 38:3507-3519. [PMID: 29483279 PMCID: PMC6596043 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0026-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cue-reward associations form distinct memories that can drive appetitive behaviors and are involved in craving for both drugs and natural rewards. Distinct sets of neurons, so-called neuronal ensembles, in the infralimbic area (IL) of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) play a key role in alcohol seeking. Whether this ensemble is specific for alcohol or controls reward seeking in general remains unclear. Here, we compared IL ensembles formed upon recall of drug (alcohol) or natural reward (saccharin) memories in male Wistar rats. Using an experimental framework that allows identification of two distinct reward-associated ensembles within the same animal, we found that cue-induced seeking of either alcohol or saccharin activated ensembles of similar size and organization, whereby these ensembles consist of largely overlapping neuronal populations. Thus, the IL seems to act as a general integration hub for reward seeking behavior, but also contains subsets of neurons that encode for the different rewards.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cue-reward associations form distinct memories that can act as drivers of appetitive behaviors and are involved in craving for natural rewards as well as for drugs. Distinct sets of neurons, so-called neuronal ensembles, in the infralimbic area of the mPFC play a key role in cue-triggered reward seeking. However, it is unclear whether these ensembles act as broadly tuned controllers of approach behavior or represent the learned associations between specific cues and rewards. Using an experimental framework that allows identification of two distinct reward-associated ensembles within the same animal we find largely overlapping neuronal populations. Repeated activation by two distinct events could reflect the linking of the two memory traces within the same neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Janine K Reinert
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Frank Herrmannsdörfer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Christoph Körber
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H Sommer
- Institute of Psychopharmacology,
- Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim, Germany, and
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30
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González B, Jayanthi S, Gomez N, Torres OV, Sosa MH, Bernardi A, Urbano FJ, García-Rill E, Cadet JL, Bisagno V. Repeated methamphetamine and modafinil induce differential cognitive effects and specific histone acetylation and DNA methylation profiles in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:1-11. [PMID: 29247759 PMCID: PMC6983674 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 12/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (METH) and modafinil are psychostimulants with different long-term cognitive profiles: METH is addictive and leads to cognitive decline, whereas modafinil has little abuse liability and is a cognitive enhancer. Increasing evidence implicates epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation behind the lasting changes that drugs of abuse and other psychotropic compounds induce in the brain, like the control of gene expression by histones 3 and 4 tails acetylation (H3ac and H4ac) and DNA cytosine methylation (5-mC). Mice were treated with a seven-day repeated METH, modafinil or vehicle protocol and evaluated in the novel object recognition (NOR) test or sacrificed 4days after last injection for molecular assays. We evaluated total H3ac, H4ac and 5-mC levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), H3ac and H4ac promotor enrichment (ChIP) and mRNA expression (RT-PCR) of neurotransmitter systems involved in arousal, wakefulness and cognitive control, like dopaminergic (Drd1 and Drd2), α-adrenergic (Adra1a and Adra1b), orexinergic (Hcrtr1 and Hcrtr2), histaminergic (Hrh1 and Hrh3) and glutamatergic (AMPA Gria1 and NMDA Grin1) receptors. Repeated METH and modafinil treatment elicited different cognitive outcomes in the NOR test, where modafinil-treated mice performed as controls and METH-treated mice showed impaired recognition memory. METH-treated mice also showed i) decreased levels of total H3ac and H4ac, and increased levels of 5-mC, ii) decreased H3ac enrichment at promoters of Drd2, Hcrtr1/2, Hrh1 and Grin1, and increased H4ac enrichment at Drd1, Hrh1 and Grin1, iii) increased mRNA of Drd1a, Grin1 and Gria1. Modafinil-treated mice shared none of these effects and showed increased H3ac enrichment and mRNA expression at Adra1b. Modafinil and METH showed similar effects linked to decreased H3ac in Hrh3, increased H4ac in Hcrtr1, and decreased mRNA expression of Hcrtr2. The specific METH-induced epigenetic and transcriptional changes described here may be related to the long-term cognitive decline effects of the drug and its detrimental effects on mPFC function. The lack of similar epigenetic effects of chronic modafinil administration supports this notion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Betina González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Subramaniam Jayanthi
