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Bramlett SN, Foster SL, Weinshenker D, Hepler JR. Endogenous Regulator of G protein Signaling 14 (RGS14) suppresses cocaine-induced emotionally motivated behaviors in female mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.12.612719. [PMID: 39314405 PMCID: PMC11419016 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.12.612719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Addictive drugs hijack the neuronal mechanisms of learning and memory in motivation and emotion processing circuits to reinforce their own use. Regulator of G-protein Signaling 14 (RGS14) is a natural suppressor of post-synaptic plasticity underlying learning and memory in the hippocampus. The present study used immunofluorescence and RGS14 knockout mice to assess the role of RGS14 in behavioral plasticity and reward learning induced by chronic cocaine in emotional-motivational circuits. We report that RGS14 is strongly expressed in discrete regions of the ventral striatum and extended amygdala in wild-type mice, and is co-expressed with D1 and D2 dopamine receptors in neurons of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Of note, we found that RGS14 is upregulated in the NAc in mice with chronic cocaine history following acute cocaine treatment. We found significantly increased cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization, as well as enhanced conditioned place preference and conditioned locomotor activity in RGS14-deficient mice compared to wild-type littermates. Together, these findings suggest that endogenous RGS14 suppresses cocaine-induced plasticity in emotional-motivational circuits, implicating RGS14 as a protective agent against the maladaptive neuroplastic changes that occur during addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara N. Bramlett
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Stephanie L. Foster
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - David Weinshenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John R. Hepler
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Delage C, Morel A, de Witt P, Jauffret-Roustide M, Bloch V, Noble F, Vorspan F, Marie N. Behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants and opioids: What is known in rodents and what still needs to be explored in humans? Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110824. [PMID: 37479108 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to substances of abuse results in an increase in some behavioral responses. This phenomenon, called behavioral sensitization (BS), is well described in preclinical models. However, its existence in humans is still a matter of debate. After a review of preclinical evidence of BS and its mechanisms in animal models, we reviewed the evidence supporting the existence of BS in humans, despite the limited research available in this regard. We focused our review on opioids and psychostimulants, since they share the ability to promote addictive behaviors. Further, they induce BS despite their distinct sedative and stimulant properties. Moreover, we proposed future research perspectives in this review to address the remaining unsolved questions, especially regarding BS in humans using a harm reduction approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Delage
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, UMRS-1144 Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, F-75006 Paris, France; Service Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière-Fernand Widal, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Alix Morel
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière-Fernand Widal, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Pauline de Witt
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière-Fernand Widal, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Marie Jauffret-Roustide
- École des hautes études en sciences sociales, Inserm U 1276, CNRS UMR 8044, Centre d'étude des mouvements sociaux, Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Bloch
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, UMRS-1144 Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, F-75006 Paris, France; Service Pharmacie, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière-Fernand Widal, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Florence Noble
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S1124, CNRS EMR 3649, "Pharmacologie et thérapies des addictions", Paris, France
| | - Florence Vorspan
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, UMRS-1144 Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, F-75006 Paris, France; Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière-Fernand Widal, F-75010 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Marie
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S1124, CNRS EMR 3649, "Pharmacologie et thérapies des addictions", Paris, France.
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Lepow L, Morishita H, Yehuda R. Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. FOCUS (AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING) 2023; 21:329-336. [PMID: 37404962 PMCID: PMC10316207 DOI: 10.1176/appi.focus.23021012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
As psychedelic compounds gain traction in psychiatry, there is a need to consider the active mechanism to explain the effect observed in randomized clinical trials. Traditionally, biological psychiatry has asked how compounds affect the causal pathways of illness to reduce symptoms and therefore focus on analysis of the pharmacologic properties. In psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), there is debate about whether ingestion of the psychedelic alone is thought to be responsible for the clinical outcome. A question arises how the medication and psychotherapeutic intervention together might lead to neurobiological changes that underlie recovery from illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This paper offers a framework for investigating the neurobiological basis of PAP by extrapolating from models used to explain how a pharmacologic intervention might create an optimal brain state during which environmental input has enduring effects. Specifically, there are developmental "critical" periods (CP) with exquisite sensitivity to environmental input; the biological characteristics are largely unknown. We discuss a hypothesis that psychedelics may remove the brakes on adult neuroplasticity, inducing a state similar to that of neurodevelopment. In the visual system, progress has been made both in identifying the biological conditions which distinguishes the CP and in manipulating the active ingredients with the idea that we might pharmacologically reopen a critical period in adulthood. We highlight ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the visual system as a model for characterizing CP in limbic systems relevant to psychiatry. A CP framework may help to integrate the neuroscientific inquiry with the influence of the environment both in development and in PAP. Appeared originally in Front Neurosci 2021; 15:710004.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Lepow
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (all authors). Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Lepow, Morishita). Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States (Morishita). Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States (Yehuda)
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4
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Ball KT, Edson H. Chronic restraint stress increases sensitivity to punishment during cocaine self-administration via a dopamine D 1-like receptor-mediated mechanism in prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex. Neurosci Lett 2023; 793:136992. [PMID: 36455694 PMCID: PMC9772152 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We recently reported that male rats displayed less sensitivity to punishment during cocaine self-administration compared to females. Moreover, daily restraint stress increased sensitivity to punishment in males, while having no effect in females. The purpose of the present study was to extend these findings by determining whether chronic stress-induced dopamine release in prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex mediates the effect of stress on punished cocaine self-administration. Thus, male rats were trained to press a lever for i.v. cocaine infusions (0.50 mg/kg/infusion) paired with a discrete tone + light cue in daily 3-hr sessions. Subsequently, 50 % of the lever presses were punished by a mild footshock that gradually increased in intensity over 7 days. During the punishment phase, rats were exposed to a chronic restraint stress procedure (3 h/day) or control procedure (unstressed). Rats also received bilateral microinjections of the D1-like receptor antagonist SCH-23390 (0.25 μg/0.5 μl/side) or vehicle (0.5 μl/side) delivered to prelimbic cortex prior to daily treatments. Relapse tests were conducted 1 and 8 days after the last punishment session. Chronically stressed rats displayed reduced cocaine self-administration during punishment relative to unstressed rats, an effect prevented by co-administration of SCH-23390 to prelimbic cortex with daily restraint. Neither stress nor SCH-23390 treatment had significant effects on subsequent relapse-like behavior. These results establish a specific role for prelimbic D1-like receptors in chronic stress-induced suppression of punished cocaine self-administration in male rats. As such, these findings may inform novel methods to facilitate self-imposed abstinence in cocaine-dependent men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin T Ball
- Department of Psychology, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 400 E. 2(nd) St., Bloomsburg, PA 17815, USA.
