1
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Aykan D, Genc M, Unal G. Environmental enrichment enhances the antidepressant effect of ketamine and ameliorates spatial memory deficits in adult rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173790. [PMID: 38761992 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant associated with various cognitive side effects. To mitigate these side effects while enhancing efficacy, it can be co-administered with other antidepressants. In our study, we adopted a similar strategy by combining ketamine with environmental enrichment, a potent sensory-motor paradigm, in adult male Wistar rats. We divided the animals into four groups based on a combination of housing conditions and ketamine versus vehicle injections. The groups included those housed in standard cages or an enriched environment for 50 days, which encompassed a 13-day-long behavioral testing period. Each group received either two doses of ketamine (20 mg/kg, IP) or saline as a vehicle. We tested the animals in the novel object recognition test (NORT), forced swim test (FST), open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and Morris water maze (MWM), which was followed by ex vivo c-Fos immunohistochemistry. We observed that combining environmental enrichment with ketamine led to a synergistic antidepressant effect. Environmental enrichment also ameliorated the spatial memory deficits caused by ketamine in the MWM. There was enhanced neuronal activity in the habenula of the enrichment only group following the probe trial of the MWM. In contrast, no differential activity was observed in enriched animals that received ketamine injections. The present study showed how environmental enrichment can enhance the antidepressant properties of ketamine while reducing some of its side effects, highlighting the potential of combining pharmacological and sensory-motor manipulations in the treatment of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deren Aykan
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mert Genc
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gunes Unal
- Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, Turkey.
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2
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Oriol L, Chao M, Kollman GJ, Dowlat DS, Singhal SM, Steinkellner T, Hnasko TS. Ventral tegmental area interneurons revisited: GABA and glutamate projection neurons make local synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.07.597996. [PMID: 38895464 PMCID: PMC11185768 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.07.597996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains projection neurons that release the neurotransmitters dopamine, GABA, and/or glutamate from distal synapses. VTA also contains GABA neurons that synapse locally on to VTA dopamine neurons, synapses widely credited to a population of so-called VTA interneurons. Interneurons in cortex, striatum, and elsewhere have well-defined morphological features, physiological properties, and molecular markers, but such features have not been clearly described in VTA. Indeed, there is scant evidence that local and distal synapses originate from separate populations of VTA GABA neurons. In this study we tested whether several markers expressed in non-dopamine VTA neurons are selective markers of interneurons, defined as neurons that synapse locally but not distally. Challenging previous assumptions, we found that VTA neurons genetically defined by expression of parvalbumin, somatostatin, neurotensin, or mu-opioid receptor project to known VTA targets including nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, lateral habenula, and prefrontal cortex. Moreover, we provide evidence that VTA GABA and glutamate projection neurons make functional inhibitory or excitatory synapses locally within VTA. These findings suggest that local collaterals of VTA projection neurons could mediate functions prior attributed to VTA interneurons. This study underscores the need for a refined understanding of VTA connectivity to explain how heterogeneous VTA circuits mediate diverse functions related to reward, motivation, or addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Oriol
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Melody Chao
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Grace J Kollman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Dina S Dowlat
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Sarthak M Singhal
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
| | - Thomas Steinkellner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas S Hnasko
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, United States
- Research Service VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
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3
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Spikol ED, Cheng J, Macurak M, Subedi A, Halpern ME. Genetically defined nucleus incertus neurons differ in connectivity and function. eLife 2024; 12:RP89516. [PMID: 38819436 PMCID: PMC11142643 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleus incertus (NI), a conserved hindbrain structure implicated in the stress response, arousal, and memory, is a major site for production of the neuropeptide relaxin-3. On the basis of goosecoid homeobox 2 (gsc2) expression, we identified a neuronal cluster that lies adjacent to relaxin 3a (rln3a) neurons in the zebrafish analogue of the NI. To delineate the characteristics of the gsc2 and rln3a NI neurons, we used CRISPR/Cas9 targeted integration to drive gene expression specifically in each neuronal group, and found that they differ in their efferent and afferent connectivity, spontaneous activity, and functional properties. gsc2 and rln3a NI neurons have widely divergent projection patterns and innervate distinct subregions of the midbrain interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Whereas gsc2 neurons are activated more robustly by electric shock, rln3a neurons exhibit spontaneous fluctuations in calcium signaling and regulate locomotor activity. Our findings define heterogeneous neurons in the NI and provide new tools to probe its diverse functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma D Spikol
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Ji Cheng
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Michelle Macurak
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Abhignya Subedi
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at DartmouthHanoverUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
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4
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Lin YH, Wang LW, Chen YH, Chan YC, Hu SH, Wu SY, Chiang CS, Huang GJ, Yang SD, Chu SW, Wang KC, Lin CH, Huang PH, Cheng HJ, Chen BC, Chu LA. Revealing intact neuronal circuitry in centimeter-sized formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded brain. eLife 2024; 13:RP93212. [PMID: 38775133 PMCID: PMC11111220 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Tissue-clearing and labeling techniques have revolutionized brain-wide imaging and analysis, yet their application to clinical formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks remains challenging. We introduce HIF-Clear, a novel method for efficiently clearing and labeling centimeter-thick FFPE specimens using elevated temperature and concentrated detergents. HIF-Clear with multi-round immunolabeling reveals neuron circuitry regulating multiple neurotransmitter systems in a whole FFPE mouse brain and is able to be used as the evaluation of disease treatment efficiency. HIF-Clear also supports expansion microscopy and can be performed on a non-sectioned 15-year-old FFPE specimen, as well as a 3-month formalin-fixed mouse brain. Thus, HIF-Clear represents a feasible approach for researching archived FFPE specimens for future neuroscientific and 3D neuropathological analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hui Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Li-Wen Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Yen-Hui Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Yi-Chieh Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Shang-Hsiu Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Sheng-Yan Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Chi-Shiun Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Guan-Jie Huang
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Shang-Da Yang
- Institute of Photonics Technologies, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
| | - Shi-Wei Chu
- Department of Physics, National Taiwan UniversityTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Kuo-Chuan Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Taiwan University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Chin-Hsien Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, National Taiwan University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Pei-Hsin Huang
- Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University HospitalTaipeiTaiwan
| | | | - Bi-Chang Chen
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Li-An Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
- Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchuTaiwan
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5
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Anversa RG, Maddern XJ, Lawrence AJ, Walker LC. Orphan peptide and G protein-coupled receptor signalling in alcohol use disorder. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:595-609. [PMID: 38073127 PMCID: PMC10953447 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have long been, and continue to be, one of the most popular target classes for drug discovery in CNS disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Yet, orphaned neuropeptide systems and receptors (oGPCR), which have no known cognate receptor or ligand, remain understudied in drug discovery and development. Orphan neuropeptides and oGPCRs are abundantly expressed within the brain and represent an unprecedented opportunity to address brain function and may hold potential as novel treatments for disease. Here, we describe the current literature regarding orphaned neuropeptides and oGPCRs implicated in AUD. Specifically, in this review, we focus on the orphaned neuropeptide cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), and several oGPCRs that have been directly implicated in AUD (GPR6, GPR26, GPR88, GPR139, GPR158) and discuss their potential and pitfalls as novel treatments, and progress in identifying their cognate receptors or ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Goncalves Anversa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVICAustralia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Xavier J. Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVICAustralia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Andrew J. Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVICAustralia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Leigh C. Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthMelbourneVICAustralia
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental HealthUniversity of MelbourneMelbourneVICAustralia
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6
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Bian B, Zhang B, Wong C, Dou L, Pan X, Wang H, Guo S, Zhang H, Zhang L. Recent Advances in Habenula Imaging Technology: A Comprehensive Review. J Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 59:737-746. [PMID: 37254969 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.28830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is involved in many natural human behaviors, and the relevance of its alterations in size and neural activity to several psychiatric disorders and addictive behaviors has been presumed and investigated in recent years using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although the Hb is small, an increasing number of studies have overcome the difficulties in MRI. Conventional structural-based imaging also has great defects in observing the Hb contrast with adjacent structures. In addition, more and more attention should be paid to the Hb's functional, structural, and quantitative imaging studies. Several advanced MRI methods have recently been employed in clinical studies to explore the Hb and its involvement in psychiatric diseases. This review summarizes the anatomy and function of the human Hb; moreover, it focuses on exploring the human Hb with noninvasive MRI approaches, highlighting strategies to overcome the poor contrast with adjacent structures and the need for multiparametric MRI to develop imaging markers for diagnosis and treatment follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.
