1
|
Rezayof A, Ghasemzadeh Z, Sahafi OH. Addictive drugs modify neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity to impair memory formation through neurotransmitter imbalances and signaling dysfunction. Neurochem Int 2023; 169:105572. [PMID: 37423274 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2023.105572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Drug abuse changes neurophysiological functions at multiple cellular and molecular levels in the addicted brain. Well-supported scientific evidence suggests that drugs negatively affect memory formation, decision-making and inhibition, and emotional and cognitive behaviors. The mesocorticolimbic brain regions are involved in reward-related learning and habitual drug-seeking/taking behaviors to develop physiological and psychological dependence on the drugs. This review highlights the importance of specific drug-induced chemical imbalances resulting in memory impairment through various neurotransmitter receptor-mediated signaling pathways. The mesocorticolimbic modifications in the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) impair reward-related memory formation following drug abuse. The contributions of protein kinases and microRNAs (miRNAs), along with the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation have also been considered in memory impairment underlying drug addiction. Overall, we integrate the research on various types of drug-induced memory impairment in distinguished brain regions and provide a comprehensive review with clinical implications addressing the upcoming studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zahra Ghasemzadeh
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Oveis Hosseinzadeh Sahafi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Olfactory Stimulation Successfully Modulates the Neurochemical, Biochemical and Behavioral Phenotypes of the Visceral Pain. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27217659. [DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral pain (VP) is the organ-derived nociception in which increased inflammatory reaction and exaggerated activation of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) may contribute to this deficiency. Considering the amygdala also serves as the integration center for olfaction, the present study aimed to determine whether olfactory stimulation (OS) would effectively depress over-activation and inflammatory reaction in CeA, and successfully relieve VP-induced abnormalities. Adult rats subjected to intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid inhaled lavender essential oil for 2 or 4 h. The potential benefits of OS were determined by measuring the pro-inflammatory cytokine level, intracellular potassium and the upstream small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channel expression, together with detecting the stress transmitters that participated in the modulation of CeA activity. Results indicated that in VP rats, strong potassium intensity, reduced SK channel protein level, and increased corticotropin-releasing factor, c-fos, and substance P immuno-reactivities were detected in CeA. Enhanced CeA activation corresponded well with increased inflammatory reaction and decreased locomotion, respectively. However, in rats subjected to VP and received OS, all above parameters were significantly returned to normal levels with higher change detected in treating OS of 4h. As OS successfully depresses inflammation and CeA over-activation, application of OS may serve as an alternative and effective strategy to efficiently relieve VP-induced deficiency.
Collapse
|
3
|
Barbee BR, Gourley SL. Brain systems in cocaine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behavior in rodents: A review. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 2:100012. [PMID: 37485439 PMCID: PMC10361393 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a significant public health issue that generates substantial personal, familial, and economic burdens. Still, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for CUD. Cocaine-dependent individuals report anxiety during withdrawal, and alleviation of anxiety and other negative affective states may be critical for maintaining drug abstinence. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying abstinence-related anxiety in humans or anxiety-like behavior in rodents are not fully understood. This review summarizes investigations regarding anxiety-like behavior in mice and rats undergoing cocaine abstinence, as assessed using four of the most common anxiety-related assays: the elevated plus (or its derivative, the elevated zero) maze, open field test, light-dark transition test, and defensive burying task. We first summarize available evidence that cocaine abstinence generates anxiety-like behavior that persists throughout protracted abstinence. Then, we examine investigations concerning neuropeptide, neurotransmitter, and neuromodulator systems in cocaine abstinence-induced anxiety-like behavior. Throughout, we discuss how differences in sex, rodent strain, cocaine dose and dosing strategy and abstinence duration interact to generate anxiety-like behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Britton R. Barbee
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology,
Emory University
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of
Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| | - Shannon L. Gourley
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology,
Emory University
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of
Medicine; Yerkes National Primate Research Center
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Saha S, Mohanta S, Das R, Dalai R, Divyanshi, Tiwari N, Tiwari A, Kumar A, Goswami C. Ratio of Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic and Positive-Negative Residues at Lipid-Water-Interface Influences Surface Expression and Channel Gating of TRPV1. J Membr Biol 2022; 255:319-339. [PMID: 35608627 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-022-00243-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During evolution, TRPV1 has lost, retained or selected certain residues at Lipid-Water-Interface (LWI) and formed specific patterns there. The ratio of "hydrophobic-hydrophilic" and "positive-negative-charged" residues at the inner LWI remains conserved throughout vertebrate evolution and plays important role in regulating TRPV1 trafficking and localization. Arg575 is an important residue as Arg575Asp mutant has reduced surface expression, co-localization with lipid raft markers, cell area and increased cell lethality. This lethality is most likely due to the disruption of the ratio between positive-negative charges caused by the mutation. Such lethality can be rescued by either using TRPV1-specfic inhibitor 5'-IRTX or by restoring the positive-negative charge ratio at that position, i.e. by introducing Asp576Arg mutation in Arg575Asp backbone. We propose that Arg575Asp mutation confers TRPV1 in a "constitutive-open-like" condition. These findings have broader implication in understanding the molecular evolution of thermo-sensitive ion channels and the micro-environments involved in processes that goes erratic in different diseases. The segment of TRPV1 that is present at the inner lipid-water-interface (LWI) has a specific pattern of amino acid combinations. The overall ratio of +ve charge /-ve charge and the ratio of hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity remain constant throughout the vertebrate evolution (ca 450 million years). This specific pattern is not observed in the outer LWI region of TRPV1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Somdatta Saha
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Sushama Mohanta
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Rashmita Das
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Ritesh Dalai
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Divyanshi
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Nikhil Tiwari
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India.,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India
| | - Ankit Tiwari
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Institute of Bioinformatics, International Technology Park, Bangalore, 560066, India.,Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Chandan Goswami
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Jatni Campus, Bhubaneswar, Orissa, 752050, India. .,Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai, 400094, India.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sanna F, De Luca MA. The potential role of oxytocin in addiction: What is the target process? Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 58:8-20. [PMID: 33845377 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin regulates a variety of centrally-mediated functions, ranging from socio-sexual behavior, maternal care, and affiliation to fear, stress, anxiety. In the past years, both clinical and preclinical studies characterized oxytocin for its modulatory role on reward-related neural substrates mainly involving the interplay with the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic pathways. This suggests a role of this nonapeptide on the neurobiology of addiction raising the possibility of its therapeutic use. Although far from a precise knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, the putative role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as a key structure where oxytocin may rebalance altered neurochemical processes and neuroplasticity involved in dependence and relapse has been highlighted. This view opens new opportunities to address the health problems related to drug misuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Vasconcelos M, Stein DJ, Gallas-Lopes M, Landau L, de Almeida RMM. Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor signaling and modulation: implications for stress response and resilience. TRENDS IN PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOTHERAPY 2020; 42:195-206. [PMID: 32696892 DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2018-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction In addition to their role in regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its related peptides, the urocortins, are important mediators of physiological and pathophysiological processes of the central nervous, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, endocrine, reproductive, and skin systems. Altered regulation of CRF-mediated adaptive responses to various stressful stimuli disrupts healthy function and might confer vulnerability to several disorders, including depression and anxiety. Methodology This narrative review was conducted through search and analysis of studies retrieved from online databases using a snowball method. Results This review covers aspects beginning with the discovery of CRF, CRF binding protein and their actions via interaction with CRF receptors type 1 and type 2. These are surface plasma membrane receptors, activation of which is associated with conformational changes and interaction with a variety of G-proteins and signaling pathways. We also reviewed the pharmacology and mechanisms of the receptor signaling modulatory activity of these receptors. Conclusion This review compiles and presents knowledge regarding the CRFergic system, including CRF related peptides, CRF binding protein, and CRF receptors, as well as some evidence that is potentially indicative of the biological roles of these entities in several physiological and pathophysiological processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mailton Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Dirson J Stein
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Matheus Gallas-Lopes
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Luane Landau
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rosa Maria M de Almeida
- Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yarur HE, Vega-Quiroga I, González MP, Noches V, Thomases DR, Andrés ME, Ciruela F, Tseng KY, Gysling K. Inhibitory Control of Basolateral Amygdalar Transmission to the Prefrontal Cortex by Local Corticotrophin Type 2 Receptor. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 23:108-116. [PMID: 31800046 PMCID: PMC7094000 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Basolateral amygdalar projections to the prefrontal cortex play a key role in modulating behavioral responses to stress stimuli. Among the different neuromodulators known to impact basolateral amygdalar-prefrontal cortex transmission, the corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) is of particular interest because of its role in modulating anxiety and stress-associated behaviors. While CRF type 1 receptor (CRFR1) has been involved in prefrontal cortex functioning, the participation of CRF type 2 receptor (CRFR2) in basolateral amygdalar-prefrontal cortex synaptic transmission remains unclear. METHODS Immunofluorescence anatomical studies using rat prefrontal cortex synaptosomes devoid of postsynaptic elements were performed in rats with intra basolateral amygdalar injection of biotinylated dextran amine. In vivo microdialysis and local field potential recordings were used to measure glutamate extracellular levels and changes in long-term potentiation in prefrontal cortex induced by basolateral amygdalar stimulation in the absence or presence of CRF receptor antagonists. RESULTS We found evidence for the presynaptic expression of CRFR2 protein and mRNA in prefrontal cortex synaptic terminals originated from basolateral amygdalar. By means of microdialysis and electrophysiological recordings in combination with an intra-prefrontal cortex infusion of the CRFR2 antagonist antisauvagine-30, we were able to determine that CRFR2 is functionally positioned to limit the strength of basolateral amygdalar transmission to the prefrontal cortex through presynaptic inhibition of glutamate release. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows for the first time to our knowledge that CRFR2 is expressed in basolateral amygdalar afferents projecting to the prefrontal cortex and exerts an inhibitory control of prefrontal cortex responses to basolateral amygdalar inputs. Thus, changes in CRFR2 signaling are likely to disrupt the functional connectivity of the basolateral amygdalar-prefrontal cortex pathway and associated behavioral responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hector E Yarur