| | - Hunter Edson
- Department of Psychology, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, 400 E. 2(nd) St., Bloomsburg, PA 17815, USA
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Avalos MP, Guzman AS, Garcia-Keller C, Mongi-Bragato B, Esparza MA, Rigoni D, Sanchez MA, Calfa GD, Bollati FA, Cancela LM. Impairment of glutamate homeostasis in the nucleus accumbens core underpins cross-sensitization to cocaine following chronic restraint stress. Front Physiol 2022; 13:896268. [PMID: 36091376 PMCID: PMC9462460 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.896268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Though the facilitating influence of stress on drug abuse is well documented, the mechanisms underlying this interaction have yet to be fully elucidated. The present study explores the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning the sensitized response to the psychomotor-stimulating effects of cocaine following chronic restraint stress (CRS), emphasizing the differential contribution of both subcompartments of the nucleus accumbens (NA), the core (NAcore) and shell (NAshell), to this phenomenon. Adult male Wistar rats were restrained for 2 h/day for 7 days and, 2 weeks after the last stress exposure (day 21), all animals were randomly assigned to behavioral, biochemical or neurochemical tests. Our results demonstrated that the enduring CRS-induced increase in psychostimulant response to cocaine was paralleled by an increase of extracellular dopamine levels in the NAcore, but not the NAshell, greater than that observed in the non-stress group. Furthermore, we found that CRS induced an impairment of glutamate homeostasis in the NAcore, but not the NAshell. Its hallmarks were increased basal extracellular glutamate concentrations driven by a CRS-induced downregulation of GLT-1, blunted glutamate levels in response to cocaine and postsynaptic structural remodeling in pre-stressed animals. In addition, ceftriaxone, a known GLT-1 enhancer, prevented the CRS-induced GLT-1 downregulation, increased basal extracellular glutamate concentrations and changes in structural plasticity in the NAcore as well as behavioral cross-sensitization to cocaine, emphasizing the biological importance of GLT-1 in the comorbidity between chronic stress exposure and drug abuse. A future perspective concerning the paramount relevance of the stress-induced disruption of glutamate homeostasis as a vulnerability factor to the development of stress and substance use disorders during early life or adulthood of descendants is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Flavia A. Bollati
- Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orsingher, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Liliana M. Cancela
- Departamento de Farmacología Otto Orsingher, Instituto de Farmacología Experimental de Córdoba (IFEC-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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6
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Bonilla-Quintana M, Rangamani P. Can biophysical models of dendritic spines be used to explore synaptic changes associated with addiction? Phys Biol 2022; 19. [PMID: 35508164 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac6cbe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Effective treatments that prevent or reduce drug relapse vulnerability should be developed to relieve the high burden of drug addiction on society. This will only be possible by enhancing the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the neurobiology of addiction. Recent experimental data have shown that dendritic spines, small protrusions from the dendrites that receive excitatory input, of spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens exhibit morphological changes during drug exposure and withdrawal. Moreover, these changes relate to the characteristic drug-seeking behavior of addiction. However, due to the complexity of the dendritic spines, we do not yet fully understand the processes underlying their structural changes in response to different inputs. We propose that biophysical models can enhance the current understanding of these processes by incorporating different, and sometimes, discrepant experimental data to identify the shared underlying mechanisms and generate experimentally testable hypotheses. This review aims to give an up-to-date report on biophysical models of dendritic spines, focusing on those models that describe their shape changes, which are well-known to relate to learning and memory. Moreover, it examines how these models can enhance our understanding of the effect of the drugs and the synaptic changes during withdrawal, as well as during neurodegenerative disease progression such as Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayte Bonilla-Quintana
- Mechanical Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California, 92093-0021, UNITED STATES
| | - Padmini Rangamani
- Mechanical Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California, 92093-0021, UNITED STATES
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7
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Angarita GA, Worhunsky PD, Naganawa M, Toyonaga T, Nabulsi NB, Li CSR, Esterlis I, Skosnik PD, Radhakrishnan R, Pittman B, Gueorguieva R, Potenza MN, Finnema SJ, Huang Y, Carson RE, Malison RT. Lower prefrontal cortical synaptic vesicle binding in cocaine use disorder: An exploratory 11 C-UCB-J positron emission tomography study in humans. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13123. [PMID: 34852401 PMCID: PMC8891080 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical studies have revealed robust and long-lasting alterations in dendritic spines in the brain following cocaine exposure. Such alterations are hypothesized to underlie enduring maladaptive behaviours observed in cocaine use disorder (CUD). The current study explored whether synaptic density is altered in CUD. Fifteen individuals with DSM-5 CUD and 15 demographically matched healthy control (HC) subjects participated in a single 11 C-UCB-J positron emission tomography scan to assess density of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). The volume of distribution (VT ) and the plasma-free fraction-corrected form of the total volume of distribution (VT /fP ) were analysed in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsomedial and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (PFC), lateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and ventral striatum. A significant diagnostic-group-by-region interaction was observed for VT and VT /fP . Post hoc analyses revealed no differences on VT , while for VT /fP showed lower values in CUD as compared with HC subjects in the ACC (-10.9%, p = 0.02), ventromedial PFC (-9.9%, p = 0.02) and medial OFC (-9.9%, p = 0.04). Regional VT /fP values in CUD, though unrelated to measures of lifetime cocaine use, were positively correlated with the frequency of recent cocaine use (p = 0.02-0.03) and negatively correlated with cocaine abstinence (p = 0.008-0.03). These findings provide initial preliminary in vivo evidence of altered (lower) synaptic density in the PFC of humans with CUD. Cross-sectional variation in SV2A availability as a function of recent cocaine use and abstinence suggests that synaptic density may be dynamically and plastically regulated by acute cocaine, an observation that merits direct testing by studies using more definitive longitudinal designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo A. Angarita
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Patrick D. Worhunsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Nabeel B. Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Chiang-Shan R. Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Patrick D. Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Rajiv Radhakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Brian Pittman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Ralitza Gueorguieva
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven CT 06520
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling, 100 Great Meadow Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, 234 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06510
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Sjoerd J. Finnema
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Richard E. Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, 801 Howard Ave, New Haven, CT 06519
| | - Robert T. Malison
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Suite # 901, New Haven, CT 06511
- Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519
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8
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Cai WT, Kim WY, Kwak MJ, Rim H, Lee SE, Riecken LB, Morrison H, Kim J. Disruption of amphetamine sensitization by alteration of dendritic thin spines in the nucleus accumbens core. J Neurochem 2022; 161:266-280. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Ting Cai
- Department of Physiology Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Wha Young Kim
- Department of Physiology Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Myung Ji Kwak
- Department of Medical Sciences Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Haeun Rim
- Department of Medical Sciences Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Eun Lee
- Virus Facility, Research Animal Source Center Korea Institute of Science and Technology Seoul Republic of Korea
| | | | - Helen Morrison
- Leibniz Institute on Aging Fritz Lipmann Institute Jena Germany
| | - Jeong‐Hoon Kim
- Department of Physiology Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
- Department of Medical Sciences Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul Republic of Korea
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9
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Laque A, Wagner GE, Matzeu A, De Ness GL, Kerr TM, Carroll AM, de Guglielmo G, Nedelescu H, Buczynski MW, Gregus AM, Jhou TC, Zorrilla EP, Martin-Fardon R, Koya E, Ritter RC, Weiss F, Suto N. Linking drug and food addiction via compulsive appetite. Br J Pharmacol 2022; 179:2589-2609. [PMID: 35023154 PMCID: PMC9081129 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE "Food addiction" is the subject of intense public and research interest. However, this nosology based on neurobehavioral similarities among obese individuals and patients with eating disorders and drug addiction remains controversial. We thus sought to determine which aspects of disordered eating are causally linked to preclinical models of drug addiction. We hypothesized that extensive drug histories, known to cause addiction-like brain changes and drug motivation in rats, would also cause addiction-like food motivation. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Rats underwent extensive cocaine, alcohol, caffeine or obesogenic diet histories, and were subsequently tested for punishment-resistant food self-administration or "compulsive appetite", as a measure of addiction-like food motivation. KEY RESULTS Extensive cocaine and alcohol (but not caffeine) histories caused compulsive appetite that persisted long after the last drug exposure. Extensive obesogenic diet histories also caused compulsive appetite, although neither cocaine nor alcohol histories caused excess calorie intake and bodyweight during abstinence. Hence, compulsive appetite and obesity appear to be dissociable, with the former sharing common mechanisms with preclinical drug addiction models. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Compulsive appetite, as seen in subsets of obese individuals and patients with binge-eating disorder and bulimia nervosa (eating disorders that do not necessarily result in obesity), appears to epitomize "food addiction". Because different drug and obesogenic diet histories caused compulsive appetite, overlapping dysregulations in the reward circuits, which control drug and food motivation independently of energy homeostasis, may offer common therapeutic targets for treating addictive behaviors across drug addiction, eating disorders and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Laque
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Grant E Wagner
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessandra Matzeu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Genna L De Ness
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tony M Kerr
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,College of Pharmacy, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ayla M Carroll
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Hermina Nedelescu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew W Buczynski
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.,School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ann M Gregus
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Eric P Zorrilla
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Remi Martin-Fardon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eisuke Koya
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, UK
| | - Robert C Ritter
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Friedbert Weiss
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nobuyoshi Suto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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10