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Affiliation(s)
- BingYang Bian
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Bei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - ChinTing Wong
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Dou
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - XingChen Pan
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - HongChao Wang
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - ShiYu Guo
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - HuiMao Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Big Data, Radiology and Technology Innovation Center of Jilin Province, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center of Medical Artificial Intelligence, Changchun, Jilin, 130021, People's Republic of China
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7
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Gonye EC, Dagli AV, Kumar NN, Clements RT, Xu W, Bayliss DA. Expression of endogenous epitope-tagged GPR4 in the mouse brain. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0002-24.2024. [PMID: 38408869 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0002-24.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
GPR4 is a proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptor implicated in many peripheral and central physiological processes. GPR4 expression has previously been assessed only via detection of the cognate transcript or indirectly, by use of fluorescent reporters. In this work, CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in technology was used to encode a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope tag within the endogenous locus of Gpr4 and visualize GPR4-HA in the mouse central nervous system using a specific, well characterized HA antibody; GPR4 expression was further verified by complementary Gpr4 mRNA detection. HA immunoreactivity was found in a limited set of brain regions, including in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), serotonergic raphe nuclei, medial habenula, lateral septum, and several thalamic nuclei. GPR4 expression was not restricted to cells of a specific neurochemical identity as it was observed in excitatory, inhibitory, and aminergic neuronal cell groups. HA immunoreactivity was not detected in brain vascular endothelium, despite clear expression of Gpr4 mRNA in endothelial cells. In the RTN, GPR4 expression was detected at the soma and in proximal dendrites along blood vessels and the ventral surface of the brainstem; HA immunoreactivity was not detected in RTN projections to two known target regions. This localization of GPR4 protein in mouse brain neurons corroborates putative sites of expression where its function has been previously implicated (e.g., CO2-regulated breathing by RTN), and provides a guide for where GPR4 could contribute to other CO2/H+ modulated brain functions. Finally, GPR4-HA animals provide a useful reagent for further study of GPR4 in other physiological processes outside of the brain.Significance Statement GPR4 is a proton-sensing G-protein coupled receptor whose expression is necessary for a number of diverse physiological processes including acid-base sensing in the kidney, immune function, and cancer progression. In the brain, GPR4 has been implicated in the hypercapnic ventilatory response mediated by brainstem neurons. While knockout studies in animals have clearly demonstrated its necessity for normal physiology, descriptions of GPR4 expression have been limited due to a lack of specific antibodies for use in mouse models. In this paper, we implemented a CRISPR/Cas9 knock-in approach to incorporate the coding sequence for a small epitope tag into the locus of GPR4. Using these mice, we were able to describe GPR4 protein expression directly for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C Gonye
- University of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Alexandra V Dagli
- University of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Natasha N Kumar
- University of New South Wales Sydney, School of Biomedical Sciences, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rachel T Clements
- University of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Wenhao Xu
- University of Virginia, Genetically Engineered Mouse Model Core, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Douglas A Bayliss
- University of Virginia, Department of Pharmacology, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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8
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Olszewski NA, Tetteh-Quarshie S, Henderson BJ. Neuronal Excitability in the Medial Habenula and Ventral Tegmental Area Is Differentially Modulated by Nicotine Dosage and Menthol in a Sex-Specific Manner. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0380-23.2024. [PMID: 38233142 PMCID: PMC10863631 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0380-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The medial habenula (MHb) has been identified as the limiting factor for nicotine intake and facilitating nicotine withdrawal. However, few studies have assessed MHb neuronal excitability in response to nicotine, and, currently, a gap in knowledge is present for finding behavioral correlates to neuronal excitability in the region. Moreover, no study to date has evaluated sex or nicotine dosage as factors of excitability in the MHb. Here, we utilized an e-vape self-administration (EVSA) model to determine differences between sexes with different nicotine dosages ± menthol. Following this paradigm, we employed patch-clamp electrophysiology to assess key metrics of MHb neuronal excitability in relation to behavioral endpoints. We observed female mice self-administered significantly more than males, regardless of dosage. We also observed a direct correlation between self-administration behavior and MHb excitability with low-dose nicotine + menthol in males. Conversely, a high dose of nicotine ± menthol yields an inverse correlation between excitability and self-administration behavior in males only. In addition, intrinsic excitability in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) does not track with the amount of nicotine self-administered. Rather, they correlate to the active/inactive discrimination of mice. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we also observed that dopamine release dynamics are linked to reinforcement-related behavior in males and motivation-related behaviors in females. These results point to a sex-specific difference in the activity of the MHb and VTA leading to distinct differences in self-administration behavior. His could lend evidence to clinical observations of smoking and nicotine-use behavior differing between males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan A Olszewski
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington 25703-1104, West Virginia
| | - Samuel Tetteh-Quarshie
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington 25703-1104, West Virginia
| | - Brandon J Henderson
- Department of Biomedical Science and Research, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington 25703-1104, West Virginia
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9
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Rakotobe M, Fjerdingstad N, Ruiz-Reig N, Lamonerie T, D'Autréaux F. Central role of the habenulo-interpeduncular system in the neurodevelopmental basis of susceptibility and resilience to anxiety in mice. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 191:106392. [PMID: 38145853 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106392] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Having experienced stress during sensitive periods of brain development strongly influences how individuals cope with later stress. Some are prone to develop anxiety or depression, while others appear resilient. The as-yet-unknown mechanisms underlying these differences may lie in how genes and environmental stress interact to shape the circuits that control emotions. Here, we investigated the role of the habenulo-interpeduncular system (HIPS), a critical node in reward circuits, in early stress-induced anxiety in mice. We found that habenular and IPN components characterized by the expression of Otx2 are synaptically connected and particularly sensitive to chronic stress (CS) during the peripubertal period. Stress-induced peripubertal activation of this HIPS subcircuit elicits both HIPS hypersensitivity to later stress and susceptibility to develop anxiety. We also show that HIPS silencing through conditional Otx2 knockout counteracts these effects of stress. Together, these results demonstrate that a genetic factor, Otx2, and stress interact during the peripubertal period to shape the stress sensitivity of the HIPS, which is shown to be a key modulator of susceptibility or resilience to develop anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malalaniaina Rakotobe
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Niels Fjerdingstad
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Nuria Ruiz-Reig
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | - Thomas Lamonerie
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
| | - Fabien D'Autréaux
- Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, iBV, Institut de Biologie Valrose, 06108 Nice, France. Fabien.D'
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10
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Rusali LE, Lopez-Hernandez AM, Kremiller KM, Kulkarni GC, Gour A, Straub CJ, Argade MD, Peters CJ, Sharma A, Toll L, Cippitelli A, Riley AP. Synthesis of α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Modulators Derived from Aristoquinoline That Reduce Reinstatement of Cocaine-Seeking Behavior. J Med Chem 2024; 67:529-542. [PMID: 38151460 PMCID: PMC10872344 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that inhibition of the α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) represents a promising therapeutic strategy to treat cocaine use disorder. Recently, aristoquinoline (1), an alkaloid from Aristotelia chilensis, was identified as an α3β4-selective nAChR inhibitor. Here, we prepared 22 derivatives of 1 and evaluated their ability to inhibit the α3β4 nAChR. These studies revealed structure-activity trends and several compounds with increased potency compared to 1 with few off-target liabilities. Additional mechanistic studies indicated that these compounds inhibit the α3β4 nAChR noncompetitively, but do not act as channel blockers, suggesting they are negative allosteric modulators. Finally, using a cocaine-primed reinstatement paradigm, we demonstrated that 1 significantly attenuates drug-seeking behavior in an animal model of cocaine relapse. The results from these studies further support a role for the α3β4 nAChR in the addictive properties of cocaine and highlight the possible utility of aristoquinoline derivatives in treating cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa E. Rusali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Ana M. Lopez-Hernandez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Kyle M. Kremiller
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Gauri C. Kulkarni
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Abhishek Gour
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Carolyn J. Straub
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Malaika D. Argade
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Christian J. Peters
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Abhisheak Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States
| | - Lawrence Toll
- Biomedical Science Department, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States
| | - Andrea Cippitelli
- Biomedical Science Department, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, United States
| | - Andrew P. Riley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
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11
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Klenowski PM, Zhao-Shea R, Freels TG, Molas S, Zinter M, M’Angale P, Xiao C, Martinez-Núñez L, Thomson T, Tapper AR. A neuronal coping mechanism linking stress-induced anxiety to motivation for reward. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh9620. [PMID: 38055830 PMCID: PMC10699782 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh9620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Stress coping involves innate and active motivational behaviors that reduce anxiety under stressful situations. However, the neuronal bases directly linking stress, anxiety, and motivation are largely unknown. Here, we show that acute stressors activate mouse GABAergic neurons in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN). Stress-coping behavior including self-grooming and reward behavior including sucrose consumption inherently reduced IPN GABAergic neuron activity. Optogenetic silencing of IPN GABAergic neuron activation during acute stress episodes mimicked coping strategies and alleviated anxiety-like behavior. In a mouse model of stress-enhanced motivation for sucrose seeking, photoinhibition of IPN GABAergic neurons reduced stress-induced motivation for sucrose, whereas photoactivation of IPN GABAergic neurons or excitatory inputs from medial habenula potentiated sucrose seeking. Single-cell sequencing, fiber photometry, and optogenetic experiments revealed that stress-activated IPN GABAergic neurons that drive motivated sucrose seeking express somatostatin. Together, these data suggest that stress induces innate behaviors and motivates reward seeking to oppose IPN neuronal activation as an anxiolytic stress-coping mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M. Klenowski
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Rubing Zhao-Shea
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Timothy G. Freels
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Susanna Molas
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Max Zinter
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Peter M’Angale
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Cong Xiao
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Leonora Martinez-Núñez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Travis Thomson
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Andrew R. Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
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12