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Natalia Gomez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Oscar V. Torres
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Máximo H. Sosa
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alejandra Bernardi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco J. Urbano
- Laboratorio de Fisiología y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (Universidad de Buenos Aires – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Edgar García-Rill
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Jean-Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.,Corresponding authors: Veronica Bisagno, Ph.D. Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas (ININFA-UBA-CONICET), Junín 956, piso 5, C1113-Buenos Aires, Argentina. Phone: (+54-11) 4961-6784, Fax: (+54-11) 4963-8593. Jean-Lud Cadet, MD
| | - Verónica Bisagno
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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31
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Jerlhag E. GLP-1 signaling and alcohol-mediated behaviors; preclinical and clinical evidence. Neuropharmacology 2018; 136:343-349. [PMID: 29337226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol addiction, affecting approximately four percent of the population, contributes significantly to the global burden of diseases and is a substantial cost to the society. The neurochemical mechanisms regulating alcohol mediated behaviors is complex and in more recent years a new physiological role of the gut-brain peptides, traditionally known to regulate appetite and food intake, have been suggested. Indeed, regulators of alcohol-mediated behaviors. One of these gut-brain peptides is the annorexigenic peptide glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), Preclinical studies show that GLP-1 receptor activation, either by GLP-1 or analogues, attenuate the ability of alcohol to activate the mesolimbic dopamine system as well as decrease alcohol consumption and operant self-administration. In further support for the endogenous GLP-1 system in addiction processes are the experimental data showing that a GLP-1 receptor antagonist increases alcohol intake. Moreover, GLP-1 receptor agonists prevent the ability of other addictive drugs to activate the mesolimbic dopamine system. The number of clinical studies is limited, but show i) that genetic variation in the GLP-1 receptor gene is associated with alcohol addiction as well as increased alcohol infusion in humans, ii) that plasma levels of GLP-1 are associated with the subjective experience of cocaine and iii) that a GLP-1 receptor agonist reduces alcohol intake in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. These experimental and clinical studies raises the concern that clinically available GLP-1 receptor agonists deserves to be tested as potential treatments of patients with addictive disorders including alcohol addiction. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Metabolic Impairment as Risk Factors for Neurodegenerative Disorders.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Jerlhag
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 13A, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.
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32
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Targeting the intracellular signaling "STOP" and "GO" pathways for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1727-1743. [PMID: 29654346 PMCID: PMC5949137 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4882-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, research has identified the molecular and neural substrates underlying the transition of moderate "social" consumption of alcohol to the characteristic alcohol use disorder (AUD) phenotypes including excessive and compulsive alcohol use which we define in the review as the GO signaling pathways. In addition, growing evidence points to the existence of molecular mechanisms that keep alcohol consumption in check and that confer resilience for the development of AUD which we define herein as the STOP signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on examples of the GO and the STOP intracellular signaling pathways and discuss our current knowledge of how manipulations of these pathways may be used for the treatment of AUD.