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Sustkova-Fiserova M, Charalambous C, Khryakova A, Certilina A, Lapka M, Šlamberová R. The Role of Ghrelin/GHS-R1A Signaling in Nonalcohol Drug Addictions. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:761. [PMID: 35054944 PMCID: PMC8776007 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction causes constant serious health, social, and economic burden within the human society. The current drug dependence pharmacotherapies, particularly relapse prevention, remain limited, unsatisfactory, unreliable for opioids and tobacco, and even symptomatic for stimulants and cannabinoids, thus, new more effective treatment strategies are researched. The antagonism of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor type A (GHS-R1A) has been recently proposed as a novel alcohol addiction treatment strategy, and it has been intensively studied in experimental models of other addictive drugs, such as nicotine, stimulants, opioids and cannabinoids. The role of ghrelin signaling in these drugs effects has also been investigated. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of preclinical and clinical studies focused on ghrelin's/GHS-R1A possible involvement in these nonalcohol addictive drugs reinforcing effects and addiction. Although the investigation is still in its early stage, majority of the existing reviewed experimental results from rodents with the addition of few human studies, that searched correlations between the genetic variations of the ghrelin signaling or the ghrelin blood content with the addictive drugs effects, have indicated the importance of the ghrelin's/GHS-R1As involvement in the nonalcohol abused drugs pro-addictive effects. Further research is necessary to elucidate the exact involved mechanisms and to verify the future potential utilization and safety of the GHS-R1A antagonism use for these drug addiction therapies, particularly for reducing the risk of relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Sustkova-Fiserova
- Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (C.C.); (A.K.); (A.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Chrysostomos Charalambous
- Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (C.C.); (A.K.); (A.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Anna Khryakova
- Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (C.C.); (A.K.); (A.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Alina Certilina
- Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (C.C.); (A.K.); (A.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Marek Lapka
- Department of Pharmacology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague, Czech Republic; (C.C.); (A.K.); (A.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Romana Šlamberová
- Department of Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 4, 120 00 Prague, Czech Republic;
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11
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Wildenberg G, Sorokina A, Koranda J, Monical A, Heer C, Sheffield M, Zhuang X, McGehee D, Kasthuri B. Partial connectomes of labeled dopaminergic circuits reveal non-synaptic communication and axonal remodeling after exposure to cocaine. eLife 2021; 10:71981. [PMID: 34965204 PMCID: PMC8716107 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopaminergic (DA) neurons exert profound influences on behavior including addiction. However, how DA axons communicate with target neurons and how those communications change with drug exposure remains poorly understood. We leverage cell type-specific labeling with large volume serial electron microscopy to detail DA connections in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of the mouse (Mus musculus) before and after exposure to cocaine. We find that individual DA axons contain different varicosity types based on their vesicle contents. Spatially ordering along individual axons further suggests that varicosity types are non-randomly organized. DA axon varicosities rarely make specific synapses (<2%, 6/410), but instead are more likely to form spinule-like structures (15%, 61/410) with neighboring neurons. Days after a brief exposure to cocaine, DA axons were extensively branched relative to controls, formed blind-ended 'bulbs' filled with mitochondria, and were surrounded by elaborated glia. Finally, mitochondrial lengths increased by ~2.2 times relative to control only in DA axons and NAc spiny dendrites after cocaine exposure. We conclude that DA axonal transmission is unlikely to be mediated via classical synapses in the NAc and that the major locus of anatomical plasticity of DA circuits after exposure to cocaine are large-scale axonal re-arrangements with correlated changes in mitochondria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg Wildenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, United States
| | - Anastasia Sorokina
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, United States
| | - Jessica Koranda
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Alexis Monical
- Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Chad Heer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Mark Sheffield
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Daniel McGehee
- Department of Anesthesia & Critical Care, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Bobby Kasthuri
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States.,Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, United States
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12
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Kruyer A, Parrilla-Carrero J, Powell C, Brandt L, Gutwinski S, Angelis A, Chalhoub RM, Jhou TC, Kalivas PW, Amato D. Accumbens D2-MSN hyperactivity drives antipsychotic-induced behavioral supersensitivity. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6159-6169. [PMID: 34349226 PMCID: PMC8760070 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01235-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Antipsychotic-induced dopamine supersensitivity, or behavioral supersensitivity, is a problematic consequence of long-term antipsychotic treatment characterized by the emergence of motor abnormalities, refractory symptoms, and rebound psychosis. The underlying mechanisms are unclear and no approaches exist to prevent or reverse these unwanted effects of antipsychotic treatment. Here we demonstrate that behavioral supersensitivity stems from long-lasting pre, post and perisynaptic plasticity, including insertion of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors and loss of D2 receptor-dependent inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in D2 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore). The resulting hyperexcitability, prominent in a subpopulation of D2-MSNs (21%), caused locomotor sensitization to cocaine and was associated with behavioral endophenotypes of antipsychotic treatment resistance and substance use disorder, including disrupted extinction learning and augmented cue-induced cocaine-seeking behavior. Chemogenetic restoration of IPSCs in D2-MSNs in the NAcore was sufficient to prevent antipsychotic-induced supersensitivity, pointing to an entirely novel therapeutic direction for overcoming this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kruyer
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | | | - Courtney Powell
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lasse Brandt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Gutwinski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ariana Angelis
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Reda M Chalhoub
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Thomas C Jhou
- 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
| | - Davide Amato
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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13
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Nguyen ATM, Quach TVB, Kotha P, Chien SY, MacDonald IJ, Lane HY, Tu CH, Lin JG, Chen YH. Electroacupuncture prevents cocaine-induced conditioned place preference reinstatement and attenuates ΔFosB and GluR2 expression. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13694. [PMID: 34211013 PMCID: PMC8249658 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture has been used for treating drug addiction since the 1970s, but little is known about the mechanisms by which acupuncture affects drug cue-induced relapse. The transcription factor delta-FosB (ΔFosB) plays a critical role in behavior and pathology after chronic use of cocaine. ΔFosB regulates glutamate receptor signaling and dendritic spine morphology in animal models. This experimental study compared the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints LI4 and LI11 with those of another potentially beneficial intervention, gabapentin (GBP), alone or in combination, on reinstatement of cocaine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and levels of ΔFosB and glutamate receptor subunit 2 (GluR2) expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). EA at LI4 and LI11 significantly prevented cue-induced cocaine CPP reinstatement, whereas needle insertion without electrical stimulation at these acupoints had no such effect. EA also significantly attenuated cocaine-induced increases in ΔFosB and GluR2 expression in the NAc. Unexpectedly, these effects were reversed when GBP was combined with EA. Treatment with EA at LI4 and LI11 prevented cocaine-induced increases in dendritic spine density in the NAc core and shell. Our results suggest that EA at LI4 and LI11 may prevent cocaine relapse by modulating ΔFosB and GluR2 expression, as well as dendritic spine density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai T M Nguyen
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tran V B Quach
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Peddanna Kotha
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Szu-Yu Chien
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Iona J MacDonald
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hsien-Yuan Lane
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hao Tu
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Jaung-Geng Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Hung Chen
- Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
- Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
- Department of Photonics and Communication Engineering, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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14
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Grotell M, den Hollander B, Jalkanen A, Törrönen E, Ihalainen J, de Miguel E, Dudek M, Kettunen MI, Hyytiä P, Forsberg MM, Kankuri E, Korpi ER. Alcohol Co-Administration Changes Mephedrone-Induced Alterations of Neuronal Activity. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:679759. [PMID: 33995109 PMCID: PMC8115874 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.679759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mephedrone (4-MMC), despite its illegal status, is still a widely used psychoactive substance. Its effects closely mimic those of the classical stimulant drug methamphetamine (METH). Recent research suggests that unlike METH, 4-MMC is not neurotoxic on its own. However, the neurotoxic effects of 4-MMC may be precipitated under certain circumstances, such as administration at high ambient temperatures. Common use of 4-MMC in conjunction with alcohol raises the question whether this co-consumption could also precipitate neurotoxicity. A total of six groups of adolescent rats were treated twice daily for four consecutive days with vehicle, METH (5 mg/kg) or 4-MMC (30 mg/kg), with or without ethanol (1.5 g/kg). To investigate persistent delayed effects of the administrations at two weeks after the final treatments, manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging brain scans were performed. Following the scans, brains were collected for Golgi staining and spine analysis. 4-MMC alone had only subtle effects on neuronal activity. When administered with ethanol, it produced a widespread pattern of deactivation, similar to what was seen with METH-treated rats. These effects were most profound in brain regions which are known to have high dopamine and serotonin activities including hippocampus, nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen. In the regions showing the strongest activation changes, no morphological changes were observed in spine analysis. By itself 4-MMC showed few long-term effects. However, when co-administered with ethanol, the apparent functional adaptations were profound and comparable to those of neurotoxic METH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milo Grotell
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bjørnar den Hollander
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aaro Jalkanen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Essi Törrönen
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jouni Ihalainen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Elena de Miguel
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mateusz Dudek
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mikko I Kettunen
- Kuopio Biomedical Imaging Unit, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Petri Hyytiä
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus M Forsberg
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Esko Kankuri
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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15
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Lepow L, Morishita H, Yehuda R. Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:710004. [PMID: 34616272 PMCID: PMC8488335 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.710004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