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Flannery JS, Jorgensen NA, Kwon SJ, Prinstein MJ, Telzer EH, Lindquist KA. Developmental Changes in Habenular and Striatal Social Reinforcement Responsivity Across Adolescence Linked With Substance Use. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:888-897. [PMID: 37120062 PMCID: PMC10611899 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Habenula (HB) function is implicated in substance use disorders and is involved in inhibiting dopamine release in the ventral striatum (VS). While blunted VS reward responsivity is implicated in risk for later substance use, links between HB reinforcement processing and progression of use have not, to our knowledge, been examined among adolescents. In the present study, we longitudinally assessed HB and VS responsivity to social rewards and punishments across adolescence and examined associations with substance use. METHODS Within a longitudinal design, 170 adolescents (53.5% female) completed 1 to 3 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans across 6th to 9th grade and reported yearly substance use across 6th to 11th grade. We examined VS and HB responsivity to social reinforcement during a social incentive delay task in which adolescents received social rewards (smiling faces) and punishments (scowling faces). RESULTS We observed increased VS responsivity to social rewards (vs. reward omissions) and increased VS, but decreased HB, responsivity to social punishment avoidance versus receipt. However, contrary to hypotheses, the HB displayed increased responsivity to social rewards (vs. reward omissions). Further, adolescents reporting regular substance use displayed longitudinally declining HB responsivity to social rewards (vs. reward omissions), whereas adolescents reporting no substance use displayed longitudinally increasing HB responsivity. In contrast, whereas VS responsivity to punishment avoidance versus receipt increased longitudinally among regular substance users, it stayed relatively stable among nonusers. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that differential HB and VS social reinforcement processing trajectories across adolescence are associated with substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Flannery
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
| | - Nathan A Jorgensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Seh-Joo Kwon
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Mitchell J Prinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Kristen A Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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13
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Luong K, Bernardo MF, Lindstrom M, Alluri RK, Rose GJ. Brain regions controlling courtship behavior in the bluehead wrasse. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4937-4949.e3. [PMID: 37898122 PMCID: PMC10764105 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Bluehead wrasses (Thalassoma bifasciatum) follow a socially controlled mechanism of sex determination. A socially dominant initial-phase (IP) female is able to transform into a new terminal-phase (TP) male if the resident TP male is no longer present. TP males display an elaborate array of courtship behaviors, including both color changes and motor behaviors. Little is known concerning the neural circuits that control male-typical courtship behaviors. This study used glutamate iontophoresis to identify regions that may be involved in courtship. Stimulation of the following brain regions elicited diverse types of color change responses, many of which appear similar to courtship color changes: the ventral telencephalon (supracommissural nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vs], lateral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vl], ventral nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vv], and dorsal nucleus of the ventral telencephalon [Vd]), parts of the preoptic area (NPOmg and NPOpc), entopeduncular nucleus, habenular nucleus, and pretectal nuclei (PSi and PSm). Stimulation of two regions in the posterior thalamus (central posterior thalamic [CP] and dorsal posterior thalamic [DP]) caused movements of the pectoral fins that are similar to courtship fluttering and vibrations. Furthermore, these responses were elicited in female IP fish, indicating that circuits for sexual behaviors typical of TP males exist in females. Immunohistochemistry results revealed regions that are more active in fish that are not courting: interpeduncular nucleus, red nucleus, and ventrolateral thalamus (VL). Taken together, we propose that the telencephalic-habenular-interpeduncular pathway plays an important role in controlling and regulating courtship behaviors in TP males; in this model, in response to telencephalic input, the habenular nucleus inhibits the interpeduncular nucleus, thereby dis-inhibiting forebrain regions and promoting the expression of courtship behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyphuong Luong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
| | - Madeline F Bernardo
- School of Medicine, University of Utah, 30 N 1900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Michael Lindstrom
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, 101 Northern Blvd, Glen Head, NY 11545, USA
| | - Rishi K Alluri
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Gary J Rose
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 S 1400 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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14
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Chiang M, Lin Y, Zhao W, Liu H, Hsu R, Chou T, Lu T, Lee I, Liao L, Chiou S, Chu L, Hu S. In Situ Forming of Nitric Oxide and Electric Stimulus for Nerve Therapy by Wireless Chargeable Gold Yarn-Dynamos. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303566. [PMID: 37867218 PMCID: PMC10667856 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Endogenous signals, namely nitric oxide (NO) and electrons, play a crucial role in regulating cell fate as well as the vascular and neuronal systems. Unfortunately, utilizing NO and electrical stimulation in clinical settings can be challenging due to NO's short half-life and the invasive electrodes required for electrical stimulation. Additionally, there is a lack of tools to spatiotemporally control gas release and electrical stimulation. To address these issues, an "electromagnetic messenger" approach that employs on-demand high-frequency magnetic field (HFMF) to trigger NO release and electrical stimulation for restoring brain function in cases of traumatic brain injury is introduced. The system comprises a NO donor (poly(S-nitrosoglutathione), pGSNO)-conjugated on a gold yarn-dynamos (GY) and embedded in an implantable silk in a microneedle. When subjected to HFMF, conductive GY induces eddy currents that stimulate the release of NO from pGSNO. This process significantly enhances neural stem cell (NSC) synapses' differentiation and growth. The combined strategy of using NO and electrical stimulation to inhibit inflammation, angiogenesis, and neuronal interrogation in traumatic brain injury is demonstrated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min‐Ren Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Ya‐Hui Lin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
- Brain Research CenterNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Wei‐Jie Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Hsiu‐Ching Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Ru‐Siou Hsu
- Department of ChemistryStanford UniversityStanfordCA94305USA
| | - Tsu‐Chin Chou
- Institute of Analytical and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Tsai‐Te Lu
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
- Department of ChemistryNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
- Department of ChemistryChung Yuan Christian UniversityTaoyuan320314Taiwan
| | - I‐Chi Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Lun‐De Liao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and NanomedicineNational Health Research InstitutesMiaoli County35053Taiwan
| | - Shih‐Hwa Chiou
- Institute of PharmacologyCollege of MedicineNational Yang Ming Chiao Tung UniversityTaipei112304Taiwan
- Department of Medical ResearchTaipei Veterans General HospitalTaipei112201Taiwan
| | - Li‐An Chu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
- Brain Research CenterNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
| | - Shang‐Hsiu Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental SciencesNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu300044Taiwan
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15
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Ochandarena NE, Niehaus JK, Tassou A, Scherrer G. Cell-type specific molecular architecture for mu opioid receptor function in pain and addiction circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 238:109597. [PMID: 37271281 PMCID: PMC10494323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are potent analgesics broadly used for pain management; however, they can produce dangerous side effects including addiction and respiratory depression. These harmful effects have led to an epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose deaths, creating an urgent need for the development of both safer pain medications and treatments for opioid use disorders. Both the analgesic and addictive properties of opioids are mediated by the mu opioid receptor (MOR), making resolution of the cell types and neural circuits responsible for each of the effects of opioids a critical research goal. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology is enabling the identification of MOR-expressing cell types throughout the nervous system, creating new opportunities for mapping distinct opioid effects onto newly discovered cell types. Here, we describe molecularly defined MOR-expressing neuronal cell types throughout the peripheral and central nervous systems and their potential contributions to opioid analgesia and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E Ochandarena
- Neuroscience Curriculum, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program, The University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Jesse K Niehaus
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Adrien Tassou
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; UNC Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA; New York Stem Cell Foundation - Robertson Investigator, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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16
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Mao J, Cui Y, Wang H, Duan W, Liu ZJ, Hua T, Zhou N, Cheng J. Design and Synthesis of Novel GPR139 Agonists with Therapeutic Effects in Mouse Models of Social Interaction and Cognitive Impairment. J Med Chem 2023; 66:14011-14028. [PMID: 37830160 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
The GPR139 receptor is an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) mainly found in the central nervous system and is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of schizophrenia and drug addiction. Guided by the reported structure of GPR139, we conducted medicinal chemistry optimizations of TAK-041, the GPR139 agonist in clinical trials. New compounds with three different core structures were designed and synthesized, and their activity at GPR139 was evaluated. Among them, compounds 15a (EC50 = 31.4 nM) and 20a (EC50 = 24.7 nM) showed potent agonist activity at GPR139 and good pharmacokinetic properties. In murine schizophrenia models, both compounds rescued the social interaction deficits observed in BALB/c mice. Compound 20a also alleviated cognitive deficits in mice with a pharmacologically induced model of schizophrenia. These findings further demonstrated the potential of GPR139 agonists in alleviating the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Compound 20a is worth further evaluation as an antischizophrenia drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhang Mao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yilong Cui
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Huan Wang
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenwen Duan
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Tian Hua
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Jianjun Cheng
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
- School of Life Science Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
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17
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Hilscher MM, Mikulovic S, Perry S, Lundberg S, Kullander K. The alpha2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a subunit with unique and selective expression in inhibitory interneurons associated with principal cells. Pharmacol Res 2023; 196:106895. [PMID: 37652281 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) play crucial roles in various human disorders, with the α7, α4, α6, and α3-containing nAChR subtypes extensively studied in relation to conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, nicotine dependence, mood disorders, and stress disorders. In contrast, the α2-nAChR subunit has received less attention due to its more restricted expression and the scarcity of specific agonists and antagonists for studying its function. Nevertheless, recent research has shed light on the unique expression pattern of the Chrna2 gene, which encodes the α2-nAChR subunit, and its involvement in distinct populations of inhibitory interneurons. This review highlights the structure, pharmacology, localization, function, and disease associations of α2-containing nAChRs and points to the unique expression pattern of the Chrna2 gene and its role in different inhibitory interneuron populations. These populations, including the oriens lacunosum moleculare (OLM) cells in the hippocampus, Martinotti cells in the neocortex, and Renshaw cells in the spinal cord, share common features and contribute to recurrent inhibitory microcircuits. Thus, the α2-nAChR subunit's unique expression pattern in specific interneuron populations and its role in recurrent inhibitory microcircuits highlight its importance in various physiological processes. Further research is necessary to uncover the comprehensive functionality of α2-containing nAChRs, delineate their specific contributions to neuronal circuits, and investigate their potential as therapeutic targets for related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus M Hilscher
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sanja Mikulovic
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Cognition & Emotion Laboratory, Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Mental Health(DZPG), Germany
| | - Sharn Perry
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden; Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Stina Lundberg
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Klas Kullander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, IGP/BMC, Box 815, 751 08 Uppsala, Sweden.