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ignacio Vega-Quiroga
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcela P González
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Verónica Noches
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel R Thomases
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - María E Andrés
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Ciruela
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Departament Patologia i Terapèutica Experimental, Facultat de Medicina, IDIBELL, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kuei Y Tseng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois,Correspondence: Katia Gysling, PhD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8331150 Santiago, Chile (); Kuei Y. Tseng, PhD, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA ()
| | - Katia Gysling
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile,Correspondence: Katia Gysling, PhD, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 8331150 Santiago, Chile (); Kuei Y. Tseng, PhD, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA ()
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Deussing JM, Chen A. The Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Family: Physiology of the Stress Response. Physiol Rev 2018; 98:2225-2286. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological stress response is responsible for the maintenance of homeostasis in the presence of real or perceived challenges. In this function, the brain activates adaptive responses that involve numerous neural circuits and effector molecules to adapt to the current and future demands. A maladaptive stress response has been linked to the etiology of a variety of disorders, such as anxiety and mood disorders, eating disorders, and the metabolic syndrome. The neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and its relatives, the urocortins 1–3, in concert with their receptors (CRFR1, CRFR2), have emerged as central components of the physiological stress response. This central peptidergic system impinges on a broad spectrum of physiological processes that are the basis for successful adaptation and concomitantly integrate autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral stress responses. This review focuses on the physiology of CRF-related peptides and their cognate receptors with the aim of providing a comprehensive up-to-date overview of the field. We describe the major molecular features covering aspects of gene expression and regulation, structural properties, and molecular interactions, as well as mechanisms of signal transduction and their surveillance. In addition, we discuss the large body of published experimental studies focusing on state-of-the-art genetic approaches with high temporal and spatial precision, which collectively aimed to dissect the contribution of CRF-related ligands and receptors to different levels of the stress response. We discuss the controversies in the field and unravel knowledge gaps that might pave the way for future research directions and open up novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan M. Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; and Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Martinon D, Dabrowska J. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptors Modulate Oxytocin Release in the Dorsolateral Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis (BNST) in Male Rats. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:183. [PMID: 29618970 PMCID: PMC5871712 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) plays an important role in the regulation of social and anxiety-like behavior. Our previous studies have shown that OT neurons send projections from the hypothalamus to the dorsolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTdl), a forebrain region critically involved in the modulation of anxiety-like behavior. Importantly, these OT terminals in the BNSTdl express presynaptic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptor type 2 (CRFR2). This suggests that CRFR2 might be involved in the modulation of OT release. To test this hypothesis, we measured OT content in microdialysates collected from the BNSTdl of freely-moving male Sprague-Dawley rats following the administration of a selective CRFR2 agonist (Urocortin 3) or antagonist (Astressin 2B, As2B). To determine if type 1 CRF receptors (CRFR1) are also involved, we used selective CRFR1 antagonist (NBI35965) as well as CRF, a putative ligand of both CRFR1 and CRFR2. All compounds were delivered directly into the BNSTdl via reverse dialysis. OT content in the microdialysates was measured with highly sensitive and selective radioimmunoassay. Blocking CRFR2 with As2B caused an increase in OT content in BNSTdl microdialysates, whereas CRFR2 activation by Urocortin 3 did not have an effect. The As2B-induced increase in OT release was blocked by application of the CRFR1 antagonist demonstrating that the effect was dependent on CRFR1 transmission. Interestingly, CRF alone caused a delayed increase in OT content in BNSTdl microdialysates, which was dependent on CRF2 but not CRF1 receptors. Our results suggest that members of the CRF peptide family modulate OT release in the BNSTdl via a fine-tuned mechanism that involves both CRFR1 and CRFR2. Further exploration of mechanisms by which endogenous OT system is modulated by CRF peptide family is needed to better understand the role of these neuropeptides in the regulation of anxiety and the stress response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daisy Martinon
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joanna Dabrowska
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bernardi RE, Broccoli L, Hirth N, Justice NJ, Deussing JM, Hansson AC, Spanagel R. Dissociable Role of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone Receptor Subtype 1 on Dopaminergic and D1 Dopaminoceptive Neurons in Cocaine Seeking Behavior. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:221. [PMID: 29180955 PMCID: PMC5693884 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of many drugs of abuse, including cocaine, to mediate reinforcement and drug-seeking behaviors is in part mediated by the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) system, in which CRH exerts its effects partly via the CRH receptor subtype 1 (CRHR1) in extra-hypothalamic areas. In fact, CRHR1 expressed in regions of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system have been demonstrated to modify cocaine-induced DA release and alter cocaine-mediated behaviors. Here we examined the role of neuronal selectivity of CRHR1 within the mesolimbic system on cocaine-induced behaviors. First we used a transgenic mouse line expressing GFP under the control of the Crhr1 promoter for double fluorescence immunohistochemistry to demonstrate the cellular location of CRHR1 in both dopaminergic and D1 dopaminoceptive neurons. We then studied cocaine sensitization, self-administration, and reinstatement in inducible CRHR1 knockouts using the CreERT2/loxP in either dopamine transporter (DAT)-containing neurons (DAT-Crhr1) or dopamine receptor 1 (D1)-containing neurons (D1-Crhr1). For sensitization testing, mice received five daily injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg IP). For self-administration, mice received eight daily 2 h cocaine (0.5 mg/kg per infusion) self-administration sessions followed by extinction and reinstatement testing. There were no differences in the acute or sensitized locomotor response to cocaine in DAT-Crhr1 or D1-Crhr1 mice and their respective controls. Furthermore, both DAT-Crhr1 and D1-Crhr1 mice reliably self-administered cocaine at the level of controls. However, DAT-Crhr1 mice demonstrated a significant increase in cue-induced reinstatement relative to controls, whereas D1-Crhr1 mice demonstrated a significant decrease in cue-induced reinstatement relative to controls. These data demonstrate the involvement of CRHR1 in cue-induced reinstatement following cocaine self-administration, and implicate a bi-directional role of CRHR1 for cocaine craving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rick E Bernardi
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Laura Broccoli
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Natalie Hirth
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nicholas J Justice
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Molecular Neurogenetics, Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Varodayan FP, Correia D, Kirson D, Khom S, Oleata CS, Luu G, Schweitzer P, Roberto M. CRF modulates glutamate transmission in the central amygdala of naïve and ethanol-dependent rats. Neuropharmacology 2017; 125:418-428. [PMID: 28807676 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is hypothesized to drive the development of alcohol dependence, as it regulates ethanol intake and several anxiogenic behaviors linked to withdrawal. Excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission contributes to alcohol reinforcement, tolerance and dependence. Therefore, in this study we used in vitro slice electrophysiology to investigate the effects of CRF and its receptor subtype (CRF1 and CRF2) antagonists on both evoked and spontaneous action potential-independent glutamatergic transmission in the CeA of naive and ethanol-dependent Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that CRF (25-200 nM) concentration-dependently diminished evoked compound excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), but increased miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequencies similarly in CeA neurons of both naïve and ethanol-dependent rats, indicating reduced evoked glutamatergic responses and enhanced vesicular glutamate release, respectively. This CRF-induced vesicular glutamate release was prevented by the CRF1/2 antagonist (Astressin B) and the CRF1 antagonist (R121919), but not by the CRF2 antagonist (Astressin 2B). Similarly, CRF's effects on evoked glutamatergic responses were completely blocked by CRF1 antagonism, but only slightly decreased in the presence of the CRF2 antagonist. Moreover, CRF1 antagonism reveals a tonic facilitation of vesicular glutamate, whereas the CRF2 antagonism revealed a tonic inhibition of vesicular glutamate release. Collectively our data show that CRF primarily acts at presynaptic CRF1 to produce opposite effects on CeA evoked and spontaneous glutamate release and that the CRF system modulates CeA glutamatergic synapses throughout the development of alcohol dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego Correia
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, Paraná, CEP 81531-990, Brazil
| | - Dean Kirson
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sophia Khom
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - George Luu
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Paul Schweitzer
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Department of Neuroscience, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Roberto M, Spierling SR, Kirson D, Zorrilla EP. Corticotropin-Releasing Factor (CRF) and Addictive Behaviors. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 136:5-51. [PMID: 29056155 PMCID: PMC6155477 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex disorder that is characterized by compulsivity to seek and take the drug, loss of control in limiting intake of the drug, and emergence of a withdrawal syndrome in the absence of the drug. The transition from casual drug use to dependence is mediated by changes in reward and brain stress functions and has been linked to a shift from positive reinforcement to negative reinforcement. The recruitment of brain stress systems mediates the negative emotional state produced by dependence that drives drug seeking through negative reinforcement mechanisms, defined as the "dark side" of addiction. In this chapter we focus on behavioral and cellular neuropharmacological studies that have implicated brain stress systems (i.e., corticotropin-releasing factor [CRF]) in the transition to addiction and the predominant brain regions involved. We also discuss the implication of CRF recruitment in compulsive eating disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States.