As psychedelic compounds gain traction in psychiatry, there is a need to consider the active mechanism to explain the effect observed in randomized clinical trials. Traditionally, biological psychiatry has asked how compounds affect the causal pathways of illness to reduce symptoms and therefore focus on analysis of the pharmacologic properties. In psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PAP), there is debate about whether ingestion of the psychedelic alone is thought to be responsible for the clinical outcome. A question arises how the medication and psychotherapeutic intervention together might lead to neurobiological changes that underlie recovery from illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This paper offers a framework for investigating the neurobiological basis of PAP by extrapolating from models used to explain how a pharmacologic intervention might create an optimal brain state during which environmental input has enduring effects. Specifically, there are developmental "critical" periods (CP) with exquisite sensitivity to environmental input; the biological characteristics are largely unknown. We discuss a hypothesis that psychedelics may remove the brakes on adult neuroplasticity, inducing a state similar to that of neurodevelopment. In the visual system, progress has been made both in identifying the biological conditions which distinguishes the CP and in manipulating the active ingredients with the idea that we might pharmacologically reopen a critical period in adulthood. We highlight ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the visual system as a model for characterizing CP in limbic systems relevant to psychiatry. A CP framework may help to integrate the neuroscientific inquiry with the influence of the environment both in development and in PAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Lepow
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY, United States
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16
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Kim WY, Cai WT, Jang JK, Kim JH. Ezrin-radixin-moesin proteins are regulated by Akt-GSK3β signaling in the rat nucleus accumbens core. THE KOREAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSIOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 24:121-126. [PMID: 31908581 PMCID: PMC6940492 DOI: 10.4196/kjpp.2020.24.1.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins are a family of membrane-associated proteins known to play roles in cell-shape determination as well as in signaling pathways. We have previously shown that amphetamine decreases phosphorylation levels of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important neuronal substrate mediating rewarding effects of drugs of abuse. In the present study, we further examined what molecular pathways may be involved in this process. By direct microinjection of LY294002, a PI3 kinase inhibitor, or of S9 peptide, a proposed GSK3β activator, into the NAcc core, we found that phosphorylation levels of ERM as well as of GSK3β in this site are simultaneously decreased. These results indicate that ERM proteins are under the regulation of Akt-GSK3β signaling pathway in the NAcc core. The present findings have a significant implication to a novel signal pathway possibly leading to structural plasticity in relation with drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wha Young Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Wen Ting Cai
- Department of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | | | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.,Department of Medical Science, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
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17
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Zhang XQ, Yu ZP, Ling Y, Zhao QQ, Zhang ZY, Wang ZC, Shen HW. Enduring effects of juvenile social isolation on physiological properties of medium spiny neurons in nucleus accumbens. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3281-3289. [PMID: 31197434 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05284-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Juvenile social isolation (SI) and neglect is associated with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. While dysfunction of the corticolimbic pathway is considered to link various abnormal behaviors in SI models of schizophrenia, the enduring effects of early social deprivation on physiological properties of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in nucleus accumbens (NAc) are not well understood. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the impacts of juvenile SI on locomotor activity to methamphetamine (METH) and neurophysiological characteristics of MSNs in the core of NAc. METHODS Socially isolated C57BL/6 mice experienced single housing for 4 weeks on postnatal day (PND) 21. The locomotor response to METH (1.0 mg/kg) was observed in both socially isolated and group-housed mice at PND 56. The effects of juvenile SI on the excitatory synaptic events in MSNs and the intrinsic excitability of MSNs in NAc core were investigated in other batches during PND 63-70. RESULTS Socially isolated mice showed locomotor hypersensitivity to METH, although the expression of locomotor sensitization to METH in socially isolated mice was not different from group-housed mice. The recordings from MSNs of SI-reared mice exhibited higher frequency and smaller amplitude of miniature/spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current than those from group-reared mice. Moreover, SI resulted in increased intrinsic excitability of MSNs in adult mice. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate neuronal hyperactivity in the NAc of socially isolated mice, which could contribute to locomotor hypersensitivity to METH. Furthermore, the findings indicate a biological link between early negative life events and the vulnerability to psychostimulant-induced psychosis in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Zhi-Peng Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Yu Ling
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Qi-Qi Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Zhong-Yu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zheng-Chun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China
| | - Hao-Wei Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical School of Ningbo University, 818 Fenghua Rd, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
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18
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The impact of sugar consumption on stress driven, emotional and addictive behaviors. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:178-199. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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19
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Giorgi O, Corda MG, Fernández-Teruel A. A Genetic Model of Impulsivity, Vulnerability to Drug Abuse and Schizophrenia-Relevant Symptoms With Translational Potential: The Roman High- vs. Low-Avoidance Rats. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:145. [PMID: 31333426 PMCID: PMC6624787 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The bidirectional selective breeding of Roman high- (RHA) and low-avoidance (RLA) rats for respectively rapid vs. poor acquisition of active avoidant behavior has generated two lines/strains that differ markedly in terms of emotional reactivity, with RHA rats being less fearful than their RLA counterparts. Many other behavioral traits have been segregated along the selection procedure; thus, compared with their RLA counterparts, RHA rats behave as proactive copers in the face of aversive conditions, display a robust sensation/novelty seeking (SNS) profile, and show high impulsivity and an innate preference for natural and drug rewards. Impulsivity is a multifaceted behavioral trait and is generally defined as a tendency to express actions that are poorly conceived, premature, highly risky or inappropriate to the situation, that frequently lead to unpleasant consequences. High levels of impulsivity are associated with several neuropsychiatric conditions including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and drug addiction. Herein, we review the behavioral and neurochemical differences between RHA and RLA rats and survey evidence that RHA rats represent a valid genetic model, with face, construct, and predictive validity, to investigate the neural underpinnings of behavioral disinhibition, novelty seeking, impulsivity, vulnerability to drug addiction as well as deficits in attentional processes, cognitive impairments and other schizophrenia-relevant traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvaldo Giorgi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maria G Corda
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alberto Fernández-Teruel
- Medical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, Institute of Neurosciences, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Cai WT, Yoon HS, Lee S, Kim JH. Repeated exposure to methiopropamine increases dendritic spine density in the rat nucleus accumbens core. Neurochem Int 2019; 129:104487. [PMID: 31176680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.104487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to classical psychomotor stimulants, like amphetamine (AMPH), produces locomotor sensitization and accompanied structural plasticity of dendritic spines in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Following our previous report that repeated administration of methiopropamine (MPA), a structural analog to meth-AMPH, produces locomotor sensitization, it was examined in the present study whether this behavioral change also accompanies with structural plasticity in the NAcc in a similar way to AMPH. A week after adeno-associated viral vectors containing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) were microinjected into the NAcc core, rats were repeatedly injected with saline, AMPH (1 mg/kg, IP), or MPA (5 mg/kg, IP) once every 2-3 days for a total of 4 times. Two weeks after last injection, all rats were perfused and their brains were processed for immunohistochemical staining. The image stacks for dendrite segments of medium spiny neuronal cells in the NAcc core were obtained and dendritic spines were quantitatively analyzed. Interestingly, it was found that the number of total spine density, with thin spine as a major contributor, was significantly increased in MPA compared to saline pre-exposed group, in a similar way to AMPH. These results indicate that MPA, a novel psychoactive substance, has similar characteristics with AMPH in that they both produce structural as well as behavioral changes, further supporting MPA's dependence and abuse potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Ting Cai
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Hyung Shin Yoon
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea
| | - Sooyeun Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, Daegu, 42601, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, South Korea.
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21
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Barrientos C, Knowland D, Wu MMJ, Lilascharoen V, Huang KW, Malenka RC, Lim BK. Cocaine-Induced Structural Plasticity in Input Regions to Distinct Cell Types in Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:893-904. [PMID: 29921416 PMCID: PMC8169057 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a brain region implicated in pathological motivated behaviors such as drug addiction and is composed predominantly of two discrete populations of neurons, dopamine receptor-1- and dopamine receptor-2-expressing medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs, respectively). It is unclear whether these populations receive inputs from different brain areas and whether input regions to these cell types undergo distinct structural adaptations in response to the administration of addictive drugs such as cocaine. METHODS Using a modified rabies virus-mediated tracing method, we created a comprehensive brain-wide monosynaptic input map to NAc D1- and D2-MSNs. Next, we analyzed nearly 2000 dendrites and 125,000 spines of neurons across four input regions (the prelimbic cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, and ventral hippocampus) at four separate time points during cocaine administration and withdrawal to examine changes in spine density in response to repeated intraperitoneal cocaine injection in mice. RESULTS D1- and D2-MSNs display overall similar input profiles, with the exception that D1-MSNs receive significantly more input from the medial orbitofrontal cortex. We found that neurons in distinct brain areas projecting to D1- and D2-MSNs display different adaptations in dendritic spine density at different stages of cocaine administration and withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS While NAc D1- and D2-MSNs receive input from similar brain structures, cocaine-induced spine density changes in input regions are quite distinct and dynamic. While previous studies have focused on input-specific postsynaptic changes within NAc MSNs in response to cocaine, these findings emphasize the dramatic changes that occur in the afferent input regions as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cindy Barrientos
- Neurobiology Section in the Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Daniel Knowland
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, California
| | - Mingche MJ Wu
- Neurobiology Section in the Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Varoth Lilascharoen