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18
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Chung L, Jing M, Li Y, Tapper AR. Feed-forward Activation of Habenula Cholinergic Neurons by Local Acetylcholine. Neuroscience 2023; 529:172-182. [PMID: 37572877 PMCID: PMC10840387 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
While the functional and behavioral role of the medial habenula (MHb) is still emerging, recent data indicate an involvement of this nuclei in regulating mood, aversion, and addiction. Unique to the MHb is a large cluster of cholinergic neurons that project to the interpeduncular nucleus and densely express acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) suggesting that the activity of these cholinergic neurons may be regulated by ACh itself. Whether endogenous ACh from within the habenula regulates cholinergic neuron activity has not been demonstrated. Supporting a role for ACh in modulating MHb activity, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors increased the firing rate of MHb cholinergic neurons in mouse habenula slices, an effect blocked by AChR antagonists and mediated by ACh which was detected via expressing fluorescent ACh sensors in MHb in vivo. To test if cholinergic afferents innervate MHb cholinergic neurons, we used anterograde and retrograde viral tracing to identify cholinergic inputs. Surprisingly, tracing experiments failed to detect cholinergic inputs into the MHb, including from the septum, suggesting that MHb cholinergic neurons may release ACh within the MHb to drive cholinergic activity. To test this hypothesis, we expressed channelrhodopsin in a portion of MHb cholinergic neurons while recording from non-opsin-expressing neurons. Light pulses progressively increased activity of MHb cholinergic neurons indicating feed-forward activation driven by MHb ACh release. These data indicate MHb cholinergic neurons may utilize a unique feed-forward mechanism to synchronize and increase activity by releasing local ACh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leeyup Chung
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Dept. of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Miao Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 100871 Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 102206 Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 100871 Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 102206 Beijing, China
| | - Andrew R Tapper
- Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Dept. of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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19
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Vallés AS, Barrantes FJ. Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Dysfunction in Addiction and in Some Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Diseases. Cells 2023; 12:2051. [PMID: 37626860 PMCID: PMC10453526 DOI: 10.3390/cells12162051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The cholinergic system plays an essential role in brain development, physiology, and pathophysiology. Herein, we review how specific alterations in this system, through genetic mutations or abnormal receptor function, can lead to aberrant neural circuitry that triggers disease. The review focuses on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) and its role in addiction and in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases and epilepsy. Cholinergic dysfunction is associated with inflammatory processes mainly through the involvement of α7 nAChRs expressed in brain and in peripheral immune cells. Evidence suggests that these neuroinflammatory processes trigger and aggravate pathological states. We discuss the preclinical evidence demonstrating the therapeutic potential of nAChR ligands in Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and in autosomal dominant sleep-related hypermotor epilepsy. PubMed and Google Scholar bibliographic databases were searched with the keywords indicated below.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofía Vallés
- Bahía Blanca Institute of Biochemical Research (UNS-CONICET), Bahía Blanca 8000, Argentina;
| | - Francisco J. Barrantes
- Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), Faculty of Medical Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina—National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1600, Buenos Aires C1107AFF, Argentina
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20
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Fu CW, Huang CH, Tong SK, Chu CY, Chou MY. Nicotine reduces social dominance and neutralizes experience-dependent effects during social conflicts in zebrafish (Danio rerio). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 894:164876. [PMID: 37343866 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine, a psychoactive pollutant, binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and disrupts the cholinergic modulation and reward systems of the brain, leading to attention deficit, memory loss, and addiction. However, whether nicotine affects social behaviors remains unknown. We assessed the effects of nicotine on the fighting behavior of zebrafish. Adult zebrafish treated with 5 μM nicotine were used in dyadic fighting tests with size-matched control siblings. The results indicate that nicotine treatment not only significantly reduced the likelihood of winning but also impaired the winner-loser effects (winner and loser fish did not show higher winning and losing tendencies in the second fight, respectively, after treatment.) Nicotine led to a considerable increase in c-fos-positive signals in the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) of the brain, indicating that nicotine induces neural activity in the habenula (Hb)-IPN circuit. We used transgenic fish in which the Hb-IPN circuit was silenced to verify whether nicotine impaired the winner-loser effect through the Hb-IPN pathway. Nicotine-treated fish in which the medial part of the dorsal Hb was silenced did not have a higher winning rate, and nicotine-treated fish in which the lateral part of the dorsal Hb was silenced did not have a higher loss rate. This finding suggests that nicotine impairs the winner-loser effect by modulating the Hb-IPN circuit. Therefore, in these zebrafish, nicotine exposure impaired social dominance and neutralized experience-dependent effects in social conflicts, and it may thereby disturb the social hierarchy and population stability of such fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Wei Fu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | | | - Sok-Keng Tong
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ying Chu
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yi Chou
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
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21
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Xiao C, Wei J, Zhang GW, Tao C, Huang JJ, Shen L, Wickersham IR, Tao HW, Zhang LI. Glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in pontine central gray mediate opposing valence-specific behaviors through a global network. Neuron 2023; 111:1486-1503.e7. [PMID: 36893756 PMCID: PMC10164086 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Extracting the valence of environmental cues is critical for animals' survival. How valence in sensory signals is encoded and transformed to produce distinct behavioral responses remains not well understood. Here, we report that the mouse pontine central gray (PCG) contributes to encoding both negative and positive valences. PCG glutamatergic neurons were activated selectively by aversive, but not reward, stimuli, whereas its GABAergic neurons were preferentially activated by reward signals. The optogenetic activation of these two populations resulted in avoidance and preference behavior, respectively, and was sufficient to induce conditioned place aversion/preference. Suppression of them reduced sensory-induced aversive and appetitive behaviors, respectively. These two functionally opponent populations, receiving a broad range of inputs from overlapping yet distinct sources, broadcast valence-specific information to a distributed brain network with distinguishable downstream effectors. Thus, PCG serves as a critical hub to process positive and negative valences of incoming sensory signals and drive valence-specific behaviors with distinct circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Xiao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Jinxing Wei
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Guang-Wei Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Can Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Junxiang J Huang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Ian R Wickersham
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Huizhong W Tao
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Li I Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA; Center for Neural Circuits and Sensory Processing Disorders, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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22
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Ables JL, Park K, Ibañez-Tallon I. Understanding the habenula: A major node in circuits regulating emotion and motivation. Pharmacol Res 2023; 190:106734. [PMID: 36933754 PMCID: PMC11081310 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the last decade, the understanding of the habenula has rapidly advanced from being an understudied brain area with the Latin name 'habena" meaning "little rein", to being considered a "major rein" in the control of key monoaminergic brain centers. This ancient brain structure is a strategic node in the information flow from fronto-limbic brain areas to brainstem nuclei. As such, it plays a crucial role in regulating emotional, motivational, and cognitive behaviors and has been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and addiction. This review will summarize recent findings on the medial (MHb) and lateral (LHb) habenula, their topographical projections, cell types, and functions. Additionally, we will discuss contemporary efforts that have uncovered novel molecular pathways and synaptic mechanisms with a focus on MHb-Interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) synapses. Finally, we will explore the potential interplay between the habenula's cholinergic and non-cholinergic components in coordinating related emotional and motivational behaviors, raising the possibility that these two pathways work together to provide balanced roles in reward prediction and aversion, rather than functioning independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Ables
- Psychiatry Department, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kwanghoon Park
- The Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Inés Ibañez-Tallon
- The Laboratory of Molecular Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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23
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Borrello L, Antonelli P, Salvatori G, Dèttore D. The Relationship Between Love Addiction and Sex Addiction and the Influence of Social Support: An Exploratory Empirical Research. SEXUAL HEALTH & COMPULSIVITY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/26929953.2023.2185715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Paolo Antonelli
- Integrated Center of Clinical Sexology, Florence, Italy
- University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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24
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Kanasuwan A, Deuther-Conrad W, Chongruchiroj S, Sarasamkan J, Chotipanich C, Vajragupta O, Arunrungvichian K. Selective α 3β 4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligand as a Potential Tracer for Drug Addiction. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043614. [PMID: 36835028 PMCID: PMC9959096 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
α3β4 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) has been recognized as an emerging biomarker for the early detection of drug addiction. Herein, α3β4 nAChR ligands were designed and synthesized to improve the binding affinity and selectivity of two lead compounds, (S)-QND8 and (S)-T2, for the development of an α3β4 nAChR tracer. The structural modification was achieved by retaining the key features and expanding the molecular structure with a benzyloxy group to increase the lipophilicity for blood-brain barrier penetration and to extend the ligand-receptor interaction. The preserved key features are a fluorine atom for radiotracer development and a p-hydroxyl motif for ligand-receptor binding affinity. Four (R)- and (S)-quinuclidine-triazole (AK1-AK4) were synthesized and the binding affinity, together with selectivity to α3β4 nAChR subtype, were determined by competitive radioligand binding assay using [3H]epibatidine as a radioligand. Among all modified compounds, AK3 showed the highest binding affinity and selectivity to α3β4 nAChR with a Ki value of 3.18 nM, comparable to (S)-QND8 and (S)-T2 and 3069-fold higher affinity to α3β4 nAChR in comparison to α7 nAChR. The α3β4 nAChR selectivity of AK3 was considerably higher than those of (S)-QND8 (11.8-fold) and (S)-T2 (294-fold). AK3 was shown to be a promising α3β4 nAChR tracer for further development as a radiotracer for drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apinan Kanasuwan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Sri-Ayutthaya Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- National Cyclotron and PET Centre, Chulabhorn Hospital, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaengphet 6 Rd., Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Winnie Deuther-Conrad
- Department of Neuroradiopharmaceuticals, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sumet Chongruchiroj
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Sri-Ayutthaya Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Jiradanai Sarasamkan
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, 123 Mittraphap Rd., Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Chanisa Chotipanich
- National Cyclotron and PET Centre, Chulabhorn Hospital, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, 906 Kamphaengphet 6 Rd., Bangkok 10210, Thailand
| | - Opa Vajragupta
- Molecular Probes for Imaging Research Network, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Rd., Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kuntarat Arunrungvichian
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, 447 Sri-Ayutthaya Rd., Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Correspondence:
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25
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Specific Inhibition of Interpeduncular Nucleus GABAergic Neurons Alleviates Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Male Mice after Prolonged Abstinence from Methamphetamine. J Neurosci 2023; 43:803-811. [PMID: 36564185 PMCID: PMC9899084 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1767-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms of methamphetamine (METH) abuse, which further drives relapse to drugs. Interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) has been implicated in anxiety-like behaviors and addiction, yet its role in METH-abstinence-induced anxiety remains unknown. Here, we found that prolonged abstinence from METH enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice, accompanied by more excited IPN GABAergic neurons, as indicated by the increased c-fos expression and the enhanced neuronal excitability by electrophysiological recording in the GABAergic neurons. Using the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs method, specific inhibition of IPN GABAergic neurons rescued the aberrant neuronal excitation of IPN GABAergic neurons and efficiently reduced anxiety-like behaviors, whereas it did not induce depression-like behaviors in male mice after prolonged abstinence from METH. These findings reveal that IPN GABAergic neurons should be a promising brain target to alleviate late withdrawal symptoms from METH with few side effects.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prolonged abstinence from METH triggers IPN GABAergic neurons and ultimately increases anxiety in male mice. Suppressing IPN GABAergic neurons rescues METH abstinence-induced aberrant neuronal excitation of IPN GABAergic neurons and efficiently reduces anxiety in mice.