| | | | - Dean Kirson
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Varodayan FP, Logrip ML, Roberto M. P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels mediate the ethanol and CRF sensitivity of central amygdala GABAergic synapses. Neuropharmacology 2017; 125:197-206. [PMID: 28734867 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Revised: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) GABAergic system is hypothesized to drive the development of alcohol dependence, due to its pivotal roles in the reinforcing actions of alcohol and the expression of negative emotion, anxiety and stress. Recent work has also identified an important role for the CeA corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in the interaction between anxiety/stress and alcohol dependence. We have previously shown that acute alcohol and CRF each increase action potential-independent GABA release in the CeA via their actions at presynaptic CRF type 1 receptors (CRF1s); however, the shared mechanism employed by these two compounds requires further investigation. Here we report that acute alcohol interacts with the CRF/CRF1 system, such that CRF and alcohol act via presynaptic CRF1s and P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels to promote vesicular GABA release and that both compounds occlude the effects of each other at these synapses. Chronic alcohol exposure does not alter P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel membrane abundance or this CRF1/P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channel mechanism of acute alcohol-induced GABA release, indicating that alcohol engages this molecular mechanism at CeA GABAergic synapses throughout the transition to dependence. Thus, P/Q-type voltage-gated calcium channels, like CRF1s, are key regulators of the effects of alcohol on GABAergic signaling in the CeA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- F P Varodayan
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - M L Logrip
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - M Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sanford CA, Soden ME, Baird MA, Miller SM, Schulkin J, Palmiter RD, Clark M, Zweifel LS. A Central Amygdala CRF Circuit Facilitates Learning about Weak Threats. Neuron 2016; 93:164-178. [PMID: 28017470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Fear is a graded central motive state ranging from mild to intense. As threat intensity increases, fear transitions from discriminative to generalized. The circuit mechanisms that process threats of different intensity are not well resolved. Here, we isolate a unique population of locally projecting neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) that produce the neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). CRF-producing neurons and CRF in the CeA are required for discriminative fear, but both are dispensable for generalized fear at high US intensities. Consistent with a role in discriminative fear, CRF neurons undergo plasticity following threat conditioning and selectively respond to threat-predictive cues. We further show that excitability of genetically isolated CRF-receptive (CRFR1) neurons in the CeA is potently enhanced by CRF and that CRFR1 signaling in the CeA is critical for discriminative fear. These findings demonstrate a novel CRF gain-control circuit and show separable pathways for graded fear processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christina A Sanford
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Marta E Soden
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Madison A Baird
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Samara M Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Richard D Palmiter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Michael Clark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Larry S Zweifel
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Henckens MJAG, Deussing JM, Chen A. Region-specific roles of the corticotropin-releasing factor-urocortin system in stress. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:636-51. [PMID: 27586075 DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.94] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dysregulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-urocortin (UCN) system has been implicated in stress-related psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety. It has been proposed that CRF-CRF receptor type 1 (CRFR1) signalling promotes the stress response and anxiety-like behaviour, whereas UCNs and CRFR2 activation mediate stress recovery and the restoration of homeostasis. Recent findings, however, provide clear evidence that this view is overly simplistic. Instead, a more complex picture has emerged that suggests that there are brain region- and cell type-specific effects of CRFR signalling that are influenced by the individual's prior experience and that shape molecular, cellular and ultimately behavioural responses to stressful challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marloes J A G Henckens
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan M Deussing
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| | - Alon Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, 80804 Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
Although it is challenging for individuals with cocaine addiction to achieve abstinence, the greatest difficulty is avoiding relapse to drug taking, which is often triggered by cues associated with prior cocaine use. This vulnerability to relapse persists for long periods (months to years) after abstinence is achieved. Here, I discuss rodent studies of cue-induced cocaine craving during abstinence, with a focus on neuronal plasticity in the reward circuitry that maintains high levels of craving. Such work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets and to further our understanding of experience-dependent plasticity in the adult brain under normal circumstances and in the context of addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marina E Wolf
- The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Fosnocht AQ, Briand LA. Substance use modulates stress reactivity: Behavioral and physiological outcomes. Physiol Behav 2016; 166:32-42. [PMID: 26907955 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a major public health concern in the United States costing taxpayers billions in health care costs, lost productivity and law enforcement. However, the availability of effective treatment options remains limited. The development of novel therapeutics will not be possible without a better understanding of the addicted brain. Studies in both clinical and preclinical models indicate that chronic drug use leads to alterations in the body and brain's response to stress. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may shed light on the ability of stress to increase vulnerability to relapse. Further, within both the HPA axis and limbic brain regions, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is critically involved in the brain's response to stress. Alterations in both central and peripheral CRF activity seen following chronic drug use provide a mechanism by which substance use can alter stress reactivity, thus mediating addictive phenotypes. While many reviews have focused on how stress alters drug-mediated changes in physiology and behavior, the goal of this review is to focus on how substance use alters responses to stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Hillard CJ. The Endocannabinoid Signaling System in the CNS: A Primer. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 125:1-47. [PMID: 26638763 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to provide an introduction to the mechanisms for the regulation of endocannabinoid signaling through CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system. The processes involved in the synthesis and degradation of the two most well-studied endocannabinoids, 2-arachidonoylglycerol and N-arachidonylethanolamine are outlined along with information regarding the regulation of the proteins involved. Signaling mechanisms and pharmacology of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor are outlined, as is the paradigm of endocannabinoid/CB1 receptor regulation of neurotransmitter release. The reader is encouraged to appreciate the importance of the endocannabinoid/CB1 receptor signaling system in the regulation of synaptic activity in the brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia J Hillard
- Neuroscience Research Center, and Department of Pharmacology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Herman MA, Varodayan FP, Oleata CS, Luu G, Kirson D, Heilig M, Ciccocioppo R, Roberto M. Glutamatergic transmission in the central nucleus of the amygdala is selectively altered in Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats: Alcohol and CRF effects. Neuropharmacology 2015; 102:21-31. [PMID: 26519902 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The CRF system of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is important for the processing of anxiety, stress, and effects of acute and chronic ethanol. We previously reported that ethanol decreases evoked glutamate transmission in the CeA of Sprague Dawley rats and that ethanol dependence alters glutamate release in the CeA. Here, we examined the effects of ethanol, CRF and a CRF1 receptor antagonist on spontaneous and evoked glutamatergic transmission in CeA neurons from Wistar and Marchigian Sardinian Preferring (msP) rats, a rodent line genetically selected for excessive alcohol drinking and characterized by heightened activity of the CRF1 system. Basal spontaneous and evoked glutamate transmission in CeA neurons from msP rats was increased compared to Wistar rats. Ethanol had divergent effects, either increasing or decreasing spontaneous glutamate release in the CeA of Wistar rats. This bidirectional effect was retained in msP rats, but the magnitude of the ethanol-induced increase in glutamate release was significantly smaller. The inhibitory effect of ethanol on evoked glutamatergic transmission was similar in both strains. CRF also either increased or decreased spontaneous glutamate release in CeA neurons of Wistar rats, however, in msP rats CRF only increased glutamate release. The inhibitory effect of CRF on evoked glutamatergic transmission was also lost in neurons from msP rats. A CRF1 antagonist produced only minor effects on spontaneous glutamate transmission, which were consistent across strains, and no effects on evoked glutamate transmission. These results demonstrate that the genetically altered CRF system of msP rats results in alterations in spontaneous and stimulated glutamate signaling in the CeA that may contribute to both the anxiety and drinking behavioral phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Herman
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Florence P Varodayan
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher S Oleata
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - George Luu
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dean Kirson
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Markus Heilig
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bldg.10-CRC/Rm. 1-5330, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Marisa Roberto
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Silberman Y, Winder DG. Ethanol and corticotropin releasing factor receptor modulation of central amygdala neurocircuitry: An update and future directions. Alcohol 2015; 49:179-84. [PMID: 25716197 PMCID: PMC4414799 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The central amygdala is a critical brain region for many aspects of alcohol dependence. Much of the work examining the mechanisms by which the central amygdala mediates the development of alcohol dependence has focused on the interaction of acute and chronic ethanol with central amygdala corticotropin releasing factor signaling. This work has led to a great deal of success in furthering the general understanding of central amygdala neurocircuitry and its role in alcohol dependence. Much of this work has primarily focused on the hypothesis that ethanol utilizes endogenous corticotropin releasing factor signaling to upregulate inhibitory GABAergic transmission in the central amygdala. Work that is more recent suggests that corticotropin releasing factor also plays an important role in mediating anxiety-like behaviors via the enhancement of central amygdala glutamatergic transmission, implying that ethanol/corticotropin releasing factor interactions may modulate excitatory neurotransmission in this brain region. In addition, a number of studies utilizing optogenetic strategies or transgenic mouse lines have begun to examine specific central amygdala neurocircuit dynamics and neuronal subpopulations to better understand overall central amygdala neurocircuitry and the role of neuronal subtypes in mediating anxiety-like behaviors. This review will provide a brief update on this literature and describe some potential future directions that may be important for the development of better treatments for alcohol addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuval Silberman
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Neuroscience Program in Substance Abuse, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2200 Pierce Ave., Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Danny G Winder