- Neurobiology Section in the Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kee Wui Huang
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Robert C. Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Byung Kook Lim
- Neurobiology Section, Biological Sciences Division, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
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22
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Gross KS, Moore KM, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. mGluR5 Mediates Dihydrotestosterone-Induced Nucleus Accumbens Structural Plasticity, but Not Conditioned Reward. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:855. [PMID: 30515075 PMCID: PMC6255826 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadal hormones play a vital role in driving motivated behavior. They not only modulate responses to naturally rewarding stimuli, but also influence responses to drugs of abuse. A commonality between gonadal hormones and drugs of abuse is that they both impact the neurocircuitry of reward, including the regulation of structural plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Previous hormonal studies have focused on the mechanisms and behavioral correlates of estradiol-induced dendritic spine changes in the female NAc. Here we sought to determine the effects of androgens on medium spiny neuron (MSN) spine plasticity in the male NAc. Following treatment with the androgen receptor agonist dihydrotestosterone (DHT), MSNs in castrated male rats exhibited a significant decrease in dendritic spine density. This effect was isolated to the shell subregion of the NAc. The effect of DHT was dependent on mGluR5 activity, and local mGluR5 activation and subsequent endocannabinoid signaling produce an analogous NAc shell spine decrease. Somewhat surprisingly, DHT-induced conditioned place preference remained intact following systemic inhibition of mGluR5. These findings indicate that androgens can utilize mGluR signaling, similar to estrogens, to mediate changes in NAc dendritic structure. In addition, there are notable differences in the direction of spine changes, and site specificity of estrogen and androgen action, suggesting sex differences in the hormonal regulation of motivated behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellie S Gross
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Kelsey M Moore
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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23
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Bhardwaj SK, Dodat F, Lévesque D, Srivastava LK. Altered regulation of Nur77 nuclear receptor gene expression in the mesocorticolimbic regions of rat brain by amphetamine sensitization. Brain Res 2018; 1694:46-54. [PMID: 29750935 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.05.007] [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: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying psychostimulant drug-induced sensitization include long-term cellular and molecular adaptations in dopaminergic circuits. Nur77, a member of the Nur family of transcription factors, is expressed in brain regions receiving dopamine inputs and plays a role in activity-induced synaptic modification. Here we evaluated changes in Nur77 mRNA levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), dorsal striatum (Str) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of rats receiving a repeated, sensitizing regimen of amphetamine (AMPH). Results were compared to two groups of controls - animals receiving repeated injections of saline (Rp-SAL) or with no treatment (CON). Two weeks after the last injection, the effect of an acute challenge dose of AMPH on Nur77 expression was evaluated using in-situ hybridization. Repeated AMPH treatment (Rp-AMPH) increased the levels of Nur77 mRNA in the mPFC, NAc core and shell regions. However, the effects of an acute injection of AMPH in each of the three groups of animals was distinct. Whereas an acute AMPH led to a significant increase of Nur77 in all brain regions of the CON animals, it had no significant effect in Rp-SAL animals. Interestingly, in acute AMPH-injected Rp-AMPH animals, Nur77 mRNA levels in the mPFC, Str and NAc regions were significantly lower compared to CON and Rp-SAL animals treated with acute AMPH. There was a positive correlation between AMPH -induced locomotor activity and Nur77 mRNA expression in CON animals; however, this relationship was absent in Rp-SAL and Rp-AMPH animals. The data suggest that Nur77 is a part of neuroadaptive changes caused by either mild stress of repeated injections as well as AMPH-sensitization and may play a role in abnormal behaviors induced by the drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeev K Bhardwaj
- Douglas Mental Health Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fatéma Dodat
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Lévesque
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lalit K Srivastava
- Douglas Mental Health Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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24
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Cahill ME, Walker DM, Gancarz AM, Wang ZJ, Lardner CK, Bagot RC, Neve RL, Dietz DM, Nestler EJ. The dendritic spine morphogenic effects of repeated cocaine use occur through the regulation of serum response factor signaling. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1474-1486. [PMID: 28555077 PMCID: PMC5709273 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a primary brain reward region composed predominantly of medium spiny neurons (MSNs). In response to early withdrawal from repeated cocaine administration, de novo dendritic spine formation occurs in NAc MSNs. Much evidence indicates that this new spine formation facilitates the rewarding properties of cocaine. Early withdrawal from repeated cocaine also produces dramatic alterations in the transcriptome of NAc MSNs, but how such alterations influence cocaine's effects on dendritic spine formation remain unclear. Studies in non-neuronal cells indicate that actin cytoskeletal regulatory pathways in nuclei have a direct role in the regulation of gene transcription in part by controlling the access of co-activators to their transcription factor partners. In particular, actin state dictates the interaction between the serum response factor (SRF) transcription factor and one of its principal co-activators, MAL. Here we show that cocaine induces alterations in nuclear F-actin signaling pathways in the NAc with associated changes in the nuclear subcellular localization of SRF and MAL. Using in vivo optogenetics, the brain region-specific inputs to the NAc that mediate these nuclear changes are investigated. Finally, we demonstrate that regulated SRF expression, in turn, is critical for the effects of cocaine on dendritic spine formation and for cocaine-mediated behavioral sensitization. Collectively, these findings reveal a mechanism by which nuclear-based changes influence the structure of NAc MSNs in response to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- ME Cahill
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - DM Walker
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - AM Gancarz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - ZJ Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - CK Lardner
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - RC Bagot
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - RL Neve
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - DM Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Research Institute on Addictions, Program in Neuroscience, State University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - EJ Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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25
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Jang JK, Kim WY, Cho BR, Lee JW, Kim JH. Locomotor sensitization is expressed by ghrelin and D1 dopamine receptor agonist in the nucleus accumbens core in amphetamine pre-exposed rat. Addict Biol 2018. [PMID: 28635134 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Ghrelin modulates mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways in the brain in addition to its role in feeding. We investigated what roles ghrelin in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) core may play in mediating locomotor activating effects of amphetamine (AMPH). First, when rats were administered with AMPH (1 mg/kg, i.p.) following a bilateral microinjection of ghrelin (0.1 or 0.5 μg/side) into the NAcc core, their locomotor activity was significantly enhanced, while these effects were blocked by co-microinjection of ghrelin receptor antagonist (0.5 μg/side) into this site. Second, we pre-exposed rats to saline or amphetamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) every 2 to 3 days for a total of four times. After 2 weeks of drug-free withdrawal period, we examined the effect of saline, ghrelin (0.5 μg/side), D1 dopamine receptor agonist, SKF81297 (0.5 μg/side) or ghrelin (0.5 μg/side) + SKF81297 (0.5 μg/side) directly microinjected into the NAcc core on locomotor activity. When we measured rats' locomotor activity for 1 hour immediately following microinjections, only ghrelin + SKF81297 produces sensitized locomotor activity, while all others have no effects. These results suggest that ghrelin may have a distinct role in the NAcc core to provoke the sensitized locomotor activity induced by psychomotor stimulants, and further, it may produce these effects by interaction with D1 dopamine receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Kyong Jang
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science; Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Seoul South Korea
| | - Wha Young Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science; Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Seoul South Korea
| | - Bo Ram Cho
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science; Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Seoul South Korea
| | - Jung Won Lee
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science; Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Seoul South Korea
| | - Jeong-Hoon Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science; Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine; Seoul South Korea
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26
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Bamford NS, Wightman RM, Sulzer D. Dopamine's Effects on Corticostriatal Synapses during Reward-Based Behaviors. Neuron 2018; 97:494-510. [PMID: 29420932 PMCID: PMC5808590 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Many learned responses depend on the coordinated activation and inhibition of synaptic pathways in the striatum. Local dopamine neurotransmission acts in concert with a variety of neurotransmitters to regulate cortical, thalamic, and limbic excitatory inputs to drive the direct and indirect striatal spiny projection neuron outputs that determine the activity, sequence, and timing of learned behaviors. We review recent advances in the characterization of stereotyped neuronal and operant responses that predict and then obtain rewards. These depend on the local release of dopamine at discrete times during behavioral sequences, which, acting with glutamate, provides a presynaptic filter to select which excitatory synapses are inhibited and which signals pass to indirect pathway circuits. This is followed by dopamine-dependent activation of specific direct pathway circuits to procure a reward. These steps may provide a means by which higher organisms learn behaviors in response to feedback from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nigel S Bamford
- Departments of Pediatrics, Neurology, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - R Mark Wightman
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Columbia University Medical Campus, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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27
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Lee JW, Kim WY, Cho BR, Vezina P, Kim JH. Leptin in the nucleus accumbens core disrupts acute cocaine effects: Implications for GSK3β connections. Behav Brain Res 2018; 337:46-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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28
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Cross-talk between the epigenome and neural circuits in drug addiction. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2017; 235:19-63. [PMID: 29054289 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a behavioral disorder characterized by dysregulated learning about drugs and associated cues that result in compulsive drug seeking and relapse. Learning about drug rewards and predictive cues is a complex process controlled by a computational network of neural connections interacting with transcriptional and molecular mechanisms within each cell to precisely guide behavior. The interplay between rapid, temporally specific neuronal activation, and longer-term changes in transcription is of critical importance in the expression of appropriate, or in the case of drug addiction, inappropriate behaviors. Thus, these factors and their interactions must be considered together, especially in the context of treatment. Understanding the complex interplay between epigenetic gene regulation and circuit connectivity will allow us to formulate novel therapies to normalize maladaptive reward behaviors, with a goal of modulating addictive behaviors, while leaving natural reward-associated behavior unaffected.