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26
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Straub CJ, Rusali LE, Kremiller KM, Riley AP. What We Have Gained from Ibogaine: α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Inhibitors as Treatments for Substance Use Disorders. J Med Chem 2023; 66:107-121. [PMID: 36440853 PMCID: PMC10034762 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
For decades, ibogaine─the main psychoactive alkaloid found in Tabernanthe iboga─has been investigated as a possible treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) due to its purported ability to interrupt the addictive properties of multiple drugs of abuse. Of the numerous pharmacological actions of ibogaine and its derivatives, the inhibition of α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), represents a probable mechanism of action for their apparent anti-addictive activity. In this Perspective, we examine several classes of compounds that have been discovered and developed to target α3β4 nAChRs. Specifically, by focusing on compounds that have proven efficacious in pre-clinical models of drug abuse and have been evaluated clinically, we highlight the promising potential of the α3β4 nAChRs as viable targets to treat a wide array of SUDs. Additionally, we discuss the challenges faced by the existing classes of α3β4 nAChR ligands that must be overcome to develop them into therapeutic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J Straub
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Lisa E Rusali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Kyle M Kremiller
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
| | - Andrew P Riley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612, United States
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27
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Guo R, Vaughan DT, Rojo ALA, Huang YH. Sleep-mediated regulation of reward circuits: implications in substance use disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:61-78. [PMID: 35710601 PMCID: PMC9700806 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01356-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Our modern society suffers from both pervasive sleep loss and substance abuse-what may be the indications for sleep on substance use disorders (SUDs), and could sleep contribute to the individual variations in SUDs? Decades of research in sleep as well as in motivated behaviors have laid the foundation for us to begin to answer these questions. This review is intended to critically summarize the circuit, cellular, and molecular mechanisms by which sleep influences reward function, and to reveal critical challenges for future studies. The review also suggests that improving sleep quality may serve as complementary therapeutics for treating SUDs, and that formulating sleep metrics may be useful for predicting individual susceptibility to SUDs and other reward-associated psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Guo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Dylan Thomas Vaughan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ana Lourdes Almeida Rojo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
- The Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yanhua H Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA.
- The Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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28
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Yamada S, Furukawa R, Sakakibara SI. Identification and expression profile of novel STAND gene Nwd2 in the mouse central nervous system. Gene Expr Patterns 2022; 46:119284. [PMID: 36341976 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2022.119284] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS), neurons need synaptic neurotransmitter release and cellular response for various cellular stress or environmental stimuli. To achieve these highly orchestrated cellular processes, neurons should drive the molecular mechanisms that govern and integrate complex signaling pathways. The signal transduction ATPases with numerous domains (STAND) family of proteins has been shown to play essential roles in diverse signal transduction mechanisms, including apoptosis and innate immunity. However, a comprehensive understanding of STAND genes remains lacking. Previously, we identified the NACHT and WD repeat domain-containing protein 1 (NWD1), a member of STAND family, in the regulation of the assembly of a giant multi-enzyme complex that enables efficient de novo purine biosynthesis during brain development. Here we identified the mouse Nwd2 gene, which is a paralog of Nwd1. A molecular phylogenetic analysis suggested that Nwd1 emerged during the early evolution of the animal kingdom, and that Nwd2 diverged in the process of Nwd1 duplication. RT-PCR and in situ hybridization analyses revealed the unique expression profile of Nwd2 in the developing and adult CNS. Unlike Nwd1, Nwd2 expression was primarily confined to neurons in the medial habenular nucleus, an essential modulating center for diverse psychological states, such as fear, anxiety, and drug addiction. In the adult brain, Nwd2 expression, albeit at a lower level, was also observed in some neuronal populations in the piriform cortex, hippocampus, and substantia nigra pars compacta. NWD2 might play a unique role in the signal transduction required for specific neuronal circuits, especially for cholinergic neurons in the habenula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiya Yamada
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
| | - Ryutaro Furukawa
- Laboratory of Life Science for Extremophiles, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Sakakibara
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
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29
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Novel non-stimulants rescue hyperactive phenotype in an adgrl3.1 mutant zebrafish model of ADHD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022:10.1038/s41386-022-01505-z. [PMID: 36400921 PMCID: PMC10267219 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01505-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
ADHD is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. The first-line therapeutic for ADHD, methylphenidate, can cause serious side effects including weight loss, insomnia, and hypertension. Therefore, the development of non-stimulant-based therapeutics has been prioritized. However, many of these also cause other effects, most notably somnolence. Here, we have used a uniquely powerful genetic model and unbiased drug screen to identify novel ADHD non-stimulant therapeutics. We first found that adgrl3.1 null (adgrl3.1-/-) zebrafish larvae showed a robust hyperactive phenotype. Although the hyperactivity was rescued by three ADHD non-stimulant therapeutics, all interfered significantly with sleep. Second, we used wild-type zebrafish larvae to characterize a simple behavioral phenotype generated by atomoxetine and screened the 1200 compound Prestwick Chemical Library® for a matching behavioral profile resulting in 67 hits. These hits were re-assayed in the adgrl3.1-/-. Using the previously identified non-stimulants as a positive control, we identified four compounds that matched the effect of atomoxetine: aceclofenac, amlodipine, doxazosin, and moxonidine. We additionally demonstrated cognitive effects of moxonidine in mice using a T-maze spontaneous alternation task. Moxonidine, has high affinity for imidazoline 1 receptors. We, therefore, assayed a pure imidazoline 1 agonist, LNP599, which generated an effect closely matching other non-stimulant ADHD therapeutics suggesting a role for this receptor system in ADHD. In summary, we introduce a genetic model of ADHD in zebrafish and identify five putative therapeutics. The findings offer a novel tool for understanding the neural circuits of ADHD, suggest a novel mechanism for its etiology, and identify novel therapeutics.
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30
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Blasiak A, Gugula A, Gundlach AL, Olucha-Bordonau FE, Aniello F, Donizetti A. Relaxin ligand/receptor systems in the developing teleost fish brain: Conserved features with mammals and a platform to address neuropeptide system functions. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:984524. [PMID: 36277494 PMCID: PMC9580368 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.984524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The relaxins (RLNs) are a group of peptide hormone/neuromodulators that can regulate a wide range of physiological processes ranging from reproduction to brain function. All the family members have originated from a RLN3-like ancestor via different rounds of whole genome and gene specific duplications during vertebrate evolution. In mammals, including human, the divergence of the different family members and the emergence of new members led to the acquisition of specific functions for the various relaxin family peptide and associated receptor genes. In particular, in mammals, it was shown, that the role of RLN3 is correlated to the modulation of arousal, stress responses, emotion, social recognition, and other brain functions, positioning this gene/peptide as a potential therapeutic target for neuropsychiatric disorders. This review highlights the evolutionary conservation of relaxin family peptide and receptor gene expression and their associated brain neural circuits. In the zebrafish, the expression pattern of the different relaxin family members has specific features that are conserved in higher species, including a likely similar functional role for the ancestral RLN3-like gene. The use of different model organisms, particularly the zebrafish, to explore the diversification and conservation of relaxin family ligands and receptor systems, provides a relatively high-throughput platform to identify their specific conserved or differential neuromodulatory roles in higher species including human.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Blasiak
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Anna Gugula
- Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Andrew L. Gundlach
- Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Francesco Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Aldo Donizetti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Aldo Donizetti,
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31
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Chao OY, Nikolaus S, Yang YM, Huston JP. Neuronal circuitry for recognition memory of object and place in rodent models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104855. [PMID: 36089106 PMCID: PMC10542956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Rats and mice are used for studying neuronal circuits underlying recognition memory due to their ability to spontaneously remember the occurrence of an object, its place and an association of the object and place in a particular environment. A joint employment of lesions, pharmacological interventions, optogenetics and chemogenetics is constantly expanding our knowledge of the neural basis for recognition memory of object, place, and their association. In this review, we summarize current studies on recognition memory in rodents with a focus on the novel object preference, novel location preference and object-in-place paradigms. The evidence suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex- and hippocampus-connected circuits contribute to recognition memory for object and place. Under certain conditions, the striatum, medial septum, amygdala, locus coeruleus and cerebellum are also involved. We propose that the neuronal circuitry for recognition memory of object and place is hierarchically connected and constructed by different cortical (perirhinal, entorhinal and retrosplenial cortices), thalamic (nucleus reuniens, mediodorsal and anterior thalamic nuclei) and primeval (hypothalamus and interpeduncular nucleus) modules interacting with the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Y Chao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Susanne Nikolaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Yi-Mei Yang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Joseph P Huston
- Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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32
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Bailly J, Allain F, Schwartz E, Tirel C, Dupuy C, Petit F, Diana MA, Darcq E, Kieffer BL. Habenular Neurons Expressing Mu Opioid Receptors Promote Negative Affect in a Projection-Specific Manner. Biol Psychiatry 2022:S0006-3223(22)01594-3. [PMID: 36496267 PMCID: PMC10027626 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The mu opioid receptor (MOR) is central to hedonic balance and produces euphoria by engaging reward circuits. MOR signaling may also influence aversion centers, notably the habenula (Hb), where the receptor is highly dense. Our previous data suggest that the inhibitory activity of MOR in the Hb may limit aversive states. To investigate this hypothesis, we tested whether neurons expressing MOR in the Hb (Hb-MOR neurons) promote negative affect. METHODS Using Oprm1-Cre knockin mice, we combined tracing and optogenetics with behavioral testing to investigate consequences of Hb-MOR neuron stimulation for approach/avoidance (real-time place preference), anxiety-related responses (open field, elevated plus maze, and marble burying), and despair-like behavior (tail suspension). RESULTS Optostimulation of Hb-MOR neurons elicited avoidance behavior, demonstrating that these neurons promote aversive states. Anterograde tracing showed that, in addition to the interpeduncular nucleus, Hb-MOR neurons project to the dorsal raphe nucleus. Optostimulation of Hb-MOR/interpeduncular nucleus terminals triggered avoidance and despair-like responses with no anxiety-related effect, whereas light-activation of Hb-MOR/dorsal raphe nucleus terminals increased levels of anxiety with no effect on other behaviors, revealing 2 dissociable pathways controlling negative affect. CONCLUSIONS Together, the data demonstrate that Hb neurons expressing MOR facilitate aversive states via 2 distinct Hb circuits, contributing to despair-like behavior (Hb-MOR/interpeduncular nucleus) and anxiety (Hb-MOR/dorsal raphe nucleus). The findings support the notion that inhibition of these neurons by either endogenous or exogenous opioids may relieve negative affect, a mechanism that would have implications for hedonic homeostasis and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Bailly
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Florence Allain
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eric Schwartz
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Chloé Tirel
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Charles Dupuy
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Florence Petit
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marco A Diana
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, INSERM, Neurosciences Paris Seine-Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel Darcq
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Brigitte L Kieffer
- Douglas Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada; INSERM U1114, Department of Psychiatry, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
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33
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Sylwestrak EL, Jo Y, Vesuna S, Wang X, Holcomb B, Tien RH, Kim DK, Fenno L, Ramakrishnan C, Allen WE, Chen R, Shenoy KV, Sussillo D, Deisseroth K. Cell-type-specific population dynamics of diverse reward computations. Cell 2022; 185:3568-3587.e27. [PMID: 36113428 PMCID: PMC10387374 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Computational analysis of cellular activity has developed largely independently of modern transcriptomic cell typology, but integrating these approaches may be essential for full insight into cellular-level mechanisms underlying brain function and dysfunction. Applying this approach to the habenula (a structure with diverse, intermingled molecular, anatomical, and computational features), we identified encoding of reward-predictive cues and reward outcomes in distinct genetically defined neural populations, including TH+ cells and Tac1+ cells. Data from genetically targeted recordings were used to train an optimized nonlinear dynamical systems model and revealed activity dynamics consistent with a line attractor. High-density, cell-type-specific electrophysiological recordings and optogenetic perturbation provided supporting evidence for this model. Reverse-engineering predicted how Tac1+ cells might integrate reward history, which was complemented by in vivo experimentation. This integrated approach describes a process by which data-driven computational models of population activity can generate and frame actionable hypotheses for cell-type-specific investigation in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L Sylwestrak
- Department of Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - YoungJu Jo
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sam Vesuna
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Blake Holcomb
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Rebecca H Tien
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Doo Kyung Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lief Fenno
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - William E Allen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94303, USA
| | - Ritchie Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Krishna V Shenoy
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94303, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David Sussillo
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Wagle M, Zarei M, Lovett-Barron M, Poston KT, Xu J, Ramey V, Pollard KS, Prober DA, Schulkin J, Deisseroth K, Guo S. Brain-wide perception of the emotional valence of light is regulated by distinct hypothalamic neurons. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3777-3793. [PMID: 35484242 PMCID: PMC9613822 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01567-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Salient sensory stimuli are perceived by the brain, which guides both the timing and outcome of behaviors in a context-dependent manner. Light is such a stimulus, which is used in treating mood disorders often associated with a dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress axis. Relationships between the emotional valence of light and the hypothalamus, and how they interact to exert brain-wide impacts remain unclear. Employing larval zebrafish with analogous hypothalamic systems to mammals, we show in free-swimming animals that hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRFHy) neurons promote dark avoidance, and such role is not shared by other hypothalamic peptidergic neurons. Single-neuron projection analyses uncover processes extended by individual CRFHy neurons to multiple targets including sensorimotor and decision-making areas. In vivo calcium imaging uncovers a complex and heterogeneous response of individual CRFHy neurons to the light or dark stimulus, with a reduced overall sum of CRF neuronal activity in the presence of light. Brain-wide calcium imaging under alternating light/dark stimuli further identifies distinct and distributed photic response neuronal types. CRFHy neuronal ablation increases an overall representation of light in the brain and broadly enhances the functional connectivity associated with an exploratory brain state. These findings delineate brain-wide photic perception, uncover a previously unknown role of CRFHy neurons in regulating the perception and emotional valence of light, and suggest that light therapy may alleviate mood disorders through reducing an overall sum of CRF neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahendra Wagle
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-2811, USA
| | - Mahdi Zarei
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-2811, USA
| | - Matthew Lovett-Barron
- Department of Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kristina Tyler Poston
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-2811, USA
| | - Jin Xu
- Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Vince Ramey
- Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Invitae Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Katherine S Pollard
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science & Biotechnology, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David A Prober
- Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Jay Schulkin
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Su Guo
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-2811, USA.
- Programs in Human Genetics and Biological Sciences, Kavli Institute of Fundamental Neuroscience, The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Bakar Aging Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143-2811, USA.
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35
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Zarrabian S, Jamali S, Fazli-Tabaei S, Haghparast A. Dopaminergic and nitric oxide systems interact to regulate the electrical activity of neurons in the medial septal nucleus in rats. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:2581-2594. [PMID: 35976391 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Research characterizing the neuronal substrate of anxiety has implicated different brain areas, including the medial septal nucleus (m-SEPT). Previous reports indicated a role of dopamine and nitric oxide (NO) in anxiety-related behaviors. In this study, the extracellular single-unit recording was performed from the m-SEPT in adult male albino Wistar rats. Baseline activity was recorded for 5 min, and the post-injection recording was performed for another 5 min after the microinjection of each drug. The results showed that (1) both D1- and D2-like receptor agonists (SKF-38393 and quinpirole) enhanced the firing rate of m-SEPT neurons; (2) both D1- and D2-like antagonists (SCH-23390 and sulpiride) attenuated the firing rate of m-SEPT neurons; (3) L-arginine (NO precursor) increased the firing rate of m-SEPT neurons, but a non-specific NOS inhibitor, L-NAME, elicited no significant alterations; (4) the non-specific NOS inhibitor reversed the enhanced firing rate produced by SKF-38393 and quinpirole; (5) neither of the dopaminergic antagonists changed the enhanced activity resulted from the application of the NO precursor. These results contribute to our understanding of the complex neurotransmitter interactions in the m-SEPT and showed that both dopaminergic and NO neurotransmission are involved in the modulation of the firing rate of neurons in the m-SEPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahram Zarrabian
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Cognitive Neuroscience, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shole Jamali
- Student Research Committee, Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheila Fazli-Tabaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 19615-1178, Tehran, Iran.