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33
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Lee MR, Schwandt ML, Sankar V, Suchankova P, Sun H, Leggio L. Effect of alcohol use disorder on oxytocin peptide and receptor mRNA expression in human brain: A post-mortem case-control study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 85:14-19. [PMID: 28787642 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animal and human evidence supports a role for oxytocin in alcohol-seeking behaviors. There is interest, therefore, in targeting the oxytocin pathway as a new pharmacologic approach to treat alcohol use disorder. To this end, it is important to understand the effect of alcohol use disorder on endogenous oxytocin in brain regions that are relevant for the initiation and maintenance of alcohol use disorder. We examined human post-mortem brain tissue from males with alcohol use disorder (n=11) compared to nonalcohol dependent male controls (n=16). We a priori targeted five brain regions that in rodent studies, are projection areas for oxytocin neurons: nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, ventral tegmental area and prefrontal cortex. Fold change in mRNA levels of oxytocin peptide and receptor were measured in each of the brain regions studied. Fold change for oxytocin peptide mRNA was significantly elevated in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with alcohol use disorder compared to controls (uncorrected p=0.0001; FDR-corrected p=0.001). For the entire sample of 27 subjects, there was a significant positive correlation between the fold change in oxytocin peptide mRNA in the prefrontal cortex and both daily alcohol intake (r2=0.38; p=0.002) and drinks per week (r2=0.24; p=0.02). Results are discussed in light of the previous animal and human literature on changes in the endogenous oxytocin system as an effect of chronic alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary R Lee
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Melanie L Schwandt
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vignesh Sankar
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Petra Suchankova
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hui Sun
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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34
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Wolstenholme JT, Mahmood T, Harris GM, Abbas S, Miles MF. Intermittent Ethanol during Adolescence Leads to Lasting Behavioral Changes in Adulthood and Alters Gene Expression and Histone Methylation in the PFC. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:307. [PMID: 29018328 PMCID: PMC5622951 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescents primarily consume alcohol in binges, which can be particularly harmful to the developing frontal cortex and increase risk for an adult alcohol use disorder. We conducted a study investigating immediate and long lasting changes to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) transcriptome to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying adult ethanol behavioral sensitivity following binge ethanol in adolescence. DBA/2J mice were orally dosed with 4 g/kg ethanol intermittently from day 29 to 42. Adolescent mice were tested for anxiety-like behavior and ethanol sensitivity using the loss of righting reflex task. As adults, mice were tested for cognitive changes using the novel object recognition task, ethanol-induced anxiolysis and ethanol sensitivity. Adolescent binge ethanol altered ethanol sensitivity in young mice and led to lasting memory deficits in the object recognition test and greater ethanol sensitivity in adulthood. Using genomic profiling of transcripts in the PFC, we found that binge ethanol reduced myelin-related gene expression and altered chromatin modifying genes involved in histone demethylation at H3K9 and H3K36. We hypothesize that ethanol's actions on histone methylation may be a switch for future transcriptional changes that underlie the behavioral changes lasting into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Wolstenholme
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Tariq Mahmood
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Guy M Harris
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Shahroze Abbas
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Michael F Miles
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,VCU Alcohol Research Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States.,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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35
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Kwako LE, Momenan R, Grodin EN, Litten RZ, Koob GF, Goldman D. Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment: A reverse translational approach. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:254-264. [PMID: 28283392 PMCID: PMC5569299 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive function are functional domains that are etiologic in the initiation and progression of addictive disorders, having been implicated in humans with addictive disorders and in animal models of addictions. Measures of these three neuroscience-based functional domains can capture much of the effects of inheritance and early exposures that lead to trait vulnerability shared across different addictive disorders. For specific addictive disorders, these measures can be supplemented by agent specific measures such as those that access pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic variation attributable to agent-specific gatekeeper molecules including receptors and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Herein, we focus on the translation and reverse translation of knowledge derived from animal models of addiction to the human condition via measures of neurobiological processes that are orthologous in animals and humans, and that are shared in addictions to different agents. Based on preclinical data and human studies, measures of these domains in a general framework of an Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) can transform the assessment and nosology of addictive disorders, and can be informative for staging disease progression. We consider next steps and challenges for implementation of ANA in clinical care and research. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Kwako
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical Neuroimaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Erica N Grodin
- Clinical Neuroimaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Raye Z Litten
- Division of Medications Development, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Office of the Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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36
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Holmes A. Drug addictions: new insight into causes, comorbidity and potential treatments. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 16:5-7. [PMID: 28097813 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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