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29
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Strong CE, Schoepfer KJ, Dossat AM, Saland SK, Wright KN, Kabbaj M. Locomotor sensitization to intermittent ketamine administration is associated with nucleus accumbens plasticity in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2017; 121:195-203. [PMID: 28479397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Clinical evidence suggests superior antidepressant response over time with a repeated, intermittent ketamine treatment regimen as compared to a single infusion. However, the club drug ketamine is commonly abused. Therefore, the abuse potential of repeated ketamine injections at low doses needs to be investigated. In this study, we investigated the abuse potential of repeated exposure to either 0, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg ketamine administered once weekly for seven weeks. Locomotor activity and conditioned place preference (CPP) were assayed to evaluate behavioral sensitization to the locomotor activating effects of ketamine and its rewarding properties, respectively. Our results show that while neither males nor females developed CPP, males treated with 5 mg/kg and females treated with either 2.5 or 5 mg/kg ketamine behaviorally sensitized. Furthermore, dendritic spine density was increased in the NAc of both males and females administered 5 mg/kg ketamine, an effect specific to the NAc shell (NAcSh) in males but to both the NAc core (NAcC) and NAcSh in females. Additionally, males administered 5 mg/kg ketamine displayed increased protein expression of ΔfosB, calcium calmodulin kinase II alpha (CaMKIIα), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an effect not observed in females administered either dose of ketamine. However, males and females administered 5 mg/kg ketamine displayed increased protein expression of AMPA receptors (GluA1). Taken together, low-dose ketamine, when administered intermittently, induces behavioral sensitization at a lower dose in females than males, accompanied by an increase in spine density in the NAc and protein expression changes in pathways commonly implicated in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Strong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - K J Schoepfer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - A M Dossat
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - S K Saland
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - K N Wright
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - M Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
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30
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Anderson EM, Self DW. It's only a matter of time: longevity of cocaine-induced changes in dendritic spine density in the nucleus accumbens. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2016; 13:117-123. [PMID: 28607946 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many reports show that repeated cocaine administration increases dendritic spine density in medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens, but there is less agreement regarding the persistence of these changes. In this review we examine these discrepancies by systematically categorizing papers that measured cocaine-induced changes in accumbal spine density. We compare published reports based on withdrawal time, short versus long duration of cocaine administration, environmental pairing with cocaine, and core/shell subregion specificity. Together, these studies suggest that cocaine exposure induces rapid and dose-dependent increases in spine density in accumbens neurons that may play a role in the maintenance of cocaine use and vulnerability to early relapse, but are not a factor in behavioral changes associated with longer abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan M Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, The Seay Center for Basic and Applied Research in Psychiatric Illness, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, USA 75390-9070
| | - David W Self
- Department of Psychiatry, The Seay Center for Basic and Applied Research in Psychiatric Illness, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX, USA 75390-9070
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31
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Peterson BM, Martinez LA, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. Estradiol impacts the endocannabinoid system in female rats to influence behavioral and structural responses to cocaine. Neuropharmacology 2016; 110:118-124. [PMID: 27266915 PMCID: PMC5028287 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Compared with men, women show enhanced responses to drugs of abuse, and consequently are thought to be more vulnerable to addiction. The ovarian hormone estradiol has emerged as a key facilitator in the heightened development of addiction in females. These actions of estradiol appear mediated by estrogen receptor (ER) activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGluR5). However, the downstream effectors of this ER/mGluR5 signaling pathway are unknown. Here we investigate whether cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) activation is a part of the mechanism whereby estradiol influences behavioral and synaptic correlates of addiction. Following repeated cocaine administration, estradiol-treated ovariectomized rats exhibited both sensitized locomotor responses and decreases in the dendritic spine density of nucleus accumbens core medium-spiny neurons in comparison to oil-treated controls. Both effects of estradiol were blocked by AM251, a CB1R inverse agonist. These results indicate that part of the signaling mechanism through which estradiol impacts behavioral and synaptic correlates of addiction in female rats requires activation of CB1Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittni M Peterson
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Luis A Martinez
- Department of Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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32
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Guegan T, Cebrià JP, Maldonado R, Martin M. Morphine-induced locomotor sensitization produces structural plasticity in the mesocorticolimbic system dependent on CB1-R activity. Addict Biol 2016; 21:1113-1126. [PMID: 26179931 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Changes in structural plasticity produced by the chronic exposure to drugs of abuse, such as alterations in dendritic spine densities, participate in the development of maladaptive learning processes leading to drug addiction. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms involved in these aberrant changes is crucial to clarify the neurobiological substrate of addiction. Drug-induced locomotor sensitization has been widely accepted as a useful animal model to study these mechanisms related to drug addiction. We have evaluated the changes in structural plasticity in the mesocorticolimbic system involved in morphine-induced locomotor sensitization. The role of the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1-R) in these neuroplastic alterations has also been studied using CB1-R-deficient (CB1-R KO) mice. Structural plasticity changes promoted by morphine are a highly dynamic phenomenon that evolves during the entire time course of the behavioral sensitization in wild-type (WT) animals. The different phases of the sensitization process were related to specific changes in connectivity between neurons revealed by modifications in dendritic spines in specific areas of the mesocorticolimbic system. Moreover, the lack of morphine-induced locomotor sensitization in CB1-R KO mice was accompanied by abnormal alterations in structural plasticity in the same mesocorticolimbic areas. These specific structural plasticity changes mediated by CB1-R activity seem necessary for the normal progression of morphine-induced locomotor sensitization and could play a critical role in the addictive process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Guegan
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology; Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona/Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Spain
| | - Joan Pau Cebrià
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology; Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona/Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Spain
| | - Rafael Maldonado
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology; Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona/Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Spain
| | - Miquel Martin
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology; Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona/Universitat Pompeu Fabra; Spain
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33
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Khibnik LA, Beaumont M, Doyle M, Heshmati M, Slesinger PA, Nestler EJ, Russo SJ. Stress and Cocaine Trigger Divergent and Cell Type-Specific Regulation of Synaptic Transmission at Single Spines in Nucleus Accumbens. Biol Psychiatry 2016; 79:898-905. [PMID: 26164802 PMCID: PMC4670821 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repeated exposure to cocaine or social stress leads to lasting structural and functional synaptic alterations in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of nucleus accumbens (NAc). Although cocaine-induced and stress-induced structural changes in dendritic spines have been well documented, few studies have investigated functional consequences of cocaine and stress at the level of single spines. METHODS We exposed mice to chronic cocaine or chronic social defeat stress and used two-photon laser scanning microscopy with glutamate photo-uncaging and whole-cell recording to examine synaptic strength at individual spines on two distinct types of NAc MSNs in acute slices after 24 hours of cocaine withdrawal and after chronic social defeat stress. RESULTS In animals treated with cocaine, average synaptic strength was reduced specifically at large mushroom spines of MSNs expressing dopamine receptor type 1 (D1-MSNs). In contrast, cocaine promoted a rightward shift in the distribution of synaptic weights toward larger synaptic responses in MSNs expressing dopamine receptor type 2 (D2-MSNs). After chronic social defeat stress, resilient animals displayed an upregulation of synaptic strength at large mushroom spines of D1-MSNs and a concomitant downregulation in D2-MSNs. Although susceptible mice did not exhibit a significant overall change in synaptic strength on D1-MSNs or D2-MSNs, we observed a slight leftward shift in cumulative distribution of large synaptic responses in both cell types. CONCLUSIONS This study provides the first functional cell type-specific and spine type-specific comparison of synaptic strength at a single spine level between cocaine-induced and stress-induced neuroadaptations and demonstrates that psychoactive drugs and stress trigger divergent changes in synaptic function in NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena A. Khibnik
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Michael Beaumont
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Marie Doyle
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Mitra Heshmati
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Paul A. Slesinger
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Scott J. Russo
- Corresponding author: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Room 10-20A, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, Tel: (212)659-5917,
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34
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Context- and time-dependent neurobiological and behavioral sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:1147-55. [PMID: 26728895 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-4197-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Drug-induced sensitization in the mesocorticolimbic systems is thought to play an important role in certain aspects of drug addiction, including the involvement of drug-associated cues and environments in mediating drug-seeking behaviors. Our previous studies have identified the significance of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in the development of a single morphine exposure-induced behavioral sensitization. OBJECTIVES The present study expands upon these findings by investigating the effect of environment on the expression of behavioral sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure, and the potential involvement of Hsp70 protein levels in these effects. METHODS Mice were pretreated with a single morphine injection in test chambers (morphine-paired) or home cages (morphine-unpaired) on day 1 and challenged on day 2 or 8, in test chambers. Hsp70 expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) was analyzed after the challenge. RESULTS The expression of single morphine exposure-induced behavioral sensitization was accompanied by a significant increase in Hsp70 expression in NAc. In contrast, the unpaired morphine-treated group failed to exhibit behavioral sensitization or higher Hsp70 expression. Additionally, by adding a habituation process prior to the challenge, we demonstrated that conditioned hyperactivity, which was not accompanied by an increased expression of Hsp70, is not essential for behavioral sensitization. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure in mice exhibits context and time dependency, with environmental context likely functioning via an inhibitory conditioning mechanism. Furthermore, alterations in Hsp70 expression in the NAc may represent a neurobiological sensitization mechanism mediating context- and time-dependent behavioral sensitization.
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35
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Smith LN, Penrod RD, Taniguchi M, Cowan CW. Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice. J Vis Exp 2016:53107. [PMID: 26967472 DOI: 10.3791/53107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
It is thought that rewarding experiences with drugs create strong contextual associations and encourage repeated intake. In turn, repeated exposures to drugs of abuse make lasting alterations in the brain function of vulnerable individuals, and these persistent alterations likely serve to maintain the maladaptive drug seeking and taking behaviors characteristic of addiction/dependence(2). In rodents, reward experience and contextual associations are frequently measured using the conditioned place preference assay, or CPP, wherein preference for a previously drug-paired context is measured. Behavioral sensitization, on the other hand, is an increase in a drug-induced behavior that develops progressively over repeated exposures. Since sensitized behaviors can often be measured after several months of drug abstinence, depending on the dose and length of initial exposure, they are considered observable correlates of lasting drug-induced plasticity. Researchers have found these assays useful in determining the neurobiological substrates mediating aspects of addiction as well as assessing the potential of different interventions in disrupting these behaviors. This manuscript describes basic, effective protocols for mouse CPP and locomotor behavioral sensitization to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital
| | - Rachel D Penrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital
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Hanganu A, Provost JS, Monchi O. Neuroimaging studies of striatum in cognition part II: Parkinson's disease. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:138. [PMID: 26500512 PMCID: PMC4596940 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years a gradual shift in the definition of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been established, from a classical akinetic-rigid movement disorder to a multi-system neurodegenerative disease. While the pathophysiology of PD is complex and goes much beyond the nigro-striatal degeneration, the striatum has been shown to be responsible for many cognitive functions. Patients with PD develop impairments in multiple cognitive domains and the PD model is probably the most extensively studied regarding striatum dysfunction and its influence on cognition. Up to 40% of PD patients present cognitive impairment even in the early stages of disease development. Thus, understanding the key patterns of striatum and connecting regions' influence on cognition will help develop more specific approaches to alleviate cognitive impairment and slow down its decline. This review focuses on the contribution of neuroimaging studies in understanding how striatum impairment affects cognition in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Hanganu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Sebastien Provost
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of MontrealMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Oury Monchi
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of CalgaryCalgary, AB, Canada
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