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Neuroscience Program in Substance Abuse, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 2200 Pierce Ave., Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Fole A, Miguens M, Higuera-Matas A, Alguacil LF, Ambrosio E, Del Olmo N. Cocaine facilitates protein synthesis-dependent LTP: the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:621-9. [PMID: 24268515 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction alters synaptic plasticity in many brain areas involved in learning and memory processes, including the hippocampus. Long-term potentiation (LTP) is one of the best studied examples of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and it is considered as one of the molecular basis of learning and memory. We previously demonstrated that in the presence of cocaine, a long lasting form of hippocampal LTP is induced by a single pulse of high frequency stimulation, which in normal conditions evokes only an early form of LTP. In this study, we further explore the molecular basis of this modulation of synaptic plasticity by cocaine. By performing pharmacological experiments on hippocampal slices, we were able to show that cocaine converts early LTP to a form of LTP dependent on protein synthesis, probably through the cAMP-dependent protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling cascades. We also found that metabotropic glutamate receptors are involved in this phenomenon. These studies further clarify the molecular machinery used by cocaine to alter synaptic plasticity and modulate learning and memory processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Fole
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU-San Pablo, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M Miguens
- Departamento de Psicología Básica I, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Higuera-Matas
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - L F Alguacil
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU-San Pablo, Madrid, Spain; Unidad de Investigación Traslacional, Hospital de Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - E Ambrosio
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - N Del Olmo
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas y de la Salud, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad CEU-San Pablo, Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Somvanshi RK, Kumar U. δ-opioid receptor and somatostatin receptor-4 heterodimerization: possible implications in modulation of pain associated signaling. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85193. [PMID: 24416361 PMCID: PMC3885706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 12/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain relief is the principal action of opioids. Somatostatin (SST), a growth hormone inhibitory peptide is also known to alleviate pain even in cases when opioids fail. Recent studies have shown that mice are prone to sustained pain and devoid of analgesic effect in the absence of somatostatin receptor 4 (SSTR4). In the present study, using brain slices, cultured neurons and HEK-293 cells, we showed that SSTR4 and δ-Opioid receptor (δOR) exist in a heteromeric complex and function in synergistic manner. SSTR4 and δOR co-expressed in cortical/striatal brain regions and spinal cord. Using cultured neuronal cells, we describe the heterogeneous complex formation of SSTR4 and δOR at neuronal cell body and processes. Cotransfected cells display inhibition of cAMP/PKA and co-activation of SSTR4 and δOR oppose receptor trafficking induced by individual receptor activation. Furthermore, downstream signaling pathways either associated with withdrawal or pain relief are modulated synergistically with a predominant role of SSTR4. Inhibition of cAMP/PKA and activation of ERK1/2 are the possible cellular adaptations to prevent withdrawal induced by chronic morphine use. Our results reveal direct intra-membrane interaction between SSTR4 and δOR and provide insights for the molecular mechanism for the anti-nociceptive property of SST in combination with opioids as a potential therapeutic approach to avoid undesirable withdrawal symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rishi K. Somvanshi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ujendra Kumar
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
McReynolds JR, Peña DF, Blacktop JM, Mantsch JR. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying relapse to cocaine use: contributions of CRF and noradrenergic systems and regulation by glucocorticoids. Stress 2014; 17:22-38. [PMID: 24328808 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2013.872617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Considering its pervasive and uncontrollable influence in drug addicts, understanding the neurobiological processes through which stress contributes to drug use is a critical goal for addiction researchers and will likely be important for the development of effective medications aimed at relapse prevention. In this paper, we review work from our laboratory and others focused on determining the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie and contribute to stress-induced relapse of cocaine use with an emphasis on the actions of corticotropin-releasing factor in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and a key pathway from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the VTA that is regulated by norepinephrine and beta adrenergic receptors. Additionally, we discuss work suggesting that the influence of stress in cocaine addiction changes and intensifies with repeated cocaine use in an intake-dependent manner and examine the potential role of glucocorticoid hormones in the underlying drug-induced neuroadaptations. It is our hope that research in this area will inform clinical practice and medication development aimed at minimizing the contribution of stress to the addiction cycle, thereby improving treatment outcomes and reducing the societal costs of addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jayme R McReynolds
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University , Milwaukee, WI , USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
M T, JE G, RL H, AL H, VB R. The role of PKC signaling in CRF-induced modulation of startle. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 229:579-89. [PMID: 23722830 PMCID: PMC3784645 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3114-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Hypersignaling of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) has been implicated in stress disorders; however, many of its downstream mechanisms of action remain unclear. In vitro, CRF1 receptor activation initiates multiple cell signaling cascades, including protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase MEK1/2 signaling. It is unclear, however, which of these signaling cascades mediate CRF-induced behaviors during stress. OBJECTIVES We examined the role of PKA, PKC, and MEK1/2 signaling pathways in CRF-induced anxiety as measured by startle hyperreactivity. METHODS Mice treated with intracerbroventricular (ICV) ovine CRF (oCRF) were pretreated with the PKA inhibitor Rp-cAMPS, PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide (BIM), or MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (ICV) and assessed for acoustic startle reactivity. RESULTS The PKC inhibitor BIM significantly attenuated CRF-induced increases in startle. BIM was also able to block startle increases induced by oCRF when both compounds were infused directly into the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST). PKA and MEK1/2 inhibition had no significant effects on CRF-induced changes in startle at the dose ranges tested. CRF-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition was not significantly reversed by any of the three pretreatments at the dose ranges tested. CONCLUSIONS PKC signaling is required for CRF-induced increases in startle, and this effect is mediated at least in part at the BNST. These findings suggest that PKC signaling cascades (1) may be important for the acute effects of CRF to induce startle hyperreactivity and (2) support further research of the role of PKC signaling in startle abnormalities relevant to disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toth M
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla CA USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA USA
| | - Gresack JE
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla CA USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA USA,Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, The Rockefeller University, New York NY USA
| | - Hauger RL
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla CA USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA USA
| | - Halberstadt AL
- Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA USA
| | - Risbrough VB
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs Hospital, La Jolla CA USA,Dept. of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla CA USA,Corresponding author: Victoria Risbrough, Ph.D., University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr. MC0804, La Jolla CA 92093-0804, Tel: 16195433582; Fax: 16195432475:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chen B, Ma YY, Wang Y, Wang X, Schlüter OM, Dong Y, Huang YH. Cocaine-induced membrane adaptation in the central nucleus of amygdala. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:2240-8. [PMID: 23756609 PMCID: PMC3773674 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to drugs of abuse lead to both rewarding effects and the subsequent development of negative affects. The progressive dysregulation of both processes is thought to critically contribute to the addictive state. Whereas cocaine-induced maladaptations in reward circuitry have been extensively examined, the cellular substrates underlying negative affect remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), a brain region that has been implicated in negative affective states upon withdrawal from chronic cocaine use. We observed that the two major types of CeA neurons, low-threshold bursting (LTB) neurons and regular spiking (RS) neurons, exhibited different sensitivity to corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), a stress hormone that has been implicated in negative affect during drug withdrawal. Furthermore, LTB and RS neurons developed opposite membrane adaptations following short-term (5 day) cocaine self-administration; the membrane excitability was increased in LTB neurons but decreased in RS neurons. These short-term exposure-induced effects were transient as they were present on withdrawal day 1 but disappeared on withdrawal day 21. However, extended exposure (21 day) led to sustained increase in the membrane excitability of LTB neurons such that it lasted over 21 days into the withdrawal period. These results suggest that CeA neurons can be a cellular target for cocaine to reshape the circuitry mediating negative affects during withdrawal, and that the long-lasting cellular alterations in selective subpopulations of CeA neurons may lead to unbalanced CeA processing, thus contributing to the progressive aggravation of negative affective states during withdrawal from chronic cocaine exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yao-Ying Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xiusong Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Oliver M Schlüter
- Molecular Neurobiology, European Neuroscience Institute, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA, Tel: +1 412 624 7581, Fax: +1 412 624 5280, E-mail: or Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA, E-mail:
| | - Yanhua H Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 450 Technology Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA, Tel: +1 412 624 7581, Fax: +1 412 624 5280, E-mail: or Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA, E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Kappa opioid receptor-mediated dysregulation of gamma-aminobutyric acidergic transmission in the central amygdala in cocaine addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:520-8. [PMID: 23751206 PMCID: PMC3773286 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 04/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have demonstrated an enhanced dynorphin/kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) system following repeated cocaine exposure, but few reports have focused on neuroadaptations within the central amygdala (CeA). METHODS We identified KOR-related physiological changes in the CeA following escalation of cocaine self-administration in rats. We used in vitro slice electrophysiological (intracellular and whole-cell recordings) methods to assess whether differential cocaine access in either 1-hour (short access [ShA]) or 6-hour (long access [LgA]) sessions induced plasticity at CeA gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synapses or altered the sensitivity of these synapses to KOR agonism (U50488) or antagonism (norbinaltorphimine [norBNI]). We then determined the functional effects of CeA KOR blockade in cocaine-related behaviors. RESULTS Baseline evoked GABAergic transmission was enhanced in the CeA from ShA and LgA rats compared with cocaine-naïve rats. Acute cocaine (1 µmol/L) application significantly decreased GABA release in all groups (naïve, ShA, and LgA rats). Application of U50488 (1 µmol/L) significantly decreased GABAergic transmission in the CeA from naïve rats but increased it in LgA rats. Conversely, norBNI (200 nmol/L) significantly increased GABAergic transmission in the CeA from naïve rats but decreased it in LgA rats. Norbinaltorphimine did not alter the acute cocaine-induced inhibition of GABAergic responses. Finally, CeA microinfusion of norBNI blocked cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization and attenuated the heightened anxiety-like behavior observed during withdrawal from chronic cocaine exposure in the defensive burying paradigm. CONCLUSIONS Together these data demonstrate that CeA dynorphin/KOR systems are dysregulated following excessive cocaine exposure and suggest KOR antagonism as a viable therapeutic strategy for cocaine addiction.