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López-Ojeda W, Hurley RA. Kisspeptin in the Limbic System: New Insights Into Its Neuromodulatory Roles. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 34:190-195. [PMID: 35921618 DOI: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20220087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wilfredo López-Ojeda
- Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center and Research and Academic Affairs Service Line, W.G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salisbury, N.C. (López-Ojeda, Hurley); Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (López-Ojeda, Hurley) and Radiology (Hurley), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (Hurley)
| | - Robin A Hurley
- Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center and Research and Academic Affairs Service Line, W.G. Hefner Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salisbury, N.C. (López-Ojeda, Hurley); Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (López-Ojeda, Hurley) and Radiology (Hurley), Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (Hurley)
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Chen S, Sun X, Zhang Y, Mu Y, Su D. Habenula bibliometrics: Thematic development and research fronts of a resurgent field. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:949162. [PMID: 35990593 PMCID: PMC9382245 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.949162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The habenula (Hb) is a small structure of the posterior diencephalon that is highly conserved across vertebrates but nonetheless has attracted relatively little research attention until the past two decades. The resurgent interest is motivated by neurobehavioral studies demonstrating critical functions in a broad spectrum of motivational and cognitive processes, including functions relevant to psychiatric diseases. The Hb is widely conceived as an “anti-reward” center that acts by regulating brain monoaminergic systems. However, there is still no general conceptual framework for habenula research, and no study has focused on uncovering potentially significant but overlooked topics that may advance our understanding of physiological functions or suggest potential clinical applications of Hb-targeted interventions. Using science mapping tools, we quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed the relevant publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2002 to 2021. Herein we present an overview of habenula-related publications, reveal primary research trends, and prioritize some key research fronts by complementary bibliometric analysis. High-priority research fronts include Ventral Pallidum, Nucleus Accumbens, Nicotine and MHb, GLT-1, Zebrafish, and GCaMP, Ketamine, Deep Brain Stimulation, and GPR139. The high intrinsic heterogeneity of the Hb, extensive connectivity with both hindbrain and forebrain structures, and emerging associations with all three dimensions of mental disorders (internalizing, externalizing, and psychosis) suggest that the Hb may be the neuronal substrate for a common psychopathology factor shared by all mental illnesses termed the p factor. A future challenge is to explore the therapeutic potential of habenular modulation at circuit, cellular, and molecular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sifan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyu Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yizhe Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Diansan Su
- Department of Anesthesiology, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Diansan Su,
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38
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Antunes GF, Pinheiro Campos AC, de Assis DV, Gouveia FV, de Jesus Seno MD, Pagano RL, Ruiz Martinez RC. Habenula activation patterns in a preclinical model of neuropathic pain accompanied by depressive-like behaviour. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271295. [PMID: 35819957 PMCID: PMC9275703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain and depression are complex disorders that frequently co-occur, resulting in diminished quality of life. The habenula is an epithalamic structure considered to play a pivotal role in the neurocircuitry of both pain and depression. The habenula can be divided into two major areas, the lateral and medial habenula, that can be further subdivided, resulting in 6 main subregions. Here, we investigated habenula activation patterns in a rat model of neuropathic pain with accompanying depressive-like behaviour. Wistar rats received active surgery for the development of neuropathic pain (chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve; CCI), sham surgery (surgical control), or no surgery (behavioural control). All animals were evaluated for mechanical nociceptive threshold using the paw pressure test and depressive-like behaviour using the forced swimming test, followed by evaluation of the immunoreactivity to cFos—a marker of neuronal activity—in the habenula and subregions. The Open Field Test was used to evaluate locomotor activity. Animals with peripheral neuropathy (CCI) showed decreased mechanical nociceptive threshold and increased depressive-like behaviour compared to control groups. The CCI group presented decreased cFos immunoreactivity in the total habenula, total lateral habenula and lateral habenula subregions, compared to controls. No difference was found in cFos immunoreactivity in the total medial habenula, however when evaluating the subregions of the medial habenula, we observed distinct activation patterns, with increase cFos immunoreactivity in the superior subregion and decrease in the central subregion. Taken together, our data suggest an involvement of the habenula in neuropathic pain and accompanying depressive-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Flavia Venetucci Gouveia
- Division of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
- Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Canada
- * E-mail: (RCRM); (FVG)
| | | | | | - Raquel Chacon Ruiz Martinez
- Division of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
- LIM/23, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail: (RCRM); (FVG)
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Kolobaric A, Karim HT, Banihashemi L, Mizuno A, Aizenstein HJ, Andreescu C. Are All Anxieties Created Equal? Stress-related Networks and Anxiety Phenotypes in Old Age. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022; 30:801-812. [PMID: 35000866 PMCID: PMC9177511 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2021.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The dysregulation of stress-related networks due to chronic symptoms such as severe worry and/or rumination is one of the putative pathways linking anxiety in late-life with cognitive decline and increased cardiovascular burden. Symptoms such as severe worry or rumination respond poorly to standard treatment and drive the morbidity associated with anxiety in older adults. We assessed if any of the neural networks anchored in the stress-related regions of interest (ROIs) are associated with distinct anxiety phenotypes (worry, rumination and global anxiety). METHODS We recruited older participants (over 50 years of age) with varying levels of worry (N = 91) to undergo resting state fMRI. We computed seed-based connectivity for each ROI: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, habenula, and amygdala. We limited our connectivity analyses to extracted regions for each seeded ROI-based network based on their canonical networks in 1,000 participants (Neurosynth). Using connectivity and clinical factors, we fit cross-validated elastic net models to predict scores on Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Rumination Subscale Questionnaire, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale. RESULTS We identified several distinct connectivity patterns that predict anxiety phenotypes' severity. Greater worry was associated with greater paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus -subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal, and olfactory and amygdala-PHC connectivity. Greater global anxiety was associated with lower amygdala-superior temporal gyrus connectivity. Greater perceived stress was associated with lower amygdala-inferior temporal gyrus and amygdala-fusiform gyrus connectivity. CONCLUSION Our study suggests that various late-life anxiety phenotypes (worry, global anxiety, rumination) may be associated with varying functional connectivity related to stress and emotion regulation. This may aid in the development of future targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Helmet T. Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
| | | | - Akiko Mizuno
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
| | - Howard J. Aizenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
| | - Carmen Andreescu
- Department of Psychiatry (HTK, LB, AM, HJA, CA), University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA.
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40
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Mu R, Tang S, Han X, Wang H, Yuan D, Zhao J, Long Y, Hong H. A cholinergic medial septum input to medial habenula mediates generalization formation and extinction of visual aversion. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110882. [PMID: 35649349 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110882] [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: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Generalization of visual aversion is a critical function of the brain that supports survival, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unclear. We establish a rapid generalization procedure for inducing visual aversion by dynamic stripe images. By using fiber photometry, apoptosis, chemogenetic and optogenetic techniques, and behavioral tests, we find that decreased cholinergic neurons' activity in the medial septum (MS) leads to generalization loss of visual aversion. Strikingly, we identify a projection from MS cholinergic neurons to the medial habenula (MHb) and find that inhibition of the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit disrupts aversion-generalization formation while its continuous activation disrupts subsequent extinction. Further studies show that MS→MHb cholinergic projections modulate the generalization of visual aversion possibly via M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) of downstream neurons coreleasing glutamate and acetylcholine. These findings reveal that the MS→MHb cholinergic circuit is a critical node in aversion-generalization formation and extinction and potentially provides insight into the pathogenesis of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghao Mu
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Susu Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiaomeng Han
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Danhua Yuan
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Jiajia Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Yan Long
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
| | - Hao Hong
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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Yoo H, Kim HJ, Yang SH, Son GH, Gim JA, Lee HW, Kim H. Gene Expression Profiling of the Habenula in Rats Exposed to Chronic Restraint Stress. Mol Cells 2022; 45:306-316. [PMID: 35534192 PMCID: PMC9095505 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.2257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress contributes to the risk of developing depression; the habenula, a nucleus in epithalamus, is associated with many neuropsychiatric disorders. Using genome-wide gene expression analysis, we analyzed the transcriptome of the habenula in rats exposed to chronic restraint stress for 14 days. We identified 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were affected by chronic stress. These genes were enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, the cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) signaling pathway, circadian entrainment, and synaptic signaling from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and responded to corticosteroids, positive regulation of lipid transport, anterograde trans-synaptic signaling, and chemical synapse transmission from the Gene Ontology analysis. Based on protein-protein interaction network analysis of the DEGs, we identified neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, circadian entrainment, and cholinergic synapse-related subclusters. Additionally, cell type and habenular regional expression of DEGs, evaluated using a recently published single-cell RNA sequencing study (GSE137478), strongly suggest that DEGs related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and trans-synaptic signaling are highly enriched in medial habenular neurons. Taken together, our findings provide a valuable set of molecular targets that may play important roles in mediating the habenular response to stress and the onset of chronic stress-induced depressive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyeijung Yoo
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, BrainKorea21 Four, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Soo Hyun Yang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Gi Hoon Son
- Department of Legal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Jeong-An Gim
- Medical Science Research Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Lee
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, BrainKorea21 Four, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, BrainKorea21 Four, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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Kovács LÁ, Füredi N, Ujvári B, Golgol A, Gaszner B. Age-Dependent FOSB/ΔFOSB Response to Acute and Chronic Stress in the Extended Amygdala, Hypothalamic Paraventricular, Habenular, Centrally-Projecting Edinger-Westphal, and Dorsal Raphe Nuclei in Male Rats. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:862098. [PMID: 35592695 PMCID: PMC9110804 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.862098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
FOS proteins are early-responding gene products that contribute to the formation of activator protein-1. Several acute and chronic stimuli lead to Fos gene expression, accompanied by an increase of nuclear FOS, which appears to decline with aging. FOSB is another marker to detect acute cellular response, while ΔFOSB mirrors long-lasting changes in neuronal activity upon chronic stress. The notion that the occurrence of stress-related mood disorders shows some age dependence suggests that the brain's stress sensitivity is also a function of age. To study age-dependent stress vulnerability at the immediate-early gene level, we aimed to describe how the course of aging affects the neural responses of FOSB/ΔFOSB in the acute restraint stress (ARS), and chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) in male rats. Fourteen brain areas [central, medial, basolateral (BLA) amygdala; dorsolateral- (BNSTdl), oval- (BNSTov), dorsomedial-, ventral- (BNSTv), and fusiform- (BNSTfu) divisions of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; medial and lateral habenula, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), centrally-projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus, dorsal raphe nucleus, barrel field of somatosensory cortex (S1)] were examined in the course of aging. Eight age groups [1-month-old (M), 1.5 M, 2 M, 3 M, 6 M, 12 M, 18 M, and 24 M] of rats were exposed to a single ARS vs. controls. In addition, rats in six age groups (2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 M) were subjected to CVMS. The FOSB/ΔFOSB immunoreactivity (IR) was a function of age in both controls, ARS- and CVMS-exposed rats. ARS increased the FOSB/ΔFOSB in all nuclei (except in BLA), but only BNSTfu, BNSTv, and PVN reacted throughout the examined lifespan. The CVMS did not increase the FOSB/ΔFOSB in BLA, BNSTov, BNSTdl, and S1. PVN showed a constantly maintained FOSB/ΔFOSB IR during the examined life period. The maximum stress-evoked FOSB/ΔFOSB signal was detected at 2-3 M periods in the ARS- and at 6 M, 18 M in CVMS- model. Corresponding to our previous observations on FOS, the FOSB/ΔFOSB response to stress decreased with age in most of the examined nuclei. Only the PVN exerted a sustained age-independent FOSB/ΔFOSB, which may reflect the long-lasting adaptation response and plasticity of neurons that maintain the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis response throughout the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Ákos Kovács
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Füredi
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Ujvári
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Abolfazl Golgol
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Balázs Gaszner
- Department of Anatomy, Research Group for Mood Disorders, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Center for Neuroscience & Szentagothai Research Center, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
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Song JG, Kwon O, Hwang EM, Kim HW, Park JY. Conditional deletion of TMEM16A in cholinergic neurons of the medial habenula induces anhedonic-like behavior in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 426:113841. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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The role of orphan receptor GPR139 in neuropsychiatric behavior. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:902-913. [PMID: 33479510 PMCID: PMC8882194 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-00962-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Orphan G protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) present attractive targets both for understanding neuropsychiatric diseases and for development of novel therapeutics. GPR139 is an orphan GPCR expressed in select brain circuits involved in controlling movement, motivation and reward. It has been linked to the opioid and dopamine neuromodulatory systems; however, its role in animal behavior and neuropsychiatric processes is poorly understood. Here we present a comprehensive behavioral characterization of a mouse model with a GPR139 null mutation. We show that loss of GPR139 in mice results in delayed onset hyperactivity and prominent neuropsychiatric manifestations including elevated stereotypy, increased anxiety-related traits, delayed acquisition of operant responsiveness, disruption of cued fear conditioning and social interaction deficits. Furthermore, mice lacking GPR139 exhibited complete loss of pre-pulse inhibition and developed spontaneous 'hallucinogenic' head-twitches, altogether suggesting schizophrenia-like symptomatology. Remarkably, a number of these behavioral deficits could be rescued by the administration of μ-opioid and D2 dopamine receptor (D2R) antagonists: naltrexone and haloperidol, respectively, suggesting that loss of neuropsychiatric manifestations in mice lacking GPR139 are driven by opioidergic and dopaminergic hyper-functionality. The inhibitory influence of GPR139 on D2R signaling was confirmed in cell-based functional assays. These observations define the role of GPR139 in controlling behavior and implicate in vivo actions of this receptor in the neuropsychiatric process with schizophrenia-like pathology.