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Varghese SP, Montalvo-Ortiz JL, Csernansky JG, Eiger RI, Herrold AA, Koola MM, Dong H. Early Life Stress as a Risk Factor for Substance use Disorders: Clinical and Neurobiological Substrates. Indian J Psychol Med 2015; 37:36-41. [PMID: 25722510 PMCID: PMC4341308 DOI: 10.4103/0253-7176.150816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early Life Stress (ELS) can profoundly influence an individual's genotype and phenotype. Effects of ELS can manifest in the short-term, late life and even in subsequent generations. ELS activate corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF); CRF influences drug seeking and addiction. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of endogenous elevated levels of CRF on addiction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Inducible forebrain over-expression of CRF mice (tetop-CRH x CaMKII-tTA) was used for this study. Morphine (10 mg/kg) was administered every other day for 10 days or with increasing doses of morphine: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 100 mg/kg. The behavioral trials including morphine sensitization, Somatic Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms (SOWS) were conducted in a single, open field, activity. After behavioral trial, animals were perfused for immunohistochemistry analysis. RESULTS CRF-over expressed (CRF-OE) mice showed increase in morphine sensitization and withdrawal symptoms after morphine administration compared to wild type (WT) mice. The two-way ANOVA in the morphine sensitization study showed a significant effect of treatment (P<0.05) and genotype for distance traveled (P<0.01). In the SOWS study, opiate withdrawal symptoms such as rearings, circling behavior, grooming, and jump in CRF-OE were amplified in parallel to WT mice. In the immunohistochemistry study, pro-dynorphine (PDYN) expression was increased after morphine administration in both amygdala and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). CONCLUSIONS CRF-OE in the forebrain increases the sensitization and withdrawal symptoms in morphine treated mice. On exposure to morphine, in CRF-OE mice the PDYN protein expression was increased as compared to WT mice in the amygdala and NAcc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajoy Purathumuriyil Varghese
- Department of Mental Health, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA ; Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Janitza L Montalvo-Ortiz
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - John G Csernansky
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rodney I Eiger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amy A Herrold
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA ; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare, Edward Hines Jr., Veteran Affairs Hospital, Hines, IL 60141, USA
| | - Maju Mathew Koola
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21204, USA
| | - Hongxin Dong
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Mereu M, Tronci V, Chun LE, Thomas AM, Green JL, Katz JL, Tanda G. Cocaine-induced endocannabinoid release modulates behavioral and neurochemical sensitization in mice. Addict Biol 2015; 20:91-103. [PMID: 23910902 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the development of synaptic plasticity induced by several drugs abused by humans, including cocaine. However, there remains some debate about the involvement of cannabinoid receptors/ligands in cocaine-induced plasticity and corresponding behavioral actions. Here, we show that a single cocaine injection in Swiss-Webster mice produces behavioral and neurochemical alterations that are under the control of the endocannabinoid system. This plasticity may be the initial basis for changes in brain processes leading from recreational use of cocaine to its abuse and ultimately to dependence. Locomotor activity was monitored with photobeam cell detectors, and accumbens shell/core microdialysate dopamine levels were monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Development of single-trial cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, measured as increased distance traveled in sensitized mice compared to control mice, was paralleled by a larger stimulation of extracellular dopamine levels in the core but not the shell of the nucleus accumbens. Both the behavioral and neurochemical effects were reversed by CB1 receptor blockade produced by rimonabant pre-treatments. Further, both behavioral and neurochemical cocaine sensitization were facilitated by pharmacological blockade of endocannabinoid metabolism, achieved by inhibiting the fatty acid amide hydrolase enzyme. In conclusion, our results suggest that a single unconditioned exposure to cocaine produces sensitization through neuronal alterations that require regionally specific release of endocannabinoids. Further, the present results suggest that endocannabinoids play a primary role from the earliest stage of cocaine use, mediating the inception of long-term brain-adaptive responses, shaping central pathways and likely increasing vulnerability to stimulant abuse disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Mereu
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Valeria Tronci
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Lauren E. Chun
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Alexandra M. Thomas
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Jennifer L. Green
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Jonathan L. Katz
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
| | - Gianluigi Tanda
- Psychobiology Section; Molecular Targets & Medications Discovery Branch; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; Baltimore MD USA
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Repeated administration of a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist differentially affects cortical and accumbal neuronal morphology in adolescent and adult rats. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:407-19. [PMID: 25348266 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0914-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrate a differential trajectory for cannabinoid receptor expression in cortical and sub-cortical brain areas across postnatal development. In the present study, we sought to investigate whether chronic systemic exposure to a synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonist causes morphological changes in the structure of dendrites and dendritic spines in adolescent and adult pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and medium spiny neurons (MSN) in the nucleus accumbens (Acb). Following systemic administration of WIN 55,212-2 in adolescent (PN 37-40) and adult (P55-60) male rats, the neuronal architecture of pyramidal neurons and MSN was assessed using Golgi-Cox staining. While no structural changes were observed in WIN 55,212-2-treated adolescent subjects compared to control, exposure to WIN 55,212-2 significantly increased dendritic length, spine density and the number of dendritic branches in pyramidal neurons in the mPFC of adult subjects when compared to control and adolescent subjects. In the Acb, WIN 55,212-2 exposure significantly decreased dendritic length and number of branches in adult rat subjects while no changes were observed in the adolescent groups. In contrast, spine density was significantly decreased in both the adult and adolescent groups in the Acb. To determine whether regional developmental morphological changes translated into behavioral differences, WIN 55,212-2-induced aversion was evaluated in both groups using a conditioned place preference paradigm. In adult rats, WIN 55,212-2 administration readily induced conditioned place aversion as previously described. In contrast, adolescent rats did not exhibit aversion following WIN 55,212-2 exposure in the behavioral paradigm. The present results show that synthetic cannabinoid administration differentially impacts cortical and sub-cortical neuronal morphology in adult compared to adolescent subjects. Such differences may underlie the disparate development effects of cannabinoids on behavior.
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Effects of the trace amine-associated receptor 1 agonist RO5263397 on abuse-related effects of cocaine in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:2309-16. [PMID: 24743376 PMCID: PMC4138753 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.91] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Animal knockout studies suggest that trace amine-associated receptor (TAAR) 1 is involved in behavioral effects of psychostimulants such as cocaine. Recently, several highly selective TAAR 1 agonists have been discovered. However, little is known of the impact of TAAR 1 agonists on abuse-related effects of cocaine. Here, we report the effects of a TAAR 1 agonist RO5263397 on several abuse-related behavioral effects of cocaine in rats. RO5263397 was evaluated for its effects on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization, conditioned place preference (CPP), cue- and cocaine prime-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior, and cocaine self-administration using behavioral economic analysis. RO5263397 reduced the expression of cocaine behavioral sensitization, cue- and cocaine prime-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking, and expression but not development of cocaine CPP. Behavioral economic analysis showed that RO5263397 increased the elasticity of the cocaine demand curve, but did not change cocaine consumption at minimal prices. Taken together, this is the first systematic assessment of a TAAR 1 agonist on a range of behavioral effects of cocaine, showing that RO5263397 was efficacious in reducing cocaine-mediated behaviors. Collectively, these data uncover essential neuromodulatory roles of TAAR 1 on cocaine abuse, and suggest that TAAR 1 may represent a novel drug target for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Taracha E, Kaniuga E, Chrapusta SJ, Maciejak P, Śliwa L, Hamed A, Krząścik P. Diverging frequency-modulated 50-kHz vocalization, locomotor activity and conditioned place preference effects in rats given repeated amphetamine treatment. Neuropharmacology 2014; 83:128-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Martinez LA, Peterson BM, Meisel RL, Mermelstein PG. Estradiol facilitation of cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization in female rats requires activation of mGluR5. Behav Brain Res 2014; 271:39-42. [PMID: 24893316 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.05.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In comparison to men, women exhibit enhanced responsiveness to the stimulating and addictive properties of cocaine. A growing body of evidence implicates the steroid hormone estradiol in mediating this sex difference, yet the mechanisms underlying estradiol enhancement of behavioral responses to cocaine in females are not known. Recently, we have found that estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) functionally couples with the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) to mediate the effects of estradiol on both cellular activation as well as dendritic spine plasticity in brain regions involved in cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization. Thus, we sought to determine whether mGluR5 activation is required for the facilitative effects of estradiol on locomotor responses to cocaine. To test this hypothesis, ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were tested for locomotor activity on the first and fifth days of daily systemic injections of cocaine. For the 2 days prior to each locomotor test, animals were injected with the mGluR5 antagonist MPEP (or vehicle) and estradiol (or oil). MPEP treatment blocked the facilitative effects of estradiol on cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization, without affecting acute responses to cocaine or the inhibitory actions of estradiol on weight gain. Considered together, these data indicate that mGluR5 activation is critical for the actions of estradiol on cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A Martinez
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Brittni M Peterson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Graduate Program of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Robert L Meisel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Graduate Program of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paul G Mermelstein
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Graduate Program of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 6-145 Jackson Hall, 321 Church St SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Smith LN, Jedynak JP, Fontenot MR, Hale CF, Dietz KC, Taniguchi M, Thomas FS, Zirlin BC, Birnbaum SG, Huber KM, Thomas MJ, Cowan CW. Fragile X mental retardation protein regulates synaptic and behavioral plasticity to repeated cocaine administration. Neuron 2014; 82:645-58. [PMID: 24811383 PMCID: PMC4052976 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Repeated cocaine exposure causes persistent, maladaptive alterations in brain and behavior, and hope for effective therapeutics lies in understanding these processes. We describe here an essential role for fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein and regulator of dendritic protein synthesis, in cocaine conditioned place preference, behavioral sensitization, and motor stereotypy. Cocaine reward deficits in FMRP-deficient mice stem from elevated mGluR5 (or GRM5) function, similar to a subset of fragile X symptoms, and do not extend to natural reward. We find that FMRP functions in the adult nucleus accumbens (NAc), a critical addiction-related brain region, to mediate behavioral sensitization but not cocaine reward. FMRP-deficient mice also exhibit several abnormalities in NAc medium spiny neurons, including reduced presynaptic function and premature changes in dendritic morphology and glutamatergic neurotransmission following repeated cocaine treatment. Together, our findings reveal FMRP as a critical mediator of cocaine-induced behavioral and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N. Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Jakub P. Jedynak
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Miles R. Fontenot
- Medical Science Training Program, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Carly F. Hale
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Karen C. Dietz
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Makoto Taniguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Feba S. Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Benjamin C. Zirlin
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Shari G. Birnbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
| | - Kimberly M. Huber
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Mark J. Thomas
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Minnesota, 321 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Wallin Medical Biosciences Building, 2101 Sixth Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Christopher W. Cowan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
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Chaperone heat shock protein 70 in nucleus accumbens core: a novel biological target of behavioural sensitization to morphine in rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 17:469-84. [PMID: 24280010 DOI: 10.1017/s1461145713001429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a major public health issue, yet the underlying adaptation of neural networks by drugs of abuse is not fully understood. We have previously linked chaperone heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) to drug-induced adaptations. Focusing on the NAc core and shell, the present study aims to provide further findings for our understanding of the relation between behavioural sensitization to morphine and Hsp70 at transcriptional and functional levels in rats. Firstly, we delineated the characteristics of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure (1-10 mg/kg, s.c.). Secondly, Hsp70 protein expression in the NAc core was time- and dose-relatedly induced during the development of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure in rats, and Pearson analysis indicated a positive correlation between behavioural sensitization and Hsp70 expression in NAc core. Thirdly, at the transcriptional level, intra-NAc core injection of the specific heat shock factor-I (HSF-I) inhibitor N-Formyl-3,4-methylenedioxy-benzylidine-γ-butyrolactam (KNK437) suppressed Hsp70 expression and the development of behavioural sensitization, while the HSF-I specific inducer geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) promoted both of them. Interestingly, intra-NAc shell injection of KNK437 or GGA did not affect the development of behavioural sensitization. Finally, both the functional inhibition of Hsp70 ATPase activity by methylene blue (MB), and the antagonism of Hsp70 substrate binding site (SBD) activity by pifithrin-μ (PES) impaired the development of behavioural sensitization when they were microinjected into the NAc core. Taken together, the critical involvement of chaperone Hsp70 in behavioural sensitization to morphine identifies a biological target for long-lasting adaptations with relevance to addiction.