Collapse
|
27
|
Sotomayor-Zárate R, Renard GM, Araya KA, Carreño P, Fuentealba JA, Andrés ME, Gysling K. Long-term loss of dopamine release mediated by CRF-1 receptors in the rat lateral septum after repeated cocaine administration. Behav Brain Res 2013; 250:206-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
|
28
|
Gulley JM, Juraska JM. The effects of abused drugs on adolescent development of corticolimbic circuitry and behavior. Neuroscience 2013; 249:3-20. [PMID: 23711583 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of significant neurobiological change that occurs as individuals transition from childhood to adulthood. Because the nervous system is in a relatively labile state during this stage of development, it may be especially sensitive to experience-induced plasticity. One such experience that is relatively common to adolescents is the exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly alcohol and psychostimulants. In this review, we highlight recent findings on the long-lasting effects of exposure to these drugs during adolescence in humans as well as in animal models. Whenever possible, our focus is on studies that use comparison groups of adolescent- and adult-exposed subjects as this is a more direct test of the hypothesis that adolescence represents a period of enhanced vulnerability to the effects of drug-induced plasticity. Lastly, we suggest areas of future investigation that are needed and methodological concerns that should be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J M Gulley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Huang YY, Kandel DB, Kandel ER, Levine A. Nicotine primes the effect of cocaine on the induction of LTP in the amygdala. Neuropharmacology 2013; 74:126-34. [PMID: 23597510 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In human populations, there is a well-defined sequence of involvement in drugs of abuse, in which the use of nicotine or alcohol precedes the use of marijuana, which in turn, precedes the use of cocaine. The term "Gateway Hypothesis" describes this developmental sequence of drug involvement. In prior work, we have developed a mouse model to study the underlying metaplastic behavioral, cellular and molecular mechanisms by which exposure to one drug, namely nicotine, affects the response to another drug, namely cocaine. We found that nicotine enhances significantly the changes in synaptic plasticity in the striatum induced by cocaine (Levine et al., 2011). Here we ask: does the metaplastic effect of nicotine on cocaine also apply in the amygdala, a brain region that is involved in the orchestration of emotions and in drug addiction? We find that pretreatment with nicotine enhances long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP) in response to cocaine in the amygdala. Both short-term (1 day) and long-term (7 days) pre-exposure to nicotine facilitate the induction of LTP by cocaine. The effect of nicotine on LTP is unidirectional; exposure to nicotine following treatment with cocaine is ineffective. This metaplastic effect of nicotine on cocaine is long lasting but reversible. The facilitation of LTP can be obtained for 24 but not 40 days after cessation of nicotine. As is the case in the striatum, pretreatment with Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, simulates the priming effect of nicotine. These results provide further evidence that the priming effect of nicotine may be achieved, at least partially, by the inhibition of histone acetylation and indicate that the amygdala appears to be an important brain structure for the processing of the metaplastic effect of nicotine on cocaine. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Glutamate Receptor-Dependent Synaptic Plasticity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan-You Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Torregrossa MM, Taylor JR. Learning to forget: manipulating extinction and reconsolidation processes to treat addiction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 226:659-72. [PMID: 22638814 PMCID: PMC3466391 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-012-2750-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2012] [Accepted: 05/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Finding effective long-lasting treatments for drug addiction has been an elusive goal. Consequently, researchers are beginning to investigate novel treatment strategies including manipulations of drug-associated memories. When environmental stimuli (cues) become associated with drug use, they become powerful motivators of continued drug use and relapse after abstinence. Reducing the strength of these cue-drug memories could decrease the number of factors that induce craving and relapse to aid in the treatment of addiction. Enhancing the consolidation of extinction learning and/or disrupting cue-drug memory reconsolidation are two strategies that have been proposed to reduce the strength of cues in motivating drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior. Here, we review the latest basic and clinical research elucidating the mechanisms underlying consolidation of extinction and reconsolidation of cue-drug memories in the hopes of developing pharmacological tools that exploit these signaling systems to treat addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jane R. Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Wills TA, Winder DG. Ethanol effects on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2013; 3:a012161. [PMID: 23426579 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a012161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The extended amygdala is a series of interconnected, embryologically similar series of nuclei in the brain that are thought to play key roles in aspects of alcohol dependence, specifically in stress-induced increases in alcohol-seeking behaviors. Plasticity of excitatory transmission in these and other brain regions is currently an intense area of scrutiny as a mechanism underlying aspects of addiction. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs) play a critical role in plasticity at excitatory synapses and have been identified as major molecular targets of ethanol. Thus, this article will explore alcohol and NMDAR interactions first at a general level and then focusing within the extended amygdala, in particular on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A Wills
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232-0615, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Beckerman MA, Van Kempen TA, Justice NJ, Milner TA, Glass MJ. Corticotropin-releasing factor in the mouse central nucleus of the amygdala: ultrastructural distribution in NMDA-NR1 receptor subunit expressing neurons as well as projection neurons to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Exp Neurol 2012; 239:120-32. [PMID: 23063907 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2012.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 09/21/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and glutamate are critical signaling molecules in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Central amygdala CRF, acting via the CRF type 1 receptor (CRF-R1), plays an integral role in stress responses and emotional learning, processes that are generally known to involve functional NMDA-type glutamate receptors. There is also evidence that CRF expressing CeA projection neurons to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) play an important role in stress related behaviors. Despite the potentially significant interactions between CRF and NMDA receptors in the CeA, the synaptic organization of these systems is largely unknown. Using dual labeling high resolution immunocytochemical electron microscopy, it was found that individual somata and dendrites displayed immunoreactivity for CRF and the NMDA-NR1 (NR1) subunit in the mouse CeA. In addition, CRF-containing axon terminals contacted postsynaptic targets in the CeA, some of which also expressed NR1. Neuronal profiles expressing the CRF type 1 receptor (CRF-R1), identified by the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) in bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice, also contained NR1, and GFP immunoreactive terminals formed synapses with NR1 containing dendrites. Although CRF and GFP were only occasionally co-expressed in individual somata and dendritic profiles, contacts between labeled axon terminals and dendrites were frequently observed. A combination of tract tracing and immunocytochemistry revealed that a population of CeA CRF neurons projected to the BNST. It was also found that CRF, or GFP expressing terminals directly contacted CeA-BNST projection neurons. These results indicate that the NMDA receptor is positioned for the postsynaptic regulation of CRF expressing CeA neurons and the modulation of signals conveyed by CRF inputs. Interactions between CRF and NMDA receptor mediated signaling in CeA neurons, including those projecting to the BNST, may provide the synaptic basis for integrating the experience of stress and relevant environmental stimuli with behaviors that may be of particular relevance to stress-related learning and the emergence of psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Beckerman
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Haass-Koffler CL, Bartlett SE. Stress and addiction: contribution of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) system in neuroplasticity. Front Mol Neurosci 2012; 5:91. [PMID: 22973190 PMCID: PMC3434418 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2012.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) has been shown to induce various behavioral changes related to adaptation to stress. Dysregulation of the CRF system at any point can lead to a variety of psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders (SUDs). CRF has been associated with stress-induced drug reinforcement. Extensive literature has identified CRF to play an important role in the molecular mechanisms that lead to an increase in susceptibility that precipitates relapse to SUDs. The CRF system has a heterogeneous role in SUDs. It enhances the acute effects of drugs of abuse and is also responsible for the potentiation of drug-induced neuroplasticity evoked during the withdrawal period. We present in this review the brain regions and circuitries where CRF is expressed and may participate in stress-induced drug abuse. Finally, we attempt to evaluate the role of modulating the CRF system as a possible therapeutic strategy for treating the dysregulation of emotional behaviors that result from the acute positive reinforcement of substances of abuse as well as the negative reinforcement produced by withdrawal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Haass-Koffler
- Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California San Francisco Emeryville, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
George O, Le Moal M, Koob GF. Allostasis and addiction: role of the dopamine and corticotropin-releasing factor systems. Physiol Behav 2012; 106:58-64. [PMID: 22108506 PMCID: PMC3288230 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 10/31/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Allostasis, originally conceptualized to explain persistent morbidity of arousal and autonomic function, is defined as the process of achieving stability through physiological or behavioral change. Two types of biological processes have been proposed to describe the mechanisms underlying allostasis in drug addiction, a within-system adaptation and a between-system adaptation. In the within-system process, the drug elicits an opposing, neutralizing reaction within the same system in which the drug elicits its primary and unconditioned reinforcing actions, while in the between-system process, different neurobiological systems that the one initially activated by the drug are recruited. In this review, we will focus our interest on alterations in the dopaminergic and corticotropin releasing factor systems as within-system and between-system neuroadaptations respectively, that underlie the opponent process to drugs of abuse. We hypothesize that repeated compromised activity in the dopaminergic system and sustained activation of the CRF-CRF1R system with withdrawal episodes may lead to an allostatic load contributing significantly to the transition to drug addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier George
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Zorrilla EP, Wee S, Zhao Y, Specio S, Boutrel B, Koob GF, Weiss F. Extended access cocaine self-administration differentially activates dorsal raphe and amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor systems in rats. Addict Biol 2012; 17:300-8. [PMID: 21762287 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2011.00329.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine-induced neuroadaptation of stress-related circuitry and increased access to cocaine each putatively contribute to the transition from cocaine use to cocaine dependence. The present study tested the hypothesis that rats receiving extended versus brief daily access to cocaine would exhibit regional differences in levels of the stress-regulatory neuropeptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). A secondary goal was to explore how CRF levels change in relation to the time since cocaine self-administration. Male Wistar rats acquired operant self-administration of cocaine and were assigned to receive daily long access (6 hours/day, LgA, n=20) or short access (1 hour/day, ShA, n=18) to intravenous cocaine self-administration (fixed ratio 1, ~0.50 mg/kg/infusion). After at least 3 weeks, tissue CRF immunoreactivity was measured at one of three timepoints: pre-session, post-session or 3 hours post-session. LgA, but not ShA, rats showed increased total session and first-hour cocaine intake. CRF immunoreactivity increased within the dorsal raphe (DR) and basolateral, but not central, nucleus of the amygdala (BLA, CeA) of ShA rats from pre-session to 3 hours post-session. In LgA rats, CRF immunoreactivity increased from pre-session to 3 hours post-session within the CeA and DR but tended to decrease in the BLA. LgA rats showed higher CRF levels than ShA rats in the DR and, pre-session, in the BLA. Thus, voluntary cocaine intake engages stress-regulatory CRF systems of the DR and amygdala. Increased availability of cocaine promotes greater tissue CRF levels in these extrahypothalamic brain regions, changes associated here with a model of cocaine dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric P Zorrilla
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Van den Oever MC, Spijker S, Smit AB. The synaptic pathology of drug addiction. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 970:469-91. [PMID: 22351069 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-0932-8_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of drug addiction is the uncontrollable desire to consume drugs at the expense of severe negative consequences. Moreover, addicts that successfully refrain from drug use have a high vulnerability to relapse even after months or years of abstinence. In this chapter, we will discuss the current understanding of drug-induced neuroplasticity within the mesocorticolimbic brain system that contributes to the development of addiction and the persistence of relapse to drug seeking. I particular, we will focus at animal models that can be translated to human addiction. Although dopaminergic transmission is important for the acute effects of drug intake, the long-lived behavioral abnormalities associated with addiction are thought to arise from pathological plasticity in glutamatergic neurotransmission. The nature of changes in excitatory synaptic plasticity depends on several factors, including the type of drug, the brain area, and the time-point studied in the transition of drug exposure to withdrawal and relapse to drug seeking. Identification of drug-induced neuroplasticity is crucial to understand how molecular and cellular adaptations contribute to the end stage of addiction, which from a clinical perspective, is a time-point where pharmacotherapy may be most effectively employed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michel C Van den Oever
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Beckerman MA, Glass MJ. The NMDA-NR1 receptor subunit and the mu-opioid receptor are expressed in somatodendritic compartments of central nucleus of the amygdala neurons projecting to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Exp Neurol 2011; 234:112-26. [PMID: 22227057 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2011] [Revised: 12/02/2011] [Accepted: 12/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The pathway between the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is emerging as a critical mediator of stress-related affective processes. Evidence also indicates that exposure to drugs of abuse, like opioids, is associated with NMDA-type glutamate receptor-dependent plasticity in the CeA and BNST. However, there is little evidence that NMDA receptors are expressed in CeA neurons projecting to the BNST, or are required for opioid-induced BNST neural activation. Immunoelectron microscopy, tract tracing, and conditional gene deletion technology were used to investigate the synaptic organization of the NMDA receptor and the mu-opioid receptor (μOR) in the CeA-BNST pathway. By dual labeling electron microscopy, numerous CeA-BNST projection neurons expressed the NMDA-NR1 receptor subunit (NR1) or μOR. By triple labeling, it was also found that NR1 and μOR were co-expressed in some CeA-BNST projection neurons. Despite being colocalized in somato-dendritic compartments of CeA neurons, NR1 and μOR were rarely expressed in their axonal terminations in the BNST. Deleting the NR1 gene in CeA neurons resulted in a reduction of morphine-induced Fos protein labeling in the ventral BNST. In summary, NR1 and μOR are coexpressed in somatodendritic sites of CeA neurons, including those projecting to the BNST. In addition, expression of the NR1 gene in CeA neurons is required for morphine-induced BNST neural activation. Thus, postsynaptic NMDA receptors and μORs are positioned for the co-modulation of CeA projection neurons to the BNST, which may provide a synaptic substrate for stress-induced emotional processes critically involved in opioid addictive behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Beckerman
- Department of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Augmented cocaine seeking in response to stress or CRF delivered into the ventral tegmental area following long-access self-administration is mediated by CRF receptor type 1 but not CRF receptor type 2. J Neurosci 2011; 31:11396-403. [PMID: 21813699 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1393-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stressful events are determinants of relapse in recovering cocaine addicts. Excessive cocaine use may increase susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse through alterations in brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) regulation of neurocircuitry involved in drug seeking. We previously reported that the reinstatement of cocaine seeking by a stressor (footshock) is CRF dependent and is augmented in rats that self-administered cocaine under long-access (LgA; 6 h daily) conditions for 14 d when compared with rats provided shorter daily cocaine access [short access (ShA) rats; 2 h daily]. Further, we have demonstrated that reinstatement in response to intracerebroventricular CRF administration is heightened in LgA rats. This study examined the role of altered ventral tegmental area (VTA) responsiveness to CRF in intake-dependent increases in CRF- and stress-induced cocaine seeking. Bilateral intra-VTA administration of CRF (250 or 500 ng/side) produced reinstatement in LgA but not ShA rats. In LgA rats, intra-VTA CRF-induced reinstatement was blocked by administration of the CRF-receptor type 1 (CRF-R1) antagonist antalarmin (500 ng/side) or CP-376395 (500 ng/side), but not the CRF-R2 antagonist astressin-2B (500 ng or 1 μg/side) or antisauvagine-30 (ASV-30; 500 ng/side) into the VTA. Likewise, intra-VTA antalarmin, but not astressin-2B, blocked footshock-induced reinstatement in LgA rats. By contrast, neither intra-VTA antalarmin nor CP-376395 altered food-reinforced lever pressing. Intra-VTA injection of the CRF-R1-selective agonist cortagine (100 ng/side) but not the CRF-R2-selective agonist rat urocortin II (rUCN II; 250 ng/side) produced reinstatement. These findings reveal that excessive cocaine use increases susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse in part by augmenting CRF-R1-dependent regulation of addiction-related neurocircuitry in the VTA.