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45
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Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Role of Habenula in Social and Reproductive Behaviors in Fish: Comparison With Mammals. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:818782. [PMID: 35221943 PMCID: PMC8867168 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.818782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviors such as mating, parenting, fighting, and avoiding are essential functions as a communication tool in social animals, and are critical for the survival of individuals and species. Social behaviors are controlled by a complex circuitry that comprises several key social brain regions, which is called the social behavior network (SBN). The SBN further integrates social information with external and internal factors to select appropriate behavioral responses to social circumstances, called social decision-making. The social decision-making network (SDMN) and SBN are structurally, neurochemically and functionally conserved in vertebrates. The social decision-making process is also closely influenced by emotional assessment. The habenula has recently been recognized as a crucial center for emotion-associated adaptation behaviors. Here we review the potential role of the habenula in social function with a special emphasis on fish studies. Further, based on evolutional, molecular, morphological, and behavioral perspectives, we discuss the crucial role of the habenula in the vertebrate SDMN.
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D'Souza MS, Seeley SL, Emerson N, Rose-Malkamaki MJ, Ho SP, Tsai YC, Kuo H, Huan CY, Rorabaugh BR. Attenuation of nicotine-induced rewarding and antidepressant-like effects in male and female mice lacking regulator of G-protein signaling 2. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 213:173338. [PMID: 35038444 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine-induced rewarding and mood altering effects contribute to the continued use of nicotine and the subsequent development of nicotine dependence. The goal of this study was to assess the role of two specific regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins namely RGS2 and RGS4 in the above described effects of nicotine. Male and female mice lacking either RGS2 (RGS2 KO) or RGS4 (RGS4 KO), and their respective wildtype (WT) littermates were used in this study. The rewarding effects of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg, base; s.c.) were assessed using the conditioned place preference model. Nicotine-induced anxiolytic-like (0.1 mg/kg, base; i.p.) and antidepressant-like (1 mg/kg, base; i.p.) effects were assessed using the elevated plus maze and tail suspension test, respectively. We also assessed effects of nicotine (0, 0.05, 0.1 & 0.5 mg/kg, base; s.c.) on spontaneous locomotor activity. Nicotine-induced rewarding and antidepressant-like effects were observed in both male and female RGS2 WT mice, but not in mice lacking RGS2 compared to respective controls. In contrast, nicotine-induced rewarding and antidepressant-like effects were observed in both male and female mice lacking RGS4 and their WT littermates. Interestingly, deletion of RGS4 facilitated antidepressant-like effect of nicotine in male, but not female mice compared to respective WT littermates. Nicotine-induced anxiolytic-like effect was not influenced by deletion of either RGS2 or RGS4, irrespective of sex. Nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) decreased locomotor activity in both WT and KO mice compared to respective saline, irrespective of genotype and sex. Taken together, these data provide evidence that RGS2, but not RGS4, plays a role in mediating the rewarding and antidepressant-like effects of nicotine. Further research is required to explore the role of RGS2 after chronic exposure to nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoranjan S D'Souza
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States.
| | - Sarah L Seeley
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Nate Emerson
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Madison J Rose-Malkamaki
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Sheng-Ping Ho
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Yi-Chih Tsai
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Henry Kuo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Ching-Yu Huan
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, The Raabe College of Pharmacy, Ohio Northern University, 525 S Main Street, Ada, OH 45810, United States
| | - Boyd R Rorabaugh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Marshall University, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV 25755, United States
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Chronic infusions of mecamylamine into the medial habenula: Effects on nicotine self-administration in rats. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113574. [PMID: 34499942 PMCID: PMC8492541 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The habenula is an epithalamic structure through which descending connections go from the telencephalon to the brainstem, putting it in a key location to provide feedback control over the ascending projections from the brainstem to the telencephalon. The medial habenula has a high concentration of nicotinic receptors. We assessed the role of medial habenular nicotinic receptors for nicotine self-administration (SA) in female young adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats had bilateral chronic infusion cannulae placed into the medial habenula nucleus. Each cannula was connected to a slow delivery osmotic minipump to chronically infuse mecamylamine (100 µg/side/day) or vehicle for four consecutive weeks. The rats were tested for nicotine SA for the first two weeks of mecamylamine infusion. Then, they had one week of enforced abstinence, during which they had no access to the nicotine SA. Finally, they had one week of resumed nicotine SA access. There was a significantly differential mecamylamine effects in animals with lower and higher pretreatment baseline nicotine SA. Rats with lower baseline nicotine SA levels showed a nearly significant mecamylamine-induced reduction in SA while those with higher baseline levels of SA showed a significant mecamylamine-induced increase in nicotine SA. This study determined that medial habenular nicotinic receptors are important for nicotine reinforcement. Baseline level of performance makes a crucial difference for the involvement of habenular mechanisms in nicotine reinforcement with nicotinic activation being important for maintaining nicotine self-administration for those with lower levels of baseline self-administration and the opposite effect with subjects with higher levels of baseline self-administration.
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48
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Ogawa S, Parhar IS. Functions of habenula in reproduction and socio-reproductive behaviours. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 64:100964. [PMID: 34793817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Habenula is an evolutionarily conserved structure in the brain of vertebrates. Recent reports have drawn attention to the habenula as a processing centre for emotional decision-making and its role in psychiatric disorders. Emotional decision-making process is also known to be closely associated with reproductive conditions. The habenula receives innervations from reproductive centres within the brain and signals from key reproductive neuroendocrine regulators such as gonadal sex steroids, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and kisspeptin. In this review, based on morphological, biochemical, physiological, and pharmacological evidence we discuss an emerging role of the habenula in reproduction. Further, we discuss the modulatory role of reproductive endocrine factors in the habenula and their association with socio-reproductive behaviours such as mating, anxiety and aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Ogawa
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ishwar S Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, 47500 Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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49
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Roy N, Parhar I. Habenula orphan G-protein coupled receptors in the pathophysiology of fear and anxiety. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:870-883. [PMID: 34801259 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The phasic emotion, fear, and the tonic emotion, anxiety, have been conventionally inspected in clinical frameworks to epitomize memory acquisition, storage, and retrieval. However, inappropriate expression of learned fear in a safe environment and its resistance to suppression is a cardinal feature of various fear-related disorders. A significant body of literature suggests the involvement of extra-amygdala circuitry in fear disorders. Consistent with this view, the present review underlies incentives for the association between the habenula and fear memory. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important to understand the molecular mechanisms central to fear learning due to their neuromodulatory role. The efficacy of a pharmacological strategy aimed at exploiting habenular-GPCR desensitization machinery can serve as a therapeutic target combating the pathophysiology of fear disorders. Originating from this milieu, the conserved nature of orphan GPCRs in the brain, with some having the highest expression in the habenula can lead to recent endeavors in understanding its functionality in fear circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisa Roy
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Ishwar Parhar
- Brain Research Institute, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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50
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Zaupa M, Naini SMA, Younes MA, Bullier E, Duboué ER, Le Corronc H, Soula H, Wolf S, Candelier R, Legendre P, Halpern ME, Mangin JM, Hong E. Trans-inhibition of axon terminals underlies competition in the habenulo-interpeduncular pathway. Curr Biol 2021; 31:4762-4772.e5. [PMID: 34529937 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Survival of animals is dependent on the correct selection of an appropriate behavioral response to competing external stimuli. Theoretical models have been proposed and underlying mechanisms are emerging to explain how one circuit is selected among competing neural circuits. The evolutionarily conserved forebrain to midbrain habenulo-interpeduncular nucleus (Hb-IPN) pathway consists of cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons, which mediate different aversive behaviors. Simultaneous calcium imaging of neuronal cell bodies and of the population dynamics of their axon terminals reveals that signals in the cell bodies are not reflective of terminal activity. We find that axon terminals of cholinergic and non-cholinergic habenular neurons exhibit stereotypic patterns of spontaneous activity that are negatively correlated and localize to discrete subregions of the target IPN. Patch-clamp recordings show that calcium bursts in cholinergic terminals at the ventral IPN trigger excitatory currents in IPN neurons, which precede inhibition of non-cholinergic terminals at the adjacent dorsal IPN. Inhibition is mediated through presynaptic GABAB receptors activated in non-cholinergic habenular neurons upon GABA release from the target IPN. Together, the results reveal a hardwired mode of competition at the terminals of two excitatory neuronal populations, providing a physiological framework to explore the relationship between different aversive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Zaupa
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Seyedeh Maryam Alavi Naini
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Maroun Abi Younes
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Erika Bullier
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Erik R Duboué
- Jupiter Life Science Initiative, Wilkes Honors College and Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Hervé Le Corronc
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Hédi Soula
- INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Nutriomics, La Pitié Salpétrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Sebastien Wolf
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Candelier
- Laboratoire Jean Perrin, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Legendre
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marnie E Halpern
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Jean-Marie Mangin
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Elim Hong
- INSERM, CNRS, Neurosciences Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France.
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