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Gancarz-Kausch AM, Schroeder GL, Panganiban C, Adank D, Humby MS, Kausch MA, Clark SD, Dietz DM. Transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 is increased following abstinence from cocaine self-administration, but not cocaine sensitization. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83834. [PMID: 24386286 PMCID: PMC3875479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The addicted phenotype is characterized as a long-lasting, chronically relapsing disorder that persists following long periods of abstinence, suggesting that the underlying molecular changes are stable and endure for long periods even in the absence of drug. Here, we investigated Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Type I receptor (TGF-β R1) expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) following periods of withdrawal from cocaine self-administration (SA) and a sensitizing regimen of non-contingent cocaine. Rats were exposed to either (i) repeated systemic injections (cocaine or saline), or (ii) self-administration (cocaine or saline) and underwent a period of forced abstinence (either 1 or 7 days of drug cessation). Withdrawal from cocaine self-administration resulted in an increase in TGF-β R1 protein expression in the NAc compared to saline controls. This increase was specific for volitional cocaine intake as no change in expression was observed following a sensitizing regimen of experimenter-administered cocaine. These findings implicate TGF-β signaling as a novel potential therapeutic target for treating drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Gancarz-Kausch
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Gabrielle L. Schroeder
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Clarisse Panganiban
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle Adank
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Monica S. Humby
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Kausch
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Stewart D. Clark
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - David M. Dietz
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Kalirin-7 mediates cocaine-induced AMPA receptor and spine plasticity, enabling incentive sensitization. J Neurosci 2013; 33:11012-22. [PMID: 23825406 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1097-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that behavioral sensitization to cocaine is accompanied by increased spine density and AMPA receptor (AMPAR) transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), but two major questions remain unanswered. Are these adaptations mechanistically coupled? And, given that they can be dissociated from locomotor sensitization, what is their functional significance? We tested the hypothesis that the guanine-nucleotide exchange factor Kalirin-7 (Kal-7) couples cocaine-induced AMPAR and spine upregulation and that these adaptations underlie sensitization of cocaine's incentive-motivational properties-the properties that make it "wanted." Rats received eight daily injections of saline or cocaine. On withdrawal day 14, we found that Kal-7 levels and activation of its downstream effectors Rac-1 and PAK were increased in the NAc of cocaine-sensitized rats. Furthermore, AMPAR surface expression and spine density were increased, as expected. To determine whether these changes require Kal-7, a lentiviral vector expressing Kal-7 shRNA was injected into the NAc core before cocaine exposure. Knocking down Kal-7 abolished the AMPAR and spine upregulation normally seen during cocaine withdrawal. Despite the absence of these adaptations, rats with reduced Kal-7 levels developed locomotor sensitization. However, incentive sensitization, which was assessed by how rapidly rats learned to self-administer a threshold dose of cocaine, was severely impaired. These results identify a signaling pathway coordinating AMPAR and spine upregulation during cocaine withdrawal, demonstrate that locomotor and incentive sensitization involve divergent mechanisms, and link enhanced excitatory transmission in the NAc to incentive sensitization.
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Kim WY, Jang JK, Shin JK, Kim JH. Amphetamine dephosphorylates ERM proteins in the nucleus accumbens core and lithium attenuates its effects. Neurosci Lett 2013; 552:103-7. [PMID: 23932889 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2013] [Revised: 07/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) proteins have been implicated not only in cell-shape determination but also in cellular signaling pathway. We have previously shown that cocaine decreases phosphorylation levels of these proteins in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important brain area mediating addictive behaviors. Here we further revealed that the phosphorylation levels of ERM were decreased in the NAcc core, but not in the shell, by a single injection of amphetamine (AMPH) (2 mg/kg, i.p.). When lithium (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was co-administered with AMPH, the decreases of phosphorylation levels for ERM by AMPH were recovered back to basal levels in the NAcc core. Together, these results suggest that psychomotor stimulants like AMPH regulate phosphorylation levels of ERM in the NAcc core and lithium-involved signaling pathway has a regulatory role in the opposite direction in this site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wha Young Kim
- Department of Physiology, Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Brain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
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49
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Waselus M, Flagel SB, Jedynak JP, Akil H, Robinson TE, Watson SJ. Long-term effects of cocaine experience on neuroplasticity in the nucleus accumbens core of addiction-prone rats. Neuroscience 2013; 248:571-84. [PMID: 23811073 PMCID: PMC3859827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to drugs of abuse is associated with structural plasticity in brain reward pathways. Rats selectively bred for locomotor response to novelty differ on a number of neurobehavioral dimensions relevant to addiction. This unique genetic animal model was used here to examine both pre-existing differences and long-term consequences of repeated cocaine treatment on structural plasticity. Selectively bred high-responder (bHR) and low-responder (bLR) rats received repeated saline or cocaine injections for 9 consecutive days. Escalating doses of cocaine (7.5, 15 and 30 mg/kg) were administered on the first (day 1) and last (day 9) days of treatment and a single injection of the intermediate dose (15 mg/kg) was given on days 2-8. Motor activity in response to escalating doses of cocaine was compared on the first and last days of treatment to assess the acute and sensitized response to the drug. Following prolonged cocaine abstinence (28 days), spine density was examined on terminal dendrites of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens core. Relative to bLRs, bHRs exhibited increased psychomotor activation in response to both the acute and repeated effects of cocaine. There were no differences in spine density between bHR and bLR rats under basal conditions or following repeated saline treatment. However, spine density differed markedly between these two lines following prolonged cocaine abstinence. All spine types were decreased in cocaine-treated bHRs, while only mushroom spines were decreased in bLRs that received cocaine. Changes in spine density occurred specifically near the branch point of terminal dendrites. These findings indicate that structural plasticity associated with prolonged cocaine abstinence varies markedly in two selected strains of rats that vary on numerous traits relevant to addiction. Thus, genetic factors that contribute to individual variation in the behavioral response to cocaine also influence cocaine-induced structural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Waselus
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - S B Flagel
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J P Jedynak
- Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Akil
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - T E Robinson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - S J Watson
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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50
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Cell-type specific increases in female hamster nucleus accumbens spine density following female sexual experience. Brain Struct Funct 2013; 219:2071-81. [PMID: 23934655 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-013-0624-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Female sexual behavior is an established model of a naturally motivated behavior which is regulated by activity within the mesolimbic dopamine system. Repeated activation of the mesolimbic circuit by female sexual behavior elevates dopamine release and produces persistent postsynaptic alterations to dopamine D1 receptor signaling within the nucleus accumbens. Here we demonstrate that sexual experience in female Syrian hamsters significantly increases spine density and alters morphology selectively in D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons within the nucleus accumbens core, with no corresponding change in dopamine receptor binding or protein expression. Our findings demonstrate that previous life experience with a naturally motivated behavior has the capacity to induce persistent structural alterations to the mesolimbic circuit that can increase reproductive success and are analogous to the persistent structural changes following repeated exposure to many drugs of abuse.
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