Collapse
|
39
|
Krishnan B, Genzer KM, Pollandt SW, Liu J, Gallagher JP, Shinnick-Gallagher P. Dopamine-induced plasticity, phospholipase D (PLD) activity and cocaine-cue behavior depend on PLD-linked metabotropic glutamate receptors in amygdala. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25639. [PMID: 21980514 PMCID: PMC3181343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine-cue associations induce synaptic plasticity with long lasting molecular and cellular changes in the amygdala, a site crucial for cue-associated memory mechanisms. The underlying neuroadaptations can include marked alterations in signaling via dopamine (DA) receptors (DRs) and metabotropic glutamate (Glu) receptors (mGluRs). Previously, we reported that DR antagonists blocked forms of synaptic plasticity in amygdala slices of Sprague-Dawley rats withdrawn from repeated cocaine administration. In the present study, we investigated synaptic plasticity induced by exogenous DA and its dependence on mGluR signaling and a potential role for phospholipase D (PLD) as a downstream element linked to mGluR and DR signaling. Utilizing a modified conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm as a functional behavioral measure, we studied the neurophysiological effects after two-weeks to the last cocaine conditioning. We recorded, electrophysiologically, a DR-induced synaptic potentiation in the basolateral to lateral capsula central amygdala (BLA-lcCeA) synaptic pathway that was blocked by antagonists of group I mGluRs, particularly, the PLD-linked mGluR. In addition, we observed 2–2.5 fold increase in PLD expression and 3.7-fold increase in basal PLD enzyme activity. The enhanced PLD activity could be further stimulated (9.3 fold) by a DA D1-like (D1/5R) receptor agonist, and decreased to control levels by mGluR1 and PLD-linked mGluR antagonists. Diminished CPP was observed by infusion of a PLD-linked mGluR antagonist, PCCG-13, in the amygdala 15 minutes prior to testing, two weeks after the last cocaine injection. These results imply a functional interaction between D1/5Rs, group I mGluRs via PLD in the amygdala synaptic plasticity associated with cocaine-cues.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Amygdala/drug effects
- Amygdala/enzymology
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Amygdala/physiology
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Benzazepines/pharmacology
- Cocaine/pharmacology
- Conditioning, Psychological/drug effects
- Conditioning, Psychological/physiology
- Cues
- Cyclopropanes/pharmacology
- Dopamine/pharmacology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic/drug effects
- Glycine/analogs & derivatives
- Glycine/pharmacology
- Isoenzymes/metabolism
- Long-Term Potentiation/drug effects
- Male
- Memory/drug effects
- Memory/physiology
- Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects
- Phospholipase D/metabolism
- Raclopride/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D1/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D5/agonists
- Receptors, Dopamine D5/metabolism
- Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate/metabolism
- Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/metabolism
- Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/physiopathology
- Synapses/drug effects
- Synapses/metabolism
- gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Krishnan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, United States of America.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Kupferschmidt DA, Lovejoy DA, Rotzinger S, Erb S. Teneurin C-terminal associated peptide-1 blocks the effects of corticotropin-releasing factor on reinstatement of cocaine seeking and on cocaine-induced behavioural sensitization. Br J Pharmacol 2011; 162:574-83. [PMID: 20883474 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.01055.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The stress-related neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), has become an important focus of studies of cocaine addiction, and in particular, the effects of stress on cocaine-related behaviours. A recently discovered peptide system, the teneurin C-terminal associated peptides (TCAP), has been implicated in the regulation of the stress response, via a CRF-related mechanism. Here we have determined whether treatment with TCAP-1, a synthetic analogue of TCAP, modulated two cocaine-related behaviours induced by CRF: reinstatement of cocaine seeking, and expression of cocaine-induced behavioural sensitization. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH In Experiment 1, rats trained to self-administer cocaine were given acute or repeated (once daily for 5 days) i.c.v. injections of TCAP-1 before tests for reinstatement in response to CRF (105 pmol, i.c.v.), intermittent footshock stress (0.9 mA), or cocaine (15 mg·kg⁻¹, i.p.). In Experiment 2, rats pre-exposed to cocaine (15-30 mg·kg⁻¹, i.p.) or saline for 7 days were treated with TCAP-1 (once daily for 5 days; i.c.v.) and subsequently tested for locomotor responses to CRF (105 pmol, i.c.v.) or cocaine (15 mg·kg⁻¹, i.p.). KEY RESULTS Five day pre-exposure with TCAP-1 blocked CRF-, but not footshock- or cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking; acute pretreatment with TCAP-1 was without effect in all test conditions. Similarly, repeated TCAP-1 pre-exposure blocked the cocaine-sensitized locomotor response to CRF, but not to cocaine. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Repeated TCAP-1 exposure induced robust and selective inhibition of cocaine-related behavioural responses to CRF, suggesting that TCAP-1 may normalize signalling within CRF systems dysregulated by cocaine exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David A Kupferschmidt
- Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Graf EN, Hoks MA, Baumgardner J, Sierra J, Vranjkovic O, Bohr C, Baker DA, Mantsch JR. Adrenal activity during repeated long-access cocaine self-administration is required for later CRF-Induced and CRF-dependent stressor-induced reinstatement in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:1444-54. [PMID: 21412222 PMCID: PMC3096813 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Revised: 01/24/2011] [Accepted: 02/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the neurobiological processes that contribute to the establishment and expression of stress-induced regulation of cocaine use in addicted individuals is important for the development of new and better treatment approaches. It has been previously shown that rats self-administering cocaine under long-access conditions (6 h daily) display heightened susceptibility to the reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking by a stressor, electric footshock, or i.c.v. administration of the stressor-responsive neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). This study tested the hypothesis that adrenal responsiveness during earlier long-access cocaine self-administration (SA) is necessary for the establishment of later CRF-dependent stress-induced reinstatement. Reinstatement by footshock, but not a cocaine challenge (10 mg/kg, i.p.) following long-access SA, was blocked by i.c.v. administration of the CRF receptor antagonist, α-helical CRF(9-41) (10 μg). Elimination of SA-induced adrenal responses through surgical adrenalectomy and diurnal corticosterone replacement (ADX/C) before 14 days of SA under long-access conditions had minimal impact on cocaine SA, but blocked later footshock-induced reinstatement. By contrast, ADX/C after SA, but before extinction and reinstatement testing, failed to reduce footshock-induced reinstatement. Likewise, ADX/C before 14 days long-access SA prevented later reinstatement by i.c.v. CRF (0.5 or 1.0 μg). However, significant CRF-induced reinstatement was observed when rats underwent ADX/C following SA, but before extinction and reinstatement testing, although a modest but statistically nonsignificant reduction in sensitivity to CRF's reinstating effects was observed. Taken together, these findings suggest that adrenal-dependent neuroadaptations in CRF responsiveness underlie the increased susceptibility to stress-induced relapse that emerges with repeated cocaine use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan N Graf
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Michael A Hoks
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jean Baumgardner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jose Sierra
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Oliver Vranjkovic
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Colin Bohr
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - David A Baker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - John R Mantsch
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Logrip ML, Koob GF, Zorrilla EP. Role of corticotropin-releasing factor in drug addiction: potential for pharmacological intervention. CNS Drugs 2011; 25:271-87. [PMID: 21425881 PMCID: PMC3273042 DOI: 10.2165/11587790-000000000-00000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Drug dependence is a chronically relapsing disorder that places an enormous strain on healthcare systems. For treatments to have long-term clinical value, they must address the causes of relapse. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a neuropeptide central to the stress response, may be one key to solving the relapse cycle. CRF is hypothesized to mediate the elevated anxiety and negative emotional states experienced during the development of dependence. This review summarizes existing data on changes in the CRF system produced by drugs of abuse and the function of CRF receptors in regulating behavioural responses to drugs of abuse, with an emphasis on drug dependence. Drug-induced changes in neuronal excitability throughout the limbic system, as well as the reversal of these neuroadaptations by CRF receptor antagonists, are also addressed. CRF receptor antagonists, by reducing the motivational effects of drug withdrawal and protracted abstinence, are proposed to be novel therapeutic targets for drug abuse and addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marian L Logrip
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Scavone JL, Asan E, Van Bockstaele EJ. Unraveling glutamate-opioid receptor interactions using high-resolution electron microscopy: implications for addiction-related processes. Exp Neurol 2011; 229:207-13. [PMID: 21459090 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Revised: 03/11/2011] [Accepted: 03/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive responses in glutamate and opioid receptor systems in limbic circuits are emerging as a critical component of the neural plasticity induced by chronic use of abused substances. The present commentary reviews findings from neuroanatomical studies, with superior spatial resolution, that support a cellular basis for prominent interactions of glutamate and opioid receptor systems in preclinical models of drug addiction. The review begins by highlighting the advantages of high-resolution electron microscopic immunohistochemistry for unraveling receptor interactions at the synapse. With an emphasis on a recent publication describing the anatomical relationship between the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and the AMPA-GluR2 subunit (Beckerman, M. A., and Glass, M. J., 2011. Ultrastructural relationship between the AMPA-GluR2 receptor subunit and the mu-opioid receptor in the mouse central nucleus of the amygdala. Exp Neurol), we review the anatomical evidence for opioid-induced neural plasticity of glutamate receptors in selected brain circuits that are key integrative substrates in the brain's motivational system. The findings stress the importance of glutamate-opioid interactions as important neural mediators of adaptations to chronic use of abused drugs, particularly within the amygdaloid complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jillian L Scavone
- Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Aberrant learning and memory in addiction. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2011; 96:609-23. [PMID: 21376820 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2011.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2010] [Revised: 02/01/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several years, drug addiction has increasingly been accepted to be a disease of the brain as opposed to simply being due to a lack of willpower or personality flaw. Exposure to addictive substances has been shown to create enduring changes in brain structure and function that are thought to underlie the transition to addiction. Specific genetic and environmental vulnerability factors also influence the impact of drugs of abuse on the brain and can enhance the likelihood of becoming an addict. Long-lasting alterations in brain function have been found in neural circuits that are known to be responsible for normal appetitive learning and memory processes and it has been hypothesized that drugs of abuse enhance positive learning and memory about the drug while inhibiting learning about the negative consequences of drug use. Therefore, the addict's behavior becomes increasingly directed towards obtaining and using drugs of abuse, while at the same time developing a poorer ability to stop using, even when the drug is less rewarding or interferes with functioning in other facets of life. In this review we will discuss the clinical evidence that addicted individuals have altered learning and memory and describe the possible neural substrates of this dysfunction. In addition, we will explore the pre-clinical evidence that drugs of abuse cause a progressive disorder of learning and memory, review the molecular and neurobiological changes that may underlie this disorder, determine the genetic and environmental factors that may increase vulnerability to addiction, and suggest potential strategies for treating addiction through manipulations of learning and memory.
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhao ZL, Zhao GW, Li HZ, Yang XD, Wu YY, Lin F, Guan LX, Zhai FG, Liu JQ, Yang CH, Kim SC, Kim KW, Zhao RJ. Acupuncture Attenuates Anxiety-Like Behavior by Normalizing Amygdaloid Catecholamines during Ethanol Withdrawal in Rats. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2011; 2011:429843. [PMID: 21869897 PMCID: PMC3159395 DOI: 10.1093/ecam/neq045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2010] [Accepted: 04/09/2010] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we demonstrated acupuncture at acupoint HT7 (Shen-Men) attenuated ethanol withdrawal syndrome by normalizing the dopamine release in nucleus accumbens shell. In the present study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture on anxiety-like behavior in rats and its relevant mechanism by studying neuro-endocrine parameters during ethanol withdrawal. Rats were treated with 3 g kg(-1)day(-1) of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by intraperitoneal injections for 28 days. The rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal exhibited anxiety-like behavior 72 h after the last dose of ethanol characterized by the decrease of time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze compared with the saline-treated rats (P < .05). Radioimmunoassay exhibited there were notably increased concentrations of plasma corticosterone in ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .05). Additionally, high performance liquid chromatography analysis also showed the levels of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol were markedly increased while the levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid were significantly decreased in the central nucleus of the amygdala of ethanol-withdrawn rats compared with saline-treated rats (P < .01). Acupuncture groups were treated with acupuncture at acupoint HT7 or PC6 (Nei-Guan). Acupuncture at HT7 but not PC6 greatly attenuated the anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal as evidenced by significant increases in the percentage of time spent in open arms (P < .05). In the meantime, acupuncture at HT7 also markedly inhibited the alterations of neuro-endocrine parameters induced by ethanol withdrawal (P < .05). These results suggest that acupuncture may attenuate anxiety-like behavior during ethanol withdrawal through regulation of neuro-endocrine system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Lin Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang 157011, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Giardino WJ, Pastor R, Anacker AMJ, Spangler E, Cote DM, Li J, Stenzel-Poore MP, Phillips TJ, Ryabinin AE. Dissection of corticotropin-releasing factor system involvement in locomotor sensitivity to methamphetamine. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2010; 10:78-89. [PMID: 20731720 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2010.00641.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sensitivity to the euphoric and locomotor-activating effects of drugs of abuse may contribute to risk for excessive use and addiction. Repeated administration of psychostimulants such as methamphetamine (MA) can result in neuroadaptive consequences that manifest behaviorally as a progressive escalation of locomotor activation, termed psychomotor sensitization. The present studies addressed the involvement of specific components of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system in locomotor activation and psychomotor sensitization induced by MA (1, 2 mg/kg) by utilizing pharmacological approaches, as well as a series of genetic knockout (KO) mice, each deficient for a single component of the CRF system: CRF-R1, CRF-R2, CRF, or the CRF-related peptide Urocortin 1 (Ucn1). CRF-R1 KO mice did not differ from wild-type mice in sensitization to MA, and pharmacological blockade of CRF-R1 with CP-154,526 (15, 30 mg/kg) in DBA/2J mice did not selectively attenuate either the acquisition or expression of MA-induced sensitization. Deletion of either of the endogenous ligands of CRF-R1 (CRF, Ucn1) either enhanced or had no effect on MA-induced sensitization, providing further evidence against a role for CRF-R1 signaling. Interestingly, deletion of CRF-R2 attenuated MA-induced locomotor activation, elucidating a novel contribution of the CRF system to MA sensitivity, and suggesting the participation of the endogenous urocortin peptides Ucn2 and Ucn3. Immunohistochemistry for Fos was used to visualize neural activation underlying CRF-R2-dependent sensitivity to MA, identifying the basolateral and central nuclei of the amygdala as neural substrates involved in this response. Our results support further examination of CRF-R2 involvement in neural processes associated with MA addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- W J Giardino
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Guan X, Wang L, Chen CL, Guan Y, Li S. Roles of two subtypes of corticotrophin-releasing factor receptor in the corticostriatal long-term potentiation under cocaine withdrawal condition. J Neurochem 2010; 115:795-803. [PMID: 20807310 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06981.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The roles of two subtypes of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor in corticostriatal synaptic plasticity under cocaine withdrawal condition were examined in this study. Neither the resting membrane potential and input resistance of striatal neurons nor the long-term potentiation (LTP) of corticostriatal slices were affected by cocaine withdrawal. CRF dose-dependently enhanced in vitro corticostriatal LTP in rats from both cocaine-withdrawal and saline-control groups. Yet, the enhancement of corticostriatal LTP by CRF (20, 40, 80 nM) was significantly greater in the cocaine-withdrawal group than in the control group. CRF(1)-selective antagonist (NBI 27914, 100 nM) attenuated the CRF-induced enhancement of corticostriatal LTP in both groups, whereas the CRF(2)-selective antagonist (astression2B, 100 nM) attenuated the enhanced corticostriatal LTP only in the cocaine-withdrawal group. Importantly, urocortin2 (a CRF(2)-selective agonist, 40 nM) selectively increased corticostriatal LTP in the cocaine-withdrawal group, but not in the saline controls. The urocortin2-induced enhancement of LTP was totally blocked by astression2B (100 nM). These results suggest that the CRF system modulate neuroadaptive changes in the corticostriatal circuit during cocaine withdrawal, and the CRF(2) in this area mediate an important mechanism that contributes to the relapse of cocaine addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Erb S. Evaluation of the relationship between anxiety during withdrawal and stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2010; 34:798-807. [PMID: 19969038 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2009] [Revised: 11/13/2009] [Accepted: 11/30/2009] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The initial termination of cocaine consumption in human addicts is associated with heightened anxiety states and low levels of craving. Craving, however, tends to increase progressively over time, remains high for extended periods of time, and can be exacerbated by stressors, leading to relapse. Laboratory rats, likewise, exhibit heightened states of anxiety after withdrawal from drug, and follow a time course of cocaine seeking that parallels the time course of craving reported in humans. In addition, laboratory rats show heightened susceptibility to relapse when exposed to stressors after extended periods of withdrawal, and exhibit persistent and heightened expressions of stress-induced anxiety. The general objective of this paper is to consider the relationship between anxiety states after withdrawal from cocaine and stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in laboratory rats, and to identify the neural substrates involved. The focus of the review is on studies addressing the roles of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenaline pathways of the extended amygdala circuitry, and their direct or indirect interactions with the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, in anxiety after withdrawal from cocaine and stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Furthermore, the effects of time after withdrawal from cocaine and amount of cocaine exposure during self-administration on the activity of CRF, noradrenaline, and dopamine pathways of the extended amygdala and mesocorticolimbic systems will be considered. The review will highlight how changing levels of activity within these systems may serve to alter the nature of the relationship between anxiety and stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking at different times after withdrawal from cocaine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Erb
- Center for Neurobiology of Stress, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Krishnan B, Centeno M, Pollandt S, Fu Y, Genzer K, Liu J, Gallagher JP, Shinnick-Gallagher P. Dopamine receptor mechanisms mediate corticotropin-releasing factor-induced long-term potentiation in the rat amygdala following cocaine withdrawal. Eur J Neurosci 2010; 31:1027-42. [PMID: 20377617 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07148.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the amygdala is involved in stress responses. Moreover, dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain reward system including the amygdala plays a significant role in the pathology of cocaine addiction. The present study analysed CRF-induced synaptic plasticity, its pharmacological sensitivity and interactions with the dopamine (DA) system in the basolateral to lateral capsula central amygdala (lcCeA) pathway after a 2-week withdrawal from repeated cocaine administration. A physiologically relevant CRF concentration (25 nm) induced long-term potentiation (LTP) that was enhanced after cocaine withdrawal. In saline-treated rats, CRF-induced LTP was mediated through N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (L-VGCCs) and CRF(1) receptors. However, in cocaine-withdrawn animals, activation of CRF(1) and CRF(2) receptors was found to enhance LTP. This enhanced CRF-induced LTP after cocaine withdrawal was mediated through endogenous activation of both D1- and D2-like receptors. Furthermore, expression of the D1 receptor (D1R) but not the D2R, D3R, D4R or D5R was significantly increased after cocaine withdrawal. CRF(1) but not CRF(2) protein expression was increased, suggesting that elevated levels of these proteins contributed to the enhancement of CRF-induced LTP during cocaine withdrawal. CRF interactions with the DA system in the amygdala may represent a fundamental neurochemical and cellular mechanism linking stress to cocaine-induced neuronal plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Balaji Krishnan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Martin-Fardon R, Zorrilla EP, Ciccocioppo R, Weiss F. Role of innate and drug-induced dysregulation of brain stress and arousal systems in addiction: Focus on corticotropin-releasing factor, nociceptin/orphanin FQ, and orexin/hypocretin. Brain Res 2010; 1314:145-61. [PMID: 20026088 PMCID: PMC2819635 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2009] [Revised: 12/09/2009] [Accepted: 12/10/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Stress-like symptoms are an integral part of acute and protracted drug withdrawal, and several lines of evidence have shown that dysregulation of brain stress systems, including the extrahypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system, following long-term drug use is of major importance in maintaining drug and alcohol addiction. Recently, two other neuropeptide systems have attracted interest, the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and orexin/hypocretin (Orx/Hcrt) systems. N/OFQ participates in a wide range of physiological responses, and the hypothalamic Orx/Hcrt system helps regulate several physiological processes, including feeding, energy metabolism, and arousal. Moreover, these two systems have been suggested to participate in psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and drug addiction. Dysregulation of these systems by chronic drug exposure has been hypothesized to play a role in the maintenance of addiction and dependence. Recent evidence demonstrated that interactions between CRF-N/OFQ and CRF-Orx/Hcrt systems may be functionally relevant for the control of stress-related addictive behavior. The present review discusses recent findings that support the hypotheses of the participation and dysregulation of these systems in drug addiction and evaluates the current understanding of interactions among these stress-regulatory peptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Martin-Fardon
- The Scripps Research Institute, Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department, SP30-2120, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|